A large province which contains a variety of landscapes and attractions as diverse as the Drakkensburg Mountains and the St Lucia Wetlands.
There is a long coast of sub-tropical surf beaches, remote lowveld savanna, the historic battlefields of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu wars and the interesting Zulu culture. The Natal Parks Board has many excellent parks with a huge range of wildlife, such as Itala and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi.
Durban is the main city of the province and is a major port and a main hub for holiday makers, particularly local South Africans. It has all year warm weather due to the warm Agulhus current in the Indian Ocean.
Natal Bay, around which Durban is built was a stopping point for sailors as far back as 1685, though it's also thought that Vasco da Gama stopped her in 1497. The Voortrekkers founded Pietermaritzburg, 80 km north of Durban in the 1800s and Boers claimed control. Today Durban is a rapidly growing city with a high level of tourism.
The beaches and wetlands of St Lucia give way north to Maputaland which borders Mozambique, there are coral reefs which provide great snorkelling and diving, particularly good areas are Kosi Bay, Rocktail Bay and Sodwana Bay.