Safari gateway · OriginDurban
Explore this stop →Begin at KwaZulu-Natal's long-distance southern gateway.
Safari Circuit
Elephant Coast Safari Circuit
7 ordered stops6 route legsSouth Africa
Travel north from Durban into the Elephant Coast, moving from St Lucia's estuary and iSimangaliso wetlands to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi's rhino country, Sodwana Bay's coral coast, Tembe's sand forest, and the linked lakes of Kosi Bay.
Wildlife highlights
Elephant
Signature
Rhino
Signature
Buffalo
Common
Lion
Common
Hippopotamus
Signature
Nile Crocodile
Common
Sea Turtle
Signature
Seasonal
Leopard
Possible
Sea Turtle — seasonal: Nesting and hatchling seasons are time-bound.
Follow the Circuit on the mapThe map keeps road and track stages distinct, with gateway towns and Safari Places clearly marked.
Road / trackSafari PlaceGateway Home Base
The Circuit, stop by stop
Open each park or gateway for its wildlife, seasonality, access, and nearby Safari geography.
Safari gateway · Service stopSt Lucia
Explore this stop →Use St Lucia for separate exploration of the estuary, lake, and iSimangaliso's southern sections.
Safari Place · Place / visitHluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
Explore this stop →Arrive through Memorial Gate, then choose any park drive around current gate times and conditions.
Safari gateway · Service stopSodwana Bay
Explore this stop →Shift from inland wildlife country to the coral coast and marine habitats of Sodwana Bay.
Safari Place · Place / visitTembe Elephant Park
Explore this stop →Arrive at Tembe's entrance and follow current guidance for the sandy internal tracks.
Safari gateway · Service stopManguzi
Explore this stop →Use Manguzi to resupply and confirm conditions for the separate Kosi Bay access areas.
Safari Place · DestinationKosi Bay
Explore this stop →Continue to Kosi Bay Rest Camp; plan the estuary mouth and other shores as separate outings.
How the route joins up
Travel times and access inside protected areas vary with weather, water, park rules, and track conditions. Confirm current guidance locally.
Durban → St Lucia
Follow the N2 north and allow extra time for urban traffic, stops, and the final turn toward the estuary.
St Lucia → Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
Use the public-road approach to Memorial Gate for the northbound progression; check gate times before departure.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park → Sodwana Bay
Continue through the Hluhluwe and Mbazwana road corridor; internal park drives depend on current gate times and conditions.
Sodwana Bay → Tembe Elephant Park
Turn inland from the coast and stop at Tembe's public entrance; current sand and rain conditions govern travel inside.
Tembe Elephant Park → Manguzi
Return to the regional road and continue east to the northern service gateway.
Manguzi → Kosi Bay
This road leg stops at the rest camp; other lake shores and the estuary mouth require their own current access plan.
Related Safari Circuits
Compare this route with other distinct Safari geographies in South Africa.
Addo & Eastern Cape Safari Circuit
Travel from Gqeberha through Paterson to Addo Main Camp, cross the main game area on the park's visitor road, and finish at Matyholweni beside Colchester and the lower Sundays River.
Follow this Safari Circuit →Great Limpopo Transfrontier Safari Circuit
Follow the real Great Limpopo geography from Phalaborwa and Kruger's Letaba region through Giriyondo to Limpopo National Park and Massingir, then make the long external-road transfer through Mozambique to Sango and Gonarezhou's Mabalauta sector.
Follow this Safari Circuit →Kgalagadi Transfrontier Safari Circuit
Travel from Upington to the shared Twee Rivieren/Two Rivers entrance, follow the dry Nossob valley north, and use the documented four-wheel-drive route through Bosobogolo to Mabuasehube before exiting toward Tsabong.
Follow this Safari Circuit →Kruger & Lowveld Safari Circuit
Travel east from the Highveld into Mpumalanga's Lowveld, climb the western escarpment to Blyde River Canyon, descend through Graskop and Hazyview, and enter Kruger at Skukuza. A visit to Sabi Sand can be added as a nearby extension.
Follow this Safari Circuit →