Bonamanzi Game Reserve

Bonamanzi Game Reserve is a privately owned, 4,000 hectare Big 4 game reserve and registered Natural Heritage Site just outside Hluhluwe in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, with the Hluhluwe River as its eastern border and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and False Bay at Lake St Lucia on its doorstep. It is widely recognised as one of the finest birding destinations in Southern Africa: sand forest, savanna and wetland habitats hold 408 recorded species, 29 of them on the red data list, with sand forest specials such as African Broadbill, Pink-throated Twinspot, Rudd's Apalis, Neergaard's Sunbird, Narina Trogon, Lemon-breasted Canary and Green Malkoha. A guided drive out onto the neighbouring floodplains adds rarities like Rosy-throated Longclaw alongside waterbirds from Greater Flamingo to African Spoonbill and Great White Pelican, and the viewing deck over the Lalapanzi Dam is made for sundowners. Guided boat cruises on the Hluhluwe River and twilight game drives through the fever tree forest are run by the reserve's rangers, and the main Lalapanzi camp has a restaurant, bar and swimming pool. From the eastern side of the reserve there are magnificent views over False Bay.

Accommodation ranges from Lalapanzi's air-conditioned thatched chalets and combo rooms, through self-catering tree houses and the three-bedroom Tree Lodge on stilts, to private self-catering lodges: Dinizulu Camp with its own pool (sleeps 6), the five-bedroom Game Lodge (sleeps 10) and the nine-bedroom Nyala Lodge (sleeps 18). Caravan and camping sites with private or communal ablutions complete the picture, and the Bundu Rustic Camp (sleeps 28) is available for group bookings on request. A conservation levy of R175 per vehicle per day is payable at the gate and is not included in accommodation rates. Bonamanzi is a BirdLife South Africa affiliated property.