South Africa > Hippos in St Lucia Wetlands

We have a light breakfast in our room, which allows us to get up a bit later. However, just before six o’clock, someone knocks on our door to wake us. At first, I think it’s for the neighboring travel group (we have the last room, and ours was changed at the last minute), but later it turns out that everyone is being woken. Three-quarters of an hour later, our alarm goes off and we get up.

South Africa - Safari in St Lucia Wetland Park

I’m not feeling quite myself today—perhaps the salad at yesterday’s buffet didn’t agree with me. At eight o’clock, we drive to St. Lucia, about 80 kilometers away. We head to the entrance of the Saint Lucia Wetlands National Park, where we switch into jeeps. Our guide, Richard, leads us through the large nature reserve, which is full of wildlife as well as beautiful scenery. On either side of the road, we spot impalas, waterbucks, springboks, zebras, and buffaloes. At the lakeside, we take a coffee break, with thermos flasks brought out from the jeep’s trunk. Next, we continue to Cape Vidal Beach within the park. Along the way, we see kudus, and Richard shows us large dung beetles up close.

South Africa - Two kudus in Santa Lucia National Park

Just before reaching Cape Vidal, it starts to drizzle. Extra rain jackets are in the jeep for the spray and the chill. The animals have also taken cover, as we no longer spot any wildlife. At the beach, we walk to a lookout tower. By now it has stopped raining. During the season, you can watch whales from this tower. Although a few whales occasionally swim in the area, the chances of seeing them today are slim—we don’t see any. We walk back barefoot along the shoreline, enjoying the feeling of walking in the surf. We don’t realize that we are late for lunch and that it’s already waiting for us. When we arrive, the picnic lunch is quickly distributed. Above us, monkeys jump through the trees, looking for a chance to grab some food. Due to the time, we head straight back to the park exit. It drizzles occasionally, so the jeep’s top is closed. Just before leaving the park, we spot a rhinoceros with its calf—nice to see some of the larger wildlife. We exit the park and are dropped off in the center of Saint Lucia.

South Africa - A hippo in Santa Lucia National Park

We go to an internet café to send messages home. Logging in doesn’t work at first—probably the IP address is blocked, preventing authentication. At another café, it works, and we quickly send an email. We also buy some food for tonight at the Spar. At exactly 3:45 p.m., we’re back at the bus for a boat trip on the St. Lucia Lake. This lake is the largest in Africa and part of the Saint Lucia Wetlands Nature Reserve. The drizzle has now turned into steady rain. Fortunately, the boat is covered. The lake is home to many hippos and crocodiles, though it is actually too cold for crocodiles to surface much. We see groups of hippos up close, and we do spot a few crocodiles. Along the shore are many special birds, including an osprey and a kingfisher. Various antelopes also stand at the water’s edge near the treeline. It’s a pity it’s raining and relatively cold, because the reserve is stunning. We leave the hippos undisturbed and head back. After two hours, we’re back at the bus to warm up. As dusk falls, the driver takes us back to the campsite.