VIVIEN VAN DER SANDT
Our sure-footed horses expertly negotiated the path through the carpet of ferns and wild flowers surrounding us.
Wildlife grazed contentedly on the wide-open plain; unfazed, they raised their heads to briefly stare back at us before returning to their meals.
A mother warthog and her three piglets darted through the undergrowth, aerial tails marking their pathways.
The Zululand sky was a watercolour painting in broad brush strokes of cool silver and grey and a breeze played around us as the horses picked a path through St Lucia estuary. Surely, there could not be any time or place on Earth more perfect than this?
But iSimangaliso Wetland Park was to offer several more perfect moments over the next few days, as staff showed journalists and travel writers around this wonderland.
Each day brought us to a new wonder, a different landscape, and a host of unforgettable sights. This miracle landscape (from which it draws its name, from the Zulu “miracle”, or “wonder”), situated only 220km from Durban, was to offer up many more gems… A boat cruise where the hippos were so near, you could count their individual whiskers. A yellow weaver so still and close, the photo captured the red of its eyes. Night-time sightings of two species of rare turtles, the leatherback and the loggerhead, laying their eggs – a truly magical experience.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in December 1999, in recognition of its superlative natural beauty and contribution to the globe’s biodiversity.
As iSimangaliso’s CEO, Andrew Zaloumis, says, “iSimangaliso’s eight interlinking ecosystems, warm clear oceans bursting with a myriad underwater species on our coral reefs, ‘Big 7’ terrestrial and marine fauna (including sharks, whales, coelacanths and nesting leatherback and loggerhead turtles), 526 species of birds, and more, makes iSimangaliso one of the rarest and most treasured places on Earth.
“And with a wide range of leisure activities, there is something for everyone.”
Stretching from Cape St Lucia to Kosi Bay estuary in the most northern part of KwaZulu-Natal, the 332 000ha iSimangaliso Wetland Park comprises some of the most stunning real estate on Earth. It’s so called “10 jewels” – Maphelane, Charters Creek, Cape Vidal, Lake St Lucia, False Bay, uMkhuze, Sodwana Bay, Lake Sibaya, the Coastal Forrest and Kosi Bay – are only a few landmarks of this stunning environment.
With terrestrial wetlands, grasslands, forests, savannah and mountains, each area has its own eco-systems, natural wonders, and fauna and flora – offering a nature’s playground found nowhere else on the planet. So much to see, so much to do. Below is a brief introduction to activities there this holiday season.
GAME VIEWING
A wide range of big and small game are spread throughout the southern and central regions of the Park, with all of the “Big 5” found in the uMkhuze section since the introduction of lions in 2013.
The southern areas around St Lucia, western and eastern shores are famed for leopard sightings, and the kudu found here sport possibly the most magnificent horns to be seen anywhere. Rare, endangered or uncommon species include wild dog, serval, bushbuck, Samango monkey, black and white rhino, cheetah and oribi.
Visitors may drive themselves through the majority of the park’s game roads, or take a specialised 4x4 trip with licensed operators for day or night drives.
There are at least 11 operators offering game drives, day and night, to visitors – with operators specialising in the different sections, such as the eastern shores, the western shores or uMkhuze.
Several small protected picnic spots invite the traveller to stop: uBhejane Picnic Site on the western shores, Mission Rocks beach, Catalina Bay, kuMziki Picnic Site on the eastern shores, Cape Vidal, Charters Creek and False Bay. Sodwana Bay, Jabula Beach at St Lucia beachfront and Kosi Bay also have day visitor sites.
This unique park, unlike for instance the landlocked Kruger Park, offers “game drives” on the water, too.
Estuary boat cruises are run from jetties at St Lucia, offering close-up encounters with hippos, crocodiles and water birds. Our group was hosted by Phillip Mkhwanazi of Shoreline Boat Safaris.
Guided kayaking is also permitted through a licensed operator in the southern section of the Lake St Lucia estuary.
BIRD WATCHING
With more bird species than some continents – and at least 420 occurring in the uMkhuze section alone – iSimangaliso is a world-renowned, year-round birding destination.
Guided walks are available by arrangement with operators specialising in birding (St Lucia) or the Fig Forest walk and Aerial Boardwalk at uMkhuze. The knowledgeable Sakhile Dube thrilled us with his pitch-perfect bird calls.
RARE SIGHTS
In this environment, you can see some of the rarest sights of the natural world, such as endangered turtles laying their eggs, and later the hatchlings heading for the water.
Turtle tours are offered by three licensed vehicle operators (November to March), either at St Lucia or Sodwana Bay, and four community guides offer walking tours at Kosi Bay.
Our group were guests of Thompsons Tours and Rocktail Beach Camp, both of which provided guides that were knowledgeable and also treated the scenes with great sensitivity.
iSimangaliso is internationally known for its whale watching (June to November). Although no whale-watching trips take place in December, it is still possible to spot whales breaching off the coastline.
One of the lesser known residents of the park to be found at night is the little Setaro’s dwarf chameleon, which is found nowhere else on Earth.
SCUBA DIVING
Sodwana Bay been rated as one of the Top 10 diving destinations in the world. Scuba diving is open there, or to guests of Thonga Beach Lodge and Rocktail Beach Camp further north.
And all one needs if one wants to enjoy a fantastic spectacle of undersea life is a snorkel and mask, and a day-trip to one of many small bays along the coast like Mabibi, Dog Point, Black Rock, Lala Nek, Kosi Bay mouth, Cape Vidal or Perriers Rocks.
Our group was hosted by Coral Divers, the oldest operator in Sodwana.
Under the expert guidance of skipper Vernon Lategen, instructor Laura Barnes and marine biologist/diving instructor Jessica Armstrong, we saw a fabulous snorkelling sight – hundreds of neon blue-and-yellow fusiliers performing a wondrous synchronised-swimming display.
DEEP SEA FISHING
With some of the best fishing waters in the country, iSimangaliso’s licensed operators offer deep sea fishing charters out of St Lucia and Sodwana Bay. Owners of deep sea vessels are also allowed out to sea. Rock and surf fishing is permitted along much of the Park’s 220-km coastline.
SWIMMING AND WATER SPORTS
Jet skis, ski boats and paddle skis are permitted to launch from official public sites at Maphelane, St Lucia, Cape Vidal and Sodwana Bay.
Due to the presence of South Africa’s greatest concentration of hippos (around 800) and crocodiles (well over 1 200 adults) in the Lake St Lucia system, swimming is prohibited there; however it is allowed in the warm Indian Ocean.
The preferred swimming spots are the shallow rock pools and sheltered bays at Cape Vidal and Sodwana Bay, and on calm days, Main Beach at St Lucia.
Surfing, body boarding, jet skiing and paddling are favourite pastimes of water-sport enthusiasts with their own equipment, particularly at St Lucia, Sodwana Bay and Cape Vidal.
WALKING AND CYCLING
Those intent on exercising while they enjoy the sights can do so on a few self-guided walks along the Igwalagwala Trail on the banks of the Lake St Lucia estuary, nature trails in the game park area of the eastern shores, the uMgobozeleni Trail in the Sodwana Bay section, or the various delightful trails in the rare sand forest of the False Bay section. These trails are also wonderful for some scenic off-road cycling.
Short walks from Mission Rocks to Bat Cave or Perriers Rocks are possible for even the young and the elderly. The super-fit can tackle cycling or marathon walks along the beach between some of the Park’s key resorts, under special permit.
The wooden boardwalk at Lake St Lucia estuary takes visitors close to hippos, while the westerns shores’ uMthoma aerial boardwalk leads through the forest to a suspended deck overlooking the lake narrows.
HORSE RIDING
Bhangazi Horse Safaris offer rides along the St Lucia beaches or in the game park section of the eastern shores – great for photographers, bird watchers and game viewers.
A lead guide and a back-up guide accompany all their rides, and even those with no riding experience will find their match among the stable’s wide range of steeds.