Our Durban Safari to Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve began in Durban city where I met my clients.
On route to Huhluwe Imfolozi I covered the usual things like the history of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal as well as the national park. The Flora and Fauna of Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve amazing and very interesting, from the Lions to the Ant Lion the National park of Hluhluwe Imfolozi has is all.
Our first stop was the Cat rehabilitation centre outside Hluhluwe Town called Emdoneni where you can interact with 4 different species of Cat; Cheetah, Serval, Caracal and African Wild Cat.
Durban 3 Day Safari, Serval yawns at Emdoneni Cat rehabilitation center
Durban 3 Day Safari, Serval yawns at Emdoneni Cat rehabilitation center
The clients loved this and this is always a good start to a Durban Safari. The Big 5 of Hluhluwe Imfolozi can at times cause problems but mostly the big cats, Lions and Leopards. We were lucky this Safari to find Lions!
We entered at Memorial gate and we began our Hluhluwe Imfolozi safari.
As the day was warm and it was the middle of the Day we didn’t see a huge amount but what we did see was enough to keep us going until lunch.
Durban 3 Day Safari, Baboons feeding at Hilltop camp
Durban 3 Day Safari, Baboons feeding at Hilltop camp
As we pulled into Hilltop camp we spotted these Baboons feeding away in the camp not bothered at all by use being near to them.
It was time for some lunch and after lunch we checked in and decided to go back out at 3pm to till 6pm to see what animals we could find on our Safari in Hluhluwe.
We drove the Hluhluwe section of the game reserve and found Hippos in the Hluhluwe River as well as some White Rhinos near and even crossing the road.
Day 1 on our Durban Safari, White Rhino Crosses road
Day 1 on our Durban Safari, White Rhino Crosses road
The view over the Hluhluwe River at any time of the year is spectacular but in winter when we get very little rain it is always nice to see it looking so good.
Durban Safari, Hluhluwe River in Winter
Durban Safari, Hluhluwe River in Winter
Durban Safaris are not complete if you do not visit the Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve which is Africa’s Oldest and home to Operation Rhino in the 1950’s.
As we continued on we spotted some Giraffe, Buffalo and even an Elephant Bull which had walked over the electric wires into the car park to feed off the Acacia tress. This time of the year being winter the grass is so dry that Elephants turn there attentions to eating more trees, bark and leaves.
It was time to get back to the lodge for some dinner and rest after what was a great day in the African bush on our Durban Safari to Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve.
I had arranged breakfast packs for us for the next morning so we could leave at the crack of Dawn, 6am and get down into the Umfolozi section of the reserve to try and find cats.
The Umfolozi section is a little flatter; it gets less rain and therefore makes it easier for spotting Cats.
Day 2: Durban Safari in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve.
Once we got going we spotted a few giraffe which was great.
Durban Safaris, Giraffe posing in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve
Durban Safaris, Giraffe posing in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve
We had a fairly quiet time of it until we stopped at Bhejane hide. Bhejane hide is a hut which is set up over looking a watering hole where people can observe animals coming to drink water or mud wallow.
We spotted Zebra, Nyala, Wildebeest, Warthog, Impala and Giraffe in the hour we spent there!
This is always a real highlight of a Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari as you know when its so dry animals have to drinks and anything can come and visit the watering hole.
Durban Safari, Dazzle of Zebra drink together in Umfolozi
Durban Safari, Dazzle of Zebra drink together in Umfolozi
Nyalas Drinking on our Durban 3 Day Safari
Nyalas Drinking on our Durban 3 Day Safari
Warthogs drink in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve
Warthogs drink in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve
Once we had absorbed as much as we could we drove off to find lions which I had got word of from a friend of mine. We made our way there and found 2 Lionesses resting on the hill across the other side of the White Umfolozi River.
Lioness rests on our Durban Safari Tour
Lioness rests on our Durban Safari Tour
Being so far away we didn’t spend to long with them and we moved on to get some lunch at the Centenary centre near to the Nyalazi gate.
Here we ate and refreshed ourselves with a spot of curio shopping before heading back to Hilltop camp.
We rested for an hour and a half before going back onto the game reserve to see what else we could find.
Lucky for us our Safari began well with some Buffalo, Rhino and Elephant!
Day 2 on our Durban Safari we found this old Buffalo Bull in Hluhluwe
Day 2 on our Durban Safari we found this old Buffalo Bull in Hluhluwe
Elephants cross the road on our Durban 3 Day Safari
Elephants cross the road on our Durban 3 Day Safari
After 2 hours of Safari time we went back to Hilltop camp for some dinner and after dinner I did some star gazing with the clients using my Laser Pointer.
We were all very tired so it was another early night after 10 hours of Safari in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve.
Day 3: Durban Safari to Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve.
After waking up and getting a buffet breakfast we checked out and began our final 3 hour game drive Safari in the reserve.
Our Safari Tour of Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve was really going well to this point and now it was the matter of putting the finishing touches on before we headed to Isimangeliso Wetland Park for our St Lucia boat cruise.
We spotted Elephant again and a lovely mother and foul Zebra on a burned section of land.
Zebra and her foul on Day 3 of our Durban Safari Tour
Zebra and her foul on Day 3 of our Durban Safari Tour
After spotting a few other species we had to call it a day and leave for St Lucia. Before we could leave though there was a surprise waiting at the gate! 2 Bull Elephants had crossed the road in front of us and made there way to the gate were there was some fresh water from the run off of the drains.
Finally we got going to St Lucia – Isimangeliso Wetland Park.
Our Safari Tour from Durban was not yet complete as we had a 2 hour boat cruise on the World heritage site’s Estuary of St Lucia.
We spotted load off crocodiles and Hippos on this tour and we all enjoyed it!
Crocodile suns himself at St Lucia Isimangeliso Wetland park
Crocodile suns himself at St Lucia Isimangeliso Wetland park
Hippos at St Lucia on our 3rd Day of Safari from Durban
Hippos at St Lucia on our 3rd Day of Safari from Durban
Lunch was calling after the boat cruise and we went to my favourite restaurant in St Lucia – Ocean Sizzler where we all had fresh fish!
After lunch we had to leave and continue Safari Tour, Sadly for us all it was back to Durban city!
We had all had such a great time in Hluhluwe Imfolozi game reserve on our Safari from Durban and had so many memories to take back with us!
