Fort Nongqai is a beautifully preserved 1883 red-brick colonial fort on the edge of Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal housing the Zululand Historical Museum and offering visitors an absorbing window into Zulu royal history and the Anglo-Zulu War era.
South Africa: Exploring Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu
🌍 Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park — Africa’s Oldest Game Reserve
There are places you visit and places that visit you back, and Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park — pronounced, for those of us from south London who were quietly panicking about getting it wrong, roughly as “Shloo-shloo-wee im-fo-LO-zi” — is very much one of the latter. Sitting some 280 kilometres north of Durban in the heart of what the Zulus call KwaZulu-Natal, this extraordinary park covers just over 96,000 hectares of hilly, subtropical terrain and lays claim to being the oldest formally proclaimed game reserve not just in South Africa, but in the whole of Africa. It was officially proclaimed in 1895, which puts it a good two years ahead of Kruger, a fact the locals will mention to you with entirely justified pride.
The park wasn’t always a single entity. For most of its history, Hluhluwe and iMfolozi existed as two separate but adjacent reserves, linked by a land corridor and eventually unified under a single management structure in 1989 by the Natal Parks Board. The name Hluhluwe itself comes from the Zulu word for a thorny, rope-like creeping plant — Dalbergia armata, if you want to look it up — that grows throughout the area. The iMfolozi section takes its name from the Black and White Mfolozi rivers that wind through it. So now you know.
🕓 A Rather Damp Start
We were collected from our accommodation at half past four in the morning, which is not something you hear yourself agreeing to very often when you’re back home in London. But this is Africa, and the wildlife doesn’t keep office hours. Sadly, it was a thoroughly wet morning, and we got very soggy indeed sitting in the open back of the game drive vehicle — one of those long, elevated trucks with tiered bench seating that you’ve seen in every safari documentary, except in the documentary it’s always sunny and nobody’s waterproof jacket is leaking around the collar.
It took about an hour and a half from our accommodation to reach the park’s entrance gates, which gave us plenty of time to sit quietly, watch the pre-dawn darkness of Zululand slide past and wonder whether we’d remembered sunscreen. The Hluhluwe and iMfolozi sections of the reserve are two adjacent game areas — Hluhluwe to the north, iMfolozi to the south — separated historically but nowadays managed as one continuous protected area.
By the time we arrived, the rain had at least stopped, even if the clouds hadn’t entirely given up on the idea. And then, not even half a mile past the entrance gate, there they were — two enormous African elephants, standing right next to the road as though they’d been placed there for our benefit. Just like that. No preamble, no waiting, no scanning the middle distance with binoculars. Elephants. Massive ones. Half a mile after that, we rounded a bend and came face to face with a pair of white rhinos grazing about ten metres off the track. We’d been in the park for perhaps fifteen minutes. Whatever followed was going to be a bonus.
🦏 The Wildlife — What We Saw (and What We Didn’t)
For the next three hours we drove among the rolling hills and wooded valleys of the park, which even in overcast conditions were frankly stunning. The northern Hluhluwe section in particular has a lushness to it — thickly vegetated hillsides dropping into river valleys, with the occasional ridge opening up to views that stretch for miles. It’s not the flat, arid savannah you might associate with East African wildlife parks; this is subtropical terrain, undulating and green, and it gives the whole place a rather different atmosphere.
As we were trundling along, our guide pointed out something that stopped everyone mid-conversation — a badly crumpled car, clearly belonging to an NGO, parked (rather, abandoned) at the side of the track. The story, as our driver explained it, was that the day before, this vehicle — which had obviously been travelling at a speed utterly incompatible with sharing a road with a rhinoceros — had hit one. He wasn’t entirely clear on the fate of the rhino; rangers were out looking for it and we all quietly hoped it had wandered off none the worse for the encounter. The car, however, was most definitely worse for wear. Let that be a lesson: slow down.
On the drive itself we encountered white rhinos repeatedly — big, prehistoric-looking creatures with their distinctive square mouths, grazing calmly in groups that locals call “crashes,” which seemed appropriate given recent events. We saw buffalo, zebra — including some absolutely tiny babies that were frankly the cutest things we’d clapped eyes on in weeks — wildebeest, giraffes doing that slightly comical slow-motion lope across the track, warthogs trotting along with their tails straight up like little radio aerials, and a tremendous variety of birds. Hluhluwe is a serious destination for birdwatchers, with over 340 recorded species including the Southern Ground Hornbill, the African Fish Eagle, the Lilac-Breasted Roller (impossibly, almost cartoonishly colourful) and the Vultures that circle overhead being nature’s rather bleak reminder that the circle of life is always ticking along.
We did not, sadly, manage to spot any black rhinos, which are considerably rarer, more solitary and far more skittish than their white cousins. Black rhinos — Diceros bicornis — have a hooked upper lip adapted for browsing on leaves and shrubs, while the white rhino’s wide, flat mouth is built for grazing on grass. The “white” in white rhino, incidentally, almost certainly comes not from colour (they’re grey, obviously) but from a mistranslation of the Dutch or Afrikaans word “wijd,” meaning wide, referring to that broad mouth. This is the kind of thing you learn when you’ve been sitting in a game drive vehicle for three hours and someone starts reading the wildlife brochure aloud.
We also fell well short of a complete Big Five sighting of large cats — no leopard came forward to be admired, which is par for the course since leopards are nocturnal and extraordinarily good at being invisible even when they’re sitting right in front of you — but we did find a pride of lions lounging on a sandbank beside the river in that magnificently insouciant way that lions have, as though the concept of effort has never once occurred to them. We watched them from a respectful distance, which was exactly as much as they deserved.
The absolute highlight of the morning came right at the end, just as we were approaching the park exit, when a large bull elephant stepped out onto the track directly beside the entrance sign and began methodically feeding on the surrounding bushes. We parked and watched him for a good long while — he was entirely unbothered by us, simply going about the business of eating somewhere in the region of 150 kilograms of vegetation, as an adult elephant does daily. It was, to use the technical wildlife observation term, absolutely brilliant.
About Hluhluwe- iMfolozi Game Reserves
The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is the only park under formal conservation in KwaZulu Natal where the Big Five occur. 280 kilometres north of Durban and established in 1895, this is the oldest game park in South Africa along with nearby St Lucia Reserve.
Set in the heart of Zululand this is the oldest game reserve in Africa, where Zulu kings such as Dingiswayo and Shaka hunted and put in place the first conservation laws.
Today, Africa’s ‘Big Five’ (lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros) stalk the flourishing savannah. Game viewing is the principal attraction in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Viewing hides overlook pans and waterholes enabling one to observe the wildlife at close range.
As the home of Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park became world-renowned for its white rhino conservation. Other areas of focus for which Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is famous include wilderness trails which originated in Umfolozi in the 1950s and its renowned Game Capture unit upgraded into the Centenary Capture Centre, a benchmark for animal capture and sustainable utilisation throughout Africa.
The Park covers some 96 000 hectares and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora.
Hluhluwe Umfolozi Reserve is characterised by hilly topography and the northern section of the game reserve is noted for its wide variety of both birdlife and wildlife.
Planning Your Visit to Hluhluwe- iMfolozi
📍 Location & Visitor Information
🦏 | Location | R66, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (between Ulundi and Mtubatuba) |
🕖 | Opening Times / Website | Gates: Oct–Mar 5:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Apr–Sep 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM Website: ezemvelo.org |
📞 | Phone / Email | Phone: +27 (0)33 845 1000 Email: bookings@kznwildlife.com |
🚗 | By Road | From Durban: Take the N2 north (~280 km); turn off at Mtubatuba and follow the R618 west to the Nyalazi Gate entrance. Alternatively, approach via Ulundi on the R66 to Memorial Gate in the north. |
✈️ | Nearest Airport | King Shaka International Airport, Durban (~280 km). Richards Bay Airport is closer (~90 km via Mtubatuba). |
ℹ️ | Notes | Accommodation must be booked in advance through Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Self-drive and guided game drives available. Malaria precautions recommended. No open vehicles allowed without a registered guide. |
🎟️ Entry Fees
Fees are approximate and subject to change. Check the official website for current rates before visiting.
Category | Adult (SA Resident) | Adult (Foreign National) | Child (under 12) |
Day Entry | R200 per person | R380 per person | R100 per child |
Conservation Levy | Included in entry fee | Included in entry fee | Included in entry fee |
Vehicle Fee | R50 per vehicle | R50 per vehicle | – |
🗺️ Getting There
✈️ | By Air | Fly into King Shaka International Airport (Durban) or Richards Bay Airport. Car hire is recommended from either airport. |
🚗 | By Car from Durban | Take the N2 north for approximately 280 km. Exit at Mtubatuba and follow the R618 west to Nyalazi Gate. Journey time approximately 3–3.5 hours. |
🚗 | By Car from Johannesburg | Take the N3 south to Durban, then the N2 north. Total distance approximately 500 km; allow 5–6 hours. |
🚌 | By Bus / Shuttle | Long-distance buses (Greyhound, Intercape) run to Richards Bay or Empangeni. From there, arrange a local shuttle or car hire to the park gates — no public transport serves the park directly. |
🗺️ | Main Entrances | Nyalazi Gate (south, off R618) — most popular entry point. Memorial Gate (north, off R66 near Hluhluwe town). |
The Best Time to Visit KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is one of South Africa’s most climatically varied provinces, stretching from the subtropical Zulu Kingdom heartland and the cool Drakensberg escarpment to the warm Indian Ocean coastline. The result is a destination that offers something rewarding in almost every month of the year — but where the season you choose will shape the experience considerably.
☀️ Summer — October to February
Summer in KwaZulu-Natal is warm, humid and lively. Along the coast — Durban, the South Coast and the Dolphin Coast — daytime temperatures regularly reach 28–32°C, occasionally higher, and afternoon thunderstorms are common, arriving quickly and clearing just as fast. The humidity can feel relentless during January and February, particularly in Durban itself. Inland, the Zululand game reserves such as Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park receive most of their annual rainfall during this period, which keeps the bush dense and green but makes wildlife harder to spot through the thick vegetation.
The Drakensberg mountains, which form the western spine of the province, see their own summer wet season, with afternoon mist and thunderstorms common at altitude from November onwards. Hiking routes remain walkable but require careful weather monitoring.
On the positive side, this is when the Indian Ocean is at its warmest — around 24–26°C — making it the best season for swimming, surfing and diving. The annual Sardine Run, one of the natural world’s great spectacles, usually occurs between May and July, so sits outside this window, but summer sees dolphins and humpback whales active off the coast. School holidays and domestic tourism peak over December and January, meaning accommodation along the coast fills quickly and prices rise accordingly.
What to pack: Lightweight cotton or linen clothing, swimwear, a good broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 50+), a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, insect repellent (malaria precautions required for northern Zululand), a compact waterproof jacket for afternoon storms and sandals or flip-flops for the beach.
🍂 Autumn — March to May
Autumn brings a gradual easing of the summer heat and humidity, and is widely regarded as one of the best times to visit the province. Temperatures along the coast settle into a very comfortable 20–25°C range, the skies clear, and the sea remains warm enough for swimming well into April. Rainfall drops significantly, and the general mood of the province — its roads, reserves and resorts — quietens pleasantly after the December–January peak.
In the game reserves, the vegetation begins to thin as the rains ease, improving wildlife sightings considerably. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and iSimangaliso Wetland Park both reward visitors in these months with excellent game and birdwatching opportunities. The Sardine Run, which draws enormous shoals of sardines northward along the coast accompanied by sharks, dolphins and gannets diving from above, typically peaks between May and July and is one of the province’s great wildlife events. May visitors stand a chance of catching the beginning of this spectacle.
The Drakensberg is at its most appealing in late autumn — clear skies, crisp air and daytime temperatures around 15–18°C in the valleys make for ideal hiking conditions, with the dramatic basalt cliffs and golden grasslands looking their finest.
What to pack: Layered clothing for coastal days and cool evenings, a mid-weight fleece or jacket for the Drakensberg and for game reserve mornings, comfortable walking or hiking boots, insect repellent, binoculars for wildlife and birdwatching, and a light waterproof layer for unexpected showers.
❄️ Winter — June to August
Winter is the dry season across most of KwaZulu-Natal and is peak time for safari and game viewing. Rainfall is minimal — some parts of the province go weeks without a drop — the bush thins dramatically, and animals congregate around permanent water sources, making wildlife encounters in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, iSimangaliso and the surrounding reserves considerably more predictable. This is also the best time of year to visit the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where humpback whales calve in the warm shallows off Cape Vidal between June and November.
Coastal temperatures remain mild and often pleasant — Durban rarely drops below 17°C even in July — and the city’s beaches see little rain. The sea temperature cools to around 18–20°C, which is bracing for swimming but fine for wetsuits. The Sardine Run, in June and July, draws the province’s most dramatic marine wildlife spectacle and pulls in significant numbers of divers and sport fishermen.
In the Drakensberg, winter days are clear and brilliantly sunny but nights can be genuinely cold, occasionally dropping below freezing at altitude. Snow on the high peaks is not unusual in July, and the Cathedral Peak and Amphitheatre areas look stunning under a dusting of white. Lower valley trails remain accessible, though an early start is essential before afternoon temperatures drop sharply.
What to pack: Warm layers for early mornings and evenings in the game reserves and mountains, a heavy fleece or down jacket for the Drakensberg, thermal base layers, a beanie and gloves for higher altitudes, smart-casual clothing for lodge dinners, good walking boots, and a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen for the deceptively strong winter sun.
🌱 Spring — September to October
Spring is arguably the single best season in KwaZulu-Natal for visitors who want variety across the province. The dry conditions of winter persist into September, keeping wildlife sightings excellent and the game reserves uncrowded before the summer holiday influx. Temperatures begin to climb, making coastal days increasingly pleasant without the oppressive humidity of high summer. The Indian Ocean warms back towards 22°C by October.
The Drakensberg bursts into bloom in spring, with wildflowers carpeting the valley floors and the summer migrant birds beginning to return, making it a rewarding month for both walkers and birders. Humpback whales are still present in iSimangaliso in September, adding another excellent wildlife option before the main summer season arrives in earnest.
Accommodation rates across the province sit at shoulder-season levels in September before edging upwards as October brings the first wave of domestic visitors. Spring school holidays, which fall in early October, create a brief spike in coastal demand.
What to pack: Versatile layered clothing — mornings can still be cool and afternoons warm in September — a light waterproof jacket as the first spring showers arrive in October, sunscreen, hiking boots for the Drakensberg wildflower trails, insect repellent (malaria prophylaxis for northern areas), and binoculars.
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🏆 Overall Best Time to Visit
If a single window had to be chosen, May to September stands out as the sweet spot for most travellers. The dry-season conditions that peak in June, July and August deliver the province’s best safari experiences — thinning bush, predictable wildlife at waterholes, and the extraordinary spectacle of the Sardine Run and humpback whale season off the coast — all without the coastal humidity that can make high summer feel heavy. May and September bookend this window with the added bonus of shoulder-season accommodation rates and noticeably quieter reserves. Visitors prioritising the Indian Ocean coast, water sports and a lively beach atmosphere will prefer the warmth of December to February, accepting the afternoon storms and higher prices as the trade-off. The Drakensberg rewards visits in both spring and autumn, when trails are clear, skies are blue and the mountain landscapes are at their dramatic finest.
Where to stay
Hill Top Camp
Hilltop Camp is the park’s main rest camp, run by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and the natural choice for waking up inside the reserve. It sits on a forested ridge in the northern Hluhluwe section, looking out over the rolling Zululand hills. The best views are from the deck of the Mpunyane Restaurant. Rooms range from simple rondavels with shared kitchens to air-conditioned thatched chalets, some self-catering and some not. There is also a pool, a bar, a curio shop and a fuel stop, and the camp is fenced, so families can walk between the chalets safely after dark. Nyala, warthogs and samango monkeys often wander through the grounds. Guided morning and evening game drives can be booked at reception.
Hluhluwe Bush Camp
Hluhluwe Bush Camp is a relaxed, eco-minded glamping village about 25 minutes’ drive from the park. It borders False Bay Park, part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site. The accommodation is refreshingly quirky, with safari tents with private decks, adventure tents with open-air bathrooms, bohemian tipis, a vintage caravan called Poppy and an open-sided stargazing tent. There are also campsites for anyone bringing their own gear. Every unit has its own braai area. The main area has free Wi-Fi, a splash pool, a children’s playground and a farm stall selling coffee and pastries. The 2.5 km Kambusha Trail starts right at the camp, and the beaches of St Lucia and Sodwana Bay are about an hour away.
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge was the first private lodge built inside Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, Africa’s oldest proclaimed game reserve, and it is the park’s upmarket option. It is part-owned by the local Mpembeni community and belongs to the Isibindi group of lodges. The lodge runs along a cliff edge, with raised walkways linking its rooms. Every room looks across the reserve and down to a busy waterhole visited by rhino, giraffe and even African wild dog. There are eight Luxury Bush Villas with fireplaces and deep freestanding baths, two Honeymoon Villas with private plunge pools, plus safari rooms and family rooms. Guests can use the spa and an 11-metre lap pool. Morning and afternoon game drives cover both the lodge’s private concession and the wider park.hour away.
More to Explore
