Mtunzini

Mtunzini is a quaint village situated just to the south of Richards Bay on the coast of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal. Not much development has taken place here and this is what the residents want. The name means “a place in the shade” – a very apt way of describing the rural tranquility of this beautiful place only an hour and a half from Durban and 45 km from the industrial town of Richards Bay.

The area has been declared a conservancy and it overlooks the Umlalazi Nature Reserve and the Mlalazi River as it winds its way to the sea and the long expanses of the beach. There is a grove of Raphia Palms which has been declared a natural monument. There is an impressive boardwalk through the swamp forest to the grove.

The village is within an hour and a half from the Isimangaliso (St Lucia) Wetland Park as well as the big 5 game reserve of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi and further north the Mkuzi and Ndumo reserves. There are also some great fishing spots in the area and world class diving at Kosi Bay and Sodwana Bay just north of St Lucia.

There is a nine-hole golf course at the local country club as well as bowls and tennis. Accommodation takes the form of an excellent caravan park, numerous B&B’s and log cabins in the Umlalazi Nature Reserve.

See fishing on the North Coast

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