I think that anyone with a serious love of wildlife has Africa on their bucket list. It is the mecca, one of the last places on earth to witness species of that magnitude in their natural setting. I was extremely fortunate to have visited South Africa, specifically Durban, as a graduate student. One of my conferences was being held in that magical country. Southern Africa is made up of several amazing cities, from the largest city, Johannesburg, to the famous Cape Town, which is a very popular destination.
Durban isn’t known as a big tourist hub, necessarily, and can be quite dangerous but it is the perfect place to visit some of the major attractions nearby. We were instructed that if you are going to leave your hotel, drive only to your destination and back, no strolling the streets, wandering around the city center, no detours. I had heard horror stories of people smashing into people’s car’s while they were stopped at a stop light to snatch their purse on the back seat.
I didn’t have any of these encounters, however, even when we visited one famous place, the large multicultural city market. Not once did I feel unsafe.
The best time to visit is during their winter, when it is a bit cooler and the nearest airport is actually in Durban. There’s lots to explore around Durban, taking a road trip to some of the national parks to taking a tour of the city, these are the best places to visit while in South Africa.
Historical Sites city bus tour
Durban is a really interesting city with a cool Afro-Indian vibe and beautiful white sandy beaches. It is the third most populous city in South Africa and the second biggest manufacturing hub next to Johannesburg. To learn more about this beautiful city, I did a city bus tour, which was the best way to dive deeper into the history and cultural heritage of the area.
Not only did you get the history, they also stopped at the Durban Botanical Gardens and the beach. The Botanical Gardens is Durban’s oldest public institution and Africa’s oldest surviving botanical gardens. The gardens, not only had an abundance of plant life, it also had several bird species in the area. It was a beautiful place to walk around and we even stumbled upon a wedding in progress while we were there.
I am not typically into these types of tours, but the stop at the beach, with waters known to have some of the highest populations of great white sharks in the world, and the trip to the botanical gardens was a nice touch.
Kruger National Park
The largest national park in South Africa and a major tourist attraction. And for good reason. It has some of the best wildlife viewing anywhere. You can take numerous game drives or a self-drive safari and do some bird watching and look for the big 5 species. It makes sense why it is one of the main attractions that bring people to the area.
Thula Thula
The Thula Thula tour, started at their lodge, where we were offered drinks for a fee and some lovely views from the patio. You can stay at this lodge and they also have some camping options for a true Africa experience.
While I was there the rangers had found a dead rhino that poachers had killed for it’s horn. With the ever dwindling and critically endangered status of this magnificent animal it is somewhat disheartening to see that even a game reserve can’t keep these criminals out.
We took a safari jeep around the 55 square kilometres of the reserve and were lucky enough to see giraffe, wildebeest, zebras, nyala, elephants and so much more. There is a huge variety of wildlife here and absolutely spectacular scenery. The most impressive and possibly most intimidating were the elephants. We found a pack of female’s and their young and stopped to watch them, while being mindful of several bull elephants watching close by.
As we sat there in awe of the pack I turned around just in time to see the biggest of the males coming straight for us. I yelled to the driver, who had stopped the jeep and he turned around. As soon as he saw the bull I could see the urgency in his eyes as he started the jeep.
All I could think in that moment was that the jeep was never going to start and we would be stomped to death by this mammoth of an elephant. But it started right away and we moved along, the bull giving up as he saw us leaving. Talk about close encounters with the locals!
The reserve was spectacular and definitely a must-see if you are in Durban. The landscape and the animals living there are awe inspiring. The natural beauty breathtaking. And even though it was winter in South Africa the weather was perfect. This was by far one of my top places to visit and an absolute must see.
Hippo and Crocodile Boat Tour
The second tour was a hippo and croc boat tour in St. Lucia, South Africa. On this tour you take a pontoon boat up one of the largest Estuarine systems in Africa, which is South Africa’s first World Heritage Site.
This was a fantastic tour. You get onto a pontoon boat when you arrive and from there the guides takes you on a two-hour tour of the area, where you will see some 800 hippos, around 1000 crocodiles as well as a plethora of bird species.
The boat travels lazily down the river, while the guide tells you about the native plants and animal species and the might of the hippo bite. It is another world and a fantastic compliment to the safari, seeing wildlife from another perspective. And let me tell you, there were so many hippos! It was fantastic.
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve
My final tour was of Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve. This iconic park boasts 96,000 hectares of land housing the African big 5, Cheetah, Wild Dog, Nyala, Giraffe and more. The park is best known, however, for its rhino conservation. This reserve has the option of taking a guided jeep safari or driving yourself through the park. The roads are well kept and there is a ton of wildlife to see. I managed to see everything except the big cats, which tend to be seen more during the sunset tours or early dawn tours.
This park has a lot to offer, however, if you find an animal of interest close to the roadway it can get rather crowded with jeeps and personal vehicles as everyone tries to get that perfect photo. Overall, though it was an incredibly memorable experience.
All the tours I did in total cost me around $400 CAD, some included lunch and drinks and all the shuttles to and from the location. It was worth every penny and I think that Durban is a totally underrated city, with wildlife in their backyard, a booming metropolis with plenty of things to do, and fantastic beaches if you are into surfing.
Concluding Thoughts
Durban is a great place to stay when you plan to take day tours to the numerous nearby parks. It is surrounded by some of the most beautiful places on the planet and South Africans are incredibly friendly and welcoming people, who have a lot of knowledge of their home.
There is so much scenic beauty here and plenty of famous tourist attractions to visit, you could take a month and not see it all. Heading to the African continent and looking for other bucket list adventures? Check out my post on gorilla trekking in Uganda for more inspiration.
Comments
Love the intro! The funny thing is when I landed in Ghana last year that song was sort of in the back of my head. Haha. And thanks for sharing the photos of your safari and time in Durban. At $400 CAD it seems really reasonably priced. How was the lunch on the tours that included food?
Author
That food was fantastic actually. Nothing big and you could purchase snacks and alcoholic drinks during the trips too, which was a nice bonus.
I have never been on a safari tours, but I would love to see the animals in their natural environment! That bull elephant would have given me a bit of a scare, but not enough to put down my camera!
Author
Yeah, I was pretty terrified but not scared enough, as you said to put my camera down, lol.
It is such an enjoyable post to read. I could feel your excitement while you were narrating what happened on your trip. I admire you for having the courageous heart to visit and see the animals up close. My boyfriend asked me if I wanted to see the Safari in the Indonesia, but I have been afraid of big animals since I was young. My unforgettable experience was when I was chased by a carabao. I was too young then to know that animals with horns hate red and that time, I was wearing red. If I were not alert enough to run as fast as I could, I guess I already died from that encounter.
Author
Wow that certainly sounds like a scary experience! I am sorry that you had such an experience that it put you off from these beautiful animals but I totally understand why you would feel that way. I hope you have a wonderful animal encounter in the future that is more memorable than your previous experience.
This looks like such a great experience! I really appreciated how you included some of the behind the scenes pictures and descriptions as it really gave a feel for what your trip was like.
Author
Thank you! My goal is to inspire others. I am glad you liked the post!
Durban does sound like it has a lot to offer and not to bad in cost on tours. The Safari looks like it will hold a lot of great memories for you. I can not wait to experience Africa!
Author
It’s a pretty incredible experience, one I hope you get to enjoy!
You included so many pics and info! The croc and hippo tour looks so unique. Would love to do this one day!
Author
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it and I hope you get to visit someday!
Okay I was hooked from the Toto lyrics onward. It’s kind of mind-boggling you could do all this for $400 CAD.
Also, in my experience traveling, a lot of places are not as dangerous as their reputations make it seem, but the once in a while offense outranks the stories of all the safe travels. It’s good to be cautious but not to a point of limiting your travels in such a way that you couldn’t go visit the market like you did.
Love your photos by the way, “mecca” is right.
Author
I completely agree, this was just one example of being told the place was dangerous. I read that about Barcelona too and had zero issues. I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
This sounds like an amazing adventure, and crazy that you were able to all of this for only $400! South Africa is definitely near the top of my bucket list.
I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to have an elephant charging towards you though!
Author
It was unforgettable for sure and I hope you get to see it someday!
Wow the safari and the game reserve look absolutely incredible. That is an incredible price for all those tours also! South Africa is definitely on our Bucketlist. We will look at these tours!
Author
You definitely should! I hope you get the chance to experience it too 🙂
Love the raw close up pictures of the animals, Nicole! And what a moment of panic it was when the elephant went charging at you guys! Thanks so much for sharing!
Author
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
i haven’t heard so many things about durban, but tanzania has been one of my bucket list because of their safari. and reading your post, especially about thula thula makes me want to go to south africa as well. it seems to be a really nice experience, especially if i get a chance to camp over there to enjoy the most of safari. i’m so excited even just by thinking about it! 😀
Author
I like the idea of camping on safari too, it seems like a great way to experience the place. Good luck and safe travels!
What an exciting adventure! I would love to take a safari and/or series of tours like these to see the animals up close and in their own environment. (Although that must have been quite an adrenaline rush when the elephant came up behind you!!) But, as a ‘city gal’ myself, I appreciated hearing about the city too – that’s not as often written about on blogs about African trips.
Author
I never really thought about how other African posts don’t include the cities but your right, it’s usually all about the safari. There is more to Africa than just safari (even though it was incredible, especially being a veterinarian I was completely in my element). I am glad you pointed that out, thank you!
You did so many things that I want to do!! I’m one of the wildlife lovers with Africa on their bucket list. I would love to see all those animals in their natural habitat. The poachers make me so, so mad though! Even still, I am jealous and wish I could have gone with you. Thanks for the post!
Author
I wish you could have come along too and hope that you one day get to experience these incredible animals in their home
wow, beautiful photos. You got to see the wildlife from up close. The hippo and crocodile boat tour is quite interesting but I am afraid of crocodiles. 🙁 Thanks for this post
Author
It was amazing to see these incredible creatures up close in their natural setting
So sad that the poaches got a rhino. So frustrating that still goes on. On a happier note, I would love to go on a safari tour and a boat tour to see hippos. South Africa is on my list! BTW-I saw Toto in concert a couple of years ago, great concert. 🙂
Author
I am so jealous you got to see Toto, that is awesome!
South Africa was 100% my favourite ever trip – such a beautiful country with so many things to do. My best friend is from Durban and I have to say she is one of those people who talks about the horror stories of how dangerous it is, but I’m pleased to see you didn’t experience any of that. The safaris look great too – it’s definitely scary at times (especially when angry ellies are involved!), but is such an incredible once in a lifetime experience. Loved reading this 🙂
Author
I had also heard the horror stories but I really tried not to put myself into the position to become a statistic. I really enjoyed Durban and it really was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities.
We’ve never had a safari trip but are looking forward to it. And South Africa would definitely be the perfect place! Adding it to our bucket list now! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂
Author
Your welcome and I hope you get to experience it soon!
Interesting to see the city life of Durban. Looks like some nice scenery there. Those elephants look so majestic. Sad to hear about that rhino, though.
Author
I know it’s awful that these unnecessary deaths are still occurring thanks to the consumer demand for these products.
I have never been to Africa, but I love reading about the parks, reserves, and safaris. I hope that the tourist dollars are being used for conservation, as I’m sure it’s getting harder and harder for the animals to peacefully coexist with humans. I hope someday I’ll get to Durban – I’m especially interested in seeing the hippos up close.
Author
The hippos were amazing and the tour guide knew so much about them! I know that for Thula Thula the money goes into conservation.
I had no idea that you can do so many exciting safaris from Durban. I have only been in safaris in Asia, but it really is an amazing experience to get to observe the animals in their natural environment. And I think the price is quite reasonable. These are the type of activities that are worth every penny
Author
They really are worth every penny, you just can’t get those types of experiences anywhere else.
I love stories about places, like Durban, that are just a little bit farther off the beaten trail and have so much to offer travelers. What a fantastic opportunity to see such magnificent animals. You’ve got me adding this to my list of places to see.
Author
Yeah, I really didn’t know it had so much to offer but I am so glad I got to experience it
Wow, a safari tour and a tour to the crocodiles and hippos I find super exciting. Especially hippos I like ..
I think I would like to do these tours as well.
Susanne
Author
I hope you get the chance to do them all, it was completely worth it!
It must be a bit surreal to be on a boat and just watching hippos passing by?! It looks like you had a great time too
Author
It was a bit surreal and sometimes a little unnerving since hippos kill more people every year than any other animal.
The afro-Indian vibe in Durban sounds like something I’d definitely like to experience. I’ve heard some good things about wildlife travel in Durban, hopefully I can check it out when I’m in that neck of the woods 🙂
Author
I do hope you get the chance!
You’ve seen a ton, without having to do an overnight safari! That’s pretty awesome.
Author
Thank you, the only animal I didn’t see that I wish I could have were the big cats
I had no idea Durban was close to such gorgeous wildlife. I guess I just associate it with sharks. I am incredibly jealous of your hippo boat cruise, I think I have a soft spot for hippos (even though they are actually a little scary. I guess none of them made at you like the elephant lol.
Author
Yeah it’s funny, the hippos are supposedly the most dangerous but it was the elephant that came at us….go figure.
Planning to visit South Africa in July. I have also heard most places in the country is not safe. But your post gave me some much needed confidence 🙂 The wildlife tours look very good. Nice pictures too.
Author
You just need to take precautions, don’t wander around by yourself just get in your car and go where you are going and come back. The tours take care of you and makes the experience so much better! I hope you have a wonderful time!
I have always wanted to go to South Africa and it sounds and looks like you had an amazing time. I would love to do the Hippo and Crocodile Boat Tour that sounds like so much fun and to see Hippo’s in the wild would be a great experience.
Author
It really is an incredible experience and one I think everyone should see!
I love stuff like this! Going on a legitimate safari has always been on my bucket list, and it looks like you had amazing luck with all the animals you saw on these tours. It’s always so much better seeing animals in their natural habitat than locked up in a zoo 🙂 thank you for letting me live vicariously!
Author
I am glad you enjoyed it!
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