Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve

Rhino rapture

My first South African game park experience, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve holds a very special place in my heart. Each time I’m in KwaZulu Natal, no matter where I am going, I always make a special effort to add a couple of days here into my itinerary. Because of the reserve’s infrastructure and built-up nature, highlighted by a network of well-signed, easily navigated self-drive roads – not to mention its close proximity to Durban which makes it a popular weekend getaway with city slickers – it does come across a little more Disney-style safari park than nature at its rawest. Once you enter through the gates though, you’ll find the game viewing here is equivalent, at least in quality if not quantity, to Kruger. It’s comparatively smaller size also means you won’t struggle to find any animals. The drawback of course is that you’ll continually be retracing the same routes throughout your stay. On each visit I’ve easily spied elephants, rhinos (the park is renown as a refuge for the endangered white rhino), buffalo, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, antelope and baboons all at very close range. I’ve also had several sights of hyena. While I’m yet to see lions or leopards, there’s always next time.