Where It All Began

Addiction warning! Tembe Elephant Park webcam

Now this is rather wonderful, even if it’s just for the sound track – a live webcam at Tembe Elephant Park. Be warned, this is addictive!

As the name suggests, this is one of the last places in the world where you can see ‘tuskers’, born and living in total security from poachers and hunting in their indigenous habitat. Tuskers are large adult male bull elephants and whilst prized for their ivory many years ago, they are now fiercely protected at Tembe.

Situated in a remote corner of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, but almost equidistant to the borders of Mozambique and Swaziland, this isn’t an easy place to get to but the rewards, being both tropical and subtropical in climate, are stupendous.

Tembe is owned and managed by the Tembe people, which is a reason to feature it on its own (we’re uniquely interested in the independent and ethical places to vist in Southern Africa).

You can stay in the reserve from as little as R2 000 per person sharing per night ($140 / £110 / €135) or in the Ghost Mountain Inn (more on that tomorrow). Closest airport is Richard’s Bay, about 90 minutes from Johannesburg.