The Festive Season in Hluhluwe Big 5 Reserve
Published On: December, 2021
My nephew: “Dear Santa, please may I add a safari to my wish list?”
Have you ever thought about going on a safari on Christmas day? Or around New Year’s Eve? Is it even possible? Yes, you most certainly can! To find out more I decided to take a leisurely drive to Hluhluwe Imfolozi National Park. There are special festivities. And this year, according to reservations, is particularly quiet. Which means you have the whole bush to yourself. According to me, this should then be the best time to visit.
It’s December and the feel of Christmas is in the air. I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries about what it’s like during the festive season in Hluhluwe Game Reserve. To get the real feel of December 2021 in this Big 5 game reserve, you should really experience it for yourself. I took the day off and went on a safari to get the real feel of the festive season in Imfolozi Park. Seeing that Declan had, going on a safari on his Christmas wish list, he received an early Christmas gift from me.
When we drove off into the bush there was a lot of excitement in the car. We joked about who will spot the first animal, which animal will be spotted first, and what we had on our sightings list for the day. Declan’s wish was to see a snake. As he loves reptiles.
But, the question for the day was, should we go left to Imfolozi or right to Hluhluwe? A unanimous decision was made and we’re off towards Hluhluwe Hilltop. We stopped for breakfast at a lush green picnic spot. However, a troop of baboons and their babies surprised us by totally booking out our breakfast spot. So, on this game drive, we had to skip breakfast.
On our festive season safari, we saw the herbivores of the Big 5, nyala, giraffe, and other animals. The sightings of the buffalo, rhino, and elephant were up close. Stunning sightings to say the least. We were told that we missed a lioness by 15 minutes, which was much to Declan’s disappointment.
Would you like to know more about what other animals you can see at Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve? Have a look at our animals’ page.
We had a delicious lunch at Hilltop. With a perfect view of Hluhluwe’s rolling hills and a herd of buffalo taking time out for a siesta. As I sat here a thought crossed my mind. What if I could spend Christmas Day in the park…hmmm. So I enquired about what’s on at Hluhluwe Hilltop on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve? They will be having Christmas lunch for residents at Hilltop but day visitors are also welcome. If you’re interested, here’s what the menu looks like. Bookings are essential. We can assist you with reservations.
We loved the fact that there weren’t many visitors in the park as we had the animals to ourselves. So, we could stay at a sighting for as long as we liked. Declan really enjoyed this because he could practice his photography skills without any disturbance. The weather at Hluhluwe Game Reserve played its part too as it was perfect. It was slightly overcast with a light drizzle at the end of the day. Although this time of year in Zululand is generally quite hot and humid with thunderstorms.
To make an amazing Christmas gift incredibly amazing, all we needed now was a snake. Low and behold at the exit gate Declan got to see a spotted bush snake. And with this sighting, Declan’s day was made. A perfect end to a festive season safari!
Click below on contact us to book your festive season safari.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
