Hluhluwe-iMfoloziThis is where the rhino was saved, and all of the Big Five live here.

The Ezemvelo brochure 2023/24 gives 280 ZAR per adult and 140 ZAR per child under 12 per day; South Africans and SADC citizens pay half. Tour operators report 300 and 150 ZAR respectively since 1 November 2025; a current official price list is not available online at present. Community levy and rescue levy are included in the price.

Around three hours for around 240 to 250 km on the N2, which is also what Ezemvelo states. Nyalazi Gate in the south is the nearest gate from Durban; Memorial Gate in the north lies 14 km off the N2 near the village of Hluhluwe.

Yes, the park is open to self-drivers. Speed limit 40 km/h, mostly gravel roads, an ordinary car is enough outside the rainy season. Getting out is only allowed at designated places.

Lions live in the park but are not reliably seen on a single day trip. Rhinos, elephants, buffalo, giraffes and zebras are considerably more likely. Leopards are rare.

Yes, in your own car or on a booked tour. Ezemvelo game drives are allowed from age 3, guided walks only from 12 or 13. The day tour from Durban lasts 12 to 13 hours, which is long for small children.

The German Federal Foreign Office classes the park as a low-risk area all year round. Protection against mosquito bites is a must; whether prophylaxis is needed is a question for travel-medicine advice.

May to September: dry, cooler days around 21 °C, sparse vegetation and animals at the waterholes. Summer is hot, rainy and green; then birds and young animals are the attraction.

The Kruger is around twenty times larger at 19,485 km² and lies near Johannesburg, not Durban. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi can be reached as a day trip from Durban, has all of the Big Five and a high rhino density, but fewer species and road kilometres. From Durban, Hluhluwe is the only realistic Big Five day trip.

According to the Ezemvelo brochure October to March 05:00 to 19:00, April to September 06:00 to 18:00; Hilltop Camp pages give November to February and March to October respectively. Memorial, Nyalazi and Cengeni Gate have the same times.

Hilltop Camp lies on a hill in the north and is the main camp: restaurant, shop, fuel station, chalets and rondavels, pool for overnight guests only. Day visitors use the restaurant and toilets; an overnight stay cost from 870 ZAR in 2023/24 (2-bed rondavel).