The Elephant Coast

Home to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and some of the best dive sites in the world.

The Elephant Coast is a wild and wonderful stretch in the northern reaches of KwaZulu-Natal. Best known for its natural beauty and incredible wildlife, visitors to the region can enjoy gems like the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Sodwana Bay and many other game reserves. The Coastal stretch from St Lucia to the Mozambican border is a veritable Eden where adventure seekers can find some of the most pristine stretches of coastline in the world.

Adventure guides for the Elephant Coast

Check out these detailed adventure guides based on our personal experiences on the Elephant Coast and the surrounding areas.

Scarborough beach near Cape Town.
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Cape Town to Durban [Road trip guide]

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Jill checking out the coastline near Mission Rocks
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12 things to do in St Lucia [2024 update]

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Bevan Lake St Lucia Estuary
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iSimangaliso Wetland Park: An introduction to the Southern Section

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ndumo game reserve sycamore trees
Adventure GuideKwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa

Ndumo Game Reserve

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Bevan at the pool in Sodwana Bay
Adventure GuideKwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa

Sodwana Bay corals and coastal adventures

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kosi bay lake in the evening
Adventure GuideKwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa

Kosi Bay Slackpacking Trail

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KwaZulu-Natal road trip valley of a thousand hills
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The perfect KwaZulu-Natal road trip [A first-timer’s guide]

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Snorkeling the Kosi Mouth Aquarium
Adventure GuideKwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa

Snorkel Aquarium Reef at Kosi Bay

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Bevan crossing the uMkhuze river into the Fig Forest
Adventure GuideKwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa

Mkhuze Game Reserve: Hike a 900-year-old Fig forest

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Locating the entrance to Bat Cave.
Adventure GuideKwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa

Hike to Bat Cave in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park [Guide]

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A herd of buffalo make their way to the river in Hluhluwe
Adventure GuideKwaZulu-NatalSouth Africa

5 unforgettable game reserves in KZN

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Book an adventure on the Elephant Coast

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iSimangaliso Wetland Park

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Map of the Elephant Coast

  • Kosi Bay
  • Sodwana Bay
  • Ndumo Game Reserve
  • uMhuze Game Reserve
  • iSimangaliso Wetland Park
  • St Lucia

Towns and regions on the Elephant Coast

Traditional fishing traps in the Kosi Bay estuary

Kosi Bay

A view of Jesser Point in the evening at Sodwana Bay

Sodwana Bay

Jill walking on the beach at St Lucia

St Lucia

FAQ

The Elephant Coast is named after the large herds of African Elephants that live in the region – from the “Big Tuskers” of the Tembe Elephant Park to the large herds in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve, there are a lot of elephants around these parts.

St Lucia is home to a relatively small herd of elephants (by KwaZulu-Natal standards). The elephants seem to prefer the Western Shores section of the iSimagaliso Wetland Park, which is somewhat drier than the Eastern Shores section with vegetation more common in savanna areas.

Most of the southern sections of the elephant coast are in a low risk malaria zone, however, the closer to the Mozambican border you go, the higher the risk becomes – especially on the coast and in the bush.

If you’re concerned about contracting malaria, be sure to wear clothing that covers your body in the evening, use natural insect repellents and ask your doctor to prescribe a prophylactic medication.

© Stray Along The Way

© Adventure Mania

© Stray Along The Way

© Stray Along The Way

© Stray Along The Way

© Stray Along The Way

© Stray Along The Way

© Stray Along The Way

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