The town of Hluhluwe is considered to be the hub of tourism in KwaZulu-Natal. This charming town on the banks of the Hluhluwe River has tourism as its principal industry, as it acts as a perfect base for visitors to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve and iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The town is named after the thorny rope climber plant (Dalbergia Armata) which is found among the forest vegetation types in Hluhluwe Game Reserve. The Zulu name for this plant is umHluhluwe.
The intesive agricultural of timber, sugar and pineapples in the area has the town as its centre. Hluhluwe produces over 90% of South Africa's queen pineapples. Other agricultural crops include sugar cane, sisal, cotton, tomatoes and chillies.
Hluhluwe Accommodation options are mainly in the form of game lodges, but a variety of accommodation types are on offer; spread throughout the town and district.
The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is known internationally for its conservation efforts. Besides the Big Five (rhino, elephant, leopard, lion and buffalo), there is an astonishing variety of wildlife to ensure a fascinating encounter for the visitor.
The park is also home to the largest population of the southern white rhino largely due to the successful conservation drive which ensured that extinction was averted.
Criss-crossing the park are many small rivers and streams which are tributaries of the Hluhluwe and the Black and White Imfolozi.
Weekend wilderness trails, such as the The Base Camp Trail or Short Wilderness Trail, are popular where up to 12 people are accompanied by an experienced ranger. Accommodation in the park is offered in the acclaimed Hilltop Camp with the Mpila Camp a very popular alternative.
There are more than 300 species of birds to be found here, fish eagle, kingfishers, herons, ox-pecker and vultures to name but a few.
