Zululand | Bangha Nek, iMfolozi, Thembe Elephant Park

We meet at Ulundi, where our guide issues each vehicle with a 2-way, hand-held radio that allows inter-vehicle communication.

After we have received our briefing we visit the historic Ulundi Battle site where we are introduced to the Anglo-Zulu history at the very site where King Cetshwayo was defeated. We enjoy a picnic lunch and then we head into the heart of the great Zulu empire. Our route takes us from tar to gravel before we enter Umfolozi Game Reserve. Driving is not off-road, but ground clearance is necessary. We are constantly on the lookout for game and arrive at our camp welcomed by the most beautiful time of day in the African bushveld – we call it “magic hour”.

Our chef will provide scrumptious stew for supper, which we enjoy around the campfire, with the sounds of nocturnal bush life in the background.

Today we head out in our own vehicles game viewing and explore the western section of iMfolozi, along the way, we will discuss the Zulu legacy, look at game tracks, and get up close and personal with untouched nature. Your guide will share the unique history of rhino protection in the park, familiarise you with Operation Rhino, game capturing and lion darting. For the birders, the reserve’s 360 species will keep you hard at it.

We enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the majestic rolling hills of Zululand and keeping our binoculars at hand to scan the ridges for uBhejane, the black rhino before returning to the camp mid-afternoon for a little siesta before we head out again for some self-discovery.

After breakfast and a game drive through Hluhluwe, this time at your own pace, we meet at the KZN Wildlife Game Capture and Centenary Centre, where your guide will share some more of his know-how and experience with rhino protection.

Today lunch is picnic style enjoyed at the Centenary Centre before heading towards the coast and Kosi Bay where we will camp for the next 3 Nights.

After a scrumptious breakfast, we head down to the Kosi Bay Mouth. Weather permitting, we can snorkel in the mouth of the lake, exploring the unique and incredibly beautiful coral reef and tropical marine life. This is also a favourite spot for local fishermen to tend their fish traps, a traditional and timeless method of fishing handed down from one generation to the next.

A picnic lunch is served at the mouth with more snorkelling and exploring.

In the early evening head to the coast to have dinner on the beach before walking along Banga Nek beach to find nesting turtles, a highlight of this tour.

After breakfast, we drive west to Tembe Elephant Park, wind our way through thick bush, mill at waterholes, and hopefully find the elusive, gentle giants of Maputuland, for which this reserve is known. They are now officially some of the biggest tuskers in Africa. Birders will delight in the variety of species found here.

Picnic lunch is served at the hide and we continue our game drive in the afternoon before returning to our Camp at Kosi Bay

On to Ithala Game Reserve, where we spend the next two nights. Ithala Game Reserve is located in the rugged, mountainous thornveld of northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The reserve's multitude of habitats hosts a spectacular array of wildlife species. Its panoramic beauty aside, most characteristic attribute of Ithala Game Reserve is perhaps its astonishing geological diversity revealing some of the world's oldest rock formations.

This morning we enjoy an early morning bush walk with one of the experienced guides followed by a hearty breakfast. We then enjoy the splendour of Ithala with its geological beauty, as well as the diverse and abundant wildlife. Bush walks can be organised with a qualified guide, or one can self-drive along the many routes, including 4x4 routes. A lunch is served back at the camp, allowing everyone to head out themselves for more game viewing opportunities in the afternoon. If the night skies allow us, we spend our last evening in the boma, enjoying a traditional braai and reminiscing around the camp fire.

With a new understanding of Shaka’s land, intricate knowledge of rhino conservation, turtle hatching and a sense of exploration we all hit the road for our journey back home.