Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and Hluhluwe Game Reserve - South Africa, Nobvember 2021

 It was an early morning when we left for Hluhluwe Game Reserve. The hotel had sent along boxed breakfasts for us. It will be a long, full day on safaris through the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Park. In addition to the boxed breakfast, we will be dining "in style" at a "bush camp" breakfast, prepared by the park staff and later a lunch, also in the park. 

Our hotel was about 15 minute drive to the main gate. The two safari jeeps were there to take us on the game drive. Due to the pandemic, the park was not crowded at all and we had professional game guides for our full day on safari. The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve is a Big 5 Game Park in the KwaZulu-Natal Region of South Africa. It's believed to be the oldest game reserve in Africa. It worked out well that we would have a much longer game drive here in Hluhluwe instead of traveling to Eswatini as previously planned.

Park Gate

Entrance to the Game Reserve - Memorial Gate

A beautiful day for a Big5 safari

Safari Jeep and Guide

Riding shotgun

Soon inside the park, we sighted a lone elephant promenading in front of us. Shortly after, a few rhinoceros crossing the road. Hluhluwe Game Reserve is well known for rhino preservation. These are Black Rhinoceros.

Promenading

He's keeping an eye on us

Rhino crossing

Finally all across!

Zebra appearing.

Large family of zebras

A lone rhino

A cape buffalo ready to cross the road

Impalas

By mid day, we had breakfast in the park provided by the park rangers. It was a nice break before we continued the drive through other part of the reserve.   

Breakfast in Hluhluwe Game Park

The White Umfolozi River 

A Southern African Bird

Round bird nests on tree

Behind the scene, we had a private visit to the rhino orphanage in the Game Reserve. There were two orphan baby rhinos that were rescued after the poachers killed the moms.

Orphan rhino

Rhino orphans.

There is an outdoor restaurant near the Centenary Center where we enjoyed a nice lunch before the afternoon safari..

Centenary Gate

Lunch Menu - Ostrich dishes are quite popular here.

Kudu

Beautiful zebras

Zebras, One of the Pretty5s in the Park.

A crossing guard for his family.

A big herd of Cape Buffaloes

Watching us 


Warthog - one of the Ugly5s

Enjoying an afternoon stroll.

A lone monkey by the road bidding farewell to us as we left Hluhluwe Game Reserve.

We had a wonderful day. The weather was pleasant and the game drive was a successful one. We saw 3 of the Big5s: elephants, rihnos and cape buffaloes and look forward to seeing the other 2: lions and leopards in Kruger National Park.