This was a real Tim Brown Ferrari Safari Special as the lad at the Bush academy will remember from all those years ago when I got booted out the open game viewer during our training for speeding. I was made to run behind the vehicle by the Trainers… I have used all this experience now to my advantage in these very rushed Safari Tours from Durban!
We began in Umhlanga the Zulu word for reeds and started our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve. We would however be spending the night at Emdoneni lodge which meant we only had 3 hours on Day one to see what we could in Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game reserve.
For a rushed Durban Safari Tour I was really pleased with how the Safari went and the sightings we had.
We managed 4 of the Big 5 – Lion, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino which was pure luck and expertise at times.
Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve being a Big 5 reserve is always a hit with our clients as it is between 2.5 – 3 hours from Durban city. This makes Hluhluwe Umfolozi and a Big 5 game reserve just up the road from Durban where I run my Safari Tours out of.
Anyway enough gibber gabber! We arrived at Nyalazi gate (Umfolozi) at about 3 pm on day one and pushed as far as we could down South to try find Lions. Sadly if was not to be on Day 1.
We did have some great sightings of: Giraffe, Rhino, Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, Buffalo, Elephant, Warthog, Baboons, Nyala, Kudu and a few others.
One of our good sightings was this White Rhino and Calf crossing Hluhluwe Dirt road in front of our vehicle on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve:
White Rhino and Calf crossing Hluhluwe Dirt road in front of our vehicle on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
Later we came across some Buffalo feeding near to the road in the Hluhluwe Section of the reserve and I got this great picture of Buffalo Bull on our way out of Hluhluwe on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve.
Buffalo Bull on our way out of Hluhluwe on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
Before that we actually stopped next to some giraffe to take a picture of the view just as the sun was beginning to set on our Durban 2 day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game reserve.
The view down to the Hills at Sunset on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
The view down to the Hills at Sunset on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
This was the end of the road for us and we needed to get out to Emdoneni lodge for the night and some dinner. We had a very successful first day Durban Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve.
After Dinner and bed, we were up again for Day 2 of our Hluhluwe umfolozi safari experience.
We began in the Southern section the Umfolozi side to try find these Lions. As were were almost about to give up and head back we found them crossing the road. It happened so fast I didnt even get a chance for a Photo but at least my clients did.
We had some other great sightings:
The endangered Southern Ground Hornbill on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
I was a little concerned that my clients would think I was mad the way a acted when we saw these guys but they are such a rare sighting and such special birds. So Glad we found then on our Safari Tour from Durban.
The endangered Southern Ground Hornbill on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
Giraffe Bull on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
This Bull giraffe was with a female and a young one which was great to see in Umfolozi reserve on our safari Tour.
Giraffe Bull on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
As we continued our time was running out and we needed to get to St Lucia – Isimangeliso wetland park for our 10am Boat cruise to view Hippos and Crocodiles. South Africa’s First world heritage sight is Isimangeliso wetland park.
We Still were not done and saw more:
Chacma Baboon scratching himself on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
Chacma Baboon scratching himself on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
We also saw this Big Elephant near to the road!
Bull Elephant Grazzing on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
Bull Elephant Grazing on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve
This had been a great Hluhluwe Umfolozi Safari Tour from Durban and it was time to see the Hippos and crocs. We exited the reserve and made our way to Isimangeliso Wetland Park a World heritage site and got on a boat for 2 hours and must have seen at least 150 Hippos and just 1 crocodile. Having said that we did see a Crocodile in Hluhluwe Umfolozi game reserve as well.
Hippos and Goliath Heron at St Lucia Isimangeliso Wetland Park on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour
Hippos and Goliath Heron at St Lucia Isimangeliso Wetland Park on our Durban 2 Day Safari Tour
At St Lucia we also had this great sighting of a Goliath Heron the largest Heron in the World as well as a lot of large pods of Hippos.
Really to experience what you have just got a taste of in this Blog Post you really need to take a Durban Safari Tour with Tim Brown Tours. We are highly recommended on TripAdvisor and other Travel sites.
