Things to Do in Bayala

Renowned as a place of great beauty and high contrasts, Mkhuze Game Reserve is also known for its rich birdlife. Situated in northern Zululand, the park forms the north western point of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boasting more than 420 recorded bird species, it is a popular spot for birdwatchers. Two magnificent pans are home to families of hippo, crocodile, pink-backed and white pelicans, as well as numerous waterbirds. The Mkhuze River forms the reserve's northern and eastern borders and supports a lovely stretch of fig forest along its banks. Fish eagles can regularly be seen swooping to catch fish over the pans. Visitors have the chance of spotting black and white rhino, elephant, giraffe, leopard, buffalo, nyala, blue wildebeest, warthog, impala, kudu and smaller antelope. Look out for rare sightings of cheetah, hyena and tiny suni antelope. There is excellent bird and animal viewing opportunities from three hides. A trip to the Zulu cultural village inside the reserve offers an interesting view of the lifestyle and crafts of the KwaJobe community.

Check out the coolest of Africa's cats Just outside Hluhluwe is the only wild cat rehabilitation facility in Zululand, situated on Emdoneni Lodge and Game Farm, a private game reserve with sand forest vegetation. Emdoneni Cat Rehabilitation Centre offers twice-daily educational tours, with informative talks by an experienced guide and feeding during the afternoon. Orphaned or injured wild cheetah, serval, African wildcats and lynx are rehabilitated for release back into their natural habitat where possible.Funding for the project comes from tour fees or an ‘adoption’ programme which allows visitors to contribute to the centre. These funds go directly to veterinary care, feeding, camp and fence maintenance, as well as workers’ salaries. By implementing a system based on donations, it is hoped to improve each cat’s stay at the centre.The aim of the project is to keep as few cats as possible in captivity. Once their numbers increase, suitable animals are released back into the wild.

Established in 1895, wildlife viewing has always been the prime attraction at Hluhluwe, close range sightings made all the more exciting with viewing hides conveniently overlooking waterholes. Today the reserve is part of the greater Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park covering 96 000 hectares and containing an immense diversity of animals, birds and plant life. Home once more to the Big Five, Hluhluwe Game Reserve is also the headquarters of Operation Rhino and is internationally renowned for its white rhino conservation. Hluhluwe makes up the northern section of the park, characterised by undulating hills of savannah vegetation and woodlands. Along with game-viewing drives, there are two self-guided drive routes which give insight into the management and natural history of the park. Highly recommended are the early morning and late afternoon guided walks.

Stretching from the Lebombo Mountains down across the Phongolopoort Dam, Phongolo Game Reserve has much to offer visitors. From a conservation perspective, the reserve contains a large number of special ecosystems and habitats with the unique Golela veld providing an important breeding habitat for rare Suni antelope. Other habitats are the species-rich Lobombo Mountain forests and the Themeda grassveld scattered with knobthorn and maroela trees. Phongolo Game Reserve is home to over 300 bird species and a range of plains game including white rhino, giraffe, blue wildebeest, kudu, impala, nyala, warthog, waterbuck, common and mountain reedbuck and zebra. The dam has large families of hippos, crocodiles as well as numerous fish species. One of these is the tiger fish, a highly desirable catch at fishing competitions taking place here throughout the year. Facilities offer two boat launch sites, a campsite with cold showers, flush toilets and an adjacent picnic site for day trippers. Phongolo Game Reserve lies within a malaria area and visitors are advised to take precautions. Swimming is prohibited in the dam because of crocodiles and hippos. +27 (0) 34 435 1012 Gate Entry Times: Summer 05:00 – 19:00 Winter 06:00 – 18:00.

 Twitcher's take note! TheIgwala Gwala Forest Trail was established by the honorary KZN officers many years ago.Igwala is the Zulu name for Purple Crested Turaco.The trail leads through coastal forest next to the estuary. It is a circular trail on flat ground. Birders should check the ground, mid-stratum and canopy. You can expect White-eared Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Goldentailed Woodpecker, Scalythroated Honeyguide,Yellow breasted Apalis, Rudd's Apalis, Green Malkoha, Southern Boubou, Red-capped Robin-chat, Scrub Robin, Grey Waxbill, Green Twinspot and many more.The trail is about 1.5km and suitable for all ages and fitness levels, even for mothers with prams.Along with being a renowned birding spot, there are regular sightings of Red Duiker, Tree squirrels, the odd Bushbuck, Vervet Monkeys andhippos use the trail at night.The trial connects with a short path leading to the estuary where water birds can be seen.Need to know? The trail is open to all and no bookings required or fees payable. Should there be a problem KZN Ezemvelo must be contacted. Do watch out for the odd low hanging branch and berthing roots. Wear hats and proper shoes, also insect repellent.No bikes, motorcycles allowed and dogs must be on leashes to avoid being shot when they chase wild animals. This trail is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

The gorgeous golden blonde sands of St Lucia Beach stretch as far as the eye can see in both directions. This sub-tropical beach experiences around 300 days of sunshine a year. Not only that, the Indian Ocean is pleasantly warm. Take care when swimming here though as there are rip currents and it is advisable to stay close to shore and avoid rough surf. Heading north on the landward side of the estuary is the beginning of the highest coastal dunes in the world – it’s impressive. To the south is a pleasant stroll to the estuary of the Imfolozi River. Shore-based fishing is very popular along this stretch, mostly for shad.

One of the last pristine and undeveloped wilderness beaches left on the African coastline, Mabibi Beach is a sub-tropical paradise and perfect playground. This magical sandy Maputaland beach is hidden in a sheltered bay surrounded by coastal forest. The crystal clear, warm water offers tranquil swimming, awesome snorkelling on coral reefs and exclusive offshore scuba diving. Situated in the heart of iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly Greater St Lucia Wetland Park), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mabibi is just 25 km north of Sodwana Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Offering four of the Big Five, prolific birdlife and spectacular mountain scenery, Ithala Game Reserve is definitely worth a visit. The park is run by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and features self-guided walking and auto trails, picnic sites, braai facilities, a shop and the award-winning Ntshondwe Camp. Elephant, giraffe, buffalo, white and black rhino can easily be seen in Ithala. Other wildlife to spot includes zebra, mountain reedbuck, blue wildebeest, tsessebe, eland, red hartebeest and smaller antelope. A fantastic way to see the birds, plants and animals is to go on a self-guided walk on any of the routes through the wooded mountainside above Ntshondwe Camp. Ithala is also renowned as the setting for many historic events, including the reign of Shaka, his successive Zulu kings and early gold mining enterprises. Stone Age spears and axe heads dating back 20 000 years have been found here. There is also evidence of a thriving iron industry dating back a few hundred years with numerous smelting sites situated adjacent to deposits of banded ironstone.