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Provincial Parks
Hluhluwe Game Reserve
Province: Kwazulu Natal
Region: Zululand
Main Attractions: Black and White Rhino
Set in the heart of Zululand, the oldest game reserve in Africa where Zulu kings such as Dingiswayo and Shaka hunted and put in place the first conservation laws, where today the "big five" of African legend stalk the verdant savannah.Established in 1895 game viewing is the prime attraction. Viewing hides overlook pans and waterholes enabling visitors to see animals at close range. .
As the home of Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, the Park became world renowned for its white rhino conservation. Other areas of focus for which Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is famed include wilderness trails which origionated in Imfolozi in the 1950s and its renowned Game Capture unit recently upgraded into the Centenary Capture Centre, a bench mark for animal capture and sustainable utilization throughout Africa. The Park covers some 96 000 ha and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora.Hluhluwe is characterised by hilly topography,and this northen section of the park is noted for its wide variety of both bird and animal life.
Apart from game-viewing drives, there are two self-guided auto trails which provide information on both the management and natural history of the reserve.Guided walks are also available, particularly rewarding in the early morning and late afternoon.
N/B The level of the Hluhluwe river is too low currently to allow boat trips(May2002)
There is a 40 seater boat on Hluhluwe dam which takes visitors on guided trips twice a day. The trips are conducted by an experienced community guide and visitors can see an excellent range of birds and animals within the park while the Zulu culture is covered in the community areas outside.
ACTIVITIES
With it’s huge diversity of wildlife, landscapes and scenery, it’s accommodation from the luxurious Hilltop camp and bush lodges like Muntulu and Gqoyeni to more rustic bushcamps like Sontuli and the African experience of the safari tented camp at Mpila, the reserve offers a wide range of activities to the many people that visit it. Game viewing, birdwatching, the spiritual upliftment of a wilderness trail or just a walk in the bush, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park offers it all.
AUTO TRAILS:
Auto trails in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park are designed for the convenience of visitors who wish to discover the secrets of the bushveld from seclusion of their own vehicle.
SELF-GUIDED FOOT TRAILS:
The Imfolozi section of the park has three self-guided foot trails, at Emoyeni Mpila, Enkulu and Masinda Ncane. Guide books are available to help visitors interpret the many points of interest along these trails.
DAY WALKS:
Short day walks of approximately two hours are conducted from Mpila and Hilltop Camps under the supervision of an experienced field ranger. These walks may be booked at Reception in both camps.
PICNIC SITES:
Several sites with ablution and barbecue facilities are situated throughout the park.
GAME DRIVERS:
Open vehicle night and day drives provide unique opportunities of viewing game. A knowledgeable guide is at hand to answer questions . Booking is at Reception on a first come first serve basis.
WILDERNESS TRAILS:
Available from mid-March to mid-December , Wilderness Trails in Imfolozi offer an unforgettable bush experience. The trail is a three-day hike into the heart of the 30 000 ha Wilderness area. The first and last nights are spent at Mndindini Trails Camp overlooking the White Mfolozi River, while the second and third nights are spent in a tented camp in the heart of the Wilderness area. Trailists are accompanied by an experienced game ranger through this utterly unspoilt terrain. All food is included in the tariff.
WEEKEND WILDERNESS TRAILS:
Weekend wilderness trails begin at 13:30 on Friday afternoons and end on Sunday afternoons , with two nights spent in the bush, at a tented camp. Designed for those unable to find time for the full wilderness trail, these value-for -money trails cost half the price of the traditional trail, and are also run from mid-March to mid-December.
BOAT TOURS ON THE HLUHLUWE DAM:
(Currently suspended due to low water levels in the Hluhluwe river)
A 40 seater boat takes visitors on twice daily guided tours on Hluhluwe Dam. The trips are conducted by an experienced community guide and visitors can see interesting birds and animals within the park while the Zulu culture is covered in the community areas outside.
WILDLIFE
Hluhluwe Imfolozi is one of South Africa's most popular game parks affording visitors fascinating wildlife encounters. The wide range of plant life in the park gives rise to a diversity of mammals, birdlife, reptiles and amphibians. The BIG FIVE - lion, rhino (back & white) elephant, buffalo and leopard are all to be seen in the park, as well as a variety of other species, including cheetah, wild dog and giraffe. It is also one of the best places in the world to see nyala.
ACCOMMODATION
'Winner of the British Airways Tourism For Tomorrow Award'
The award-winning Hilltop Camp on the summit of a forested hill offers fine views of the surrounding countryside. The camp, the oldest in KwaZulu-Natal, was extensively rebuilt and enlarged in the early nineties, and today accommodation at Hilltop ranges from a luxury lodge to a variety of superbly appointed self-catering accommodation facilities. All units are serviced daily. From the bottom of the price range up, facilities include: twenty 2-bedded rondavels with communal ablutions and kitchens; seven 2-bedded and twenty-two 4-bedded self-catering chalets.
Twenty 2-bedded chalets, which are not self-catering, are within close proximity to the main reception area.
This area includes an a la carte restaurant, an attractive pub and lounge decorated with photographs and memorabilia of the history of Hluhluwe, as well as a gift shop and convenience store.
A forest trail is available to guests at Hilltop.
Hlaza Hide has been developed at the site of the old summerhouse in Hilltop Camp and it will shortly incorporate a waterhole with soft lighting at night to aid game viewing.
The Mpunyane Restaurant offers a full English buffet breakfast every day. Lunches from Monday to Saturday are a la carte and on Sundays a hot and cold buffet. Dinners are either a hot and cold buffet or a traditional braai(barbeque) depending on the weather. Dinner arrangements do change according to guest profiles and holidays.
Mtwazi Lodge is a beautiful thatched home used by the origional warden of Hluhluwe and now offering superb accommodation set in its own secluded garden. The lodge comprises a lounge, kitchen, and three bedrooms en suite and in addition there is a 3-bedded annex also en suite. A cook is in attendance.
Muntulu and Munywaneni are up-market bush lodges comprising four separate en suite bedrooms with secluded verandahs overlooking the Hluhluwe River. There is also a central viewing lounge and kitchen complex. The bush lodges provide complete privacy and can house up to eight people. A cook/caretaker is in attendance and a field ranger is available to take visitors on walks.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Gate Opening and Closing Times:
Summer(November to February ) 05h00 to 19h00
Winter ( March to October ) 06h00 to 18h00
Office Hours:
The office is open from 07h00 to 19h00
Distance and Time from Gate to Camp: 15 kms and 45 minutes
Camp Telephone Number: (035) 562 0848
Camp Fax: (035) 5620113
Check Out Time: 10h00
Check In Time: 14h00
Facilities:
Restaurant, bar, coin operated laundry, 97 octane petrol and diesel (the nearest unleaded petrol is available in Hluhluwe village), day and night game drives, boat tours.
Shop:
A fully equipped shop selling a wide range of curios and supplies.
Special Precautions:
Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park is in a LOW RISK malaria area and visitors need to consult their doctors before visiting the area.
The nearest town which has a full range of services is Hluhluwe which is 25 kms away.
How to get there:
The recommended route from the north or south is to turn off the N2 at Hluhluwe village and follow the tarred road to Memorial Gate.
An alternative route is to turn off the N2 at Mtubatuba on to the R618 and proceed towards Hlabisa and travel for 27 kms to Nyalazi Gate.
Pets are not permitted into the reserve.
Concessions:
Education groups from KwaZulu-Natal are admitted free to the reserve.
Facilities for people with disabilities:
Provisions for people with disabilities have been made in Hilltop Camp
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