iSimangaliso St Lucia camp — hippos walking through at night, what to know
Back from 5 nights in the bush — here is the full report from East London.
The spot: Walk-in only, no advance booking, and we had it to ourselves mid-week.
Facilities: Basic pit toilets and cold shower only — bring a solar shower bag for comfort.
Wildlife: Heard lion calling two nights — spine-tingling from inside a rooftop tent.
What worked: The Dometic fridge ran the full trip on 164Ah LiFePO4 topped up by 284W solar. Didn't need the generator once.
What to bring: Your own firewood (collecting prohibited in most reserves), minimum 20L water per person for 3 days, and a headlamp — the bush is seriously dark.
Would I go back: Immediately. This is exactly why we overland.
3 Replies
What is the booking lead time for this spot? I have been looking at it for a trip in December and starting to wonder if I have left it too late.
Good tip on the firewood — this catches so many people out. I now carry a 44kg bag of hardwood in the back of the bakkie on every trip. Enough for 5 nights of evening fires without relying on anything available on site.
The wildlife experience matches what we found when we went. The mid-week option is much less crowded and worth adjusting your leave days for.