ISimangaliso Wetland Park
Offering Big Five wildlife viewing and access to the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal for watersports and whale watching, among other activities, iSimangaliso is a dream destination for a bush-and-beach vacation!
When to Go
Best Time to Go
iSimangaliso is a great vacation destination all year round.
A World Heritage Site on Kwazulu-Natal’s Eastern Coast
A wide variety of activities, both on land and water
Boasts all Big Five species and a wealth of marine life
Makakatana Bay Lodge is a standout
A Unique Bush & Beach Getaway
We recommend iSimangaliso Wetland Park to travellers seeking the best of both worlds for their vacation – not only the thrill of seeing plenty of big game, but also some wet-and-wild watersports and even a little laidback beach time. In Zulu, iSimangaliso means ‘something wondrous’ or ‘a miracle’, and the park’s combination of bush and beach does feel miraculous. Situated on KwaZulu-Natal’s east coast and made up of lakes, reserves, and other wilderness areas, iSimangaliso stretches for 280 kilometres beside the sea and covers over 3,000 square kilometres inland. Its coastline runs from the Lake St Lucia estuary all the way up to the border of Mozambique!
Activities
As iSimangaliso is a bush-and-beach destination with an astonishingly wide range of ecosystems, there are lots of things to do here both on land and at sea.
Wildlife viewing
Enjoy stunning birdlife
Explore the underwater world
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You’ll find all Big Five species here: lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo, alongside numerous smaller predators and herbivores. For example, uMkhuze Game Reserve is home to cheetah, hyena, wild dog, giraffe, blue wildebeest, plains zebra, kudu, steenbok, and hippo!
There’s ample birdlife too, including flocks of flamingos, pelicans, and storks, in addition to a few specials, among them pygmy geese, lesser jacana, and pink-throated longclaw.
The sea life is also pretty spectacular, featuring immense southern right whales, dolphins, octopus, squid, and turtles.
History
The park used to be known as the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. This is because it surrounds St Lucia, the vacation town established by British colonists in 1822. Before colonisation, the area had been home to the Tsonga people for over a thousand years. Today the Tsonga continue to live in the northern region of the park. iSimangaliso was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and the park is managed by the iSimangaliso Authority.
Talk to someone who’s been there
Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.Good to Know
01.What are the best accommodation options?
We recommend Makakatana Bay Lodge for a comfortable stay, accommodation for families and honeymooners, and lots of activity options!
02.Top months to visit?
Turtle tours are available from November to March, so that’ll be your time to travel if you’re hoping to enjoy this activity. Safari activities vary with seasons. During the dry season (May to September), wildlife viewing tends to be easier, as animals cluster around scarce water sources. However, the wet season is a less expensive time to visit, and the park looks gorgeously green. Sea temperatures vary too, from a minimum of 19 degrees during June and July to a maximum of 29 degrees from December to February.
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