Lalapanzi Camp - Bonamanzi Game Park

How far is the nearest town?
The town of Hluhluwe is a 15 minute drive from Bonamanzi. The village has petrol/diesel facilities, banking, a pharmacy and provisions for self-catering guests.

Are there medical services?
The nearest hospital is at Richards Bay, an hour’s drive from Bonamanzi. The nearest medical help is fifteen minutes away in Hluhluwe where a doctor is permanently on call for Bonamanzi Guests.

What about Malaria?
Bonamanzi is located in a low-risk malaria area. All rooms have a cordless plug-in mosquito destroyer.

When is the best time to visit?
Any time of the year is good because Bonamanzi is a true all year round destination. The weather is almost always warm. Hot, humid days are broken by brief rain showers in the summer months of November, December, January and February. Winter months are mild and dry and you can walk around in a T-shirt and shorts during the day.

What about security?
Bonamanzi has trained security guards on duty 24 hours a day. A security boom monitors all vehicles entering the property and the entrance gate to Bonamanzi is locked at night.

How far are other wildlife reserves from Bonamanzi?
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park is renowned for Operation Rhino where the white rhino was saved from extinction. It is a fifteen minute drive to the Memorial Gate entrance to this world-class game park which has all of the Big Five; leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo and lion.
Mkuze Game Reserve is a 62km drive and Tembe Elephant Park up in the northernmost corner of the province, a 2 and a half hour drive away.

How do you pronounce Hluhluwe?
This zulu word derives its name from a thorny rope which is known as iHluhluwe by the Zulus. It is pronounced “Shloo Shloo wee”.

What can you do in the Hluhluwe area?
Bonamanzi borders the False Bay section Lake St Lucia World Heritage Site. This unique network of inland lagoons reaches its widest point at the coral reefs of False Bay. The False Bay park includes a sand forest where plant life grows on an ancient dune ridge resulting from a coastline formed in the crustaceous era about 14 million years ago. False Bay is home to pelican, flamingo, saddlebills, spoonbills, crocodiles and hippo.

Bonamanzi offers walks out onto the Lake St Lucia floodplains and birding boat cruises down the Hluhluwe River.
Close by are living Zulu villages where you can experience the culture, traditions, craft and music of local Zulu people and sample local dishes at well established restaurants. There is a wide variety of top-quality Zulu craft for sale at a number of craft and curio shops. This includes functional art and décor like beadwork, traditional pots, wood-carvings and woven mats. Basket weaving with the Ilala palm and dyes from roots and berries has been revitalized into an art form winning international recognition.