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- Destinations
- Africa
- South Africa
- Richards Bay
Richards Bay
Richards Bay is one of South Africa's biggest ports, boasting
the largest export coal terminal in the world that loads 66 million
tons every year, and is situated on the 12 square mile (30 sq km)
lagoon of the Mhlatuze River. It began as a makeshift harbour that
was set up during the Anglo-Boer War of 1879 and is named after its
founder, Sir Frederick Richards. The specialised ships that call
are a must-see for maritime buffs. The town is a bustling business
centre featuring every modern facility and offers plenty of
recreational facilities for visitors.
Besides the rapid industrial expansion, Richards Bay's tourism
industry is thriving and it is fast becoming a popular north coast
holiday destination, with spectacular scenery on offer and pristine
golden beaches gently lapped by the warm waters of the Indian
Ocean. It is a popular kite-surfing destination, as the area has
good consistent winds blowing from the north-east, and highly
ranked kite-surfers are regular visitors to this town. Tourists can
enjoy plenty of other adventurous activities such as fishing,
yachting and kayaking. Humpback dolphins and whales are frequent
visitors to the waters around Richards Bay and can be viewed from a
specially erected viewing point at Alkantstrand Beach.
While the town itself is notoriously sleepy, Richards Bay offers
tourists entrance to the once forgotten corner of Africa that is
Zululand, a place of exquisite beauty and diversity. A multitude of
game reserves are within an hour or two's drive of Richards Bay.
Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park is a must-see for nature lovers, featuring
the 'big five' (elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and rhinos) as
well as cheetahs, wild dogs and nyala. Lake Mzingazi, the primary
water supply of Richards Bay, is a popular tourist attraction
offering visitors the chance to view Nile crocodiles and hippos as
well as over 350 species of birds, making it a bird watcher's
paradise. Richards Bay's surrounds have vast expanses of untouched
and unspoilt indigenous vegetation as well as natural lakes and
marshes, making it one of the most picturesque tourist destinations
in the country.
Information & Facts
Climate
Climate conditions in Richards Bay are typically subtropical to
tropical with summer temperatures all year round. The average daily
temperature in summer is 82ºF (28ºC) and in winter 72º F (22ºC).
The humidity levels tend to be very high and the annual rainfall is
47.2 inches (1200mm).
Language
South Africa has 11 official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. English is widely
spoken.
Money
South Africa's currency is the Rand (ZAR), which is divided into
100 cents. Money can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and
the larger hotels. ATMs are widely available (there is a daily
limit for cash withdrawals) and major international credit cards
are widely accepted, except in petrol stations where cash is
required. Visitors should be vigilant when drawing cash from ATMs,
as con artists are known to operate there. Travellers cheques and
some foreign currencies are accepted at larger hotels and shops,
but commission is charged, otherwise all commercial banks will
exchange them.
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