There are places in Africa where nature still reigns supreme, where the wild flows uninterrupted from the bush to the beach, and where the pulse of biodiversity beats stronger than almost anywhere else on Earth. iSimangaliso Wetland Park is one such place—a UNESCO-listed wonderland of shimmering lakes, ancient sand dunes, and primeval coastal forests, home to hippos, turtles, whales, and everything in between.

I found the region a landscape of contrasts.

Located in South Africa’s northern KwaZulu-Natal province, stretching over 3,280 square kms, forming one of Africa’s largest protected wetland and coastal systems. The park extends 220 kms along the Indian Ocean, from the Mozambique border in the north to Maphelane in the south, encompassing a breathtaking mosaic of ecosystems.

The coastline is a spectacle of untouched beauty—offering wild golden beaches, shifting 30,000 year-old dunes rising to 180 meters high, and never-ending crashing surf. Further out to sea, coral reefs teem with marine life. If you are lucky during the season (June to November) you might see migrating humpback whales breach the horizon, and pods of dolphins riding the surf. A testament to the park’s rich marine biodiversity.

The waves crash against rugged headlands, while secluded bays provide nesting sites for endangered leatherback and loggerhead turtles (November to March), which have been laying their eggs here for millennia.

Inland, a vast network of estuaries, lakes, and swamps creates a water-world of extraordinary ecological diversity. The beating heart of the park, Lake St. Lucia, is Africa’s largest estuarine system, stretching 80 kms and sustaining over 800 hippos and 1,200 crocodiles. The lake’s waters fluctuate between salt and freshwater, fostering a dynamic ecosystem that supports over 526 bird species, including pelicans, flamingos, fish eagles, and the elusive African finfoot.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a biodiversity powerhouse, home to an astonishing 6,500 species of flora and fauna, making it one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the world. The park’s terrain shifts dramatically from coastal forests and savannah to grasslands and freshwater pans, each habitat hosting its own unique wildlife.

I love the diversity of iSimangaliso, as the inland floodplains and woodlands provide refuge for elephants, rhinos, buffalos, and, as I was told, elusive leopards. While smaller species such as red duikers, nyalas, and reedbucks roam the thickets. The park is also one of the few places in the world where one can witness hippos wallowing in estuarine waters by day and grazing on coastal dunes by night.

Botanically, iSimangaliso is just as remarkable. The park boasts over 2,000 plant species, including ancient cycads, rare sand forest flora, and lush mangrove swamps that provide vital breeding grounds for marine and bird life. Towering fig and fever trees line the waterways, while wild date palms and fynbos flourish across the dunes and savannahs.

Furthermore, iSimangaliso Wetland Park is more than a modern-day, post-apartheid conservation success story—it is an immersive, untamed wilderness where nature remains beautifully unpredictable. Whether you are drifting through hippo-filled estuaries, tracking elephants through coastal forests, or snorkelling with whale sharks in Sodwana Bay, every corner of this extraordinary park offers a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the wild.

This is Africa at its most raw, its most magical—a place where nature writes the rules, and every visit is a new discovery. I was hugely impressed and urge you to build it into any itinerary in this region.