5-Day Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park-St. Lucia Safari

Durban - Durban

Day 1 – Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park (D)
We will collect you after your breakfast from your hotel or from the airport in Durban and travel along the scenic Dolphin Coast and into rural Zululand, directly to the “big 5” Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park where we would spend two nights at Hilltop Camp. The accommodation here is in a brick under thatch chalet, each bedroom with its own private bathroom/wash-basin and toilet. Each chalet is also equipped with a fridge. Our game viewing commences immediately upon entering the gates into the park.
This first evening we go on a night drive in an open game-viewing vehicle with staff from KZN Wildlife, the organisation tasked with running this reserve. This is to improve on your chances of seeing some of the nocturnal species such as leopard (always difficult to find), lion, hyena, genet, bush babies and then the other nocturnal animals such as the owls and nightjars. You also get to see some of the diurnal animals, such as are those that are found in the day.

Day 2 – Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park (B, D)
Today will be spent on extended game drives to various areas of the Park, with an early start to make the most of the day and to possibly chance upon one of the predators returning to their day-time lair. This is the game reserve famous for "Operation Rhino" which brought the white rhino back from the brink of extinction. Now you should see just how successful KZN Wildlife has been in this endeavour.
Sightings of rhino, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, baboon, vervet monkey, and antelope such as impala, nyala and kudu are seen frequently and with the possibility of seeing lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, black rhino, hippo, crocodile, monitor lizard, hyena and antelope such as red duiker, steenbuck, waterbuck, bushbuck and then the rare Samango monkey and wild dog, much less frequently. These drives are conducted with your guide in his/her vehicle.
Overnight Hilltop Camp.

Day 3 – St. Lucia  (B)
We will exit the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park after a full morning’s game viewing and lunch and make our way to the village of St. Lucia. After checking in to Lidiko Lodge we will make our way to the estuary mouth, where we spend an hour or two observing the birds and possibly hippos or crocodiles, or to take a stroll on the beach.

Day 4 – St. Lucia (B)
Today we have a leisurely visit to the eastern shores of Lake St. Lucia. We would spend some time at the beach at Cape Vidal. After lunch we will make our way back to St. Lucia via the circular route. The rest of the afternoon can then be spent at leisure or to visit the Crocodile and Snake Centre. For the more adventurous, there are a number of activities one can partake in. These are for your own account and include, inter alia, the choice of a two-hour boat based whale watching tour to see among others the southern right whale (in season, June to November), a night turtle tour, (in season, Nov. to Feb.), here to try and find the leatherback turtles that visit these shores to lay their eggs, horse riding, both on the beach or in the reserve, kayaking on the lake, mountain biking and others. Should you choose to do any of these optional activities, we would amend the day’s activity to accommodate this.

Day 5 – Durban  (B)
After breakfast we will board for a two-hour boat tour of Lake St. Lucia, here to see hippos (guaranteed sightings!), crocodiles and numerous water birds in this recently proclaimed World heritage Site. Thereafter we enjoy lunch and return to Durban.