{"id":9407,"date":"2022-05-10T20:24:26","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T18:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/?p=9407"},"modified":"2022-05-10T20:24:26","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T18:24:26","slug":"kzn-south-coast-launches-umzumbe-river-trail-a-unique-hinterland-tourism-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/activities\/hiking\/kzn-south-coast-launches-umzumbe-river-trail-a-unique-hinterland-tourism-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"KZN South Coast launches Umzumbe River Trail, a unique hinterland tourism experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHiking trails are the best way to experience South Africa\u2019s scenery, sunny climate and outdoor culture \u2013 it\u2019s one of\u00a0the world\u2019s most popular hiking destinations. Whether you like to hike up<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

mountains, along rivers or through valleys,\u00a0you\u2019re certain to find a perfect route.\u201d – South African Tourism Board<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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The development of tourism routes in the hinterland is a key role of Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT), bringing unique experiences to visitors while creating valuable job opportunities for local communities. The launch of the Umzumbe River Trail at the Durban ICC on Wednesday, 4 May is the latest hinterland initiative that takes visitors into the heart of the KZN South Coast for an authentic Zulu experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThere are more than 1\u00a0000 registered hiking trails across South Africa\u2019s nine provinces offering visitors an incredibly immersive experience,\u201d explained Phelisa Mangcu, CEO of USCT. \u201cDrawing on this popularity, we considered a dedicated KZN South Coast hiking trail the perfect way to provide visitors with an unmatched hinterland excursion that brings in natural and cultural enlightenment along the way. In this way, we\u2019re creating a sustainable rural tourism product that further entrenches the Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom as a prime holiday destination.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Those embarking on the Umzumbe River Trail will be given a traditional welcome at the start at Mhlabatshane Dam in Phugashe before a week-long hiking adventure that winds along 70km of spectacular natural landscape. Knowledgeable local trail guides will lead guests, either hiking and biking, while sharing information on the unique geology, flora and fauna of the region as well as the many medicinal uses of plants that have formed part of Zulu culture for centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This trail winds across a landscape that is home to six Zulu clans; the eNhlangwini, eMabheleni, KwaCele, kwaNdelu, kwaQwabe and KwaMadlala. Guides will take hikers on detours along the trail to places of interest and privately owned refreshment stops. Every night, visitors will be welcomed into authentic homestays where they get to experience the traditional culture of each of these clans.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Drumming, song, dance and storytelling will give insights into a history stretching back to the days of iNkosi uShaka and beyond. Guests will also enjoy the opportunity to venture out and experience the taverns, sights and sounds of nearby villages. The world-renowned skill of local artisans will be showcased through handmade arts and crafts on display.<\/span><\/p>\n

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There is so much to \u2018sea and do\u2019 on the KZN South Coast! To find out more about the Umzumbe River Trail and other KZN South Coast experiences, download the free \u2018Explore KZN South Coast\u2019 app from Google Play and Apple stores, check out \u2018South Coast Tourism\u2019 on Facebook or YouTube, @infosouthcoast on Twitter or Instagram, or \u2018Info Ugu South Coast Tourism\u2019 on LinkedIn. Follow the hashtags #seaanddo #greatestshoalonearth #sardinerun #subtropicalparadise #kznsouthcoast. Visit <\/span>www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za<\/span><\/a><\/span> for more information on tourism offerings.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For access to all previous USCT press releases, please visit: <\/span>https:\/\/www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za\/category\/press-release\/<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHiking trails are the best way to experience South Africa\u2019s scenery, sunny climate and outdoor culture \u2013 it\u2019s one of\u00a0the world\u2019s most popular hiking destinations. Whether you like to hike up mountains, along rivers or through valleys,\u00a0you\u2019re certain to find a perfect route.\u201d – South African Tourism Board \u00a0 The development of tourism routes in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9406,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2515],"tags":[4635,5315,5367,2639,5388],"class_list":["post-9407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hiking","tag-kzn","tag-kzn-south-coast","tag-olivia-jones-communications","tag-south-coast","tag-umzumbe-river-trail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9407\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}