Wavecrest Holiday Resort

Named after the Lovu river that has its mouth here, llovo beach is a peaceful place, away from thronging tourist crowds but with plentiful facilities for all sorts of activities or idling. It's a famed South African fishing destination too, where anglers can try to hook good-sized specimens of shad, garrick and kob among spectacular seaside scenery. This is a stellar region too for nature reserves and wildlife watching; if this is your holiday quest, start off at the Ilanda Wilds nature reserve under eight kilometres from the beach to see species including bushpigs, otters, monkeys and mongooses. The Amanzimtoti Bird Sanctuary around 10 kilometres from the beach is another recommended spot, with three hides from which to spy around 150 species, as well as a self-guided trail and a lakeside tea garden where waterfowl will – how fab – take offered food right from your hand. Going south, it's well worth the hour and a half drive to get to the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, where there are nature trails all around, Umzimkhulu River rafting to tackle, zipwiring and abseiling, and the Wild Gorge Swing, the highest of its type in the world with a huge jump of 165 metres off Lehr's waterfall.