Driving in Richards Bay, South Africa

• By: Editor
• On: 08/Oct/2007
• In: South Africa Travel Tips

Richards Bay is one of the larger harbours in South Africa. It's situated on a 30 km² lagoon in the Mhathuze River – it was made a protected area in 1935. The town was only laid out in 1954 and later in 1976 was converted to a deepwater harbour with rail and oil links to Johannesburg. Located just 170km from Durban, via the N2, Richards Bay is a popular get away for people who just want to get out of the city.

What to see in the Richards Bay area?

Richards Bay is a great fun destination for those willing to try new things and is a haven for watersports enthusiasts. The area is very popular with kite surfers due to the reliable north-east wind coming down along the coast. There is also some excellent fishing, yachting, kayaking and other adventurous activities on hand to be enjoyed.

A popular attraction is Lake Mzingazi. Here you'll find Nile crocodiles and hippos as well as over 350 species of birds.

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park are both located less than 100km from Richards Bay and are well worth a visit. The Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park has all the 'big five' (elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and rhinos) as well as cheetahs, wild dogs and nyala. The entrance to iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly Greater St Lucia Wetland Park) is essentially through the town of St Lucia and is a great activity centre with snorkelling, horse-riding, whale watching hiking, a crocodile park and boat cruises where you can see hippos and all the other wild life of the wetlands.

Why not hire a car?

Hiring a car is definitely the best option. It gives you much more freedom and you get to see all the area's best bits at your leisure. 
 
The N2 connects Cape Town to Durban, through George, Port Elizabeth and East London. The N2 continues through Durban and passes by Richards Bay (the town is only a few kilometres from the motorway) and onto Ermelo. Durban is connected to Johannesburg and Pretoria via the N3, so as you can see you'll have no problems getting to/from Richards Bay by car. The nearest International airport is Durban Airport, which is only a 90-minute drive away.

The public transport network is limited and many of the best attractions are just outside the town so renting a car is definitely your best option for getting around. If you're flying into Richard Bay Airport you can pick up your car hire here. Alternatively, if you want to drive to Richards Bay from Durban, it is the nearest major city so take a look at our Durban Car Hire page.  

If you've been to Richards Bay and have any travel tips or advice please leave a message in the comment box below.