Richards Bay Big 5 Safari: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park tour

Eight hours in an open reserve where rhinos were brought back from extinction

This eight to ten hour safari tour operates in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, where you ride in a closed SUV with a guide searching for Big 5 wildlife, endangered Wild Dogs and cheetahs across either the iMfolozi or Hluhluwe side of the reserve depending on recent sightings. The tour includes hot drinks and breakfast rusks, lunch with meat and salad selections, snacks and water. Hotel pickup is included and the guide speaks English. No sightings are guaranteed since the animals are completely wild.

Step-by-step itinerary

Big 5 Safari in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

• Drive around the reserve in SUV
• Search for Big 5 and smaller wildlife
• Learn about wildlife biome and flora
• Explore either iMfolozi or Hluhluwe side

The experience

You spend eight to ten hours in a closed SUV with a guide who knows where wildlife has been spotted recently and will navigate either the iMfolozi or Hluhluwe side of the park based on that intelligence. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is the oldest proclaimed national park in Southern Africa and the place where rhino populations were rescued from extinction in the 1960s. The drive is built around searching for the Big 5 plus Wild Dogs, cheetahs and smaller animals, and the guide explains why the reserve matters as a wildlife biome while you take in the landscape and flora.

Breakfast and hot drinks come early, then a lunch break with meat and salad selections and fresh bread partway through the day. You get two bottles of water per person and a snack pack, with soft drinks available at lunch. The vehicle is closed, which means you stay comfortable while watching animals in their everyday routines across the vast landscape. Because the animals are completely wild, sightings are not guaranteed: what you see depends on where the wildlife happens to be that day.

What’s included

• Hot drinks and breakfast rusks.
• two bottles of water per person.
• soft drinks and lunch with meat and salad selections plus fresh bread.
• a snack pack.
• closed SUV transport with a guide.
• hotel pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 12 Feb 2027

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Under 16: can't be booked

GroupUp to 7 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by The Little Bush Baby Company

Is this one for you?You ride in a closed vehicle with a guide, so you stay comfortable while watching wildlife in its natural habitat: a good fit if you want the animals without the heat and exposure of an open-air safari. The guide's knowledge of recent sightings shapes the route each day, which means the experience adapts to where the Big 5 and Wild Dogs are actually moving, rather than following a fixed path.

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Top questions

What animals am I likely to see on this safari?

The tour searches for the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo) plus endangered Wild Dogs, cheetahs and other African wildlife. Since the animals are completely wild and roaming free, sightings are not guaranteed and depend on where they are on the day you visit.

How does the guide decide which side of the park to explore?

Recent wildlife sightings dictate whether the guide takes you to the iMfolozi side or the Hluhluwe side of the reserve, so the route changes based on where animals have been spotted most recently.

What meals and drinks are included during the eight to ten hours?

The tour includes hot drinks and breakfast rusks at the start, two bottles of water per person throughout the day, a lunch break with meat and salad selections plus fresh bread, soft drinks available at lunch, and a snack pack.

What is the minimum age to join this safari?

The minimum age is 16 years old. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels.