St. Lucia

COLT invites you to encounter Africa's most exciting wildlife, to immerse yourself into the famous Zulu culture, to have an exciting adventure in the Drakensberg, and to assist the local community as a volunteer in this four-week expedition in South Africa's famous Kwazulu-Natal.

Recently declared as South Africa’s first Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park is a stunning and ecologically diverse area. As five different eco-systems join in the area, you find savannahs, wetlands, swamps, beaches, and a great wealth of wildlife. During the first week of the expedition, you explore this beautiful area, and encounter a great variety of impressing animals.

Expedition Information

Location:

Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Expedition length:

28 days

Age limit:

Minimum 18 years of age, unless accompanied by an adult

Fitness required:

A reasonable level of fitness is required

No of pax:

Minimum of 3 people for expedition to run

Expedition Fee:

£ 2,099.00

Week 1 - Wildlife Expedition in the St. Lucia Area

Highlights

Big 5 game drives in three national parks
Walking safaris in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park
Snorkeling in the beautiful Cape Vidal area
Ocean boating trips in search of dolphins, whales, sea and turtles

Basic Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer from Durban International Airport to St. Lucia. After a general orientation, you will go on a boat cruise on the St. Lucia Estuary in search of crocodiles and hippo’s.
Day 2: Day trip to the beautiful Hluhluwe and Umfolozi National Parks, where you may encounter animals such as elephants, rhino’s, Leopards, wild dogs and lions during game drives, both during the day and at night. You will stay overnight in a tented camp in the middle of the park.
Day 3: You will start the day with a walking safari, followed by another game drive. You will be back in St. Lucia at dinnertime.
Day 4: Beach activities day at Cape Vidal. You can go snorkeling, do nature walks in the coastal area, or simply chill out on the beach.
Day 5: Day trip to Mkuze Game Reserve and Endoneni Cat Rehabilitation Center. In the morning, you will enjoy a game drive in the Big Five Game Reserve, followed by a visit to Endoneni in the afternoon. The center takes care of orphaned or injured cheetahs, servals, caracals, and African wildcats. You will get an up close look at these rarely sited African cats.
Day 6: Water adventure day. In the morning, you will go out on a sea trip in search of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles. In the afternoon, you will go kayaking on the estuary to view some of the 1200 hippos and hundreds of crocodiles as well as general game and fantastic birdlife.
Day 7: Free day to do any activities of your choice. You may choose to go deep sea fishing, to go on a horse riding, diving or to take another trip to the beach.

Accommodation and Meals

St. Lucia: you will stay in our lovely two-story house in the middle of town. The house has a large lounge, a swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, and a garden. You will share a bedroom with between one and four people. Your meals will be cooked for you, and there is a laundry service. Hluhluwe/Umfolozi National Park: You will stay in a simple but comfortable east African style tented camp in the middle of the national park.

Week 2 - Cultural Zulu Week (Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow)

The second week of the expedition will give you a unique insight into the lively and colourful local Zulu tribe. The week is based around the theme of ‘Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow’; you will learn about the tribe’s fascinating history, you will emerge yourself in the Zulu’s current lifestyle and culture, and it will give you a chance to contribute to the tribe’s future by assisting with the building of a school.

Highlights

A tour of a Zulu village, guided by a local Zulu
Getting involved in building a local school, and interact with the children
Learning about Zulu history, customs, and culture
Getting a basic knowledge of the Zulu language

Basic Itinerary

Day 1: YESTERDAY: An introduction to Zulu culture. In the morning, you get a tour of traditional Zulu villages in the St. Lucia area, where you will be told about the tribe’s history. In the afternoon, you will learn some basic words and expressions in Zulu during a language lesson, given by a local Zulu native.
Day 2: YESTERDAY: You will spend the day on the famous Zulu battle fields, where you will learn about the war the tribe fought and made them famous
Day 3: TODAY: We will travel to the banks of the Umfolozi River, and the heart of the local Zulu culture, and spend the day amongst the tribe. You will learn about Zulu culture and customs, get a good idea of how they live, an join the locals as they prepare their meals.
Day 4 – 6: TOMORROW: You will get involved in refurbishing or building a local Zulu primary school. There is a shortage of classrooms, which restricts many children from having full days of class. You may assist with mixing cement, laying bricks, fixing roofs, fixing windows, painting and plastering walls, and painting murals. You will find that the teachers and children are very appreciative of your presence and help, and will make you feel very welcome!
Day 7: A day of well-deserved rest. You may choose to go deep-sea fishing, to go on a horse riding, diving or to take a relaxing trip to the beach.

Accommodation and Meals

Week 3 - Drakensberg Adventure Expedition

Highlights

Abseil the world highest commercial abseil!
Raft down grade 4 and 5 white water rapids
Spend three days nights hiking in the breathtaking Drakensberg
Go on a quad biking adventure

Basic Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer from St. Lucia to the Drakensberg. On arrival, you will abseil on the world’s highest commercial abseiling location.
Day 2: Spend a full day rafting on the river that runs through the mountains.
Day 3 – 5: A three-day hiking expedition through the mountains up the some of the highest peaks in Africa!
Day 6: You will spend the morning quad biking
Day 7: Transfer to Durban and time to explore the city!

Accommodation and Meals

When not on your 2-night hike you will be staying in a lodge on the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. You will share a bedroom with between one and four people. Your meals will be cooked for you, and there is a laundry service.

Week 4 - Community Volunteer Week

Basic Itinerary

During this week, you will join our COLT Orphan Day Care and HIV/AIDS Education Volunteer Project in St. Lucia. As the area is heavily affected by HIV/AIDS, we are both involved in looking after small-orphaned children, and raising awareness about the virus in the local community. You will contribute to these projects by joining our volunteers on their daily schedule. Please download the expedition pack for further information.