3 reasons to visit Empangeni in KZN

Although it may be under your radar, the charming town of Empangeni is a hidden gem of the KwaZulu-Natal province. Located roughly 150km outside of Durban, the town of Empangeni was first known as a Norwegian Missionary town and is situated along the Mpangeni River.

20 Sep 2019

Image credit: SA-Venues.com.

With the arrival of Tourism Month, we list some of the best experiences available, whether you’re travelling for business, as a family or for adventure.

#TourismMonth: Fall in love at the Drakensberg

Sindy Peters 9 Sep 2019

Zulu immersion

South Africa is a country filled with centuries of history, and a significant part of that history is rooted in the Zulu culture, which can be explored at the Empangeni Art and Cultural History Museum. Erected in 1916 by the sugar farmers, the museum first served as the Old Town Hall, where locals held weddings, dances, concerts and other social gatherings.

Empangeni Art and Cultural History Museum, Empangeni
Coordinates -28.745271, 31.891399

Description
•Situated in old Town Hall dating from 1916.
•Local artists’ work on show.
•Cultural section covers town history and sugar cane industry. pic.twitter.com/vDSV7N19aj
— Road Trip RSA (@RoadTripRSA) April 26, 2018

On your visit, you’ll see extensive historical objects collected to preserve the history of the town, and works by renowned artists like Andrew Verster, Trevor Makob and Bonnie Ntshali.

#TourismMonth: SA's got tourism talent

Sindy Peters 29 Aug 2019

Bird watching

The Zululand birding route stretches along the east coast, spreading across towns like Eshowe, Kozi Bay, Richards Bay and St. Lucia. Birding has grown in recent years, and the Sani Pass area was recently voted as one of the top 10 birding hot spots in Southern Africa by TripSavvy.

Exciting birds to keep an eye out for in the area include the Drakensberg rockjumper, the Gurney’s sugarbird, the bush blackcap and the Barratt’s warbler.

Family travel in 2019 and trends to tap into this #TourismMonth

Sharmila Ragunanan 13 Sep 2019

Big Five spotting

If you’re taking a road trip through KwaZulu-Natal province, a drive to Empangeni will be worth your while. Visit Thula Thula Game Reserve for a close-up look at some of the country’s wildlife including elephants, buffalos, rhinos, leopards and birds.

View this post on Instagram

Some more photos of our group’s experience at Thula Thula! �� While visiting the reserve, our group learned about the wonderful legacy of Lawrence Anthony, the “Elephant Whisperer,” and met some of the original elephants he saved! Since then, this reserve has become a pachyderm paradise (swipe for video). * * * For more information, visit our website (link in bio) — this trip will be repeated in 2020 and you don’t want to miss out!

A post shared by Holden Safaris (@holdensafaris) on Sep 3, 2019 at 9:43am PDT

The reserve was established in 1911 and covers an impressive 4,500 hectares of land. They have a variety of packages to choose from, including overnight options, should you wish to spend a few days and soak up nature for longer.