You don't have to visit Kruger to experience wildlife, or see the Big 5 close to. In KwaZulu-Natal, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park offers excellent self-drive game viewing opportunities, and the many safari lodges in the private game reserves give you the classic safari experience of morning and evening game drives with an experienced guide, bush walks, and often exceptional accommodation.

Given KwaZulu-Natal's often spectacular coastline which ranges from wild and remote parts of the St Lucia Wetlands Park to the busy resort beaches of Durban, this is also one of the best places to combine a African safari and a beach holiday.

Safari Lodges

The safari lodges in the private game reserves of the region all offer a fully inclusive safari.

Most include in their rates all meals, 2 game drives per day in 4x4 vehicles, and an optional guided bush walk each day. Some will also include all drinks as well.

You can read more about what you can expect from a safari lodge here.

If you would like us to include a safari in one of these outstanding lodges as part of your trip to South Africa, please click here.

Alternatively if you are only looking to book just a safari you can either browse our selection of safari lodges in KwaZulu-Natal below and book directly through this site, or ask us to recommend a lodge based on your budget.

The Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park (Self-drive)

Only 280 km north of Durban, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park (pronounced Shoosh-Louie) covers 96,000 hectares and is renowned for its variety of animal and bird life. 

Cheetah, wild dog, the Big 5 and many species of antelope and other plains game including giraffe and zebra inhabit the Park, offering the visitor a varied self-drive game viewing experience.

There have also been over 300 bird species recorded.

The Park is most famous for its population of white rhino, of which there are about 1,600, and it is practically impossible to visit the Park without seeing one.

The Hilltop Camp in Hluhluwe is one of the most attractive and best appointed self-drive camps in any reserve in South Africa.