Top KwaZulu-Natal Eco Tours

This day safari takes you to KwaZulu-Natal, a coastal province known for its beauty and diverse array of wildlife. The tour has two stops: the African Raptor Center, with over 100 birds of prey, and the Tala Private Game Reserve, home to kudu, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, eland, and other big game animals. Cover both sites in just half a day, a difficult feat to do on your own.

This tour includes 3 nature reserves, Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve, Durban Botanical Gardens and Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve which are 3 gems with different types of bird life and picturesque views, if you are a bird watcher and you are around Durban this is the tour for you.

GUIDES: Our experienced guides are all knowledgeable and passionate about the Sani Pass and Lesotho. VEHICLES: We use mainly 9 seater closed in Landrovers. This is the vehicle which pioneered the Sani Pass. The emphasis is on adventures and experiences on not on comfort. PRICING is numbers dependent, with cheaper prices once the group size on the tour is 3 or more. It makes sense for individuals to join existing tours if possible. Contact us to see when tours have been booked and if you could join an existing group to bring the price down. COMMUNITY TOURISM: Experience responsible tourism in action! Your tour price includes a contribution to the Sani Top Basotho community. Our ground-breaking approach to grass-roots tourism means that your tour price directly benefits a wide segment of the local community, preserving cultural dignity and ensuring Fair remuneration for services rendered. Silver Award Winner of AFRICAN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD for POVERTY REDUCTION 2018.

The tour departs from Durban heading northward along the coast to northern KwaZulu-Natal to a city called St Lucia. There we will visit Igwalagwala Trail our guide will inform you of the trails history and its incredible bird species. Offering some of the best birding possibilities in South Africa, St Lucia and its environs are home to the Igwalagwala Trail and are part of the Zululand Birding Route. The Igwalagwala Trail in St Lucia, South Africa, has to rank among the top birding treks in the world due to the quantity of high-quality species per unit area, according to published author and naturalist Ian Sinclair. St Lucia has over 500 bird species, so whether you want to see water birds, sea birds, forest birds, or birds of prey, our knowledgeable local culture guide will give you the very best chance to find the birds you want.

A fairly early start to the day is needed to drive to the wonderful Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Home to the majestic Big 5 plus some delightful extras such as cheetahs, wild dogs, zebra and giraffes. Any budding little David Attenborough or Steve Irwin will enjoy exploring the landscape and learning about eco-systems, rhino conservation and plants all whilst searching for elephants, lions, giraffes, rhinos, kudu, vultures and many more African creatures only seen on television or in books. A junior Rangers dream!

You will arrive at the Manyoni Private Game Reserve and experience diverse wildlife in Open Vehicle game drive and after that you will visit Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve for a closed vehicle game drive.

If you are short on time or you are worried whether your little safari child will enjoy a safari experience then this is the perfect safari for you! Enjoy a 3-4 hour relaxed drive in the Western Shores of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park looking for (and learning about) African wildlife such as elephants, zebra, giraffes and many more creatures, big and small. Armed with activity packs, snack packs and taking it at a pace that children can manage, they will learn and enjoy their safari experience just as much as the adults. The bushveld is just waiting for your little junior ranger to come and explore!

The Dlinza Forest Aerial Boardwalk in Eshowe is a 150 metre long walkway built above the Dlinza Forest floor, which allows visitors to view flora, fauna and avifauna at treetop level. It includes a 20 metre high tower, offering dramatic views of both the forest canopy and surrounding countryside. The Dlinza Forest is on The Zululand Birding Route, and is home to all sorts of rare birds and little creatures. Over 90 species of birds inhabit the forest, as well as 85 different types of butterflies. On a hiking trail whilst tuning in to the happy chatter of the birds, you can spot blue duikers, bushpigs, chameleons, beetles, bushbuck and much much more. Some of the birds that inhabit the forest are Crowned Eagles, Narina Trogon, Spotted Ground Thrush, Green Twinspot, Purple Crested Turaco, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Olive Woodpecker, Chorister Robin-chat, Trumpeter Hornbill, Delegorgue’s Pigeon and many more.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is the oldest proclaimed national park in Southern Africa and where the rhino populations were saved from extinction in the 1960s. It is home to the Big 5 plus the majestic endangered Wild Dogs (also known as Painted Dogs), cheetahs and other African wildlife. You will join Ashley in his closed SUV vehicle on a relaxed yet immersive African experience searching for wildlife, big and small, taking in the vast landscape, the stunning flora and fauna, and soaking up the sightings, sounds and smells of the African bush. 'If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa'- John Hemingway.' After a day on safari, you will understand this sentiment, there is something truly magical about spending time out on safari, watching wildlife in its natural habitat, and going about its everyday tasks! Please note we will be searching for completely wild animals therefore no sightings are guaranteed.