St. Lucia & iSimangaliso Wetland Park KwaZulu-Natal - South Africa

The Tour Boat Jetty in St. Lucia

From the Tour Boat Jetty, only a five minutes walk from African Ambience Guest House, you can go on a Hippo & Crocodile Boat Cruise on the St. Lucia Estuary.

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 Wetland Park, which offers visitors some of the most diverse wildlife and outdoor experiences imaginable. This entire 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.

Spectacular sunset at the St. Lucia Estuary

At the Tour Boat Jetty you can experience some spectacular sunsets at the St. Lucia Estuary.

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.

Fish Eagle at the St. Lucia Estusry

The sighting and cry of the majestic African Fish Eagle is something you can witness from the privacy of African Ambience Guest House. St. Lucia is a special slice of Africa where residents are greeted with these sightings and sounds as an every day occurrence. The birdlife on St. Lucia Estuary aboard one of the Hippo & Crocodile Boat safaris is an opportunity to witness these Fish Eagles at close range for photography and appreciation.

The town has all necessary facilities to make your stay comfortable. There are a dozen restaurants, supermarkets, filling stations, beach and fishing tackle shops, hairdresser, post office and the popular fruit, vegetable and craft Market, all centrally placed in town within walking distance.

Leopard and Hippo roam the streets of St. Lucia at night and bush-babies as well as other nocturnal animal life are found in abundance.

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

The beach and estuary at St. Lucia

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is where African Ambience Guest House is situated. Nearby golden unspoiled beaches are parts of the Sun, Sea, Sand and Safari options offered all in one area. St. Lucia has more than 300 sun-filed days a year, so 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 World Heritage Site status awarded to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park includes the fact that 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.
"The St. Lucia Wetland Park must be the only place on the globe where the world's oldest land mammal (rhino) and the world's biggest terrestrial mammal (elephant) share an ecosystem with the world's oldest fish (coelacanth) and the world's biggest mammal (whale)"

See the Activities & Tours page for more information about the excitements and adventures this exclusive place has to offer.

Elephants at game reserve close to African Ambience Guesthouse - Bed & Breakfast Accommodation Hippos in St. Lucia Estuary Humpback Whale offshore St. Lucia Rhinoceros at game reserve close to African Ambience Guest House

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is an integral part of the Elephant Coast with Elephant roaming again on the same plains they have for centuries.

Hippos are seen at night in St. Lucia along with the elusive Leopard. The close-up experience with these Hippos from the deck of a boat tour on St. Lucia Estuary is a must.

St. Lucia has the highest recorded boat-based whale sightings in South Africa. The tours are either early morning or later in the afternoon from June to November. The whales frequent the warm waters of the Indian Ocean where mating takes place before calving in the colder waters of the Cape.

Rhino can be seen at close quarters on the way to Cape Vidal via the eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The Park entrance is 2 minutes drive away from your bed and breakfast accommodation at African Ambience Guest House. Of course the world famous big 5 game reserves close by are also an option to see these pre-historic "armour plated" wild animals whose numbers were almost extinct had it not been for conservation.