3 Best Sights in The Elephant Coast, Durban and KwaZulu-Natal

More than 100 square km (39 square miles) of pristine wilderness on the perennial Mkhuze River are the attraction at this private reserve, where habitats range from rocky hillsides to thick bushveld, tamboti forests to broad wetlands. AmaKhosi has all of the Big Five, in addition to wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, and a variety of antelopes, including the shy nyala. Most animals have been reintroduced, with the exception of leopards, which remain secretive and very difficult to spot. Hundreds of birds, however, are much easier to see.

Try something really special—after a day spotting big game, join a guided frogging safari at night. Armed with a lighted miner's helmet, you'll discover a whole new exciting amphibian world. The reserve is 40 km (21 miles) south of Pongola.

Just south of town, the lagoon formed by the confluence of the Mzingazi and Mhlatuzi rivers has populations of hippos, crocodiles, monkeys, fish, and eagles. In 1935, 1,198 hectares (2,961 acres) of the lagoon was saved from development and named the Richards Bay Game Reserve. It is particularly important as a bird habitat, with more than 300 documented species, and offers permanent hides from which you can watch wading birds on the tidal flats and swamp wetlands.

Wildlife—and amazing birdlife—abounds in this 400-square-km (154-square-mile) reserve in the shadow of the Ubombo Mountains. Lying between the uMkhuze and Msunduzi rivers, it makes up the northwestern spur of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site. It has been a protected area since 1912.

If you're a birder, then you'll find yourself in seventh heaven: more than 420 bird species have been spotted here, including myriad waterfowl drawn to the park's shallow pans in summer. Several blinds, particularly those overlooking Nsumo Pan, offer superb views. Don't miss out on the amazing 3-km (2-mile) walk through a spectacular rare forest of towering, ancient fig trees. This is a good place to spot rhinos and elephants, although lions, cheetah, and leopards are much harder to find. However, there's is plenty of other game, including hippos, zebras, giraffes, kudus, and nyalas.