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:: South Africa at a glance

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	Cape Town		Garden Route		Kruger National Park		Stellenbosch
	Drakensberg Mountains		Hluhluwe & Umfolozi		St. Lucia Wetlands		Transkei

:: St. Lucia Wetlands

The St. Lucia area is one of Africa's premier eco-tourism destinations, and a haven for bird and animal life. Five separate eco-systems exist within the area; marine habitats including coral reefs and beaches, shoreline habitat, reed and sedge swamps, the largest estuary in Africa and the western shores with fossil corals, sand forest, bushveld and grasslands. The area is managed by the Natal Parks Board and much work has been done to ensure that these habitats are conserved and that the tourism activities undertaken here are sensitive. Excellent marked hikes through woodland, grassland and across pristine beaches can be taken around St. Lucia, Cape Vidal and False Bay Park.

Boat trips on the estuary at St. Lucia also present wonderful scenery and beautiful sunsets. This shallow area of brackish water is teaming with fish and attracts a great many water birds in addition to crocodile and hippo. Sodwana Bay, one of the most popular diving sites in Southern Africa, is close by and also includes a great variety of habitat niches which are home to over 330 species of bird.

The St. Lucia and Maputaland Marine reserves cover the coastal strip and three nautical miles out to sea from Cape Vidal to Mozambique. This area encompasses the world's most southerly coral reefs and several nesting sites of the rare leatherback and loggerhead turtles.

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