One of the things that make the holiday town of St. Lucia in South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal Province so popular is the fact that it is entirely surrounded by the wild iSimangaliso Wetland Park and thus inhabited by an amazing variety of wildlife – even more dangerous kinds like hippos and leopards. On the southern edge of the town is a large pocket of indigenous swamp forest through which the Igwalagwala Trail (actually a network of trails) winds its way. Walking through the forest, marveling at the trees and the bushes and the blooms and the berries and the birds and the bucks and the bugs and the butterflies as you go, will really be one of the highlights of your visit to this special corner of our country.
As you can imagine the forest abounds with various kinds of creatures – some easy to see and others expert at hiding. The calls of birds fill the air as you walk – Igwalagwala is the isiZulu name for the turacos, of which two kinds (the purple-crested and Livingstone’s) can be seen and heard here.
While you are welcome to walk the Igwalagwala Trail by yourself and unguided (during daylight!) – and that certainly is a wonderful experience – if you really want the forest to “open up” for you then you absolutely must take a hike through Igwalagwala with expert birding guide Ian Ferreira of St. Lucia Birding Tours.
If it wasn’t for Ian’s expert knowledge of their habits and haunts and his skill at imitating their calls I would never have been able to photograph the rarely seen Buff-spotted Flufftail, about which I will tell you more in the next installment of DeWetsWild.
If you are interested in visiting St. Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, remember that De WetsWild can assist you with reservations in the Eden Park and Sugarloaf Campsites in town or at wonderful Cape Vidal set on the Indian Ocean in the Eastern Shores section of the Park. We’ll also gladly help you arrange a walk with expert St. Lucia-based birding guide Ian Ferreira, and as soon as we start offering guided tours to the area you can be sure we’ll include an excursion with Ian in the itinerary.
DeWetsWild 
Dis pragtig! Lief die trogon voeltjie. Maar watse diere sou daar so gevaarlik en onvoorspelbaar wees? Slange?
Dit is eintlik die seekoeie waarvoor mens die meeste op jou pasoppens moet wees, Elsabe. Die slange is daar, maar soos altyd is hulle maar sku vir mense.
I have never taken a guided tour on a wildlife hike. That’s something I should surely consider.
If it is with an expert in his field like Ian is you’d have a tremendous time, John
Ek was bevoorreg om saam met die Parkeraad en Bosbou baie plekkie hier op st Lucia te besoek! Die Futululu woud was ongeloof mooi en wonder hoe ver dit van Igwalagwala is. Dit het my dadelik daaraan herinner.
Inderdaad n voorreg om bietjie “agter die skerms” te loer, Aletta! Futululu is digby Monzi, so halfpad tussen St. Lucia en Mtubatuba, maar ek glo sal beslis lyk net soos Igwalagwala. Tropies en welig en propvol lewe.
Nes jy daar se! Dit is so pragtig daar!
Ek kan nie genoeg van die noorde van Natal kry nie, Aletta.
Net jammer die paaie is so sleg!
Die paaie was gelukkig in goeie toestand nou, Aletta. Net druk swaarvoertuig-verkeer wat gepla het.
Dit is dan goed so!
Those trails absolutely beg one to step into the forest and discover its delights. Enchanted…
That’s a perfect description, Lori!
Dit lyk na ‘n heerlike roete … en ek kan my indink dat dit absoluut die moeite werd sal wees om dit saam met ‘n kenner te stap! Mooi foto’s!
Ian Ferreira is uitstekened daarmee om die skaars woudvoels uit te soek, Corna. Dit was n wonderlike ervaring om die Igwalagwala woud, waar ek al baie kere op my eie gestap het, saam met hom te betrag.
Sjoe daardie eerste fotos lyk omtrent soos ons wandelpaaie so dig begroei.
Wat n wonderlike ervaring om in sulke ongerepte omgewings te kan stap!
Beslis so. Selfs hier waar ek nou bly kwaak die paddas laat middag in die bosse en poele.
Mens kan nie daarvoor moeg word nie
I simply love forest walks: apart from the birds, insects and the odd animal there are the delightful smells emanating from the trees, the mulch underfoot, crushed leaves … and of course the sounds … all wonderful.
Then you will find Igwalagwala very much to your liking, Anne!
The trail looks like the “matto grosso” in the Amazon. Place where anything can happen, animals lurk around this areas to pounce on a potential victim. Thank you, D. 🙂
Having at one point seen a snake disappearing off a branch I had just bent under I have to agree with you, H.J! Luckily the victim they are waiting for is seldom a human.
Until I visited Kenya I was not aware that hippos were extremely dangerous! You photos are lovely and I imagine that walking with an expert on the local birds would be terrific.
Thank you very much, Anne. When I was a lot younger my Sunday School teacher was unfortunately killed by a hippo, so I know all too well how dangerous they can be.