KwaZulu Natal’s Elephant Coast stretches from the world
heritage site of Lake St Lucia in the south to Kosi Bay, virtually on the
Mozambique border. It is an extraordinary, untamed area fast growing in
popularity for its incredible variety of habitats and eco-systems that combine
into an unforgettable blend of adventure, unspoilt scenery and unique
experiences.
Called the Elephant Coast after the country’s largest herd
of indigenous African elephants that have lived in sand forests in this region
for centuries, the Elephant Coast extends inland across to the Lubombo
Mountains in the west, and includes the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, the
oldest game park in Africa - home to the big five. It is not hard to understand
why the Elephant Coast is regarded as the ecotourism mecca of the Zulu Kingdom.
Sand dunes blend with swamps, coastal forests, rocky shores, coral reefs,
mangrove swamps, woodlands, savanna grassland, and the largest protected
wetland in southern Africa, iSimangaliso Wetland Park (the Greater St Lucia
Wetland Park).
Getaways to this coastline are rich in adventure, and if
you’re not game viewing, birding, paddling, snorkelling, hiking, on a horse
trail, or diving then you’re surely out on a boat to see dolphins and humpback
whales, or watching turtles lay eggs on the beach.
Highlights of the Elephant Coast include Cape Vidal
(wonderful beaches for deep-sea fishing and famous for whale watching); Sodwana
Bay Nature Reserve (the mainstay of scuba diving); Kosi Bay (one of the most
unspoilt regions with numerous lakes where you can watch local fishermen); and
of course both the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve and the iSimangaliso Wetlands
Park are highlights of the Elephant Coast, for obvious reasons.
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