Area Attractions

KwaZulu Natal’s Elephant Coast stretches from the world heritage site of Lake St Lucia in the south to Kosi Bay, virtually on the Mozambique border. The Elephant Coast is an extraordinary, untamed area fast growing in popularity for its incredible variety of habitats and eco-systems that combine into an unforgettable blend of adventure, unspoilt scenery and unique experiences. Called the Elephant Coast after the country’s largest herd of indigenous African elephants that have lived in sand forests in this region for centuries, the Elephant Coast extends inland across to the Lubombo Mountains in the west, and includes the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Reserve, the oldest game park in Africa – home to the big five.  It is not hard to understand why the Elephant Coast is regarded as the ecotourism mecca of the Zulu Kingdom. Sand dunes blend with swamps, coastal forests, rocky shores, coral reefs, mangrove swamps, woodlands, savanna grassland, and the largest protected wetland in southern Africa, iSimangaliso Wetland Park (the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park).  Getaways to this coastline are rich in adventure, and if you’re not game viewing, birding, paddling, snorkelling, hiking, on a horse trail, or diving then you’re surely out on a boat to see dolphins and humpback whales, or watching turtles lay eggs on the beach.  Highlights of the Elephant Coast include Cape Vidal (wonderful beaches for deep-sea fishing and famous for whale watching); Sodwana Bay Nature Reserve (the mainstay of scuba diving); Kosi Bay (one of the most unspoilt regions with numerous lakes where you can watch local fishermen); and of course both the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve and the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park are highlights of the Elephant Coast, for obvious reasons. POPULAR TOWNS IN THE ELEPHANT COAST Hluhluwe The village of Hluhluwe is in the heart of Zululand on South Africa’s east coast, home to the Zulu kings Dingiswayo and Shaka, who allegedly prompted the very first conservation laws and the oldest game reserve in the country – the Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserve, established in 1895. Only a two hour drive from Durban and four hours from Johannesburg the entire area around the Hluhluwe Reserve, right down to the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park, now a World Heritage Site, has been given over to animal conservation and game farms and visiting the region provides one with an abundance of Big Five viewing, over 350 species of bird and a variety of other wildlifeincluding rhino, giraffe, wildebeest and many antelope species. The main attraction of the area is without doubt the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve. This low-risk malaria park is famous for rescuing the white rhino from the brink of extinction and its ongoing protection of both the white and black rhinoceros. The park covers about 96 000 ha and game aside, contains an incredible diversity of fauna and flora. The park provides a couple of self-guided auto trails over and above game viewing and guided walks are also available. The first Iron Age communities are reputed to have settled along the coast and in the lower-lying river valleys in Hluhluwe from 300 AD and there is evidence of metal working sites that date back to 1000 AD in the reserve itself. The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park has five distinct eco-systems that range from sub-tropical seas, coral reefs, sandy beaches and lush forests to grassy plains, dry savannah and reed and papyrus wetlands. An aerial view of the Maputoland coastline gives one an indication of the amount of water and natural forest in the area. The inland lakes and estuaries are home to hippos, crocodile and fish and the beaches of St Lucia, Cape Vidal and Sodwana Bay are easily accessed from Hluhluwe, providing whale and dolphin spotting as well as scuba diving and other water activities. Ingwavuma Ingwavuma is a small rural town, nestled deep in the countryside of the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Part of the Umkhanyakude District Municipality, Ingwavuma enjoys the hot, humid conditions typical of this part of South Africa for some of the year. However, being situated in the mountains and 700 metres above sea level, the climate can be cooler and more extreme than along the balmy coastline.  As one scales the Lebombo Mountains to find Ingwavuma, it becomes clear that these scenic vistas are unrivalled in terms of their natural beauty, verdant lushness and enormous scale. This little town was established in 1850, and was burnt to the ground during the Second Boer War in 1899. It was re-established the following year. Thanks to the rich Zulu culture and the fascinating history of British and Boer settlers, Ingwavuma continues to be full of heritage; inviting visitors from South Africa and all over the world to come and learn about the people and the place. Ingwavuma occupies only 1.74 square kilometres and is home to about 1 500 people. It has a number of schools, a hospital and a small shopping centre. The entire area is rural, however, and the facilities and services remain compromised by a lack of funds. Jozini Jozini, a small town in North Eastern KwaZulu Natal on the main route to Mozambique, is synonymous with the dam of the same name – the Jozini or Pongolapoort Dam. This huge dam, on the Pongola River, provides a rather dramatic doorway into Maputaland and the river supports a massive population of fish, hippos and crocodiles as well as the people who live in the area. The Jozini Dam lies in between the majestic Ubombo and Lebombo mountains on the Elephant Coast and covers over 16 000 ha. The dam was originally designed to irrigate over 80 000 ha of farm land supporting products such as sugarcane, rice, coffee and various sub-tropical fruits. Many have compared it to Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe and it is fast becoming the mecca of many wild game seekers as farmers convert vast tracts of land around the dam back to their virgin bush in the bid to realise a dream to return this area to its former wild life kingdom. Lake Jozini, as the dam is now called, has become very popular as a Tiger fishing destination and because the dam borders with the Pongola Nature Reserve and Game Reserve, you