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How would it be like to go for a walk in the city after dark and pass by hippos who graze peacefully just a few meters away from you? You can have this experience in St. Lucia, a beautiful and tranquil city in southwestern South Africa!!
Hippos can become aggressive when it comes to defending their territory, which is why they cause the most deaths in Africa. The hippos in St. Lucia, townies as the locals call them, seem to be used to the people, the noise and the car lights and graze peacefully ignoring the turmoil around them. However, they are wild and unpredictable animals, so keep your distance and don’t disturb them!
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How can you get to St. Lucia?
By car from Durban:
The nearest airport to St. Lucia is King Shaka International Airport in Durban.
We landed here and rented through Rentalcars a Ford Figo from Tempest, at the price of 130 Euro for 3 days and 170 Euro deposit.
The airport is located 250 km from St. Lucia.
By car from Kruger National Park:
If you prefer to rent a single car and cross the country from east to west, you can rent the car from Johannesburg airport and start by visiting the fabulous Kruger National Park and the surrounding area (we wrote about Kruger here and Panorama Route here).
From Kruger, you can continue your journey through eSwatini to St. Lucia.
From St. Lucia you have the choice between heading along the southern coast of South Africa to Cape Town or visiting the beautiful country of Lesotho on the way. Read here about the sights on the Garden Route (an extremely interesting route on the southwest coast of South Africa) that you shouldn’t miss.
Where you can stay in St Lucia?
There are many accommodation options in St. Lucia.
We chose to rent a tent at Monzi Safaris Backpackers, which recently changed its name to Budget Tented Village @ Urban Glamping.
The tents are quite large and are equipped with beds, nightstands, a fan, and electricity and are more comfortable than we expected.
We have seen such accommodations in many other locations in South Africa and are a great option for those traveling on a low budget (we only paid 500 Rand for one night).
Where you can eat in St. Lucia?
There are a lot of restaurants in this city and they all look good.
We had dinner at Barracca Restaurant because it was the closest restaurant to the hotel. We ordered 2 pizzas and 2 shakes and paid 320 Rand.
Dolphin Centre was our favorite supermarket in the city. There we bought some snacks and fresh fruit to take with us in the park.
How many days you should spend in St. Lucia?
We only spent 2 days there, but we would have liked to spend another day and explore more from iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
You need to spend at least 2 days here if you want to visit both parks and also take a cruise on the estuary.
Main attractions in the area
St. Lucia
There is only one road leading to St. Lucia, and when you get closer to the city, you will see warning signs that announce that you can meet hippos on the streets after dark. The hippos live in the estuary of St. Lucia that you will cross before entering the city.
St. Lucia is a touristic city with many hotels, shops and restaurants. The souvenir market in the city is very beautiful and full of color.
This city is the starting point for a safari in Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Being situated close to St. Lucia Estuary, the city is visited by hippos every night and occasionally by other animals.
The surroundings can be explored by bicycle or on foot on the Estuary Boardwalk.
For those who want to learn about Zulu culture, tours are organized to visit the traditional villages in the area.
St Lucia Estuary
If you come to St. Lucia, you must take a cruise on the estuary to see hippos and crocodiles up close.
The starting point for cruises is Siyabonga Jetty St. Lucia, located at the city exit, near the bridge that crosses the estuary. It took us a 3-minute drive to get here from the hotel.
With a length of 80 km and a width of 23 km, the estuary of St. Lucia is one of the largest estuaries in Africa and it is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The estuary is home for over 800 hippos, about 1200 Nile crocodiles and a lot of bird species and other interesting animals live in the area.
We took a 2-hour cruise with the Shoreline Boat Safaris in the morning and in the afternoon, we visited a part of iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The boat has a maximum capacity of 15 passengers and the ticket costs 300 Rand/person.
We were impressed that the hippos and crocodiles ignored our presence even though we were only a few meters away.
We also saw some antelopes grazing quietly on the shore, 2 monitor reptiles and a lot of birds.
Hluhluwe – Imfolozi Park
Hluhluwe – Imfolozi Park is the oldest game reserve in Africa, and it is located an hour’s drive from St. Lucia.
You can go on a self-drive safari in this park or you can take a day trip from St. Lucia in the park with an open safari vehicle.
The reservation was set up to protect the endangered white rhino and it is now home to many animal species including “The Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and cape buffalo).
The road from St. Lucia to the park goes through several villages and it is very interesting to see how people live there.
In the morning we saw many children wearing clean uniforms and going to school with a big smile on their faces. We passed by women carrying full bags or buckets of water on their heads and by bars that seem to be from another world.
The regions of the park:
The park is divided into 2 areas, Hluhluwe in the north and Imfolozi in the south. The two regions of the park are not separated by gates and with the same entrance ticket you can visit both sections.
Imfolozi
We had planned to visit only this section of the park, as we did not expect to have enough time to visit both sections in one day, but in the end, we visited both.
Imfolozi is bordered by the White Imfolozi River to the south and the Black Imfolozi River to the north. The rivers were almost dry during our visit.
The visibility in this region of the park is very good because the savannah area predominates.
We entered the park at the Nyalazi gate and had a morning full of surprises. We saw in the early hours of the morning elephants, monkeys, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, lots of antelopes and a few small colorful birds.
In the second part of the day, we headed to the Hluhluwe section. It was a hot day and most of the animals we saw were hidden in the shade in the woods.
After visiting Hluhluwe, we returned to Imfolozi to spend here the last hour before the park closed. The temperature began to drop, and the animals came out from the hiding place where they stayed during the day. We were very sorry we had to leave the park because there were so many animals around us.
In the Kruger National Park, we had only seen some lonely rhinos in the distance, so we were very happy to see them close up here and in a very large number.
Hluhluwe
This area of the park spans several hills and the view from here is fabulous. We didn’t see many animals in this part of the park, probably because it was very warm outside.
We spotted here some giraffes, monkeys, antelopes and many buffaloes.
Entrance gates to the park:
The gates of the Imfolozi Region are Nyalazi Gate and Cengeni Gate.
The Hluhluwe region has only one gate: Memorial Gate.
Accommodation inside the park:
There are 2 main campsites in Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park (Hilltop and Mpila campsites) and a few smaller campsites (Mtwazi Lodge, Muntulu Bush Lodge, Munyawaneni Bush Lodge, Nselweni Bush Camp, Masinda Lodge, Gqoyeni Bush Lodge, and Hlatikulu Bush Lodge).
We chose to stay in St. Lucia which is only an hour’s drive away from the park.
Where you can eat in the park?
Hilltop Camp, located in the Hluhluwe section, is the largest campsite in the park and the only campsite that has a restaurant.
If you chose to bring your own food, you can have a picnic in the picnic areas of any campsite in the park.
Gate Times:
- Summer: 5 AM – 6 PM
- Winter: 6 AM – 5 PM
You must be at the gate before closing because you are not allowed to drive through the park after the gates close.
Entrance tickets:
- International visitors: 240 Rand/adult and 120 Rand/child under 12 years.
- Citizens of the Republic of South Africa: 120 Rand/adult and 60 Rand/child.
iSimangaliso (which means “miracle and wonder”) Wetland Park
This wonderful park is just a few minutes’ drive away from the city of St. Lucia. The park stretches 220 km along the coast of South Africa from the south of Lake St. Lucia to the Mozambique border and is divided by Lake St. Lucia in 2 main regions Western and Eastern Shores.
The park is huge, and a map of the park will help you plan your route, you can download the park map for free here.
Entrance gates to the park:
Bhangazi Gate is the gate you will enter through if you want to visit Eastern Shores.
Western Shores has 2 access gates: Dukuduku Gate and Nhlozi Gate.
Accommodation inside the park:
The park has very varied accommodation options to suit any budget. Here you can find all the accommodation units in the park.
We chose to stay in St. Lucia which is situated next to the park.
Entry Tickets and Gate Times
The park is open between 6 AM and 6 PM and the entrance tickets are purchased separately for each area of the park (you will pay an entry fee for each person and a vehicle fee).
You are not allowed to drive through the park after the gates close, so be careful how you manage your time to reach the gate before it closes.
Activities you shouldn’t miss in iSimangaliso Wetland Park
As soon as you enter the park you will be surprised by the diversity of landscapes: beaches, savannahs, lakes, forests, sand dunes, and mountains.
Here you can see the Big Seven
Between July and November, when whales are present near the coast of South Africa, you have the chance to see “The Big Seven” in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The Big Seven are the Big Five” (rhino, lion, leopard, elephant and cape buffalo) + the white shark and whale.
Snorkeling at Cape Vidal
Cape Vidal is a beautiful beach in iSimangaliso Wetland Park about an hour away from St. Lucia.
The corals are only a few meters away from the beach, but the currents can be very strong sometimes. It will be safer to go on an organized snorkeling tour with the Cape Vidal Snorkeling.
If you do not want to enter the water, you can simply relax on the beach.
Diving at Sodwana Bay
Sodwana Bay is in the top 10 best diving spots in the world.
Besides the corals and colorful fish, here you have the chance to see turtles, sharks, dolphins, whales, whale sharks or rays.
Self-drive safari in the park
We did a half-day self-drive safari in the park and we saw 4 of the Big Seven: the rhino, the elephant, the buffalo, and the whale.
If you have binoculars and spend about an hour on the beach, you may see some whales in the water. We saw 2 whales and a calf.
If you are interested in seeing whales and dolphins up close, you can go on a cruise.
There are several very nice picnic areas in the park, where you can get out of the car to have lunch or just to enjoy the scenery.
Horseback Safari:
We did not have this experience, but this was warmly recommended to us by a group of people from the Netherlands whom we met at the accommodation.
There are 3 options available: beach ride, game ride, and beach&game combo ride. One advantage of such a safari is that the animals will let you get close to them without being scared.
Night safari
Only companies that offer night safaris are allowed to drive through the park outside the gate opening hours.
At night the park comes to life, the nocturnal animals go out hunting or grazing and you have the chance to see the animals that are hidden during the day.
The regions of the Park
What we really liked about this park is that it can be explored by car, on foot or by horseback.
The park is divided into 10 different regions. The regions where the predators are present are separated from the rest of the park by an electric fence, so tourists can explore some parts of the park on foot.
Coastal Forest Reserve
To get to this part of the park you must have a 4WD car. This section of the Park includes sand dunes and picturesque beaches (Mabibi, Island Rock, Lala Nek, Rocktail Bay, and Black Rock).
Activities that can be practiced in this region of the park include scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and dolphin swimming.
Entry fees: 28 Rand/adult, 16 Rand/child and 29 Rand/car.
Gate Opening & Closing Times: 6 AM – 6 PM
Reception hours: 7 AM – 4 PM
Cape Vidal
Here you can go on safari among hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, hyenas, leopards and many other interesting animals or you can spend some time on the Cape Vidal beach where you can snorkel.
Entry fees: 51 Rand/adult, 37 Rand/child and 61 Rand/car (maximum 5 passengers, the price increases depending on the number of passengers).
Gate Opening & Closing Times:
- April – October: 6 AM – 6 PM
- November – March: 5 AM – 7 PM
Reception hours: 8 AM – 4 PM (Monday to Saturday), 7 AM – 3 PM (Sunday)
False Bay
The region consists of a combination of habitats including open savannah, woodland and shoreline and is the ideal place to discover small animals.
You can explore this region on a horseback safari, a car safari or on foot on the 2 trails (Dukandlovu and Mphophomeni) where you are allowed to hike without being accompanied by a guide.
It is an excellent place to observe birds and butterflies, but also other animals such as antelopes, monkeys, hippos, and crocodiles.
Entry fees: 45 Rand/adult, 27 Rand/child and 20 Rand/car (maximum 5 passengers, the price increases depending on the number of passengers).
Gate Opening & Closing Times: 6 AM – 6 PM
Reception hours: 8 AM – 4 PM (Monday to Saturday), 7 AM – 3 PM (Sunday)
Kosi Bay
In this part of the park, there are 4 lakes (Amanzimnyama, Nhlange, Mpungwini, and Makhawulani) and wonderful white beaches. The most popular activity in this region is fishing.
The area can be explored only in a 4-WD vehicle.
The animals you can see here are hippos, crocodiles, over 250 species of birds, monkeys and whales.
Between November and May you have the chance to see the turtles coming to lay their eggs on the beaches here (including the huge leatherbacks turtles).
Whales are present around the coast of South Africa from July to November.
Entry fees: 55 Rand/adult, 28 Rand/child and 56 Rand/car.
Gate Opening & Closing Times: 6 AM – 6 PM
Reception hours: 8 AM – 4 PM (Monday to Saturday), 7 AM – 3 PM (Sunday)
Lake Sibaya
Lake Sibaya is the largest natural freshwater lake in South Africa. Here you will see hippos, crocodiles and different species of birds.
Entry fees: free
Gate Opening & Closing Times: 6 AM – 6 PM
Lake St Lucia
This region consists of the St. Lucia Estuary, savanna areas, spectacular beaches and coral reefs.
In this region, you can go on a horseback safari to see the animals up close.
Here live hippos, Nile crocodiles, different antelopes and a lot of bird species including flamingos and pelicans.
Entry fees: free
There are no gates.
Maphelane
Maphelane Dune is the highest vegetated dune in South Africa.
You can hike to the viewpoint without being accompanied by a guide to enjoy a great view over the ocean and river mouth. From St. Lucia you can walk along the beach to reach Maphelane.
Fishing is the most popular activity in the area.
Entry Fees: 45 Rand/adult, 27 Rand/child and 20 Rand/car.
Gate Opening & Closing Times:
- April – September: 6 AM – 6 PM
- October – March: 6 AM – 7 PM
Reception hours: 8 AM – 12:30 PM and 2 PM – 4:30 PM (Monday to Saturday), 7 AM – 3 PM (Sunday)
Sodwana Bay
Sodwana Bay is one of the top ten diving destinations in the world. Here live over 1200 species of fish and you have the chance to see whales, sharks, dolphins, manta rays or other captivating animals.
Entry fees: 23 Rand/adult, 19 Rand/child and 32 Rand/car (maximum 5 passengers, the price increases depending on the number of passengers).
Gate Opening & Closing Times: 24 H
Reception hours:
- Monday – Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
- Friday – Saturday: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
- Sunday: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Mkhuze Game Reserve
Over 420 species of birds live in this part of the park and can be seen during a guided tour.
It is also a great place to go on safari to see animals such as the Big Five and hippos, crocodiles, African dogs, giraffes, hyenas or antelopes. This section is close to Sodwana Bay where you can spot whales and white sharks (so you can see all the Big 7 in these 2 parts of the park).
Entry fees: 51 Rand/adult, 37 Rand/child + 8 Rand/person if you stay overnight here, and 61 Rand/car (maximum 5 passengers, the price increases depending on the number of passengers).
Gate Opening & Closing Times:
- April – October: 6 AM – 6 PM
- November – March: 5 AM – 7 PM
- Reception hours: 7 AM – 7 PM (Monday to Saturday), 7 AM – 3 PM (Sunday)
Charters Creek
Here you will see elephants, giraffes, buffalos, leopards, rhinos and many antelope species.
If you go on a safari in this area of the park, make a stop at the beautiful viewpoints, or take a walk on the canopy walk to watch the animals.
Entry fees: 51 Rand/adult, 37 Rand/child and 61 Rand/car (maximum 5 passengers, the price increases depending on the number of passengers).
Gate Opening & Closing Times:
- April – October: 6 AM – 6 PM
- November – March: 5 AM – 7 PM
- Reception hours: 8 AM – 4 PM (Monday to Saturday), 7 AM – 3 PM (Sunday)
St. Lucia is an ideal holiday destination and you will have amazing experiences here. In this area, you can explore 2 wonderful game reserves, go diving in one of the most famous places in the world, relax on unspoilt wilderness beaches, go hiking and learn about the Zulu culture by visiting the traditional villages.
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