Mkambati Nature Reserve

Mkambati occupies about 7,700 hectares of Pondoland coast between the Msikaba and Mtentu rivers, both of which run in deep forested gorges to the sea. Between them the land is open grassland dotted with the Mkambati palm, a species restricted to this small stretch of coast, and the plateau is cut by streams that reach the shore as waterfalls - the Horseshoe and Strandloper falls drop close to the sea, and the Mkambati River ends in a series of cascades onto the beach. Eland, blesbok, red hartebeest and zebra graze the grassland, having been introduced; the gorges hold forest with rare Pondoland endemics that make this coast botanically important. Rock pools along the shore are good for swimming when the sea is out. The reserve holds a colony of four to eight hundred threatened Cape vultures and became a Ramsar site in 2025. The reserve is remote, the roads in are rough, and accommodation is a small set of self-catering cottages and a lodge.

What's there

• The two gorges - Msikaba and Mtentu rivers in deep forested clefts either side.
• The Mkambati palm - a species restricted to this small stretch of coast.
• The coastal falls - cascades dropping onto or near the beach.
• The grassland game - eland, blesbok and zebra on the coastal plateau.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Two days minimum given the access.

Good to know

The gravel roads in are long and rough, and get worse after rain. Accommodation is limited and basic; bring supplies. Signal is poor. Swimming is safest in the rock pools - the open sea has strong currents and no lifeguards.

Nearby

Waterfall Bluff is down the coast; Port Edward is over the KwaZulu-Natal border.

Key facts