Have you ever dreamed of seeing the African Big 5 up close? Well, for years we have been offering customers exactly Game Drive Safaris to Game Reserve Hluhluwe & Imfolozi, this park, the oldest in Africa, known worldwide for its Safe the Rhino campaign, Game Capture Program and the story of King Shaka has always captivated the imagination. of many travellers.
The 96,000 hectare park cannot be compared to the Kruger National Park and we personally don’t want it, why? Well imagine driving for days and days and not making it to the other side of the park, Hluhluwe/Imfolozi is divided into 2 sections, the northern section is Hluhluwe and the southern section Imfolozi. Thus automatically one knows in advance to which side one wants to travel and the required distances are manageable. Please don’t get me wrong, both sides can be traveled in one day, but it is not recommended.
The northern section (Memorial Gate) Hluhluwe offers a very scenic landscape with rolling hills and various lookout points, Hilltop restaurant and accommodation also available here. However, from mid-July the northern section gets incredibly busy with cars (self-drivers) and safari operators, sometimes a single elephant sighting can take up to 20 cars to see this magnificent animal.
The lower southern section of Imfolozi, on the other hand, is less busy throughout the year and also offers a larger area for game drives. This section of the park also has a restaurant (centenery center), this Imfolozi is where it happens every day. , traveling south towards Mpilla camp (self catering chalets) and beyond is the area known as hot.
Once you reach the gravel section of the park, the vegetation begins to change dramatically and this area can offer you sightings of African lions and cheetahs.
Areas like Sontuli have always been amazing, packs of wild dogs hunting impalas and not long ago wild dogs unsuccessfully hunting wildebeest, herds of elephants crossing the Umfolozi River and lions basking in the African sun waiting for an opportunity to pounce on that unsuspecting species. Imfolozi is magical, it gives you the impression of being in a timeless African wonder, surely it must have been that way years ago. Ezemvello KZN Wildlife manages this park and has done so with enthusiasm, his passion is indescribable. Species like the African wildebeest once had tuberculosis and at an alarming rate, 50% of the total herd infected to date, approximately 15% now only have the devastating disease and will be completely cured through the determination of the guys who work daily.
I can say without a doubt that if you are interested in going on a Safari, Hluhluwe Imfolozi will not let you down as a destination. Explore and marvel the bush awaits you.
Quentin Muir
