Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park
From World travel guide
Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park is in KwaZulu-Natal about 250 km east of Durban. Administration is by KZN Wildlife [1]
Contents |
Get in
By car
Gateways to the Park are the towns of Hluhluwe and Mtubatuba, all of them easily accessible from the N2, which runs all along the east coast of South Africa. It connects the park with nearby Durban, the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park and Swaziland.
By plane
The next larger airport is in Durban.
By train
The next larger railway station is in Durban.
By bus
Public buses run from Durban along the N2 but services are limited so the best option is your own transport. Alternatively take the Baz bus which runs from Durban to Swaziland via Hluhluwe and St. Lucia.
Get around
Best option is an own car which can be rent at St.Lucia or Durban.
Understand
The park was formed by putting together the two parks of Hluhluwe and Umfolozi in 1989 to one park of nearly 100.000 hectares. The national park offers a great diversity of animals and is optimal for game-viewing. It`s much less crowded than the Kruger National Park and has the biggest population and highest density of Rhinos of all South African parks.
Do
Game viewing is the thing to come for. It`s worth considering a guided tour at least for one day as the rangers know where to go. There is also a trail system where several-day-hikes are available with a ranger (book ahead as they are popular)
Eat & Drink
Hilltop Campsite offers some food and drinks within park. The town of St.Lucia is a popular tourist destination and offers the broadest range off food and some pubs in the area.
Sleep
There are several camps in the park but you should book ahead at KZN Wildlife. Alternatives are the nearby towns (esp. St. Lucia) which offer different kinds of accommodation.
Get out
- The Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park is a world heritage site and really worth a visit. Around 60km south.
- Go to Durban in the south or
- Swaziland in the north
External links
KZN Wildlife - More info and reservation
