First Car Rental Travel Guide: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's Top 5 Resorts

Online, September 6, 2012 (Newswire.com) - KwaZulu-Natal, descriptively labelled the Garden Province, is a popular tourist destination filled with things to do and places to see. The province can be split into three main topographical areas. The lowland region lies along the Indian Ocean coast while in the hilly terrain of the central region you'll find the renowned Midlands Meander Tourist route. Finally, there are two mountainous areas: the Lebombo Mountains and the Drakensberg.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is the organisation responsible for maintaining the rich biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal and they offer some fantastic resorts that are definitely worth exploring. Here's our top 5 selection:

1. Giant's Castle
2. Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
3. Ithala Game Reserve
4. Didima Resort at Cathedral Peak
5. Midmar Dam Resort

Where to Stay

Giant's Castle
Giant's Castle Resort in the UKhahlamba Drakensberg Park offers a range of accommodation options from camping and overnight hiking to 2, 4 and 6-sleeper chalets, a honeymoon suite and an 8-sleeper mountain hut.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
Hilltop is the main camp on the Hluhluwe side of the park and offers 2 and 4-sleeper chalets as well as 8-sleeper bush lodges. A variety of self-catering chalets, rest huts, safari tents as well as 2 large cottages are available on the Imfolozi side of the park at Mpila Camp.

Ithala Game Reserve
Ntshondwe Resort is Ithala Game Reserve's main camp and is camouflaged against a plateau at the foot of the cliffs of the Ngotshe Mountain, some of the oldest rocks in the world. The camp offers 39 thatched self-catering chalets, from two to six beds that blend into a lush setting of acacias, wild figs and cabbage trees. 28 other chalets without catering facilities are geared for tour groups and conference delegates. There is also selection of bush camps available in the reserve.

Didima Resort (Cathedral Peak)
Didima Camp at Cathedral Peak offers a range of accommodation including self-catering chalets (28 2-bed chalets, 2 4-bed chalets), non-self-catering chalets (34 2-bed chalets), electrified camp sites, boasting new ablution and catering facilities (21 campsites), overnight hiking (15 San Caves) and a honeymoon suite.

Midmar Dam Resort
Midmar Dam Resort offers a range of affordable accommodation options to suite various budgets and lifestyle tastes, from comfortable chalets with DStv to electrified campsites. Munro Bay has refurbished dam-facing chalets with 2-bed, 4-bed and 5-bed units, rustic 4-bed cabins with a common ablution facility and 31 electrified campsites with a common ablution facility.

Dukuduku and Morgenzen offer a number of non-electrified campsites. All campsites have barbeque facilities as well as firewood and charcoal available for sale and shared cold-water taps. The modern ablution facilities feature flush toilets, baths and showers as well as dishwashing and basic laundry facilities.

Where are the KZN Wildlife resorts located?

This map outlines where you can find all of the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife resorts:

How to get there?

By Road:

Giant's Castle
From Johannesburg (the North): Turn off the N3 into Estcourt. At the Conner and Lorne intersection take the Ntabamhlope Road and follow the signs to Giant's Castle Resort. The resort is approximately 64 km from Mooi River.

From Durban or Pietermaritzburg (the South): Turn off the N3 into Mooi River. Travel through Mooi River town and follow the Giant's Castle Resort signs. The resort is approximately 64 km from Mooi River.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is a three-hour drive from Durban. From Durban take the N2 northward for approximately 220 km. Go passed the Mtubatuba / St. Lucia turnoff at the next off-ramp turn left onto the R618 West. Follow the R618 West for about 25 km to Nyalazi Gate.

To get to Memorial Gate (situated near Hilltop camp), continue on the N2 passed the R618 and take the A2138 (R22) road towards the park gate.

Ithala Game Reserve
Take the N2 to Pongola and turn south onto the R66. After 22 km turn right onto R69 and follow the road west for 70 km toward Vryheid. The reserve is located beside the village of Louwsburg.

Didima Camp (Cathedral Peak)
Didima Camp is a 3-hour drive from Pietermaritzburg off the N3 and a 4-hour drive from Johannesburg. This easy-to-find mountain escape is accessible through Winterton (off the R74 to Bergville) and easy to reach through regularly signed intervals.

Midmar Dam Resort
Midmar Dam Resort is 40 minutes from Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KZN, and a 500km from Johannesburg.
Midmar Dam Resort is located just off the N3, near Howick in the Natal Midlands, and can be approached via the Howick /Tweedie off-ramp or the Howick off-ramp.

By Air:
The main airports that serve the KZN Wildlife resorts include King Shaka International, Pietermaritzburg and Richard's Bay. Car Rental is available from First Car Rental at these airports.