http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , South Africa , KwaZulu Natal , iSimangaliso Wetland Park en-us Fri, 11 Dec 09 12:18:07 +0000 Fri, 11 Dec 09 12:18:07 +0000 Where is Bhanga Nek exactly Well itrsquos definitely not a easy place to find. Basically if you head north along the coast towards the Mozambique border there are a series of estuarine lakes which form part of the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park. Bhanga Nek is the spit of land which separates the sea from the lakes. Itrsquos a very out of the way place with access from Manguzi settlement dow http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-362962.html 01.10.2007 22.45 unsere Reise startet mit einem 10stuendigen Flug nach Johannesburg und dann weiter nach Durban. Es ist 14.00 Uhr wir sind muede und muessen noch unser Mietauto abholen. Leider ist es noch nicht bereit sodass wir zuerst mal warten muessen. Irgendwann kommt es dann ein PickUp mit 4x4 wie gebucht. Schliesslich wollen wir in den Busch da brauchts ein richtiges Auto. Doch die http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-210870.html Hi EverybodyJust wanted to let you know that I am safe and healthy in St. Lucia South Africa. Sorry about not emailing or updating It has been super busy with no internet access and nonstop traveling. Let me give you an update I think I last emailed from Maun... or was it Jo'burg Well... I am going to say it was Jo'burg... So I survived my two nights in Jo'burg. The first night we stayed http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-195962.html St LuciaWe left Swaziland for St. Lucia and made sure we stuck to the main roads although we had a much busier border crossing with big queues. St. Lucia town is a little strip of restaurants shops and hotels. We checked into our flat and met Debbie the crazy dog lover who works in the Stokkiesdraai office. We opened our apartment to find it could sleep 6 and had a lovely view of the wetlands. D http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-190324.html The past 3 days after leaving Kruger on 21 April were spent relaxing in beautiful St. Lucia on the Elephant Coast South Africa's NE coast to the layman. Driving from Kruger to St. Lucia was quite the experiencelots and lots of sugarcane fields people walking hitching and selling pineapples eucalyptus syrup and avocados which apparently grow like weeds cattle goats and sheep grazing http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-152792.html Alright thenhellipnext chapter. I left JoBerg on the morning of February 12th on the Baz bus and headed to Swaziland. I met Kelly on the Baz bus on the way there and she just so happened to be staying at the same hostel as I was. We got there around 630pm checked in and I pretty much just sat around and waited for dinner. Dinner was great I think it was chilli over sugar beanshellip.I real http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-142258.html I've been on safari and I'm still buzzing from it despite having been up since 4.30 this morningI want to be a ranger even more now I've seen so many big game animals in the wild Another one of my dreams came true when 5 minutes after entering the HluhluweUmfolozi Park we drove past a White Rhino munching on the grass right by the side of the road. One of the main reasons I came to South Afr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-138280.html The final destination of our great road trip was the Sodwana Bay Nature Reserve. Apart from being a stunningly beautiful dense forest just off the coast lies a series of coral reefs which make the bay one of the world's top 5 dive sites.We had booked our dives with Coral Divers a beautiful dive lodge in the National Park. Since the 3 of us were doing our dive course we had an included tent acco http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-136422.html St lucia is an beautiful small place just under Swaziland my next stop.Everything is on one street and you can walk that street in 10 mins. Which is cool as i cant get lost.There is a nice beach here but could not find anywhere to hire surfboards At night HIPPOS walk the street so you have keep an eye out for them. The night before I left St Lucia the Hippos came within 30 metres of the hostal http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-134108.html Our teaching course is done and while we wait for our visas and work permits to be approved we decided to spend some time enjoying the beautiful country we're about to leave. And what better way than a road trip. So we packed Sandy my 200 000km old Honda Ballade with a tent dive gear 5 Stellenbosch students and food and our clothing for 12 days. Then we set off along the N2 from Cape Town up http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-133028.html We drive to our fourth destination the Tembe Elephant Park where we were greeted by a very merry bunch of Staff who harmonized beautifully in song to welcome us to the park. While the staff transported our luggage to our room we were seated to enjoy a light lunch of fishcakes calamari and salads.We headed through the bush to our luxurious tentlike chalet which was isolated from all human lif http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-127222.html We left the beautiful Kosi Forest Lodge with reluctance but knew that after 50Km of driving we would be at our next destination Kosi Bay Lodge where we would be spending two nights in a selfcatering chalet.We were welcomed by the manager of Kosi Bay Lodge Charl after our heavy 4 x 4 expedition to reach this lodge. Luckily we were in a car fit for the task for those individuals in non 4x4 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-127220.html Sean and Ali venture north to explore six diverse resorts ranging from isolated ocean regions to exclusive private game parks. Thonga Beach Lodge Kosi Forest Lodge Kosi Bay Lodge Tembe Elephant Park Zulu Nyala Bush Camp Bayete Zulu Boutique LodgeWe began the month of September with the most exciting spring holiday I could ever have dreamed of. Being people that seldom have an opportunity for a va http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-127214.html And so it was time to head south through Swaziland and back into South Africa to a place called St Lucia on the north east coast. St Lucia is in the middle of a nature reserve where a fresh water estuary meets the Indian Ocean. As a result it is home to a massive amount of wildlife. We were told that over 80 of South Africa's crocs and hippos live here so it was our mission to finally get some g http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-111829.html After one night in Durban we arrived via the Baz Bus in St Lucia.Believe us one night was enough imagine Hell but ten times worse. Our Bus didn't stop at Red lights through fear of getting 'CarJacked' or worse and the morning we left somebody got shot in the head at traffic lights and all they stole was his Car.hmmmm......fond memories of Durban all round.........don't go there..........it's Sc http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-96272.html Day 18 and Irsquoll have to say Irsquom getting a bit homesick . I find myself counting the days until we return. It will be very busy the next few days so there will not be any time to think about it. Today was a great time for all I think. Instead of a Safari we loaded up our luggage dropped it off at the ldquotent camprdquo and were off for St. Lucia. We stopped and did some shoppin http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-93854.html Another short trip with Bazza this one our second last and another place that came highly recommended by Dani. St. Lucia and The Greater St. Lucia Wetlands. Set in the midst of a number of eco systems including marine with coral reefs and beaches swamps sand forests and bush velds and the largest estuary in Africa St. Lucia seemed like the perfect place to spend our last few days in S.A. an http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-72397.html Since leaving Durban I have been in St Lucia. No not that St Lucia the South African St Lucia Its a really beautifull place a national park devoted to wetlands with thousands of wild hippo's and crocs.I arrived at Bib's international backpackers on Friday its a lovely friendly place with loads of activities going on. We were given a tour by William and driven around town. We went down to th http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-9035.html The greyhound would only take us to Richards bay and from there we would catch local shared taxiscombis to St Lucia changing in Mtubetube. It was great to finally catch a combi and be crammed into the back seat with the locals. Seeing the people at Richards Bay as we were waiting to leave the buses leave when they are full was great. We started to really feel like we were in a country that had http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/KwaZulu-Natal/iSimangaliso-Wetland-Park/blog-4885.html