Greater St Lucia Wetland Attractions

Lake Sibaya

The Lake Sibaya is the largest freshwater lake in South Africa and an important wetland for waterbirds. Over 300 bird species have been recorded here e.g. yellowspotted nicator, brown robin, Woodward’s batis etc. There are also hippo and crocodile populations. Explore the rustic bush camp (Baya Camp) on the lake’s southern shore.   

The South African Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is situated 280 km north of Durban. It is the oldest proclaimed park in Africa. It consists of 960 km² (96,000 ha) of hilly topography in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is known for its rich wildlife and conservation efforts.  The Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where all the Big Five Game occur.  Thanks to great conservation efforts, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is today home to the largest population of white rhino in the world.

The topography in the Umfolozi section of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve ranges from the lowlands of the Umfolozi River beds to steep hilly country, which includes some wide and deep valleys. Habitats in this region of KwaZulu-Natal are primarily grasslands, which extend into acacia Savannah and woodlands. The Hluhluwe region has hilly topography where altitudes range from 80 to 540 m above sea level. The high ridges support coastal scarp forests in a well watered region with valley bushveld at lower levels.  The northern region of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is more rugged and mountainous with forests and grasslands and is known as the Hluhluwe area.

Mkhuze Game Reserve

The Mkhuze Game Reserve in South Africa is a flat grassland area with fossil pans, wetlands and sand dunes.  Game viewing in the Mkhuze Game Reserve include sightings of the black and white rhino, leopard, hippo, giraffe, nyala, blue wildebeest, zebra etc, hides overlooking water holes for birdwatching and a bushveld trail.

There are guided birding and game-viewing walks and a guided walk along the Mkhuze River with its enormous sycamore fig trees. A 3km Fig Forest Walk through the forest of sycamore fig and fever trees. Visit the Kwajobe cultural village with its beehive huts. This is a malaria area.

The Boardwalk Inkwazi shopping centre in Richards Bay provides a sheer majesty of comparative shopping and established retail development, crowned by more than 65,000 metre squared of commercial variety.

Whether visitors like to indulge in the culinary convenience of restaurants, to drape their imagination in the luxurious colours of beautiful fashions or to captivate loved ones with an applauding excursion with an all-age appeal, the Boardwalk Inkwazi in Richards Bay, South Africa, has truly mastered ingrained quality culture of over 150 convenient stores, remaining not only a welcoming shopping destination but a comprehensive haven of retail mastery.

Beneath the welcoming Zululand sun, situated near Richards Bay's fast-growing central business district, this retail centre piece of Zululand is a regional shopping centre where vistors feel at home and Zululanders are proud to call their own. Welcome to Boardwalk Inkwazi shopping centre webpage; your update haven of shopping pleasure.

The Enseleni Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is a small reserve of only 293 hectares situated inland from Richards Bay.  It is located almost midway between Empangeni and Richards Bay. The coastal grasslands and forest which can be found at the Enseleni Nature Reserve are very beautiful and home to a thriving bird life. 

The Nseleni River, from which the Enseleni Nature Reserve gets its name and which means 'lair' or 'place of the badger', runs through the reserve and creates a beautiful haven for animals.  The river languidly winds its way through the reserve, draining into the Insesi or Nsesi Lake, just beyond Richards Bay harbour.

Enjoy guided nature walks, the longest is a 5km swamp trail. A variety of small mannals and an abundance of bird life plus hippos and crocodiles in the river can be seen.
 
Telephone number: 082 5592852  / Fax number: 086 5095691

There is no curio shop at Enseleni Nature Reserve.

As crocodiles and bilharzia are found in the Nseleni river, visitors are not advised to swim in the rivers and do so at their own risk. Visitors are advised not to drink river water.

Pets are not permitted at Reserve.

How to get there:
The reserve is situated 11 km north of Empangeni on the N2 freeway. The entrance gate is on the northern side of the road.

Gate opening and closing times:
Summer: 07h00 - 18h00
Winter: 07h00 - 17h00
There is no camp at Enseleni Nature Reserve.

The Harold Porter Botanical Garden in themagnificent Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, South Africa, is a lovely garden situated in the centre of the coastal fynbos where the flora is at its richest.  It encompasses mountain slopes with wind-clipped heathlands, deep gorges with relict forests, flats and marshes with restios, sedges and bulbs, as well as dunes adjacent to the beach with specialised salt-adapted plants. The Harold Porter Botanical Garden is renowned for its waterfalls and amber pools.

The main fynbos families (proteas, ericas and restios) are present as well as other important families such as irises, daisies and orchids.  The Harold Porter Botanical Garden boasts red disa (Disa uniflora) in its natural habitat as well as South Africa’s national flower, the king protea (Protea cynaroides).

This beautiful, secluded botanical garden in South Africa is set between mountain and sea, in the heart of the Cape Fynbos region within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.  It consists of 10 hectares of cultivated fynbos garden and 190.5 hectares of pristine natural fynbos.  The Garden Estate is the natural part of the garden with several kilometres of nature trails providing scenic views of forests, mountains and coastline.

Contact Information:
Tel: +27 28 272 9311        
Fax: +27 28 272 9333
 
Operational hours:
Mon - Fri: 08h00 - 16h30
Weekends and Public holidays
08h00 to 17h00

Physical Address:
Broadwith Rd
Betty’s Bay
South Africa

Postal Address:
PO Box 35,
Betty's Bay, 7141

GPS Co-ordinates:
S 34° 21' 09.0" E 18° 55' 39.1"

The Richards Bay Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is a par 71 golf course, co-designed by Gary Player, is one of the most scenic and challenging layouts in Zululand. It was upgraded by Peter Matkovich in 2007.  The Country Club is situated along the shores of the beautiful Lake Mzingazi.  The facilities available include Golf, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Venue hire & Conferencing and Restaurant.


 

The Richards Bay Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is home to the swamp forest, the Thulazihleka Bird viewing hide in small swamp and the Tidal Mudflats and shallows south of the Mhlatuzi river. 300 species of birds have been recorded in these beautiful habitats including several rare migrant species new to the list of KwaZulu Natal birds.

Some of South Africa's most spectacular wetland scenery can be visited at the Richards Bay Game Reserve, a lagoon where aquatic birds and animal species, including hippopotamus and crocodile, are protected. Numbers of wildlife and birdlife in the Richards Bay Game reserve are ever-increasing and the rare pink-backed pelican has been sighted in the area. Flamingos, cormorants and some waders can also be found in the Richards Bay Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This area is also an important nursery ground for marine fish such as grunter, salmon, perch and yellowfin. The Richards Bay Lagoon is a natural, living example of how both commerce and nature are able to exist side by side in harmony.

Cape Vidal is situated 32km north of St. Lucia Estuary in a sheltered costal bay.  Visitors can see both wildlife of the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park as well as the marine life of the Indian Ocean. In this area are crocodile, rhino, buffalo and kudu. On the beach during summer visitors can experience the loggerhead and leatherback turtles laying their eggs and in the ocean see the dolphins surfing the waves and whales on their way to calve off the Mozambique coast.  In 1898 the ship “Dorothea” ran ashore on the coast. It was rumoured that she was carrying some 120,000 ounces of illicit gold – The Kruger Millions. Various attempts to find the wreck and the gold has been unsuccessful.

Cape Vidal in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is a stunning coastal region located within the St Lucia Marine Reserve, not far from the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park.  Known for its sport fishing and snorkelling, Cape Vidal has plenty to keep the nature lover and water enthusiast busy.

Cape Vidal is a magnificent bay which has a variety of accommodation to meet various requirements.  Visitors can choose between log cabins with either five or eight beds, each of which is equipped with a kitchenette and a lounge. The coastal resort is set in a sheltered bay that features a number of shallow pools and rock ledges, which make for excellent snorkeling. Miles of pristine beaches are perfect for walking, swimming and sunbathing while self-guided trails make for interesting day-hikes through the wetlands and coastal forest that is prevalent here. Because one is in the middle of a nature reserve, visitors can see hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, elephants, whales, dolphins, turtles and a wide variety of birds.

ST LUCIA VILLAGE
 
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park:
 
Explore the 96,000 ha of deep wooded valleys, grassy hillsides and thornveld on more than 200km of game-viewing roads. The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park has the largest population of white and black rhinos. The big five (elephant, lion, leopard rhino and buffalo) roam the area together with giraffe, kudu, nyala, waterbuck, impala, zebra etc. 400 species of birds can also be seen.
 
St. Lucia Estuary:

The best way to view the estuary is to take a cruise on the Santa Lucia, an 80-seater launch equipped with a viewing deck. View hippos, crocodiles and bird life from the viewing deck. The region contains the highest vegetated dunes in the world, extensive and diverse wetland systems, as well as coastal grasslands. Visit the St. Lucia Crocodile Centre and get close-up views of the Nile Crocodile and the American alligator. Sugarloaf is an ideal area for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Explore the St. Lucia Game Park along several short self-guided trails, including one to the mangroves along the estuary’s shore. 

The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, measures 368sq km and is the focal point of the third largest wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.  It stretches from Sodwana Bay in the north of Maputaland, to Mapelane at the southern end of Lake St. Lucia.  The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park encompasses a diversity of habitats: mountain, bushveld, palm groves, sand forest, grassland, wetland, coastal forest, coral reef and ocean.

This wonderful piece of paradise was recently renamed the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Covering about 240,000ha, with a further 84,000ha in, on or under the sea, the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park is a large region of sub-tropical landscape stretching 220km along the East Coast from St Lucia to the Mozambique border.

Different natural systems exist here ranging from dune, swamp and coastal forests to rocky and sandy shores, coral reefs and submarine canyons, mangroves, savanna grassland, thickets, woodlands, and the largest protected wetland in southern Africa, it is a culturally fascinating area. Game viewing opportunities range from self-drive to luxury lodges, and the birding is awesome. Visitors can paddle on the various lakes, checking out hippos, birds and game on the shore.
 

Kosi Bay Nature Reserve

The magnificent Kosi Bay Nature Reserve in South Africa is situated on the coast and surrounds the Kosi Bay lake system which consists of four interconnected, roughly circular lakes linked to the sea by a sandy estuary with a narrow mouth.

The mangrove swamps near the estuary mouth features five species of mangrove. The area is home to 250 species of bird e.g. fish eagle, as well as bushbuck, duiker and monkeys, hippos and crocodile are around the lakes as well. Leatherback turtles come onto the beaches to lay their eggs. Guided walks are available. This is a high risk malaria area.

MAPUTALAND:
                     
Mkhuze Game Reserve: 

This is a flat grassland area with fossil pans, wetlands and sand dunes. Attractions – game-viewing e.g. black and white rhino, leopard, hippo, giraffe, nyala, blue wildebeest, zebra etc, hides overlooking water holes for birdwatching and a bushveld trail. There are guided birding and game-viewing walks and a guided walk along the Mkhuze River with its enormous sycamore fig trees. A 3km Fig Forest Walk through the forest of sycamore fig and fever trees. Visit the Kwajobe cultural village with its beehive huts. This is a malaria area.
 
Ndumo Game Reserve: 

This reserve covers 12,420 ha with pans lined by fever trees and magnificent riverine forests to flood-plains, reedbeds, patches of sand forest and woodlands. It is best known for its 420 bird species e.g. black egret, pygmy geese and flocks of pelicans. Game also roam the area e.g. nyala, bushbuck, impala, red duiker, black and white rhino and hippos and crocodiles in the rivers. Visitors may drive through certain areas or arrange a guided tour.

Tembe Elephant Park:  

Elephants are the major drawcard to this park, as over 200 roam this sand forest and grassland ecosystem. The other Big Five, lion, black and white rhino, buffalo and leopard can be seen and it has a large population of bird life, well over 340 species.

Kosi Bay Nature Reserve:

Situated on the coast and surrounds the Kosi Bay lake system which consists of four interconnected, roughly circular lakes linked to the sea by a sandy estuary with a narrow mouth. The mangrove swamps near the estuary mouth features five species of mangrove. The area is home to 250 species of bird e.g. fish eagle, as well as bushbuck, duiker and monkeys, hippos and crocodile are around the lakes as well. Leatherback turtles come onto the beaches to lay their eggs. Guided walks are available. This is a high risk malaria area.

Lake Sibaya:

This is the largest freshwater lake in S.A. and an important wetland for waterbirds. Over 300 bird species have been recorded here e.g. yellowspotted nicator, brown robin, Woodward’s batis etc. There are also hippo and crocodile populations. Explore the rustic bush camp (Baya Camp) on the lake’s southern shore.  

Ndumo Game Reserve

The Ndumo Game Reserve in South Africa covers 12,420 ha with pans lined by fever trees and magnificent riverine forests to flood-plains, reedbeds, patches of sand forest and woodlands.

The Ndumo Game Reserve is best known for its 420 bird species e.g. black egret, pygmy geese and flocks of pelicans. Game also roam the area e.g. nyala, bushbuck, impala, red duiker, black and white rhino and hippos and crocodiles in the rivers. Visitors may drive through certain areas or arrange a guided tour.

Tembe Elephant Park

Elephants are the major drawcard to this park, as over 200 roam this sand forest and grassland ecosystem. The other Big Five, lion, black and white rhino, buffalo and leopard can be seen and it has a large population of bird life, well over 340 species.