Named after the Zulu word for the thorny rope
climber which grows in profusion along the banks of the rivers in the region,
the Hluhluwe coastal area of Zululand offers the visitor an opportunity
to explore a largely unspoiled part of Africa... to come as close to the
savage splendour of this magnificent land as nature allows.
Less than three hours drive from the funshine city
of Durban, it is the perfect stepping off point for the great outdoors
- and in particular the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve and the Greater
St Lucia Wetland Park - two of the oldest game reserves in Africa, both
having been proclaimed in 1895.
The Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, formerly two seperate
parks, now covers a combined area of 96 000 ha. It was here that the white,
square lipped, rhino was saved from extinction, and today the reserve boasts
the largest population of white rhino in the world. A visit to this world
renowned game reserve will also bring you into contact with the Big
Five - lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino - as well
as encounters of the natural kind with a wide variety of indigenous
game -
from cheeta, wild dog and giraffe to zebra, nyala and crocodile.
A natural protected area with five distinctive eco-systems,
each with a diversity of scenery and an abundance of wildlife, the Greater
St Lucia Wetland Park is soon to be declared a World Heritage site. Boasting
the largest natural body of water in South Africa, the park's unique eco-systems
range from sub-tropical seas, coral reefs and unspoiled sandy beaches to
lush forests, grassy plains, dry savanna and reed and papyrus wetlands.
The entire Hluhluwe region is a bird watcher's paradise,
with sightings ranging from the ubiquitous pelicans and flaminagoes of
Lake St Lucia to rarer locals such as Rudd's Apalis, the Pinkthroated Twinspot
and Lemonbreasted Canary.
Zululand is the traditional home of the amaZulu, the
people of heaven, a proud nation descended from the Nguni people who migrated
to this rich, fertile land from central or east Africa during the
16th and 17th Centuries.
The Hluhluwe area is steeped in the history of the
amaZulu, and many are the tales that tell of how the warrior king Shaka
united his people - transforming feuding farmers and quarrelling cattle
herders into a proud and powerful nation.
The Zulu treasure their heritage, and visitors to the
Hluhluwe area are able to select gifts and souvenirs of their stay from
a wide range of Zulu beadwork, woodcravings, pottery and basketry. Each
has a fascinating story to tell of the everyday life of the people whose
intricate skills crafted these authentic works of art.
Beadwork is a young Zulu girl's language of love, with
each combination of colours representing an emotion, hope or thought.
Wood carvings and sculptures in woods such as Thamboti,
red ivory and wild olive depict the animals, birds and insects of the region
in a celebration of nature.
Basket weaving with the leaves of the Ilala palm and
dyes from roots, bark and berries, once a dying craft, has been revitalised
into an art form of international recogination.
Pottery, fired over an open pit and then daubed with
animal fat before being polished to a rich gloss, concentrates on the wonderful
bulb-shaped creations in which for centuries the Zulu people carried liquids.
There is so much to see, and so much to do in Hluhluwe
region of Zululand. No visitor can simply pass through - for this is the
one region of Africa that invites exploration.
Accommodation ranges from country chalets and cottages
to modern hotels and bed and breakfast establishments, from hill top camps
to game reserve lodges, from tented getaways on sandy beaches to tree houses
in lush forests.
