The school holidays are here - Green Corridors in Durban offer fun holiday ideas for families
Only a short distance from Durban’s CBD – self-drive or fully-guided tours are available to anyone interested in this amazing venture.
eNanda Adventure Park, on the exquisite Inanda dam, has picnic sites and an awesome pump bike track for the adventurous. Guided mountain biking, birding excursions, hiking trails, and canoeing are on offer.
The beautiful Mnini Dam is set in the heart of the picturesque uMgababa area, offering two superb sites for picnics, canoeing, fishing (large-mouth bass, tilapia), and spectacular birding, hiking, and MTB trails. This could be a good bonding experience for couples and families and even work-related teamwork activities.
Even if this is something you have not thought of doing, trying new things is particularly important for families to try out. According to an Umthunzi blog, one of the benefits to family or group holidays are the opportune time to do something you haven’t done. This will open new ideas to what the family members enjoy and if they would choose to do it again.
In addition, the Mqeku Picnic Site, in the exquisite Valley of 1000 Hills, has a ‘bum-slide’ on its river, a sparkling clean tributary into the Umgeni. This fun slide ends in a serenely calm pool, where you can simply float on a tube, for those not in the mood to go crazy. Walks, hikes and birding are on offer here too.
In the Valley of 1000 Hills is Isithumba with hiking, MTB, and cultural tours; while Lower Molweni is a hiker, birders, and nature-lover’s paradise with a network of community-developed nature trails that lead hikers through the spectacular rugged cliffs and forests of the area, just on the outskirts of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve.
Near the Blue Lagoon in Durban is the GreenHub with some amazing eco-tourism activities including birding, hiking, canoeing, and a visit to the fascinating Ezemvelo Beachwood Mangroves (on selected days).
Green Corridors sites and tourism experiences are easily accessible, although guided tours can enhance your experience. Shuttle tours are offered to many of the sites in an air conditioned mini-bus and qualified guides.
If you are planning to stay over, most of the sites offer some form of accommodation, else spend a night or the entire weekend with one of Green Corridors fully-catered and arranged Pop-Up Camps.
All sites have a nominal entrance fee. Camping and activity fees vary from site to site, helping to drive the tourism economy in these areas.