Hluhluwe Game Reserve Safari

Durban, South Africa

Spend a day on safari in the magical Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Located in the heart of Zululand, this huge, well managed reserve is home to 84 species of game and an impressive variety of bird species. It is also home to the magnificent "Big Five" - lions, buffaloes, rhinos, elephant and leopards, as well as cheetahs, giraffes, zebra, blue wildebeests, spotted hyenas and wild dogs.

The reserve enjoys international acclaim for it's work in Rhino conservation, spearheading the successful "Operation Rhino" campaign to bring the White Rhino population back from the brink of extinction in the 1950's and 1960's. This is an ongoing campaign which the reserve is proud to be a part of.

The tour includes closed vehicle game drives throughout the day, and you have the option to take an open vehicle game drive at an additional cost, payable direct to the supplier on the day. Lunch is at the award winning Hilltop Camp, which has incredible views over the reserve.

USD $186.28

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Fiore L	December 2011
Perfect nothing to be signalled, beautiful and interesting excursion

Review by: Freddie M H	March 2011
Driver drove too fast during the trip to and from the reserve and did not observe village speed bumps. The safari though was exciting.

Review by: J Antoni R	March 2011
Long trip from Durban gave us an idea of the agricultural economy of SA - sugarcane and eucalyptus farms as far as eye can see. Beautiful landscape of the Reserve, we saw zebras, giraffe, elephant (1), water buffalo (1), rhinoceros only from very far, some other animals as well. No big cats - February is not the best time. Very pleasant and friendly, well informed Zulu guide.

Review by: Rachel	December 2010
I loved going to to Hluhluwe. It was a long drive there, about 3.5 hours from Durban but we spent over 8 hours just at the game reserve, it made for a long day but it was amazing. Our driver was very nice. We saw only 3 of the big 5, but we saw lots of the buffalo and rhinos. We saw many beautiful giraffes and zebras. It was great how close they get to the cars. I suggest paying the extra for the open game drive, it was worth it. If you only have a short time for a safari, this is perfect for you. I would recommend this tour and the company.

Review by: Walt V, United States of America	April 2010
While we only saw three of the "big five" I would consider our safari to be a success. Our driverguide was both very personable and also very informative. He shared a lot both on our trip to and from the game reserve as well as providing us with information on animals in the reserve itself. I would highly recommend this safari to anyone who was considering it.

Review by: Deborah C, United Kingdom	April 2010
This trip was work flying 6,000 miles for on its own. Our guide Thabo was excellent. Full of information and spotted things that we would have missed. Our meal at the hilltop restaurant was delicious and the view could not have been bettered. Anyone planning at trip to Hluhluwe should definitely book it through Viator. Excellent value for money.

Review by: Arlene V	April 2010
While we only saw three of the "big five" I would consider our safari to be a success. Our driverguide was both very personable and also very informative. He shared a lot both on our trip to and from the game reserve as well as providing us with information on animals in the reserve itself. I would highly recommend this safari to anyone who was considering it.

Review by: David W, United Kingdom	February 2010
On my game drive, we’d barely got through the gates when we came across a bull elephant. Unfortunately, it had no intention of moving, and our guide started sensing that Dumbo was becoming agitated. A quick reverse back up the hill was in order – these male elephants can be very dangerous. We watched him slowly trudge away from a safe distance and then continued. It was pretty hot, so a lot of creatures were undercover, but we did see warthogs, buffalo, zebras, rhinos and giraffes before sightings dried up. After lunch, it was a different story. We were treated to rhinos wallowing in mud, giraffes up incredibly close, wildebeest sauntering around and seemingly hundreds of impalas. The highlight came towards the end, though. At the other side of a watering hole from our vehicle sat four lions, just waiting for something to come their way and have a drink.

Review by: Anonymous	February 2010
_strong_Note from Viator:_/strong_ This review is from David Whitely, who posted a _a href="http://travelblog.viator.com/top-day-trips-from-durban/"_complete tour summary_/a_ over on the Viator blog.

Review by: Wyn G, United Kingdom	July 2009
We had an excellent driver/guide, who did all he could to make our trip both enjoyable and to let us see so many animals.

Review by: Donald G, United Kingdom	May 2009
Very anxious having to confirm once in Africa as well as before leaving the UK, relied upon kindness of hotel. Good day. Long journey, as expected. First vehicle absolutely terrible...impossibly small for 4 adults. Driver agreed to change. Finally set off in van and all was great. Very knowledgeable driver guide.Pleased with animals seen. Very late return but to our advantage having had very late start.

Review by: DONALD G	May 2009
Very anxious having to confirm once in Africa as well as before leaving the UK, relied upon kindness of hotel. Good day. Long journey, as expected. First vehicle absolutely terrible...impossibly small for 4 adults. Driver agreed to change. Finally set off in van and all was great. Very knowledgeable driver guide.Pleased with animals seen. Very late return but to our advantage having had very late start.

Review by: Maire R, Ireland	September 2008
Totally professional service. Driver to Hluhluwe and back was so entertaining and knowledgeable about South Africa that the 3 hour drive to the reserve passed quickly. Our guide for the safari was also excellent and when to great lengths make sure we saw as many animals as possible. Lunch was excellent too.