uMkhuze Game Reserve

Some very birding here, with some species difficult to see elsewhere.

Very nice, but unfortunate timing due to construction

We stayed at uMkhuze for two nights in the end of July 2016. We stayed at Mantuma Camp, which was very nice; the rooms were clean and comfortable. We had a small difficultly with the hot water but the staff were very helpful.
In the morning we drove out to KuMasinga hide, and spent a lot of time at the waterhole there. Wildlife was plentiful - lots of Nyala, Wildebeest, and a single White Rhino. We also saw lots of neat birds in the sand forest, including some of the specialties of the area. We also visited the KuMahlahla hide, which had some more birds and baboons.
Unfortunately, at the time we were there most of the roads in the park were closed for maintenance, so we could only visit a small part of the reserve. This was disappointing, since it meant we couldn't see some of the birds we'd hoped for... however, it probably won't be an issue for much longer.

This game reserve is about an hour's drive north of the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve and is a very good park for birding. The large water pans, when full, contain an abundance of water birds. The park also contains the big five and has very good hides for photography and watching game. The park in in the northern section of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park.

On a downward curve

Having visited uMkhuze on several occasions previously I was somewhat concerned this year to see it looking somewhat shabbier than on previous visits. Signage was poor and some of the hides in a lamentable state of repair. Game viewing was also not what I had experienced on earlier visits.
That said, the accomodation was as good as I remember; comfortable, isolated chalets, a swimming pool all to me and my wife and father in law and babboon and impala right at the door. There is also cheap, decent food just a stone's throw away at the camp restaurant and nightly tours that are both reasonably priced and far from overcrowded. What game I did see was worth the trip; a pack of wild dogs (the rarest predator on the continent as I understand it), fantastic up-close views of a very impressive Kudu and plenty of bird life. On earlier trips I have seen rhino, both black and white, there, bush babies, hyena, civet, hippo, giraffe, zebra, untold impala and nyala and some of the rarer birds.
uMkhuze is a quiet reserve, perhaps due to it's current lack of maintenance, so there is no danger of encountering crowds and it has some lovely picnic spots by the pans where there was no one but myself, my family, and the monkeys to spoil the peace. With a bit more care uMkhuze could be a lovely, peaceful place to visit again and the staff are helpful and pleasant. It is also conveniently located for day trips to neighbouring Hluhluwe-Umfolozi and the St Lucia wetland park (now renamed iSimangaliso). A good destination for bird lovers but not as varied scenery wise as I might prfer, with a lot of thick, flat brush for the animals to lose themselves in.
Weather in early April was almost perfect, warm but not too hot, mosquito free (from what we saw) and suitable for Braais (BBQs) every night at the fixed Braai grills that are located outside each chalet, and cleaned at dawn each day. Just don't forget to take your own charcoal, lighters and food as the shop is a little sparse.
A little much needed work and uMkhuze could be, once again, a top destination, located as it is within easy travelling distance from Durban.