South Africa Parks
By Philip Briggs
Philip lives in South Africa and is the author many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Bradt and Insight guide to South Africa.
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is a scenic reserve and offers good wildlife viewing. All of the Big Five are present, but only white rhino and buffalo are regularly seen. Big cats are hit-and-miss, and elephant migrate around the park. Black rhino tends to keep to the thickets, but might be spotted at a waterhole or crossing the road. Giraffe and Burchell's zebra are some of the more common species found throughout the park.
Wildlife Highlights
The park is famous for its white rhino conservation success and has one of the largest populations in the world. The gracious nyala is also commonly seen. This antelope is a Kwazulu Natal special as it is very common in the province, but rare elsewhere. Lucky visitors might stumble on a pack of wild dog, and the elusive leopard is sometimes spotted on night drives.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The best time for wildlife viewing in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is during the dry months of June to September. The end of the Dry season, from August to September, is a particularly nice time since temperatures are higher than in mid-winter and animals are concentrated around predictable water sources at the end of a long dry period.
Wildlife Rating Per Major Park
- Kruger NP 4.8/5 266 Wildlife Ratings
- Hluhluwe-iMfolozi GR 4.5/5 98 Wildlife Ratings
- Sabi Sands 4.9/5 59 Wildlife Ratings
- Kgalagadi TP 4.6/5 65 Wildlife Ratings
- Phinda GR 4.8/5 28 Wildlife Ratings
- Mala Mala GR 5.0/5 37 Wildlife Ratings
