As it is a fairly common question, I thought it may be useful to post my answer on the site:
It has all the wildlife you could ever hope to see in the reserve and if that is not enough you have the Family Safari at St Lucia on a Budget
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Lets face it, most holidays are not cheap, especially if you are looking to go on a safari holiday in South Africa as a family. But there are some things you can do to reduce the cost and for some of the best deals around, South Africa’s fantastic National parks are hard to beat, with accommodation costs are way cheaper than private game reserves and lodges.
Surely one of the best is the newly renamed iSimangaliso Greater Wetland Park, (was the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park) that lies between St Lucia and Kosi Bay in the northern part of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. Here you will not only find some of Africa’s finest wildlife, but endless beaches, awesome scuba diving, great fishing and reasonably priced accommodation much of which is designed with families in mind.
The Simangaliso Wetland Park is formed from 16 areas of land, and individual reserves that now make up 8 interlinking ecosystems, supporting a bewildering array of wildlife. The National Park is fairly new, but at it’s core is Lake St. Lucia, which was declared a game reserve more than 100 years ago, making it one of Africa’s oldest protected areas.
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park now consists of 220 km of coastline and beaches as well as three lake systems (Lake St. Lucia, Lake Sibaya and Kosi Bay), huge swamp forests and linked game reserves that hold the highest density of Black Rhino anywhere in the world, plenty of White Rhino, with Mkhuze Game reserve within the park one of the best places to find them. The park as a whole also holds more than half of all South Africa’s bird species, 110 butterfly species, about two thousand flowering plants and 5 turtle species, it is no wonder that it is listed as a World Heritage Site.
Top Spots within the Park
- Lake st Lucia: Lake cruises where you can view hippos, crocodiles and a stunning variety of bird life.
- Kosi Bay: Ideal for snorkelling
- Lake Sibaya, South Africa’s largest freshwater lake, with crystal clear waters.
- Sodwana Bay: One of the world’s top ten scuba diving destinations.
- Mkhuze Game Reserve: Leopard, rhino and a true birders paradise.
- False Bay: Great for sea fishing and boating.
Self Drive
Because this is a National Park, you are free to drive around under your own steam, you can either hire a car from the airport on Johannesburg and drive down to Natal, taking the N2 southwards and then the R618 turn off to Mtubatuba and follow this road for 27km until you reach St Lucia town. Or catch an internal flight to Durban and hire a car there, taking the N2 northwards and the R618 to Mtubatuba. Either way it gives you the freedom to explore and will be cheaper than staying at most private game reserves. Take a look at Self Drive Holidays and Safaris in South Africa fro more info.
Not to Miss
- A Sunrise walk on the beach, remember this part of South Africa lies on the East coast of Africa and you will be treated to fantastic sunrises with the sun peering over the ocean.
- Between November and January, watch turtles lay their eggs on the beach.
- A picnic at Mission Rocks or Charters Creek.
Things to Keep in Mind
This is a malaria area, and whilst that should not put you off from visiting, you do need to take precautions: Red more about Malaria here
Remember there are plenty of potentially dangerous animals in the park, again this should not stop you from visiting, just be responsible, foe example don’t go swimming in any of the lakes, there are crocodiles.
For More information take a look at the Safari Holiday Guide to the iSimangaliso Greater Wetland Park.
