South Africa in safari mode: February/March 2026 (page 3 of 9)

Oh wow, you’re really not lucky with the weather...

For that trip, I think it was the only rainy day we had 😉.

If you let us know when you’re planning to travel, we can pick another date or destination.😉

Ugh! In October, I’m heading to... South Africa (around Cape Town and Kruger). I remember your travel journal from around the same time—it seemed like the weather near Cape Town was pretty up and down (between clear blue skies and overcast days)... I’m keeping my fingers crossed

I remember your travel journal around the same time—it seems the weather on the Cape side was pretty changeable (between clear blue skies and overcast)... fingers crossed, Angélique

Yeah, but nothing bothersome, and the sun was often out. We saw Table Mountain in great weather. If you get a chance, the botanical garden is stunning this time of year.

The botanical garden is on the agenda 😎

Table Mountain, maybe (it’ll depend on the weather and the crowds, and might be swapped for Lion’s Head).

Now that’s a wise decision... 😏😏😏

I wonder where (or from whom) this idea came from 😂😂😂

I wonder where (or from whom) this idea came from 😂😂😂

Michel and I are lifelong presidents of the CPVLH, the Committee for the Promotion and Popularization of Lion’s Head 🙂

I’ll have to reread your travel journal then if you’re talking about it 😉

😉

Love this travel idea with friends! I don’t know if there’s still space, but I’m tagging along to follow your travel journal, even if I’m more of a white wine and Amarula person than Savanna 🙂

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Hlane. I’ve booked a night there in July.

In the meantime, I really enjoyed your photos and walks around St Lucia. We loved it 3 years ago, and after cutting it from our next trip’s itinerary, I ended up booking 2 nights to go back. I adore that area.

For Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, I agree. We saw about ten rhinos but not many other animals—and no herds at all. Even the buffalo were in tiny groups of 3 or 4.

Looking forward to the next update! 😎

hey Even if you don’t want my opinion on Hlane, I’m gonna give it to you... if that’s okay? For me, it’s a stopover between the south and Kruger. In my opinion, if you don’t arrive too late, it’s just an overnight stop. The restaurant meals aren’t great... but you can do a braai instead. Watch out—there’s no electricity. You charge your phone at the bar... The accommodations are simple but fine.





3 areas One "open" where you can even walk or go mountain biking One special rhino area... where you can do a ranger-led outing... and during which, normally, you get out of the car to approach rhinos on foot... and that... that’s an unforgettable experience!



(watch out for ticks in this area!!!!) A "Big Five tour"... with a ranger... there are a few elephants and lions...

It’s a small park...

Great atmosphere because there’s space in front of the restaurant... you sit down and watch rhinos *super* close....









I really love it! !

hi Even if you don’t want my opinion on Hlane, I’m gonna give it to you... if that’s okay?

Hi Michel, I’m open to all possible tips! Actually, you’d already given me your opinion in the thread I started: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10798295;a=10798295

But I really appreciate this new, even more detailed opinion, complete with photos. Thanks a lot!

We should arrive at Hlane around noon, coming from St Lucia. So we’ll have the afternoon to do a drive in the park before heading to Kruger the next morning.

Hey everyone!

I’m picking up my travel journal again after neglecting it lately due to lack of time. Thanks to all of you for your contributions—it’s great to be read!

Day 5: Hluhluwe Game Reserve and arrival at Mkhaya Game Reserve (Eswatini)

We woke up at dawn this morning to arrive just after opening at the entrance of Hluhluwe. We slept well and are ready to go, despite the slight disappointment of the previous day at Imfolozi.

Let’s just say we’re keeping our fingers crossed since Imfolozi is supposed to be the more wildlife-rich part.

The welcome committee is impressive: should I go or not? 🙂



Including some baboons a little further on.



We saw very few monkeys during our stay in South Africa—apparently, there used to be many more. Along the roads and trails, we had some amazing encounters, like this large herd of elephants below the main road.







They’re just below another herd of zebras with their young.





We were lucky enough to come across a white rhinoceros mom with her baby. We were all alone—it’s worth noting that the park isn’t very busy in the off-season. We turned off the engine and admired the scene for a good fifteen minutes.



Hluhluwe is truly a beautiful park—quite mountainous and very green at the end of February.

We have to leave Hluhluwe around noon because we need to be at Mkhaya in Eswatini by 4:00 PM.

In just 6 hours, we spotted: 15 white rhinos, a herd of buffalo, a herd of elephants, and another of zebras, baboons, warthogs, impalas, and nyalas.

In short, we’re so lucky!!! Because, just before leaving the park—bingo! 🙂

To the right of the track, 9 white rhinos!





On the left side of the track, a well-occupied mud wallow with a cluster of buffalo and 2 rhinos right in the middle. I didn’t know the two species mingled like that.





There are some really young ones in the group.



Last portraits before heading off to devour a well-earned picnic in the parking lot.





Then we’re off to Eswatini, heading to Mkhaya Game Reserve—a reserve we booked because it specializes in rhinos, which are an endangered species. We had no idea we’d already seen 24 rhinos by then 😏 But no big cats to our credit yet 🤪 The drive and border crossing went smoothly.

Here we are at the meet-up point set for 4 PM in front of a local grocery store. We had booked the 24-hour package with arrival/departure at 4 PM, but there’s also a package with arrival at 10 AM.



We had no issues on the road in Eswatini—the drive was smooth, though you do need to stay alert, like in South Africa, for pedestrians, potholes, and animals on the road. That said, it was lucky we’d printed out the routes we took beforehand because the GPS didn’t work at all in Eswatini (and sometimes in South Africa too).

Our ranger picked us up right on time: there are 12 huts at Mkhaya, but only 4 were occupied during our stay. We were the only French people there.

Why did we choose Mkhaya? Two main reasons: the rhinos, of course, and the camp. The huts are semi-open with half-walls. Basically, you hear all the sounds of nature at night and can see animals wandering in front of your hut. We love it!

The hut is really pretty, spacious, and without electricity (lantern lighting).





As soon as we arrived at the camp, we immediately spotted a rhino and her 18-month-old calf. They’re kept nearby under supervision. The little one is precious—it’s the reserve’s newest arrival.



During our first sunset drive, we only saw guinea fowl 😎





and a group of giraffes with their young.





Back at camp for dinner around a fire. We were treated to a performance of songs and dances by the women of the camp (they’re all women, by the way, except for the rangers). It was a really lovely evening and will be a great memory of our stay in Eswatini, despite our lackluster dancing skills 😏

Adventure and the sounds of nature, sure. But with half-walls 😅 You're brave—I’d be way too scared of creepy-crawly intruders! !

The huts are semi-open with half walls. Basically, you hear all the sounds of nature at night and can see animals wandering in front of your hut. We loved it!

One of my most memorable experiences in South Africa was spending the night in the Mkhaya huts... The feeling of sleeping outdoors, hearing all the sounds of the reserve... But paradoxically, we were more afraid of the small animals (like the ones that climb up the mosquito net ) than the big ones...

Hi Virginie,

Thanks for joining me in SA! 🙂 No need to be brave, I promise. The bed had a mosquito net. The hardest part was getting the big bug out of it at bedtime 😉

Hlane is coming up soon even if I'm not making much progress—it's the next step!

Same here Bruno!

Day 6: Eswatini (Mkhaya and Hlane)

The night was good—too good, actually 😏 We slept like logs. After the evening by the fire, we crashed hard. During the night, I managed to open an eye—or rather, an ear—to listen to the sounds of Mkhaya at night. It was quick but intense 🙂

The rest of the day was filled with several safaris. The reserve seems small. If you're looking for a Noah’s Ark-style reserve, this isn’t the place for you.

We mostly encountered two species, plus a few nyalas, impalas, and a crocodile.

First, white rhinos (we didn’t see any black rhinos, even though there are supposedly some at Mkhaya). From what I remember, at least 7 rhinos in one day. Unlike the ones in South Africa, these all still have their horns. Armed guards patrol the reserve and keep watch. They’re magnificent animals with a really calm demeanor. Though I have to say, we didn’t see them doing much...





And then there were the giraffes—tons of giraffes.

Sometimes, it felt like we were seeing double.



Or even triple.



Always more.



We did a walking safari late in the morning (originally planned for early morning, but it was cut short because it was really hot). It’s really cool to stretch your legs and get up close to the animals.





Walking among giraffes is pretty amazing, even if they’re a bit skittish