St Lucia scenery and activities

We spent two nights in the remarkable wetland region of St Lucia, one of South Africa’s great natural treasures and a place I had wanted to visit for many years. Renowned for its huge hippo population, rich birdlife, estuary and coastal wilderness, it more than lived up to expectations. For us, it was a wonderful mix of wildlife, beautiful scenery, and the relaxed atmosphere of a small town built around one of Africa’s most extraordinary natural environments.

Map of places visited

St Lucia estuary boardwalk and beach
 

The first thing we did was head to the estuary boardwalk for a walk through the wetlands.The highlight was seeing an African fish eagle soaring overhead — always such a magnificent and unmistakable sight. Afterwards, we drove to the nearby beach for a swim, enjoying the warm Indian Ocean and the relaxed coastal atmosphere.

Boat trip

In the afternoon, we went on a sunset boat trip on the estuary. Choosing a smaller, more intimate boat turned out to be a fantastic decision and made the whole experience feel far more personal and relaxed. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. We saw hippos, crocodiles, monitor lizards and kingfishers at close range, while our guide, Heynie, was both highly knowledgeable and wonderfully entertaining throughout. The standout moment was an incredible close-up sighting of an African finfoot — a bird that is usually extremely secretive and difficult to see.

As the trip drew to a close, the estuary was bathed in the most beautiful golden light. Watching a sublime African sunset with hippos silhouetted in the foreground was one of those unforgettable moments that perfectly captured the magic of St Lucia.

Cape Vidal beach

During our full day in St Lucia, we drove through the beautiful iSimangaliso Wetland Park to Cape Vidal. There was a run taking place through the park that day, so we left a little later than planned and had great fun shouting encouragement to some of the tail-end runners from the car as we drove along. The drive itself was wonderful, passing through lush coastal bush and wetland scenery with plenty of wildlife along the way. At Cape Vidal, we had a lovely swim in the warm, clear water and spent time soaking up the spectacular coastal setting.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is an enormous protected coastal wilderness area made up of wetlands, estuaries, lakes, coastal forest and beaches. As we drove through the park, we took a number of detours to explore different sections, stopping often to admire the expansive views across the pans and estuaries. The scenery was remarkably beautiful, with wide open wetlands, calm water, reed beds and coastal vegetation stretching in every direction. It was easy to see why the area is regarded as one of South Africa’s great natural treasures.

Mission Rocks

On the way back, we stopped at Mission Rocks, a beautiful stretch of rugged coastline within iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The combination of rocky shoreline, rolling surf and unspoilt coastal scenery made it a wonderful place to pause and take in the wild beauty of the area before heading back to St Lucia.

A night in Sodwana Bay

We spent a night in the small coastal town of Sodwana Bay, famous for its scuba diving and coral reefs. That was what drew Antony there. Even though we only stayed briefly, the place had a relaxed tropical feel, with warm ocean air and a very different atmosphere to the bushveld we had come from. Here, the Indian Ocean replaced game reserves and savannah as the main attraction.

We stayed in a lovely lodge amongst the coastal vegetation, with an excellent restaurant that became one of the highlights of the stopover. After long days of travelling and wildlife viewing, it was great to settle in, enjoy a good meal, and unwind in the laid-back atmosphere of Sodwana.

View from the lodge restaurant

The main beach

Jo, Ant and I headed down to the main beach at Sodwana Bay for a swim and were immediately struck by how gorgeous the water was — warm, clear and inviting in that unmistakably Indian Ocean way. The beach itself was full of energy and activity. An endless procession of fishing boats came charging up onto the sand at remarkable speed so the fishermen could quickly disembark, creating a dramatic spectacle against the backdrop of the surf and dunes.

What made it even more fascinating was the sheer scale of the operation. Massive tractors rumbled backwards and forwards across the beach, hauling the boats in and out of the water with impressive efficiency. It was a wonderfully interesting place to watch and soak in the atmosphere, even if it was not the most peaceful beach experience I’ve ever had. Between the engines roaring, boats racing ashore and tractors grinding across the sand, there was always something happening.

Fishing boats ramping up on the beach at great speed so people could disembark

Chilling at the lodge where Antony did his diving refresher course

Beautiful art at the lodge celebrating sea life

Walking down to the beach at the lodge in the afternoon

In the afternoon, Antony and I walked from the lodge down to the nearby beach while Jo relaxed at the pool. The path down was quite steep but worth it once we reached the beach. It was a beautiful stretch of coastline with massive sand dunes and a very wild feel to it.

The weather was not exactly ideal though. A strong wind was blowing and the sand was whipping against our legs the whole time. We went for a short walk along the beach and took in the scenery, but the gale made it hard to stay there for too long, so we headed back fairly quickly.

Jo and I frolicking on the beach in the gorgeous morning light

The next morning, Antony headed off early for a dive while Jo and I enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the lodge, included in our stay. Afterwards we went down to the beach and I could hardly believe it was the same place. The wind had disappeared, the ocean was calm, and the light was absolutely perfect for photography.

Jo and I ended up having one of the most fun and special times of the whole trip. We spent ages running and leaping down the huge dunes, taking jumping shots, portraits and all sorts of playful photos. The beach was stunning and there was such a feeling of freedom and joy about the morning. What made it even more meaningful was sharing it with my wonderful sister. We both love photography, adventure and not taking ourselves too seriously, and that morning captured all of that perfectly. It was genuinely one of the highlights of the entire trip.