Ndumo Game Reserve

Ndumo sits where the Pongola and Usuthu rivers meet on the Mozambique border, and its floodplain pans - Nyamithi and Banzi chief among them - make it the richest birding site in South Africa, with well over 400 species recorded on a reserve of only about 10,000 hectares. Tropical species that reach their southern limit here bring birders from across the country: Pel's fishing owl, broadbills, pygmy geese, palm-nut vultures. Around Nyamithi stands a fever tree forest, yellow-green trunks in rows above the water, which is one of the most photographed groves in Africa. Crocodile and hippo fill the pans, nyala and suni move through the sand forest, and the reserve had rhino until poaching removed them. Guided drives and walks are the way in - some tracks need 4x4, and the guided walk to the pan hides is the way most birders see the specials.

What you actually see

• The fever tree forest - yellow-green trunks standing in rows around Nyamithi pan.
• The 400-plus bird list - tropical species at their southern limit in one small reserve.
• The pans - floodplain lakes full of crocodile and hippo.
• The guided walks - birding on foot to the hides with an armed ranger.

When to go

November to March for migrants and full pans; May to September for cooler, drier conditions. Two days.

Honest expectations

This is a birding reserve - large-mammal expectations will not be met, and rhino are gone. Malaria risk is real here. Summer heat and humidity are heavy. Some roads need 4x4 and guided drives are the practical option. Accommodation is a small rustic camp.

Nearby

Tembe is east; Jozini dam is south.