Travel to Midlands

a leisurely drive through quaint small towns

The Midlands is an area of gentle hills which straddles the N3 highway immediately to the northeast of Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu Natal region of South Africa.

The geography and climate of this area felt pleasantly familiar to nineteenth century British colonists as they moved inland from Durban. In just a couple of decades they managed to turn it into a “Little England”, complete with stately country houses, productive farms and quaint villages.

These days, if you avoid the main N3 and instead head along the old R103, you will find yourself on what has become known as the Midlands Meander, a leisurely drive through some very European scenery and quaint small towns featuring craft shops and traditional restaurants.

The Midlands area contains a good selection of pleasant country retreats at which to stay, the best of which are Hartford House (a genuinely upmarket country house option which is especially strong for horse-riding) and Karkloof Spa (a funky modern place which also has a small private wildlife reserve).

a good range of pleasant rural hotels