DURBAN, South Africa, Aug. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Definitely one of the highlights of my trip to South Africa was a visit to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, Africa's oldest park for safaris and conservation of its prized wildlife. It was truly an incredible park. Being the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where the Big Five Game (lions, elephants, leopards, water buffalo, and rhinos) occur, Hluhluwe makes it so easy to spot some of Africa's most famous animals. I was extremely lucky to have been able to witness and observe such creatures and other extraordinary wildlife the park boasts. However, just being able to tour a land rich with such fascinating history was itself such an enormous treat. The region of the park was originally a royal hunting ground for the Zulu kingdom, a dynasty dating back to the Stone Age. If you look hard enough, you can notice little traces of the indigenous populations that once inhabited the area, such as marked rocks or sharpened stones. It wasn't until 1895 that the park was established, back then serving primarily as a haven for the white rhino, an endangered species during that time. I was happy and so surprised to find that the park was practically filled with white rhinos. This was a species I had thought wasn't making a comeback anytime soon. Fortunately, I was very wrong, and it certainly wasn't uncommon to find a mother and baby grazing in the distance. There was even a moment where a couple was only about twenty feet from our car. Scary, but so cool. Here are some photographs from the safari. Enjoy!
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120827/CG62950)
The last two photos above were taken when three giraffes walked single file out of the bush and then proceeded to strut down the dirt road. Easily the one of the coolest moments of the safari (and probably my life). I now possess a relentless obsession with giraffes. Another fantastic moment of the safari actually happened in the middle of the night while we were staying at this authentic little backpackers a few minutes from the game reserve. The place was so awesome. When we arrived the owner was missing, but within the hour he showed up shirtless and with a beer in his hand. The British South African then welcomed us by telling funny stories about how he came about owning this place in the middle of the Zulu countryside. Fast forward about five hours and the entire property and camping site is surrounded by fire. As petrified campers ran out of their rooms and tents to figure out what was going on, the owner explained to my friends and I that the main crop of the land must be burned every year so that it grows back efficiently, and it just so happened that this night someone chose to burn all of it.
Stay tuned for some more entries about my trip to South Africa!
Media Contact: Daniel Dalena, DANIELD, 2012599791, [email protected]
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