South Africa

Pronounced "Shu-shlu-wee", the game park at Hluhluwe has played a large part in bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction. It is located in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, and its full name is Hluhluwe-Umfolozi because it is really two game parks joined together.

We were based at the Bushlands Lodge Hotel which is very close to the park. Starting early in the morning, our party was divided amongst several modern, comfortable four-wheel-drive, open-sided vehicles. The seating was high above the driver, so there was a good view all round. We also benefited from the absence of windows and the fold-down windscreen, which meant that photographs did not have to be shot through glass.

For several hours we toured the park spotting exotic animals, birds and plants, assisted by our guide who was in radio contact with the other vehicles. Animals included giraffe, rhino, elephant, hippopotamus, nyala, impala, zebra, buffalo, minator, waterbuck and warthog.

It really was an amazing experience to see these creatures in the wild, almost oblivious to our presence.

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