Mkhuze to Makakatana
Although Mkhuze Game Reserve is not officially included within the World Heritage Site boundary, it does form an integral part of the park.
Any visit to St Lucia should include a detour into Mkhuze to get a rounded sense of the different habitats, including the Lebombo Mountains.
The park offers better general game viewing than the wetland and some of the finest birding in South Africa; look out for specials such as southern banded snake eagle, African broadbill, pink-throated twinspot and Neergaard’s sunbird. In addition, it has some excellent hides, notably at the fever-tree-skirted Nsumo Pan and at Kubube and Kumasinga. These are perched right over the water and are a photographer’s delight, particularly in the dry season.
By Justin Fox