About St. Lucia

St Lucia is one of the most beautiful, yet unexplored places to visit in South Africa. It used to be a fishing village, but gained its popularity as a tourist destination when it got listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its wild variety of wildlife reserves including Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game reserve, which is the oldest park in Africa. St. Lucia features amazing attractions, pristine sandy beaches, a range of accommodation options and unique restaurants. The destination features wildlife species such as crocodiles, hippos, elephants in the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park and The Elephant Coast in KwaZulu Natal. If you are looking for an unforgettable wildlife experience, you should probably visit St. Lucia.

The Elephant Coast

The Elephant Coast is a very special slice of Africa, incorporating the World Heritage Site of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, formerly known as The Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park.

This coastline, including the surrounding big 5 (Elephant, Rhinoceros, Buffalo, Leopard and Lion) game reserves, is known as the Elephant Coast. It is in this setting that St. Lucia, known as the gateway to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, is situated.

St. Lucia has more than 300 sun-filled days a year and the Indian Ocean is warm all year. Often the winter in St. Lucia has been compared to a good summer in northern Europe.

The sighting and cry of the majestic African Fish Eagle is something you can witness from the privacy of African Ambience Guest House. Residents are greeted with these sightings and sounds as an everyday occurrence.

The birdlife aboard the Hippo & Crocodile Boat safari offers an opportunity to see Fish Eagles at close range.


The isiMangaliso Wetland Park


The 38,000ha of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park of lake, islands and estuary, incorporates a variety of habitats ranging from the Lebombo mountains to grasslands, forests, wetlands, mangroves and vegetated dunes, with magnificent beaches and coral reefs.

Nearby golden unspoiled beaches are parts of the Sun, Sea, Sand and Safari options offered all in one area. The opportunity to laze and sunbathe on these beaches and enjoy some wildlife exploration within minutes apart is what sets the area apart as a special destination.

The park protects five distinct but interconnected ecosystems:

  • The Marine Ecosystem - Coral reefs and rocky and sandy beaches.
  • The Eastern Shores - Barrier between lake and sea.
  • The Mkuze Swamps - Pans and papyrus.
  • Lake St. Lucia - The largest Estuary in Africa.
  • The Western Shores - An old marine shoreline.