THE WILDLIFE AND NATURE ON OFFER IN ZULULAND MAKE FOR SURREAL SAFARIS THAT ONE CAN ONLY TRY TO DESCRIBE WITH WORDS AND PICTURES. AFRICA’S BIG FIVE ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING. OPPORTUNITIES TO MARVEL AT WILDLIFE EXTEND TO THE OCEAN WHERE DOLPHINS, TURTLES AND TROPICAL FISH RELISH WARM WATERS THAT GRACE SPECTACULAR SWEEPING BEACHES.
The village of Hluhluwe, near the banks of the river that shares its name, is the gateway to the 96 000-hectare Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Its forest, mountain and savannah landscapes house the Big Five, not to mention wildebeest, cheetah, hyena, giraffe and brilliant birdlife. While the lakes inland are reserved for crocodiles and hippos, the sea welcomes those who want to fish, canoe, surf, bodyboard, snorkel and dive. After all, accessing the unspoilt beaches of Sodwana Bay, Cape Vidal and St Lucia from Hluhluwe is easy. Visitors may also like to find out more about the Emdoneni Rehabilitation Project that protects threatened African cats.
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park has no shortage of ecosystems which naturally support prolific wildlife and vegetation. Wetlands and a pristine coastline complete with coral reefs are complemented by grasslands, swamps, woodlands and lakes filled with pelicans and flamingos. The smaller beauties include 500 bird, 100 butterfly and 35 frog species. They terrifically contrast sizeable elephant, buffalo, leopard, giraffe, tsessebe, hippos and crocodiles that all live amongst 2 000 species of flowering plants and indigenous trees. The coastline and lakes of course lend themselves to various water activities, including viewing marine wildlife from forested dunes.
Phinda Private Game Reserve, often referred to as ‘Seven Worlds of Wonder’, shares a border with the extraordinary iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This reserve boasts seven distinct habitats, but that is not the only aspect that makes it a premier safari and award-winning ecotourism destination. These habitats protect and allow an astonishing abundance of wildlife to thrive, including Africa’s Big Five game animals. Cheetahs, lions, a variety of antelope and more than 380 bird species can also be sighted in this subtropical paradise. One can even seek animals on foot with the help of Zulu trackers. Besides the bush there is the beach. With more than a thousand fish species, keen divers may want to set aside some time to enjoy the reef system in Sodwana Bay and perhaps even swim with dolphins, turtles and gentle whale sharks.
Both Phinda and iSimangaliso are UNESCO World Heritage.
THE WILDLIFE AND NATURE ON OFFER IN ZULULAND MAKE FOR SURREAL SAFARIS THAT ONE CAN ONLY TRY TO DESCRIBE WITH WORDS AND PICTURES. AFRICA’S BIG FIVE ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING. OPPORTUNITIES TO MARVEL AT WILDLIFE EXTEND TO THE OCEAN WHERE DOLPHINS, TURTLES AND TROPICAL FISH RELISH WARM WATERS THAT GRACE SPECTACULAR SWEEPING BEACHES.
The village of Hluhluwe, near the banks of the river that shares its name, is the gateway to the 96 000-hectare Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Its forest, mountain and savannah landscapes house the Big Five, not to mention wildebeest, cheetah, hyena, giraffe and brilliant birdlife. While the lakes inland are reserved for crocodiles and hippos, the sea welcomes those who want to fish, canoe, surf, bodyboard, snorkel and dive. After all, accessing the unspoilt beaches of Sodwana Bay, Cape Vidal and St Lucia from Hluhluwe is easy. Visitors may also like to find out more about the Emdoneni Rehabilitation Project that protects threatened African cats.
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park has no shortage of ecosystems which naturally support prolific wildlife and vegetation. Wetlands and a pristine coastline complete with coral reefs are complemented by grasslands, swamps, woodlands and lakes filled with pelicans and flamingos. The smaller beauties include 500 bird, 100 butterfly and 35 frog species. They terrifically contrast sizeable elephant, buffalo, leopard, giraffe, tsessebe, hippos and crocodiles that all live amongst 2 000 species of flowering plants and indigenous trees. The coastline and lakes of course lend themselves to various water activities, including viewing marine wildlife from forested dunes.
Phinda Private Game Reserve, often referred to as ‘Seven Worlds of Wonder’, shares a border with the extraordinary iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This reserve boasts seven distinct habitats, but that is not the only aspect that makes it a premier safari and award-winning ecotourism destination. These habitats protect and allow an astonishing abundance of wildlife to thrive, including Africa’s Big Five game animals. Cheetahs, lions, a variety of antelope and more than 380 bird species can also be sighted in this subtropical paradise. One can even seek animals on foot with the help of Zulu trackers. Besides the bush there is the beach. With more than a thousand fish species, keen divers may want to set aside some time to enjoy the reef system in Sodwana Bay and perhaps even swim with dolphins, turtles and gentle whale sharks.
Both Phinda and iSimangaliso are UNESCO World Heritage.
