Demarcated in the west by the soaring Drakensberg Mountains, its southern tip and eastern borders lapped by the warm Indian Ocean, the densely vegetated KwaZulu-Natal is often described as the country's most "African" province. Its subtropical latitude translates into long, hot summers -- at times oppressively humid -- and balmy winters, while the warm Mozambique current ensures that the ocean is never more than 2 to 3 degrees cooler than the air. These sultry conditions have not gone unnoticed by its landlocked neighbors, resulting in an almost unbroken ribbon of development along the coastal belt south of the Tugela River, a region dubbed "the Holiday Coast." In its center is Durban, the busiest port in Africa, and the region's industrial and tourism hub.

The region north of the Tugela River is known as Zululand, where the amaZulu rose to power during the early 19th century under the legendary ruler Shaka. Besides the rich selection of local crafts (the Zulus are arguably South Africa's most prolific artists), traditional ways still play a major role in contemporary life here, and visitors are welcome to attend special events such as initiation ceremonies and annual reed dances. Zululand is also home to the majority of KwaZulu-Natal game reserves, some of Africa's oldest wildlife sanctuaries, and a recommended addition to a safari in Mpumalanga or Botswana. A mere 3 hours' drive north of Durban, you can see the Big 5 at Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve or Phinda Private Reserve -- also one of the few places in the world where you can track a pride of lions in the morning, then spend the afternoon cruising the lush waterways of the Greater St Lucia Wetland (a World Heritage Site) for hippo and croc, or diving the rich coral reefs off Sodwana Bay. If you have time, join the privileged few who have explored the 60km (37 miles) of pristine coastline at Rocktail Bay, north of Sodwana. The more intrepid nature lover should head even farther, to the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve, located in the far northern corner of the province. Inland are Mkuze and Ndumo, the country's premier bird-watching reserves, while to the west lie the famous battle sites of the many wars fought among the Zulu, British, and Boers in the 19th century.

Pride of place for those in search of real tranquillity and breathtaking beauty must however go to the soaring Drakensberg, or "Barrier of Spears," as the amaZulu called them. Site of more than 35,000 ancient San rock paintings, thought to be the mostly densely concentrated area on the African continent, the Drakensberg was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 2000, bringing a much deserved focus to southern Africa's most majestic mountainscape.

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