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Cruises to Richards Bay

25 Reviews
Richards Bay (Photo:Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock)

About Cruising to Richards Bay

Perched on South Africa's northeastern coastline, north of Durban and south of the border with Mozambique, the industrial port town of Richards Bay affords a gateway to regional attractions in the greater KwaZulu-Natal province. While there's little to engage visitors in the town itself, excursions further afield lead to some interesting cultural highlights in the heart of the Zulu nation, and also propose access to a duo of standout wildlife reserves at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Visitors looking to learn more about the Zulu people might enjoy a visit to Shakaland, a Zulu living history museum (complete with traditional Zulu dance performances), located within the onetime set of the 1980s TV show Shaka Zulu. The main regional lure, however, is for wilderness-and-wildlife lovers: The above-mentioned reserves deliver incredible encounters with a vast array of African animals, including rare black rhinos, hippos and more. Plan your trip to Richards Bay with our upcoming South African cruise itineraries.

Take special note that the region is a low-risk malarial zone, so be sure to consult with your doctor ahead of time about any advisable preventative measures.

  • More about Richards Bay

  • Why Cruise to Richards Bay?

  • Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

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Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Dawn

12 Night
Africa-south Africa

2,946 Reviews
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Nautica
Nautica

12 Night
Africa Cruise

370 Reviews
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Insignia
Insignia

77 Night
World Cruise

210 Reviews
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Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Dawn

11 Night
Africa-south Africa

2,946 Reviews
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15 Night
Africa Cruise

338 Reviews
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12 Night
Africa-south Africa

2,946 Reviews
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154 Night
154 Night World Cruise

379 Reviews
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12 Night
Africa Cruise

130 Reviews
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12 Night
Africa-south Africa

2,946 Reviews
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15 Night
Africa Cruise

338 Reviews
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15 Night
Africa Cruise

30 Reviews
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30 Night
Africa Cruise

58 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

15 Night
Africa Cruise

706 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

15 Night
Africa Cruise

338 Reviews
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13 Night
Africa Cruise

130 Reviews
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More about Richards Bay

Why Cruise to Richards Bay?

Pros:

Richards Bay is the gateway port to many of the region's attractions including nature reserves

Cons:

You won't find much of anything to do or see in the port itself, which is mostly industrial

Bottom Line:

If you want to get a taste of African wilderness, you can do it from Richards Bay

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

The local currency is the South African rand; current exchange rates can be verified at www.xe.com and ATMs are readily available in town.

Language?

In South Africa, you might hear chattering in any one of 11 (that's not a typo) official languages, but English is spoken pretty much everywhere. Specifically, in the Richards Bay area, after English, you're most likely to hear the isiZulu language of the Zulu people or Afrikaans.


Richards Bay Cruise Reviews
We went on the St Lucia Wetlands pontoon boat tour. It was rainy. We saw a good amount of hippos, hardly any crocodiles due to lack of sun. We passed vervet monkeys on the bus ride to the boat, but the driver would nRead More
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landboater
Richard’s Bay is a bit of a sleepy stop. I would recommend getting a guide and heading off to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Park. It takes about 1:15 minutes each way, depending on traffic. We were able to spend abouRead More
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Rutman
We got a guide from the port and went to see the Hippos. Read More
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Madkel
Private guideRead More
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Ubiquiti

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