The Elephant Coast is home to the world-famous for the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Reserve, the oldest game park in Africa, as well as the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If you want to be transported back in time to another world of sheer nature and peaceful surroundings, take a leisurely two-hour boating safari at St Lucia and cruise along the western coast of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and remember to take your camera to capture the hippos, crocodiles, birds and dramatic scenery.
At the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, home to the Big Five, you can go on an organised game drive or on a self-drive. You can also stop off at some of the well-sited picnic spots.
Over at the Duma Zulu Traditional Village in Hluhluwe, you can watch daily cultural shows, taste Zulu beer and learn about the Zulu way of life, including how to shape a spear. And you can stay at the Gooderson Group’s two nearby resorts, the Duma Zulu Lodge and the Bushland Game Lodge, which are only offering self-catering services at the moment.
Hotels such as Anew Hluluwe offer great discounted prices and are also equipped with the latest technology to ensure that their guests are screened, temperatures are recorded. Staff are also monitored via unique app that tracks and records statistics in cases of Covid emergencies.
Zululand boasts a warm all-year-round climate so it an ideal family holiday destination. However, if you want to track turtles, you should visit between November and January. For whale-watching, go between June and November.
Some of the holiday highlights
Horse riding on the beach: Bhangazi Horse Safaris - + 27 83 792 7899
Walking Tours Falsebay - +27 33 8451000
Birdwatching: Bivane Dam Bird Watching - +27 78-802-3329
Extreme sports: Bivane Dam Water Sports and Quad Biking –
Butterfly Dome - +27 35 5504445
Whale watching boat trips - +27 35 590 1259
The Isiphaphalazi Butterfly Dome – + 27 72 347 6397
Advantage Bpat Cruise - +27 34 5504445
Shakaland - +27 035 460 0912
Visit www.goodersonleisure.co.za and www.anewhotels.com for accommodation