This page: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi
offers an abundance of wildlife,
from the diminutive dung beetle
to the tallest giraffe.
Below: Subsistence fIshermen
use traditional boats made
out of reeds to ply the waters
of neighbouring iSimangaliso
Wetland Park.
could do his business. After two attempts
the little guy couldn’t perform under the
pressure and we made it back to the camp
without incident, much to Levi’s relief.
That afternoon, and every afternoon
thereafter, was spent relaxing around
the Hilltop swimming pool. With its lush
surroundings, the pool makes for the
perfect location to cool off between
the prime safari times of early morning
and late afternoon, when most animals
come out before or after the heat of the
day. Although Hilltop is fenced off for
protection against the more dangerous
animals, the camp doesn’t feel sterile
and there are always monkeys roaming
the grounds, along with numerous bird
species, antelope and buck in the dense
flora. The animal sighting board in the
lobby became the kids’ favourite in-camp
activity while they waited for meals.
They would take note of and memorise
where various animals had been spotted,
especially those we had not seen yet,
and then meticulously arrange the animal
magnets in order of what we needed to
see the next day. We ended up checking
off every beast, big and small, on the list.
On our last day we had just enough time
for breakfast and one last drive along the
main road back to Memorial Gate to see
some wildlife before hightailing it back
to King Shaka International for our flight
home to Cape Town. What we hadn’t
taken into account was a massive herd of
elephant that had taken over the road a
few kilometres from the gate. While three
young males fought on the tar with tusks
drawn like medieval knights in a jousting
match, the females and alpha male slowly
nudged the rest of the herd toward us,
where another three vehicles were backed
up behind our car. Just as we were starting
to feel vulnerable and trapped, one of
the other vehicles pulled up alongside
our car and helped us stand our ground.
The strategy worked and the elephants
eventually moved slowly off the road into
the trees.
The driver of the vehicle introduced
himself and told us that he was employed
every full moon to help protect rhinos
from poachers. “Full moons are a busy
time, and the park needs all the help it can
get,” he said. “I spend a few nights out in
PLANNER
Q TRAVEL
BEST TIME OF YEAR: End of the
dry season in September/October.
GATE ENTRY PRICES: South African
adults R105 p/p; South African children
R55 p/p
RESERVE GATE OPENING TIMES:
January to May, November and
December 05h00 – 18h00. June to
October 06h00 – 17h00.
BOOK IT: Contact your Sure Travel
consultant to arrange your family-friendly
safari holiday at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi or
elsewhere in South Africa and Africa.
Visit www.suretravel.co.za to find your
closest agency, or call 0861 47 48 49.
the park with other freelancers and park
officials at key spots along the fence,
waiting and watching .”
As the last elephant cleared the road we
checked our watches, said our goodbyes
to the rhino keeper and took a moment
to contemplate how fortunate we were
to have seen so many rhino, elephant and
other wildlife in our short time at the park.
In a world where so much is changing,
it is comforting to discover that there are
still places like Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, where
the bustle of life seems to stand still, and
for once you needn’t worry whether you
are there yet.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 45