Durban day safaris – 2nd January 2015 Hluhluwe Imfolozi safari tour
Our Durban day safari tour began in Durban city where we would be visiting the famous Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve with my two lovely South African clients from the Big Apple of South Africa – JoBurg!
It is not that common that I have the pleasure of showing of my beautiful country and province of KwaZulu Natal’s diverse History to South Africans but today was one of those days.
It is almost and even prouder day when I can share the amazing country with fellow South Africans that really appreciate being in their own country and seeing what it has to offer. Very often myself included we travel overseas but don’t see much of our own beautiful country.
We enjoyed some lovely conversation on the country and its deep history before we reached the game reserve of Hluhluwe Imfolozi.
It was here that the main part of our tour would begin as Safari in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve.
We entered at Nyalazi gate and we went down south to see if we could get any luck with the animals. It was a scorching hot day that reached 39 degrees Celsius. Animals were hiding but we made the most of this and still had amazing sightings.
Our first major sighting was really interesting and it was a Giraffe with a twig stuck in its mouth so it was trying to maneuver it around to get the leaves off and the twig out!
Giraffe on our Durban safari tour
Giraffe on our Durban safari tour
Video of Giraffe trying to get the twig out of its mouth!
As we continued with our safari in Hluhluwe Imfolozi we got down to the Umfolozi river where we spotted a Bull Elephant having a rest and drink at the waters edge.
Elephant crosses the Umfolozi river on our Durban day safari tour
Elephant crosses the Umfolozi river on our Durban day safari tour
We moved off and continued past Mpila camp into the southern part of the game reserve where we came across some Rhinos on a few occasions. Some were in mud wallows and other just grazing away.
Rhino seen on our Safari from Durban
Rhino seen on our Safari from Durban
The best was yet to come on this Durban day safari as we spotted some Buffalo mud wallowing which was now the 3rd of the Big 5 we had seen in a couple of hours. The best part was that their was a Secretary bird which is rare and it was walking towards to Buffalo and as the one Buffalo got up the bird got a fright and flew up. All of this I managed to catch on camera.
Secretary bird and a Buffalo seen on our Durban safari tour
Secretary bird and a Buffalo seen on our Durban safari tour
Video of Secretary Bird being frightened by a Buffalo.
We continued on an found more Elephants and another rare bird the Southern Ground horn bills which are endangered and mostly restricted to National parks like Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve. This Durban day safari was really becoming a cracker!
Southern ground Hornbills seen in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve
Southern ground Hornbills seen in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve
We were then really blessed with some good fortune as it was so hot out their that their was haze coming up off the ground which was blurring my photos it was that hot!
Lion! Can you believe the luck, a Lioness stepped out of the shadows to drink from a mud wallow as we drove past! Within 2 minuted she was gone but we had seen her! We were very happy!
Lioness gazes after she has a drink of water on our Durban safari tour
Lioness gazes after she has a drink of water on our Durban safari tour
Lioness walks away after a drink of water on our Durban safari tour
Lioness walks away after a drink of water on our Durban safari tour
We left this beautiful Lioness which actually looked like she was lactating to rest in the shade and we moved off to the White Umfolozi river where we spotted vultures resting and sun bathing on the sand. It was here I took a photograph of my lovely clients.
My clients and the umfolozi river during our Durban safari tour
My clients and the umfolozi river during our Durban safari tour
We had a great time to this point have seen more Elephants and Rhino as well as these Zebras walking down the road towards us! The Durban day safari was turning out to be a real cracker!
Zebra walking down the road during our Safari near Durban
Zebra walking down the road during our Safari near Durban
We began with the long drive back up from the south and as we had seen so much we had spent a lot of our safari time already, this meant that we would be having a very late lunch at about 14:30 and then have very little time to see what else we could find before heading back to Durban to arrive back at 18:30.
We stopped at the Umfolozi river on the way back and found 2 Elephant bulls feeding on the reeds and some baboons. We did not stick around to long as our snack packs were finished and we needed some lunch.
Elephants down at the Umfolozi river on our Durban safari tour
Elephants down at the Umfolozi river on our Durban safari tour
By the time we had had our lunch and looked at the curios in the shop their was little time to see what else we could find to after another 30 minutes or so we departed the game reserve of Hluhluwe Imfolozi and made our way back to the Big city of Durban, a far cry from the mountainous lands of Hluhluwe and Umfolozi in Zululand!
We arrived back in Durban at 18:30 happy with how the Durban day safari had gone and with smiles on our faces.
