South African holidays – Kruger park vs Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve
South Africa has a wide range of wilderness safaris to choose from. And it always boils down to what South African holidays or South African safari tours are best advertised!
I hope that this post will be able to clear up some of the many questions potential travelers to South Africa have when looking at wilderness safaris or African tours.
If you join us on your South African holidays you can expect an amazing experience from rich culture, to historical detail.
It is clear that most people around the world think of a Safari when you say South Africa! Who wouldn’t -but along with that comes the next thought, Kruger national park. Kruger Park is the first Wilderness safari which comes to mind and most of the time as it is so well advertised travelers will not look any further.
What does a traveler do if they have limited time and are not travelling to Johannesburg?
We have to consider that even Johannesburg is 4 – 5 hours away from the famous or well advertised Kruger park.
South African Holiday Options
There are so many options when considering a South African holiday or South Africa tours. There are African budget safaris, Luxury safaris and middle range safaris which in my opinion are better value for your Doller/Euro or Pound!
Everybody has a budget and it is not always possible to splurge on an expensive African safari but if you are to travel all this way you do want to experience a Wilderness safari be it in Kruger national park or Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve.
Facts about Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve:
Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve is the oldest protected area/National park in Africa established in 1895 and is home to the Big 5, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo and Elephant. This is not all as It also has, Giraffe, Zebra, Cheetah, African Wild dog, Hippo and Hyena!
Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve is split into two sections the Hluhluwe game reserve in the North and the Umfolozi game reserve in the south. Both of these are linked and have no fences between them but are fenced off from the local communities giving the reserve more protection and the people.
The game reserve is 96 000 hectares in size and is ideally situated 2.5 hours from Durban a coastal city on the eastern tip of Africa.
Malaria free – yes Hluhluwe Imfolozi is malaria free which is a big plus factors so you do not need to take any anti-Malarial medication!
Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve was home to “Operation Rhino” in the 1950’s which brought back the White Rhino from extinction, during these years the Kruger national park had no Rhinos left due to poaching and hunting.
Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve now has the highest density of White Rhino in the world and they are protected by an Anti-poaching team which are able if they come across poachers to shoot them without asking questions. The same applies in Kruger national park.
The Rhino is part of our heritage. Scientists believe by 2030 there will be no Rhinos left in the World.
In South Africa alone in 2014 – 1215 Rhino were killed for their horns. In 2013 – 1004 Rhino. And in 2012 – 868 Rhinos. You can see the trend is increasing. And these are the Rhinos we know about or have found!
South African Holidays – See the Rhino before it is too late.
This is even more of a reason to get to South Africa for a holiday. And to the Hluhluwe game reserve for either a African budget safari or African safari tour before it is to late.
If you compare the two pictures I have taken .. I am sure you would agree that the living Rhino looks much better! These was taken on the same day. The 29th of September 2015 to show you the reality of this situation we are in!
Rhino comparison; The reality
It is clear to see that Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve as an African safari tour destination in its own right has so much to offer!
Facts about Kruger national park
Kruger national park is the second oldest protected area/National park in South Africa established in 1898 and is home to the Big 5, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo and Elephant. Kruger park also has Giraffe, Zebra, Cheetah, African Wild dog, Hippo and Hyena. This makes it on par with Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve.
Kruger park is very commercial and is so busy. Mainly due to its good marketing. There are times that the park has had to put a limit to the number of vehicles entering each gate. This means you could go there and be turned away!
Kruger park is however 1000 000 hectares in size which means if a sighting is called in you probably will not be able to get there as it could be just to far away. It is not ideally situated at 9 hours from Durban or 4-5 hours from Johannesburg. It also boarders with Mozambique on the east and Zimbabwe in the north. Thus making it a higher risk from poachers coming in from the poorer countries to kill Rhinos.
Kruger not Malaria Free
Kruger park is not Malaria free which means you will have to take anti-Malarial medication!
Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve supplied Kruger national park with Rhinos . This was because they had none left due to poaching and hunting in the 1950’s.
Now it is hard to believe why so many people choose Kruger park for a wilderness safari. Instead of making their holidays in South Africa for an African safari to Hluhluwe Imfolozi???
Any African safari tour is better than none. But having the pro’s and con’s shown to you I am sure you will be visiting Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve!
If the above was not enough to change your perspective see what our clients have said about us on TripAdvisor!
Review video of Tim Brown Tours – Durban Safaris and Durban Tours: