8 Day Durban, Bayala & St Lucia

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This 8 day tour combines the best locations in KwaZulu Natal; a warm subtropical beach, a Big 5 safari adventure and a Wetlands reserve.

Overview

Your journey begins in the vibrant, bustling city of Durban. With its warm hospitality, perfect weather conditions, and the best Indian cuisine you will ever taste, Durban sets the tone for what is still to come.

Fairlight Beach House is the ultimate beachfront residence in the exclusive village of Umdloti, only 10 minutes from King Shaka International Airport. This family-run guest house offers warm hospitality and a home-away-from-home feeling. Each of the eight individually decorated rooms offers panoramic sea views of the finest swimming beach just a few meters away. The guest house also features a two-bedroom, two-bathroom luxury apartment, perfect for families or friends traveling together. Within walking distance are some of the finest restaurants and a long stretch of beach with tidal pools to explore over the next two days.

Your three-day safari adventure begins as you head along the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal, passing well-known Umfolozi and Hluhluwe Game Reserves, to the private reserve of Bayala. Bayala Private Safari Lodge & Camp is a down-to-earth, family-run lodge that offers a relaxed ambiance and an open vehicle safari experience. Activities at the lodge include morning and afternoon game drives, as well as guided bush walks.

After an exhilarating safari experience, St Lucia offers a different adventure for the next two days. It forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and its estuary boasts one of the highest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in Southern Africa. What makes this area magnificent is that the park is South Africa’s first World Heritage Site and includes nine percent of the country’s coastline. Activities include a cruise on the St Lucia Estuary, horse riding, a guided night game drive at iSimangaliso Wetlands Park’s eastern shores to spot four of the Big Five (no lions), the beautiful beach of Cape Vidal, a crocodile center, a butterfly house, and much more.

Lidiko Lodge is set in beautiful lush gardens, rich in color and fragrances. The lodge offers four luxurious accommodation units, each with an ensuite and private patio. Facilities include an outdoor lounge, bar, library, sparkling pool, and complimentary WiFi. Centrally located in the town of St Lucia, Lidiko is a mere 5-minute walk to stunning coastal forest walking trails, all the restaurants in the village, the Zulu craft market, the lake, and just 3 km from the entrance to the Cape Vidal route as well as the beaches.

This tour is ideal for solo travelers, couples, friends traveling together, and families. It is created based on past client experiences, but you are welcome to replace your accommodation to a level that suits your comfort preference and budget. Our travel experts will be happy to assist you with alternative options.

Itinerary

Day 1 - 2: Arrive Durban, South Africa

This morning, you arrive in the sunny city of Durban. You will collect your car rental and drive to your guest house where you will spend the next two days exploring the ocean, indulging in exquisite cuisine, and experiencing the laid-back city life of Durban. There are various tour options in Durban, so please ask one of our travel experts for more information.

Day 3: Durban to Bayala Game Reserve

After an early morning swim and scrumptious breakfast, your safari adventure begins as you drive approximately three hours along the lush scenic route towards Bayala Game Reserve. On arrival, you will be warmly welcomed by the staff of Bayala and shown to your room. In the late afternoon, you will venture out on your first Big Five game drive.

Day 4 - 5: Bayala Game Reserve

The next two days focus on safari as you venture out on morning and afternoon game drives, with the option to do guided bush walks in between. Private game reserves provide an exhilarating safari experience because the number of guests on open game vehicles is limited, and skilled rangers and trackers are permitted to drive off-road. This is a huge advantage when looking for animals. Be sure to have your camera ready as you come up close to the beautiful animals of the bushveld.

Day 6 - 7: Bayala to St Lucia

After a final morning game drive and a heartwarming breakfast, you bid farewell to the African bush and travel towards the town of St Lucia. On arrival, you will check into your lodge and have the next two days to explore the beauty of this region. A recommended activity is a cruise on the Estuary and a visit to the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park.

Day 8: Depart St Lucia

This morning, you bid farewell to your adventure in KwaZulu-Natal as you drive to Richards Bay Airport for your flight back to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport. Here, you will return your rental car and connect with your onward flight back home.

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Location and getting there

Rates & Pricing

  • 2 nights at Fairlight Beach House
  • 3 nights at Bayala Private Safari Lodge & Camp
  • 2 nights at Lidiko Lodge
  • 8 days group C car hire
  • Breakfast daily at Fairlight Beach House & Lidiko Lodge
  • Bed, dinner, breakfast & 1 game drive daily at Bayala Private Safari Lodge
  • Big 5 Game Reserve just 3 hours north of durban
  • Beachfront accommodation in Durban
  • A stay in the village of St. Lucia surrounded by the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
R
$ 220 USD
R
$ NaN USD
$ 220 USD
Rates are starting prices per person, per night sharing.
We book at the same price as going direct, see more

SEAMLESS SAFARI PROMISE

Since 2006, we’ve arranged unforgettable safaris for over 58,000 travelers, handling every detail with precision. Learn more about our Seamless Safari Promise

Start planning your stay

We’re committed to being with you every step of the way—before, during, and long after your safari.

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Meet our resident expert

Get in touch with Keith, who can book all aspects of your trip including flights, lodging and tranfsers. For fastest response get in touch on WhatsApp.
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Keith Kudzai Chideme

What our guests say about Keith

November 7, 2024
Keith Chideme is fantastic!
If you’re looking for someone to help you plan the trip of a lifetime, look no further than Keith Chideme. Keith has been nothing short of extraordinary in helping me create a month-long dream trip to South Africa for myself and 11 family members. His patience, kindness, and thoughtfulness throughout the entire process have been remarkable. Keith went above and beyond, engaging in countless conversations to make sure every detail of our six-destination itinerary was just right. He worked tirelessly to balance my budget with my desire for an unforgettable experience, finding deals and creative solutions that I would never have managed on my own. His dedication and expertise gave me complete confidence that this trip will be everything I’ve dreamed of and more. One of my favorite aspects of working with Keith was the personal touch he brought to every interaction. Whether through voice messages, phone calls, or texts, he was always patient, thorough, and thoughtful in explaining every aspect of the itinerary. I never once felt rushed or overlooked—he truly cared about making this trip perfect for us. I can’t imagine planning this trip without Keith. Knowing he has my back has been such a comfort, and I feel completely at ease knowing we are in such capable hands. My entire family is incredibly excited about this incredible adventure, and I know I’ll be contacting Keith for all my future travel plans. He is an absolute gem and a true professional. Thank you, Keith, for everything!
Melissa Solomon
,
US
October 25, 2024
Keith was amazing
Keith was amazing! We spent a lot of time on the phone and he was so helpful to curate the perfect honeymoon for my husband and I. Thank you Keith!
Jenna Watry
,
US
October 25, 2024
My travel consultant was Keith Chideme…
My travel consultant was Keith Chideme and he was great to work with. Keith was always available to answer questions and very responsive. My trip was easy to book and pay through safari.com and everything worked out perfectly. I would use them again in future.
Stefan Botes
,
US

Customer Testimonials

4.9
out of 5 based on
Dec 12, 2024
Anja Is A Fabulous Travel Consultant
Anja Mayer was extremely knowledgeable, patient, prompt with her responses to questions, and always very helpful. She was also a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend to anyone that asks that Anja is the right person to contact if they are interested in travelling to South Africa or Botswana.
Lewis Warren
,
US
Dec 12, 2024
Anja did a fabulous job!
Anja was knowledgeble, patient prompt with her responses to questions and always very helpful. In addition, it was a pleasure working with her. I would recommend her to anyone without any reservation.
Lewis Warren
,
US
Dec 10, 2024
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to…
Mel du Toit was the perfect person to arrange and organize our trip!! She was on the ball, made sure everything was in place and travel arrangements secured! I highly recommend her!!
JUDITH ANN
,
US
Dec 9, 2024
Great support from Shann
Shann made the booking experience seamless - provided very helpful information to ensure we fully understood what the experience would be like and made sure we felt safe with experiences we have booked.
SUE And Bryson STEIN
,
AU
Dec 9, 2024
Quick & efficient
Very fast response, polite - impressive
Eduardo Rocha
,
BR
Dec 7, 2024
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays…
Went through Newmarket travel and Hays travel ..information about flight changes hard to get..but on arrival the holiday was taken over Safari.com..amazing ..experience everything was fine tuned and the staff ..guides drivers fabulous and friendly ..lots of knowledge..lots of fun and the surprises they did was so lovely ...loved every minute ..Paris our guide was amazing..10/10 and Eric driver ..the waiters and waitress every and everyone in the hotels .smiling and friendly..Best holiday of my life
Gillian Dodsworth
,
GB
Dec 7, 2024
Anja at Safari.com was a great partner to work with!
Working with Anja at Safari.com was great. She was able to work some magic and got us a few nights at the safari lodge we really wanted, Ngoma. Unfortunately, our flight from the USA to South Africa was canceled and we were rebooked a day later but Anja was great about making sure our lodge and the transports knew about the change in plans and made sure we got to our trip as soon as we could. She was a great partner to have and communicated quickly whenever we reached out. I would highly recommend using her when planning a trip to Africa!
Joanna
,
US
Dec 4, 2024
Prompt & knowledgeable
Prompt & knowledgeable
Scott Millar
,
ZA
Dec 4, 2024
Great service from Denise at Safari.com
Denise from Safari.com was extremely helpful. She responded promptly, provided good advice on safari lodgings options and worked up a couple of itinerary options to suit our budget. Denise also organised flights and transfers very quickly so that we could finalize our booking in a short time. Much appreciated.
Noelene Hosking
,
AU
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