Set in the heart of Zululand in northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, Hluhluwe Game Reserve is the oldest game reserve in Africa, where Zulu kings such as Dingiswayo and Shaka hunted and put in place the first conservation laws, where today the "big five" of African legend stalk the verdant savannah. Established in 1895, game viewing is the prime attraction. Viewing hides overlook waterholes enabling visitors to see animals at close range.

As the home of Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, the Park became world renowned for its white rhino conservation. Other areas of focus for which Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is famed include wilderness trails which originated in Imfolozi in the 1950s and its renowned Game Capture unit recently upgraded into the Centenary Capture Centre, a bench mark for animal capture and sustainable utilization throughout Africa.

Accommodation is available at 3 bush lodges and 1 camp, and both self-catering and fully catered options are available.

Hluhluwe Game Reserve is located about 3 hours drive from Durban.

HILLTOP CAMP: The award-winning Hilltop Camp on the summit of a forested hill offers fine views of the surrounding countryside. The camp, the oldest in KwaZulu-Natal, was extensively rebuilt and enlarged in the early nineties, and today accommodation at Hilltop ranges from a luxury lodge to a variety of superbly appointed self-catering accommodation facilities.

All units are serviced daily. From the bottom of the price range up, facilities include: twenty 2-bedded rondavels with communal ablutions and kitchens; seven 2-bedded and twenty-two 4-bedded self-catering chalets. Twenty 2-bedded chalets, which are not self-catering, are within close proximity to the main reception area.

This area includes an a la carte restaurant, an attractive pub and lounge decorated with photographs and memorabilia of the history of Hluhluwe, as well as a gift shop and convenience store.

A forest trail is available to guests at Hilltop. Hlaza Hide has been developed at the site of the old summerhouse in Hilltop Camp and it will shortly incorporate a waterhole with soft lighting at night to aid game viewing.

MTWAZI BUSH LODGE: Mtwazi Lodge is close to the renowned Hilltop Camp in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, and boasts a magnificent setting under a large sycamore fig within its own secluded bushveld garden. This eight-bedded lodge, once the original home of the warden of the reserve, features memorabilia from the rich history of the Hluhluwe Game Reserve.

The accommodation comprises three bedrooms each with its own private bathroom and an annex bedroom with its own shower and toilet. A sumptuous lounge and dining area lead out onto a large flagstone veranda, and from there into a magnificent tropical garden shaded by a gloriously spreading tree. Mtwazi is a self-catering facility which is serviced once a day. The services of a cook are provided. Visitors also have the option of eating in the camp restaurant.

MUNTULUI BUSH LODGE: Rough it in absolute style in the luxurious seclusion of Muntulu Bush Lodge. Set on an elevated bank , the lounge looks down into the palm lined Hluhluwe River where a variety of animals, including elephant and rhino, gather daily to quench their thirst. Hluhluwe is Big Five country and visitors can see the tawny shapes of lions moving through the bush and hear the cough of a leopard at night.

The camp consists of four two bed units with en-suite bathrooms which are linked by wooden walkways to the central lounge and dining area.

Visitors needs are attended to by staff who cook and clean and a field ranger who, on request, takes visitors on walks through the African bush.

Visitors must bring food for the meals they want and the drinks of their choice. Our cooks can produce a variety of tasty meals to suit the bush lodge life style. Limited supplies of food and drink can be purchased at the shop at Hilltop Camp which is a half hours drive away. Bush camps and lodges only cater for one party at a time so for the period of your stay it becomes your home in the African bush.

MUNYWENENI BUSH LODGE: This bush lodge overlooks the confluence of the Hluhluwe River and the Munyweneni Stream. Set in park-like surroundings it commands a splendid game viewing vista looking across a sea of Fenix reclinata, the reclining palm, to an ancient game trail that daily sees a large variety of animals moving back and forth between feeding areas and a safe river ford and drinking spot.

Large Sycamore figs drop their sweet fruit onto the bank, attracting families of bush pigs that appear out of faint trails in the bush and root about below the camp. An open plan lounge and dining area adjoins four two bed sleeping units with en-suite shower and toilet. Visitors' needs are attended to by staff who cook and clean and a field ranger who, on request, takes visitors on walks through the African bush. Visitors must bring food for the meals they want and the drinks of their choice. Our cooks can produce a variety of tasty meals to suit the bush lodge life style. Limited supplies of food and drink can be purchased at the shop at Hilltop Camp which is a half hours drive away.

Bush camps and lodges only cater for one party at a time so for the period of your stay it becomes your home in the african bush, party to the beauty and drama of this rich environment.

The Mpunyane Restaurant at Hilltop Camp offers a full English buffet breakfast every day. Lunches from Monday to Saturday are a la carte and on Sundays a hot and cold buffet. Dinners are either a hot and cold buffet or a traditional braai (barbeque) depending on the weather. Dinner arrangements do change according to guest profiles and holidays.

Hluhluwe Game Reserve covers some 96 000 ha and contains an immense diversity of fauna and flora. Hluhluwe is characterised by hilly topography,and this northen section of the park is noted for its wide variety of both bird and animal life.

With its huge diversity of wildlife, landscapes and scenery, i’s accommodation from the luxurious Hilltop Camp and bush lodges like Muntulu, the reserve offers a wide range of activities to the many people that visit it. Game viewing, birdwatching, the spiritual upliftment of a wilderness trail or just a walk in the bush, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park offers it all.

AUTO TRAILS: Auto trails in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park are designed for the convenience of visitors who wish to discover the secrets of the bushveld from seclusion of their own vehicle.

DAY WALKS: Short day walks of approximately two hours are conducted from Hilltop Camp under the supervision of an experienced field ranger. These walks may be booked at Reception in both camps.

PICNIC SITES: Several sites with ablution and barbecue facilities are situated throughout the park.

GAME DRIVES: Open vehicle night and day drives provide unique opportunities of viewing game. A knowledgeable guide is at hand to answer questions . Booking is at Reception on a first come first serve basis.

Please note: A daily conservation levy of R120.00 per adult per day and R45.00 per child under 12 years per day is payable. Children under 3 years no charge.This replaces the park permit fee at this park.

Low Season: Discounted rates applies Sunday to Thursday inclusive, provided it is out of school holidays and not over long weekends (public holiday on Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday), or during special events. Pensioner discount still applies but commission is not paid in low season.