Highlights of the Elephant Coast

• iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa’s first World Heritage Site, has protected waterways, lakes, grasslands, coastal dunes and forests that you can explore by road, canoe, boat or on foot. It is home to South Africa’s largest population of free-roaming hippos, incredible birdlife and turtles nesting on the beaches (usually November - February). At its heart is the vast Lake St Lucia, a haven for hippos, pelicans, crocodiles and flamingos.
• Inland is the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest wildlife park in South Africa, where on safari you may spot the Big 5, as well as cheetah and wild dog. The reserve’s conservation efforts are largely credited with bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction.
• The coast is a playground for adventure lovers, with opportunities for snorkelling, hiking, horse-riding and diving.
• Discover the varied marine life. See dolphins and humpback whales on boat trips, or watch turtles lay eggs on the beach.
• The beaches around Cape Vidal are stunning and the high sand dunes are excellent vantage points for whale spotting as the humpback whales migrate between June to November.
• Sodwana Bay Nature Reserve is a popular place for scuba diving and deep-sea fishing. Leatherhead and Loggerhead turtles nest here between November and February.
• Up towards the border with Mozambique, Kosi Bay is one of the most unspoilt regions with numerous lakes surrounded by forests and mangroves, a stunning spot for canoeing and boating or for simply watching the centuries-old traditional fishing methods of the Thonga people.