Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari Day Tour From Durban

Zamani picked us up in our hotel and guided us the entire day and explained us everything he knew about the wildlife. We had a lovely day in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park! We saw elephants crossing a river, both a black and white rhino, buffalos, gnoes and many more. Then he took us for a lunch and we continued our tour with a boatride on St Lucia Lake, where we spotted fish eagles, hippos, both in the water and on land and crocodiles. Truly a great experience!

Bule of Zulu Safaris was a terrific guide and driver for my Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari Day tour. From even before the journey started, I felt supported. Yes, the drive was long from Durban but well worth getting a chance to see as many different animals as we could in just one visit. Bule’s experience and knowledge enriched the trip beyond just spotting where to look. I learned a lot about history and the present at this reserve. He also took care to ensure optimal views and gave as much time as wanted to just observe. I highly recommend this adventure.

I joined a safari departing from Durban to the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Game Reserve, and it was an excellent experience overall. The drive from Durban is quite long; however, we only made one short stop on the way there and one on the way back, which was well organized and perfectly fine. I was traveling alone, and the experience felt very personal. The vehicle was a recent and comfortable 4x4, ideal for such a long day. I was accompanied by Freddy, who was outstanding. He speaks both English and French, which was a real advantage. He did everything possible to help me see as many animals as possible and truly has an exceptional eye for spotting wildlife from far away. His professionalism, knowledge, and friendly attitude made the safari even more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the weather was not ideal in the afternoon due to rain, which limited animal sightings. Despite this, the safari remained a fantastic experience thanks to Freddy’s dedication and effort throughout the day. I highly recommend this safari to solo travelers staying in Durban for work or other reasons who are looking for a high-quality safari experience. Communication with the agency was very easy, and the booking process was smooth and efficient. Thank you to the entire team for this great day.

Had an excellent trip with our guide Bule. Managed to spot giraffes, elephants, rhinos, monkeys, impala, nyala, kudu and lots of birds. Bule was very knowledgeable about the park and history of the area.

Our guide was very friendly and accommodating. We spent 3 hours within the park looking for a variety of animals. After 3 hours we hadn't seen a Rhino or tiger/ lion so he suggested we go to another area of the park. After this hour he asked if we wanted to do more or go back. We decided to go back. He picked me up at 6AM at my hotel and dropped me off at 430PM. A very enjoyable day and well worth it. Got to see Buffalo, Antelope,Impala, Elephants, hippos in the river, white rhino taking a siesta, Baboons, Zebra and warthogs.

Hluhluwe Imfolozi Safari Day Tour from Durban Absolutely breathtaking experience full of surprises and great customer service! ZuluSafaris an absolutely breathtaking authentic South African wildlife experience for all! On the 02 January 2025, I went on a short safari. Sotiris Spetsiotis our incredible Safari Guide and great long time family friend, and Stavros Anthias my guest and also great family friend and lawyer, got into the spirit of experiencing the ZuluSafaris.com trips. I want to thank Sotiris Spetsiotis for a great day and we took some incredible photos. Also my great family friend Stavros Anthias had a blast as well. What a great trip to the Manyoni Private Game Reserve! The photos I took are absolutely stunning and I am very very pleased! For anyone who wishes to have the ultimate experience in South Africa on Safaris, Sotiris Spetsiotis has 40+ years experience and will provide an awesome experience for you and your family and friends. Be open minded. Nature is nature. Sometimes you get lucky sometimes not. That is Africa. However you will walk away with a smile all day. You can visit for 1 day or for a few days - they have tours that will fit your requirements!

The trip itself was absolutely spectacular but I must say it was made 1000x better by our guide Aaron, he went above and beyond to accommodate our needs and make the trip as enjoyable as possible. We loved spending time with him throughout the trip and made our time so enjoyable.

Frederick was an amazing g guide. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional. I was amazed that on a hot sunny day he was able to spot so many animals. I highly recommend The day savfari.

The driver Freddy was excellent, he went out of his way to make our experience good. The vehicle the tour operator gave him was brand new. But totally unsatisfactory as a safari viewing vehicle. We sat in the back of the van, it had no windows that opened. The passengers up front opened there windows to get photos. But then the hot air came in and went into the back of the van. We roasted back there like a turkey in the oven. Very unpleasant!! Don't use the van for your safari, insist on something better.

Fabulous. 20' (6m) from elephants, rhinos!, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, endless gazelles and impala. Saw 4 of the fatal 5! Damn leopards were hiding. Pickup was great. It's a long day with 3 hours each way. The Hilltop restaurant for lunch is great. Wish the gift shop would restock. Tour guide Thomas has been working in the park and knows every road, trail and other guide there. Exceptional person. So glad that I pulled the trigger. Best part of my stay in South Africa!

Freddy as our guide on two tours during our trip was the highlight of our time in South Africa. He picked us up promptly at 6am, super friendly and energetic to get on the road. He explained so much during our 3 hour drive to the game reserve, stopped for coffee and snacks and got us to the park safe. Everyone at the park loves Freddy too. Local celebrity 😊 Our day started off slow given the weather and time of day but it really took a great turn. We saw elephant up close, several giraffe, buffalo, rhino, and the icing on the cake was a pride of lion who after several minutes of observing became closing in on a heard of buffalo and we thought we would see a kill. Unfortunately human error/movement of cars etc.. caused the buffalo to get away so we did not see it. We had lunch, searched for more animals and had the most wonderful time. After a full day of fun we had a fun 3 hour drive back to Umhlanga. This tour really made our trip because of Freddy. He was just as excited as us the entire time and was so informative. We had Freddy as our guide the next day as well. See my separate review of the half day safari. Just as great! Jenn, Cheryl, Charlotte - family Florida, USA

This is the oldest game reserve and the second largest in South Africa. It is not just open plains but is hilly and forested with dirt roads so the animals are all in a more natural habitat but more difficult to spot. However on a one day trip from Durban we spotted arould 18 White Rhino, Zebra, Giraffe, Buffalo, Warthog, Nyala and Impala as well as birds. We travelled with Tim Brown Tours with Rudi as our extremely well informed Ranger who is passionate about conservation of the amazing species there, although we found lion tracks we did not manage to find one but somehow that added to the special feel of the place - that you were there alone and tracking the animals for real.

I want ti thank Visi Gumede for making this experience the best safari I have ever been in Africa. Visi was extremely professional and knowledgeable which made the safari very educational and interesting for me. I learned various aspects for the African animals and culture which offered me a great perspective for the rest of my trip in Africa. Thank you again for this amazing experience Visi!

With 2 days notice I was the only one booked for this tour but was able to get a good rate, thanks to Nozipho for organising. Freddie was an excellent and friendly guide, knowledgeable about the animals and with a fantastic eye to spot them from such a distance. There were impala, rhino, zebras, baboons and elephants, just as we were heading home. A great introductory to safaris for myself.

The company Viator used had good communication and was on time for the early pick-up. The driver was friendly and accommodating, however, no where was it mentioned that it would not be a safari vehicle but a mini van. The windows in the middle and back seats did not open so could not get good photos if you sat in those seats and I was in the back seat so did not get any good shots.

I looked forward to the open van drive through the park, however, that van was not OPEN! The picture in your advertisement showed an open van.It was closed and the back windows didn’t open . My group of 5 was very disappointed some wanted their money back an leave but the ride to the park had been 3hrs long. We had no choice. The guide for 1st Zulu tours was great ! Very knowledgeable,

I am on a short visit to Durban and wanted to visit a game reserve nearby...right from the start when I first called Zulu offices to the end of the day trip, it was a great experience all through. The wonderful experience started with my interaction with Bongani who helped with the booking. It was late on Friday and Bongani was very helpful and quick in responding to the reservation request. As for the safari, can’t speak enough about how good our Driver/Guide Mfiswa Thusi was. He was a bundle of knowledge and very professional during the entire trip. He explained a lot about the Zulu culture, his family and of course the game animals in the reserve. He really spent the time tracking the animals and thanks to him we got to see 4 out of the 5 big five....could not ask for more. Mfiswa has a very good eye to spot the game and spent all the time we wanted to see the animals. Great experience and will use them again...

A very nice safari trip with a good guide. We were picked up at the hotel on time. The drive to the national park was about3 hours. During the drive the guide told about what we were seeing on the road. After arriving in the park the guide did know very good the way. We have seen a lot of animals. Sadly not all of the big five only the lion and the leopard was missing on our list. The only thing you need to have in mind it’s a long day. We were about 14 hours in the car that day.

The tour was great, didn't see the big 5 but we saw plenty Rhino, Buffalo, Giraffes, Zebras, 3 types of Impalas, Elephants, Wilderbeast, Monkeys and Baboons. Freddy our tour guide tried up until the last minute to catch a glimpse of the lions. He was punctual, knowledgeable and personable. Would definitely recommend this tour based on my experience I had with Zulu Safaris.

The full day trip offered a mixed bag of experiences - some very good and some average. We were picked up at the place of accommodation and started the day. The guide shared some general knowledge around the area during the drive to Hluhluwe. We were told to buy lunch on the way there rather than buying food at the camp as the expectation was that it would be packed to capacity. There was one stop on the way to the park, at an Engen garage, that had a Wimpy where food could be bought. Only water is included in the cost, so make sure you pack snacks, lunch etc if you want anything else. After a two and a half hour drive, we arrived at the park at around 10:00am. Once we entered, we drove around the one section of the park before venturing into Hluhluwe. The guide did his best to cover as much ground as possible during the visit, which, at times, resulted in driving at the maximum allowable speed in the park (including some of the gravel roads). The information on game was sketchy and, at times, not well informed. Our time at sightings were quite short which didn't leave much time to just enjoy the experience. It was also apparent that he didn't visit the reserve much as he was as surprised as anyone else at the dry waterholes and impact of the drought On the way back, we stopped at a garage again to get some snacks before heading back to the accommodation. I highly recommend visiting the reserve and using a guide if you're unfamiliar with the area or visiting game reserves is not something that happens regularly. Checking if the guide knows the area before you go will add a lot to the overall experience.

After having done some safiri drives with my family in Kenia last summer I now was in Durban for business and decided to go on this day safari. I was surprised as my pick-up at the guest house was an hour earlier than it said in my booking but after this rush start I could relax as no one else was is the van. My guide Mfiswa Thusi made every effort to let me see the leopard, the one missing in my big five. Sadly the cats were nowhere to be found this day but the rest of the animals, especially the amount of rhinos we saw were amazing!! An exhausting but exciting day thanks to the skilled and pleasant driver. Would do this again any time!! Hope to be back.

After a week of hard work, my overseas visitors and I decided to join Zulu Safaries for a safari to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve. What a trip, what a day and what an adventure. The owner Terry kept us entertained with stories and even stopped so that we could sample the taste of raw sugarcane....amazing. The adventure started soon after we arrived at the park, animals of all descriptions just lined up for us. For a few hours the cameras and cellphones were running hot. What a day, well worth the money.

Amazing trip today! We saw everything you can imagine in a trip like this: buffalos, elephants from 10 meters, rhinos from 20 meters, lions from 5 meters and cheetah from 1 meters distance (wildcat project). Ndumiso (tour guide) was a true professional with a great sense of humour. If you are planning to see everything in 12-14 hrs Safari, this is it. Highly recommended!

I did the tour with my family and really enjoyed to seeing 3 of the big five animals (Elephant, rhino and buffalo) and some others like Zebra, Giraffe, Impala, etc.

It was a fantastic trip with a perfect guide, Leon Meyer, who with a divine calm also drove the 3 times to the places we wanted to see 😂 A beautiful day 😇

From Durban to the Sanctuary is a long journey, ok. We knew that. The infrastructure to get there, however, surprised us positively. Well asphalted roads, well marked. Our driver, Benson, was very friendly, attentive and left us absolutely at ease. Your attention with us was exceptional! We were able to see incredible animals like, for example: elephants, zebras, monkeys, crabs, giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles, impalas and rhinoceros! We just didn't see the felines. The park - it seemed to us - is doing a beautiful conservation work and selling a good image to tourists from all over the world who visit the Sanctuary (which, say by way, is huge). Anyway... We like the walk.