Drive from Mbombela (Nelspruit) to St Lucia

It’s a good idea to set your alarm and hit the road early – you’ve got a long drive ahead, but the reward is a few days of relaxation in a tropical paradise! The journey from Mbombela to St Lucia covers 540 kilometres via the N2 and takes just under seven hours. Be sure to plan well, as driving in the dark through the rural areas around St Lucia isn’t advised due to wildlife often wandering onto the roads – yes, even hippos! Break up the drive with a lunch stop in Pongola, right on the N2 in the heart of Zululand. You’ll reach it after a good four hours of driving, and there are several restaurants and shops just off the highway where you can refuel – both yourselves and the car. From Pongola, it’s another two hours and twenty minutes to St Lucia.