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| SOUTH AFRICA TRAVEL |
| PLACE IN THE SHADE ...
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Submitted by: Mary G. 18 April 2007
Durban, KwaZulu Natal |
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Place in the shade of the
Umthunzi tree - Mtunzini, KwaZulu Natal: If you haven’t stayed in the municipal
log cabins in Mtunzini, a coastal town
in Zululand about 130 kilometres from Durban, then you have yet to experience a little
piece of heaven.
The whole town of Mtunzini is a conservancy and committed to preserving the environment,
so it’s not surprising that the streets are lined with indigenous trees that provide
food for a host of different birds, or that the country’s rarest breeding bird of
prey, the Palmnut Vulture, is found here in the Raphia palms within the same nature
reserve as the log cabins.
It is never cooler than 17 degrees in this part of the world, and it can get rather
uncomfortable if you’re not used to the humidity along the coast. The best time of
year is to go either before it gets too hot, in September/October or just before winter,
in May but for a Durbanite like me, I head out there at any time of year and am assured of
a complete break and a reconnection with nature.
The greatest secret about the log cabins is that they’re on stilts in the dune
forest, up in trees. And they’ve been erected carefully, so that you’re not
aware of your neighbours and the only ‘life’ in evidence is the local loerie
community. There are only twenty two self-catering cabins and most of them sleep four in
two bedrooms. The camp is close to the beach and there are some absolutely wonderful walks
that take you down to the mangrove swamps, along paths lined with tree ferns and lush
vegetation, perfect for bird lovers.
My favourite moment is just after entering the town, which is perched on a hill
overlooking the sea. The town has a policy of focusing on the natural beauty of the area
and you’re aware of it immediately. All alien vegetation has been cleared and a local
fig forest has been developed, the only of its kind in the country, I think.
From the moment you enter your cabin, time slows and all you need worry about is what time
dinner will be and when best to go on a walk down to the mangrove swamps. A network of
trails have been laid out and if you can manage to get to the Rafia palms when no one else
is around, and you can spot the vultures, then you’ve really coined it and can go
home a happy and revitalised individual, content to continue with the complexities of life
until next you can make it to Mtunzini to revive your spirits. |
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Additional info / Related Pages:
Visit
Zululand in KwaZulu Natal
Mtunzni,
KwaZulu Natal
Accommodation
in KwaZulu Natal |
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| Must See Attractions:
The Zululand Rhino Reserve was created to provide a haven for the fast dwindling
black rhino population .... |
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| See: Zululand Rhino Reserve |
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« South Africa
Tours | South Africa Game
Reserves | South Africa
Attractions » |
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With 20 National Parks
(including two of the world's most famous wildlife reserves, the Kruger Park & Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park) &
numerous private game reserves, your trip to South Africa would be incomplete without
experiencing a South African wildlife safari .... |
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