R 7 100 per person based on a minimum of 2 Clients.
R 13 500 Solo Traveler rate

ITINERARY

DAY 1

 07.30 am Transportation

You will be collected from your accommodation venue. This
This only applies to pick-ups and drop-offs in Durban City, feel free to contact us if you are unsure as to whether your pick-up location is covered. Should your pick-up location not be covered, we will still collect you; however, there may be an additional charge dependent on where you are based.

07.30 –  approx 10.00 am

From the time of pick-up, it is approximately a 2.5-hour to 3-hour drive to the Cheetah Interaction Tour. (Optional, if you prefer to spend more time looking for Wild animals we can go straight to the game reserve). During transit, your guide will share a bit of history with you and you are encouraged to ask questions to reap the full benefit of the tour. Rest assured that you will travel in absolute comfort as Tim Brown Tours uses a Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Quantum, and VW Kombi to conduct all tours. This is subject to availability and Tim Brown Tours reserves the right to make alternative vehicle arrangements.

10.00  –  approx 11.30 am

You will have the opportunity to encounter and learn more about the fastest land mammal, the Cheetah! This has proven a firm favourite with our guests. Please note that participating in this activity is entirely at your own risk. Tim Brown Tours accepts no liability for any and all incidents. (This is optional, if you wish to spend more time in the reserve looking for wild animals we can go straight to the reserve.)

11.30 – 12.00 pm

From there, it’s on to Hluhluwe Imfolozi.

12.00 – approx 13.30 pm

Once you have reached your destination, Hluhlulwe Imfolozi, your guide will Approx. to attend to the necessary entry requirements into the park, after which you will 13:30 pm make your way towards Hilltop Camp. Your guide will educate you on the history of the area as well as conduct a slow game drive in a closed-air-conditioned vehicle so you can experience the amazing wildlife that Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve has to offer, in comfort. Have your cameras ready!

approx 13.00 pm

HISTORY

Hluhluwe Imfolozi is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve spanning 96,000 ha. In 1890 the white rhino numbered less than 100 in the areas in and around Hluhluwe Imfolozi and it is mostly thanks to this park, which received formal recognition as a protected wildlife sanctuary in 1895, due to the possibility of extinction of this magnificent creature, that we have the fortune of seeing the white rhino in its natural habitat today. At this stage, there were approximately only 20 Southern white rhinos surviving on Earth and they were all within the Imfolozi area.

By 1960, their numbers had improved so drastically that intervention was required to avoid overpopulation. Rhinos were relocated to protected areas outside of the park and this initiative was run by the then Natal Parks Board. The relocation process was not always an easy one and there were casualties. However, the operation was considered a huge success. Hluhluwe Imfolozi now has the largest population of white rhinos in the world. But, they are under constant siege and it is our duty as protectors of this world, to ensure that we do not face the same catastrophe as we did in the late 1800s.

*Ask your Guide* – There are two different rhino species within the park, the black and the white. Ask your guide about their identifiable traits, and habits and see whether you are able to correctly identify the species should you have a chance to see one of these magnificent creatures.

The elephant – gentle, wise, and with the ability to walk with such grace considering its size has always fascinated those visiting the park. The males are identifiable by their rounded heads, thicker and larger tusks, and larger body size. The females have a flat top head which comes down at an angle to the trunk. The Big 5 – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo were classified as such as they were and are the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot, the buffalo being the most dangerous. Besides the Big 5, and the various other large species of mammal found in the park, the park is home to over some 1200 species of plant, it is abundant in birdlife, reptiles as well as little guys – don’t overlook the little guys. Remember, that here the dung beetle gets right of way.

The St Lucia Wetlands Park, now known as Isimangeliso (meaning miracle and wonder) Wetland Park is an amazing place with 5 different ecosystems ranging from coral reefs and sandy beaches to subtropical dune forests, savannas, and wetlands.

Animals occurring in the park include elephant, leopard, black and white rhino, buffalo and in the ocean, whales, dolphins, and marine turtles including the leatherback and loggerhead turtle. The park is also home to approximately 526 bird species making it a bird watchers paradise.

Britain colonised the area in 1895 and turned the place into a wildlife reserve and established the holiday town of St Lucia. St Lucia was first named in 1554 Rio de la Medaos do Oura (River of the Dows of Gold) by the survivors of the Portuguese Ship, the Saint Benedict. At this stage, only the Tugela River mouth was known as St Lucia. Later in 1575, the Tugela River was named Tugela. On 13 December 1575, the day of the feast of St Lucy, Manuel Peresterello renamed the mouth area to Santa Lucia.

Due to the fact that the park is comprised of 5 different ecosystems and its unique global value, the St Lucia Wetlands was named as South Africa’s first World Heritage site, decided upon by UNESCO on 1 December 1999.