Zululand and Elephant Coast

Steeped in rich traditions, wild game and war, Zululand’s rolling hills are home to many game parks that have firmly established South Africa as the international leader in wildlife conservation. A unique safari destination. The Elephant Coast boasts the best of wildlife both on the ground and in the water. The Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve and the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park are both world-class conservation areas. The area is also still steeped in Zulu culture and has a great rural feel.

What to see and do

• St Lucia Wetlands Park

  A World Heritage site. The vast Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park comprises coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lakes, lagoons, swamps and an estuary. As if that isn’t enough, the rich waters are also home to many species of fish, birds, over 800 hippo and 2500 crocodiles.

• Hluhluwe Umfolozi (shu-shlu-wi)

  A world-renowned rhino sanctuary. Hluhluwe Umfolozi specializes in the conservation of the white rhino, 1600 of which live in an area of 880sq km together with 300 of the more dangerous black rhino. The BIG 5; lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and buffaloes can be spotted here.

  • Hluhluwe Backpackers
  • Isinkwe Backpacker Bush Camp

• Diving in Sodwana Bay

  Popular with divers and snorkellers for its diversity of fish and invertebrates and its collection of hard and soft corals. The waters are warm, seldom dropping below 20°C. The average visibility is 15m and can reach 30m. In summer, turtles leave the ocean to nest on the beach.

• Tsonga fish traps - Kosi Bay

  A network of traditional traps used to net fish in the estuary. The method is primitive, but still effective. Traps are passed on from Tsonga father to son.

• Dlinza Forest Aerial Boardwalk

  This 125m natural timber boardwalk winds through the forest canopy to a 20m high viewing tower. The sub-tropical forest is home to rare birds, chameleons and bushbuck.

• Zulu culture

  The Zulu were a minor clan founded around 1709 in what is now Zululand. Under the leadership of Shaka Zulu, the Zulu became all-powerful until the arrival of the Afrikaner Voortrekkers and later the English. Rural Zulus live in simple mud and thatch huts and are mostly subsistence farmers. Today, Zulus are increasingly adopting western ways, but the roots of their beliefs remain. It is entrenched in their traditions, ceremonies, celebrations, beads, food, the ancestors, Umqomboti (beer), dancing, dress, social structure, beliefs, sangomas, inyangas and healing