After some my clients booked there tour and having realised that they were repeat clients from 2 years ago, the pressure gently mounted as I was reminded that we had seen Leopard on our last Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve. Amazingly with my photographic memory I could remember the Leapard sighting which Laura had actually spotted walking down a game path after our lunch at Hilltop camp. I obviously have no control of nature I just know the best areas to look for them!
As per usual on a Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve I cover the History of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on our drive up and what is nice is after 2 years of continuous learning I had some new information for my repeat clients.
After departing Durban at 06:30 we had arrived 3 Hours later at Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 game reserve to begin our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour in the oldest national park in Africa!
I chose to take a chance and go into the quieter section of the game reserve the Umfolozi section where I knew I would battle for Rhino,Elephant and Buffalo compared to the Hluhluwe Section which is full of them. My reasoning behind this decision was 2 fold! One reason being the clients wanted to see Lions and cheetah as well as Elephant. The other reason being I knew the Umfolozi section being so baron and dry makes it easier to spot the Cats, we also usually come across Male Elephants along the way so that sealed the deal! Of course there is no promised when it comes to nature, Luck plays a huge role in seeing these amazing Big 5 Animals on a Durban Big 5 Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 game reserve.
We were blessed among the quiet times with beautiful views and some great sightings. Our first major sighting was some Rhino on a ridge resting.
Resting Rhinos on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Resting Rhinos on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Once we had a quick look at them and they stayed stationary we moved off and hit the jackpot with a large Bull Elephant about to cross the road. I lined up the vehicle for my clients to give them a good view as he crossed the road and amazingly he stopped on a dirt road perpendicular to us and picked up a piece which had broken off a Car and threw it in the air! This was so cool it just made it very clear who was the boss and what he could do if he wasnt respected by us.
Bull Elephant stands on the road on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Bull Elephant stands on the road on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
After this male Elephant we actually went through a lean period where we only came across Impala and Warthog for about an hour! This is usual though and you just have to be patient and wait for your luck to pick up. Eventually we came across some Zebra and a Large male Kudu with big curling horns. Ok, they we not the Big 5 but they were a blessing after a drought period on our Bull Elephant stands on the road on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve!
Zebra and Kudu Bull rest on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Zebra and Kudu Bull rest on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
We continued on and visited Bhejane hide where I knew there had been a Lioness in the early morning. The trouble is as soon as word gets out every Tom, Dick and Harry go there usually making so much noise that the Lions move off. This is exactly what happened but this did not take away from the value of our visit to Bhejane Hide. We saw load of great animals! First was this Buffalo with the White Fronted Bee-Eaters sitting on a dead branch in front of face. What luck, Buffalo Bull resting with two White Fronted Bee-eaters on a dead branch on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve, Brilliant!
Bufallo Bull resting with two White Fronted Bee-eaters on a dead branch on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Bufallo Bull resting with two White Fronted Bee-eaters on a dead branch on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
As we waited in the “hide” to see what else would come to drink water we spotted some Wildebeest making there way in for some muddy water on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve.
Wildebeest drinking on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Wildebeest drinking on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
The Wildebeest gently waded through the mud to get to the water and quenched there thirst. It was a hot Winters day Safari Tour in Africa and the mercury rose to 29 degrees. Next to come along was a big hit everybody started to get excited and it was a Journey of 8 giraffe that come to drink on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve.
Giraffe drinks water on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Giraffe drinks water on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
As we decided to leave the hide mostly due to the time and distance to the luncheon stop I handed out some waters to quench our thirst. As we drove back up at a good rate of knots we reminisced over what we had just enjoyed. The trouble was it didnt end there! We arrived at a view sight over the White Umfolozi river and we stopped to see what people were looking at! It was Lions in the distance on the other bank in the shade with little cubs on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve.
2 Lionesses with cubs and a Lion rest in the distance on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
2 Lionesses with cubs and a Lion rest in the distance on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
We only spent 5 minutes watching them through the binoculars before we decided to continue on as a cheetah had been seen in the morning and bam! There he was 100 meters away from where we had just been watching the Lions was a Male Cheetah resting in the shade on this hot African Day on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve.
Cheetah resting in the distance on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Cheetah resting in the distance on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
This was now everything my clients really wanted to see, Lions, Elephant, Giraffe and cheetah in the wild! We could now move on to get some lunch which was more like and early dinner!
We didn’t travel to far and we spotted a Rhino Male resting up in the shade this always happens when you are hungry that you begin to see loads of amazing animals.
Bum of a White Rhino on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Bum of a White Rhino on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
At this point is was a quick photo before heading on as it was already 2pm. By the time we got up to the Centenary center which is home to Operation Rhino in the 1950’s and 60’s it was 14:30. We ordered our lunch and by just after 15:00 we had a filled our tanks and were reminiscing over the days events on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve.
We put it out to the universe that we would like to see more Elephants before leaving and literally at the gate we were to exit was a couple of Bull Elephants feeding way right next to the road!
Younger Bull Elephant grazing the grass before we exited on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Younger Bull Elephant grazing the grass before we exited on our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve 21st June 2014
Our Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve was basically completed with the small matter of a 3 hour drive back to Durban. Non of us were complaining of that after what had turned out to be a spectacular Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve on the 21st June 2014.
We arrived in Durban(Umhlanga) happy and satisfied with the day and I said farewell to my clients. Im sure they will be back again for a Overnight Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve.
If you wish to experience something similar to a Durban Big 5 Day Safari Tour to Hluhluwe Umfolozi Big 5 Game reserve you need to contact me and Tim Brown Tours will try and make you Safari dreams come true!
