The Saffron House

Fringed by green and tangled vegetation, the golden beaches of the North Coast are a sub-tropical paradise. This a great family beach holiday destination - but it has a few special little treats up its sleeve. Pods of up to a couple of hundred bottlenose dolphins frolic in the back line, the surf is fantastic and the diving is great but there aren't nearly as many operators as there are on the South Coast, or at Sodwana, further north.

And - if you're planning on spending any time at all in the sea, you should take the opportunity to visit the KZN Sharks Board. You'll get to watch a great multi-media presentation about sharks and, if you have a strong stomach, watch a shark dissection, which is part of their ongoing research. You'll learn that sharks are not just mindless predators. There's also a great shark-themed gift shop.

The North Coast is at the southern end of Zululand and the Battlefields, and there are some interesting historical places to visit, including Stanger/KwaDukuza, where Shaka, the first Zulu chieftain, is buried, and the ultimatum tree at Tugela Mouth, where the Zulu wars started in a rather sneaky bit of sophistry by the British colonials.

There are lovely day walks along the coast. The birding is fabulous and there is a small game reserve.

But probably the most popular activity is ... golf. Yup - it's a golfer's paradise!