The mist rises over the ridges of Hluhluwe–Imfolozi’s escarpments to reveal a verdant land of winding river channels and rolling grasslands. Welcome to Zulu country! Here, galumphing African elephants tread a riparian pathway, crashes of white and black rhinos alike (this is one of the most famous rhino conservation areas on the planet) bask in the sun, and Cape buffaloes face down lions and leopards, making it the only park in the KwaZulu Natal to house the Big 5.

All the while, the sinewy limbs of Lebombo wattle trees spike the canopies, quiver-leaf bushes whisper in the breeze and Maputaland ordeal blooms rustle over the sand forests. Nature lovers flock to this corner of South Africa from far and wide for the unique biodiversity that sees a varied set of mammals, retiles and amphibians coexisting with over 300 species of birds. To see it all, Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park tour guides can now offer a whole host of lodges within the boundaries of the area, ranging from camp sites to luxury lodges built in the likeness of the rustic huts of the region’s onetime rulers, the mighty Zulu. Boat tours are also particularly popular, especially on the waters around the breathtaking Hluhluwe dam.