Walking with Wildlife in South Africa

Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, set on the high-altitude plateau known as the Highveld. Once the center of the country's gold rush, Johannesburg is now a bustling metropolis and a gateway to some of southern Africa's most celebrated wildlife destinations. Your journey begins here before heading east to KwaZulu-Natal, home to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

There, Africa's oldest game reserve played a pivotal role in bringing the southern white rhino back from the brink of extinction. Today, its grasslands, wooded hills and river valleys shelter both white and black rhinos, elephants, buffalo, giraffes and predators including lions, leopards and endangered African wild dogs. In the days ahead, you'll explore wildlife research routes closed to regular visitors, searching for animals, interpreting tracks and contributing observations to the park's official wildlife census.

Tonight, meet your Expedition Leader and fellow travelers over a welcome dinner, with a briefing on the journey ahead.

This morning, fly from Johannesburg to Richards Bay on South Africa's eastern coast, then continue by road into Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. The journey takes us into KwaZulu-Natal's rolling hills and savanna.

Established in 1895, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi became a center for pioneering rhino conservation efforts that helped restore southern white rhino populations. Today, the reserve remains an important stronghold for endangered black rhinos, alongside elephants, buffalo, giraffes and an array of predators.

Visit the game capture museum to learn about the park's pioneering wildlife relocation efforts, then see the bomas, enclosed areas used to temporarily hold animals during capture and relocation operations. You'll also meet the research team and discover how the observations you'll gather on foot contribute to the park's long-running wildlife census.

Dinner tonight is at Hilltop Restaurant, overlooking the reserve's wooded hills and valleys. Tomorrow, you'll begin learning the skills needed to explore this wildlife-rich landscape on foot.

Spend two days preparing to explore Big Five habitat on foot. Experienced field rangers introduce essential bush safety protocols, including how to respond to encounters with elephants, rhinos, buffalo and large predators.

Develop your wildlife identification skills, recognizing animals by their appearance, tracks and behavior. Practice scanning the vegetation for movement and interpreting signs that reveal which animals have passed through.

You'll also train with GPS units, rangefinders that measure the distance to wildlife and other research equipment, learning how to document sightings for the park's official census. By the end of your training, you'll be ready to put these skills to work on the research transects ahead.

Over the next eight days, venture into the bush one-on-one with an experienced field ranger, following research transects—designated wildlife survey routes—inaccessible to regular visitors. Travel through Hluhluwe-iMfolozi's grasslands, thornveld and river valleys, scanning for movement, listening for animal calls and reading tracks along the way. Look for white and black rhinos, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and antelope, keeping watch for lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and endangered African wild dogs.

When wildlife appears, identify the species, count individuals and observe their behavior. Use GPS equipment and a rangefinder to record each sighting's location and distance, along with vegetation and weather conditions. Your observations contribute to the park's official wildlife census, helping ecologists monitor populations and understand how animals use different habitats.

Mornings are devoted to wildlife surveys on foot, while afternoons and evenings bring guided game drives and sundowners. Depending on the day's plans, you may also explore additional hiking routes or visit scenic viewpoints. During the dry winter season, thinner vegetation improves visibility, while animals gathering near permanent water sources offer excellent opportunities to watch and photograph them.

Your two camps offer very different perspectives on life inside the reserve. At Hilltop Camp, take in sweeping views over the Black Umfolozi River valley, where nyala, warthogs and bushbuck are often seen nearby. At secluded, unfenced Gqoyeni Bush Lodge, reserved for your group, elephants, buffalo and other wildlife may wander close to camp.

Between surveys, discuss your observations with the research team and enter field data. On your final evening in the park, enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers.

After breakfast, bid farewell to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and the rangers and researchers who have guided your time in the field. Travel by road to Richards Bay for your flight to Johannesburg, where you'll connect with your flights home.