Kosi Bay

Kosi Bay is a chain of four lakes in the far north-east corner of the country, connected by channels and opening to the sea through a mouth where the water runs clear enough to snorkel among reef fish. The fish traps are what the place is known for: kraals of woven branches set in the shallows in patterns, built and maintained by Tsonga families under a system of inherited rights that has run for generations, catching fish on the falling tide without nets. They are still in daily use, not a display. Raffia palms grow around the lakes in one of the few stands in South Africa, and the coastal forest holds palm-nut vultures. Loggerhead and leatherback turtles nest on the beaches in summer, monitored by a research programme that has run since the 1960s. Access is sand track and 4x4, and everything here is inside iSimangaliso.

Highlights

• The fish traps - woven kraals still worked daily under inherited family rights.
• The mouth - clear tidal water with reef fish, snorkelled with a guide.
• The raffia palms - a rare stand of the species around the lake shores.
• The turtles - loggerhead and leatherback nesting in summer, monitored since the 1960s.

When to go

April to October for weather; November to February for nesting turtles. Two to three days.

What to expect

You need a 4x4 for the sand tracks - ordinary cars get stuck. The mouth requires a guide and a permit, and numbers are limited. Malaria risk is real in this corner of the country. Facilities are basic and shops are far.

Nearby

Lake Sibaya is south; Mabibi and the Maputaland beaches are down the coast.

Key facts