Hluhluwe Game Reserve Safari
- Location:Durban, South Africa
- Duration:12 hours (approx.)
- TOUR Code:2382SD5
10 reviews of Hluhluwe Game Reserve Safari
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Hluhluwe Game Reserve Safari. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Perfect nothing to be signalled, beautiful and interesting excursion
While we only saw three of the "big five" I would consider our safari to be a success. Our driverguide was both very personable and also very informative. He shared a lot both on our trip to and from the game reserve as well as providing us with information on animals in the reserve itself. I would highly recommend this safari to anyone who was considering it.
This trip was work flying 6,000 miles for on its own. Our guide Thabo was excellent. Full of information and spotted things that we would have missed. Our meal at the hilltop restaurant was delicious and the view could not have been bettered. Anyone planning at trip to Hluhluwe should definitely book it through Viator. Excellent value for money.
On my game drive, we’d barely got through the gates when we came across a bull elephant. Unfortunately, it had no intention of moving, and our guide started sensing that Dumbo was becoming agitated. A quick reverse back up the hill was in order – these male elephants can be very dangerous. We watched him slowly trudge away from a safe distance and then continued. It was pretty hot, so a lot of creatures were undercover, but we did see warthogs, buffalo, zebras, rhinos and giraffes before sightings dried up. After lunch, it was a different story. We were treated to rhinos wallowing in mud, giraffes up incredibly close, wildebeest sauntering around and seemingly hundreds of impalas. The highlight came towards the end, though. At the other side of a watering hole from our vehicle sat four lions, just waiting for something to come their way and have a drink.
Note from Viator: This review is from David Whitely, who posted a complete tour summary over on the Viator blog.
We had an excellent driver/guide, who did all he could to make our trip both enjoyable and to let us see so many animals.
Totally professional service. Driver to Hluhluwe and back was so entertaining and knowledgeable about South Africa that the 3 hour drive to the reserve passed quickly. Our guide for the safari was also excellent and when to great lengths make sure we saw as many animals as possible. Lunch was excellent too.
Long trip from Durban gave us an idea of the agricultural economy of SA - sugarcane and eucalyptus farms as far as eye can see. Beautiful landscape of the Reserve, we saw zebras, giraffe, elephant (1), water buffalo (1), rhinoceros only from very far, some other animals as well. No big cats - February is not the best time. Very pleasant and friendly, well informed Zulu guide.
I loved going to to Hluhluwe. It was a long drive there, about 3.5 hours from Durban but we spent over 8 hours just at the game reserve, it made for a long day but it was amazing. Our driver was very nice. We saw only 3 of the big 5, but we saw lots of the buffalo and rhinos. We saw many beautiful giraffes and zebras. It was great how close they get to the cars. I suggest paying the extra for the open game drive, it was worth it. If you only have a short time for a safari, this is perfect for you. I would recommend this tour and the company.
Very anxious having to confirm once in Africa as well as before leaving the UK, relied upon kindness of hotel. Good day. Long journey, as expected. First vehicle absolutely terrible...impossibly small for 4 adults. Driver agreed to change. Finally set off in van and all was great. Very knowledgeable driver guide.Pleased with animals seen. Very late return but to our advantage having had very late start.
Driver drove too fast during the trip to and from the reserve and did not observe village speed bumps. The safari though was exciting.
