Just a 5-minute drive from the Camp is the entrance to False Bay Park – one of the many entrances to iSimangaliso Wetland Park. With its beautiful lake and marked walking and mountain bike trails in one of the few sandy coastal forests left, False Bay Park is like a forgotten jewel.
Just a 25-minute drive from the Camp, visitors will be spoiled with a true bush experience in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park – the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa. A wild, hilly park, known for its rich wildlife and incredible rhino conservation efforts, one can easily spend a day driving through the park and still want to go back for more. Known for its well-protected white rhino population, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi offers visitors the chance to view these threatened residents in one of only 4 countries in which they reside; those being South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Black rhino are also under strong guard and these efforts make these the largest populations of white and black rhino in the world.
An hour away from Hluhluwe Bush Camp, one enters the famous Sodwana Bay in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Celebrated for both its underwater diversity and beautiful forested coastal lands and lakes, Sodwana boasts 50km of growing coral reefs which thousands of divers from around the world visit annually. Also a very popular angling destination, deep-sea and shore fishing deal up treasures like billfish, yellowfin tuna and dorado. Walk for miles along expansive beaches fringed with forested dunes, or go snorkeling off Jesser Point.
- Rhino Trails mounting biking – with several tracks inside and outside False Bay Park it is indeed a memorable experience to ride alongside the animals of the park and encounter beautiful single tracks. For more information www.
rhinomtbtrails.co.za - False Bay Park marked walks – 60 million years ago, this stretch of land was covered by the sea. Discover both rare, living wildlife and ancient fossils as you can take walks between 4-7km long for young and old along the shore and in the Sand Forest. The marked Mpophomeni Trail is 6.5 km long or, with an extra loop, 9.5 km long. Mpophomeni means “waterfall” in Zulu. The trail is colour coded and has clear markers which identify and describe points of interest. There are a number of giant trees in the sand forest. Or try the marked Ingwe trail (Ingwe means “leopard” in Zulu) and the Dukandlovu trail.
Hluhluwe Bush Camp is set in the heart of Zululand, famous for its wetlands, wildlife, pineapples and Zulu culture.
The popular attractions in the area are the national game reserves False Bay iSimangaliso Park – a World Heritage site, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Reserve and Mkuze Game Reserve.
The stunning white beaches of Sodwana Bay and St Lucia are only a one hour drive from the Camp.
Hluhluwe Bush Camp is ideally situated with so many attractions nearby. It offers both beach and bush, and all within a 1-hour drive. For the sporty types among us, there are a lot of beautiful hiking and cycling trails in the area.
If you would like any information about the activities in the area, please feel free to contact us. We are more than happy to assist you and tell you about all the different activities. Or take a look at our social media channels to get inspired for activities and updates about the surroundings.
Kambusha Trail
Game Drives
Although we do not offer game drives ourselves at Hluhluwe Bush Camp, we have amazing partners in our neighbouring areas – all easily arranged at our Reception
Drive with your own vehicle or be guided in an exciting open-air safari vehicle through one of the many National Parks we are privileged to have neighbouring us and experience one of the finest Game Reserves in South Africa.
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve is a BIG 5 Game Park in KwaZulu Natal and is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa.
It consists of 960 km² (96,000 ha) of hilly topography 280 kilometres (170 mi) north of Durban in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is known for its rich wildlife and conservation efforts. The park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where all of the big five game animals can be found.
Due to conservation efforts, the park in 2008 had the largest population of white rhino in the world.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve is only a 25 minute drive from Hluhluwe Bush Camp while iSimangaliso False Bay Wetland Park is only a 5 minute drive. The Eastern shore of iSimangaliso Wetland Park in St Lucia is only a 25 minute drive and iSimangaliso Mkuze Wetland Park is a 50 minute drive.
Choose between 3 hour, 6 hour or full day excursions in one of the parks with an experienced and qualified field guide, in an open safari vehicle for a super up-close experience.
Zulu Croc
Just a 5-minute drive from Hluhluwe Bush Camp, you will find the family-friendly Zulu Croc interactive park. Apart from being home to incredible bird life at their dam, and having plenty of wildlife to see, they also host a hands-on wildlife experience called the Adventure Show, allowing you to handle some of the world’s most fascinating reptiles.
Kids of all ages will be thrilled by the abundant zebra, giraffe, warthog, kudu, impala, nyala, waterbuck, duiker and reedbuck in easy view – the perfect family outing!
And if you need a backdrop for an “Out of Africa” photoshoot or wedding, this is the place for you!
Wild Tomorrow Fund
Wild Tomorrow Fund is dedicated to the protection of threatened and endangered species and the habitats they depend on for survival. Be a part of their incredible efforts in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Reserve with a wild experience like no other. This entails a visit to the Wild Tomorrow Fund for a conservation briefing then you and your group work with the conservation team. Expect to work with the camera traps, look for snares with the field rangers, conduct animal surveys, learn how to effectively track and better understand community work with the Green Mambas. You will finish the day with a glorious visit to the corridor.
Find out more here: Wild Tomorrow Fund Experience
iSimangaliso Parks
iSimangaliso Wetland Park (previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park). The word isimangaliso means “a miracle” or “something wondrous” in Zulu. It is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal and is South Africa’s third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary, and is made up of around 3,280² km of natural ecosystems, managed by the iSimangaliso Authority. The park includes:
- Lake St. Lucia, False Bay Park, Kosi Bay, Lake Sibhayi, Sodwana Bay National Park, Mapelane Nature Reserve, Maputaland Marine Reserve, Cape Vidal, Mkuze Game Reserve
The park was previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, but was renamed effective 1 November 2007.
Mountain biking
From 1 March 2022, we will have 2 excellent moutain bikes to rent so that everybody can enjoy the brilliant trails on offer at both Rhino MTB Trails and False Bay. Rental includes helmets and 2 pedal types.
There are a number of stunning trails in the area and one is in False Bay Park. False Bay is part of iSimangaliso Wetland Park in the Northern section and is a 2300 hectare reserve hugging the western shoreline of Lake St Lucia. This is a 20-kilometer easy and flat ride. For the more advanced riders there are stunning trails – very scenic and challenging – between 30 to 40 kilometers. It is safe riding in a wonderfully scenic area where game is present.
Visit the Rhino MTB Trails website for more info on what they have to offer.
Hiking/Walking trails
“Take a walk on the wild side”.
The sand forest of False Bay Park is a must to see. There are 2 self guided walking trails very well marked to give you the full benefit of the scenic area.
Mpophomeni Trail is between 6 and 9 km and this walk is in canopy forest.
Ingwe Trail is a 6 km trail and a part of the trail is at the lakeshore.
The walks are easy and safe. Other walks are also possible at the lakeshore and on the gravel/tar road.
Birding
False Bay Park is one of the best birding spots in Zululand. The park is a fantastic spot for forest birds in particular, but there are also some interesting water birds to be found along the shores of the lake. There are 2 types of pristine sand forest: Dense forest with thick bush and small trees and Tall forest with large trees. Both can be accessed on foot.
Some wonderful picnic spots along the shore are perfect for enjoying the views of this scenic and stunning area.
Download Bird list:
Dark-backed Weaver, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Red-capped Robin-chat, Crowned Hornbill, Tambourine Dove, Crested Guineafowl, Square-tailed Drongo, Black Saw-wing, and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Trumpeter Hornbills and Black-bellied Starlings, White-starred Robin, Chorister Robin-chat, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Grey Cuckooshrike and Dark-mantled Crested Flycatcher.
African Emerald Cuckoo Broad-billed Rollers.Eastern Nicator, Bearded Scrub Robin, Rudd’s Apalis, Gorgeous Bushshrike and African Yellow White-eye . Green Malkoha, Narina Trogon and Olive Bushshrike, Pink-throated Twinspots Neergaard’s Sunbirds Plain-backed Sunbirds African Broadbill. Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Retz’s Helmetshrike , Sooty Falcon, Cuckoo Hawk, Grey Tit Flycatcher, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Brown-backed Honeybird and Woodward’s batis.
The open water at False Bay is actually the north western extension of Lake St. Lucia. Look out here for both Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Pink-backed and Great White Pelicans, Pied Avocets,Caspian Terns, Saddle-billed Storks , Black-bellied Bustard, Swamp Nightjar, Collared Pratincoles, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling
Scuba diving and snorkeling: Sodwana Bay is a fantastic, year-round dive destination that lies within the boundaries of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal and stretches from Lake St Lucia to the Mozambique border. This stretch of coast provides the travelling diver with a vast array of unspoilt coral reefs populated with a huge diversity of Indo-Pacific fish species & invertebrates.
Sodwana Bay reefs have the most southern coral reef formations in Africa and they occur on the continental shelf, which is approximately 4km wide in this area. The breathtakingly colorful hard and soft corals grow on a sandstone base structure that is unique to true coral reef structures. Due to the sandstone base structure, our reefs tend to be flat with low pinnacles, shallow drop offs, gullies and range in depth from 6m to 100m, and are relatively young at 4000 years old.
What makes Sodwana great is that the reefs are home to 1200 species of fish, compared to 1800 in the Great Barrier Reef, yet less than 1-10th the area of the GBR! You can see almost everything if you dive here often enough. As well as fish, you will find all sorts of invertebrates, turtles, rays and sharks on any of the dive sites. The opportunities are limitless.
Warm Indian Ocean water year round offers you the perfect reason to go snorkeling while in Zululand. The area, iSimangaliso Wetland Park covers an enormous area stretching from St Lucia in the South to the northern reaches bordering Mozambique. Within this area one has numerous areas in which to snorkel some unprotected areas and others within protected bays such as Cape Vidal, Zululand.
Zulu History & Culture
The Zulu history and culture can be discovered at DumaZulu Traditional Village. Listen to Zulu singing, watch traditional dancing, taste Zulu beer and food, and learn how this nation came into being. Walk around this recreated village for a glimpse into life in Zululand many years ago.
Things To Do
- The Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Centre is all about Africa’s big cats. The Centre offers daily tours with feedings, and aims to rehabilitate injured cats so they can be released into the wild.
- Ilala weavers/Ngweni Brewery-Cafe: Ilala Weavers is nestled between a cluster of fever trees, on the outskirts of Hluhluwe. Ilala Weavers sells a range of local goods and features a Gallery, Museum, Nursery and Ngweni Brewery-Café.
- Zamimpilo Market is a bustling African market place. It is a market run by hardworking women supplying craft and fresh local products.
- Zulu Croc: Zulu Croc offers an hour and a half, hands-on crocodile and snake experience. Join them at the Adventure Show being presented daily at 10H00 or 14H00, Monday to Saturday. Enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Rafikis Restaurant at Zulu Croc – just off the R22, surrounded by the pineapple fields of Hluhluwe, and a perfect stop for a sit down meal. Or, grab something tasty and head out on a self-drive game excursion, great for the whole family.
Hluhluwe Queen Pineapples
Hluhluwe produces 90% of the fresh eating pineapples of the South African market. The variety of pineapple grown here is known as the Queen pineapple. A pineapple takes up to 18 months to reach full maturation. It grows best in temperatures between 15°C to 30°C.
The plant grows about 90cm tall. It bears 30 to 40 stiff, sword-shaped waxy leaves clustered tightly around a thick fleshy stem.
In Hluhluwe, South Africa the suckers are planted and picked by manual labour. The sandy soils in Hluhluwe are perfect for pineapple production and the Hluhluwe farmers are proud of their sweet, juicy pineapples! There are also pineapple tours.
