S1 - Ep 377 - Hluhluwe - Unexpected Challenges and Surprising Moments!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2023
- Our visit to Hluhluwe was anticipated with excitement as we left from St Lucia, eager to explore the region. However, our excitement was met with an unexpected challenge as, dishearteningly, we were unable to access Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park due to disrespectful treatment by staff at the gate, prompting us to rethink our plans. Despite this setback, fortune smiled upon us, granting us a rare sighting of a passing train, a sight increasingly elusive in modern times. We sought solace and sustenance at the Ngweni Railroad Brewery & Cafe, which offered a silver lining to our day. Regrettably, our accommodation fell short of expectations, but fortunately it was only a brief stay. Our visit to Hluhluwe proved to be different from what we had envisioned, a mix of unexpected challenges and surprising moments. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #travelongravel #kwazulunatal #hluhluwe #stlucia
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We as the people are behind you what your guys are doing. Taking us through our own country. Places we cannot reach. One person that was rude, cannot weigh up against almost 20k followers
True words and boikot them every time. There company lose , because they shouldn't be there. We must do it every time.💥😳👌💯❤️Strand.
@ranietadehanawilliams Thank you for your kind words of support, we appreciate them so much. 🚙😊
Live in Hluhluwe for 3 years!
I can safely say that Northern KZN is the most underrated place in SA! A lot of people travel overseas without even knowing we have our own tropical beaches where turtles lay eggs even. No other place in the country where you have game reserves, tropical beaches and world class diving within a hour of each other.
That's great! 🚙👌🏻
Sorry to hear that one guard at the reserve, was so rude . Loved the vlog...you are both wonderful 😊😊😊
Thank you for watching, we're so happy you enjoyed our video! 🚙👌🏻
Hi Dustbugs, have NEVER heard of that place, big heartfelt thanks for taking us along. Sorry but I'm not one that can keep calm when ppl go on power trips. I usually ask them very sarcastically if they're having a bad day or not feeling well or if they didnt sleep well the night before 🙈. But as Sonja said you're very respectful and don't let them get the upper hand 😉. Some awesome sights you showed us 🚙🚙🚙🚙
It takes a lot to get me hot under the collar, but disrespect is the one thing that'll do it every time. 🤷🏻♂️ I'm glad you enjoyed the sights in and around Hluhluwe. Thanks for coming along with us! 🚙😁
My husband and I enjoy travelling the country with you and we're dismayed at your treatment at the entrance to the game reserve. Please report this to National Parks.
Sorry for the bad experience, some humans in general are not pure at hearts. Continue serving us great content we appreciate you.
Really appreciate the opportunity to drive with you guys unfortunately for the encounter with the rudeness you encountered ❤❤❤❤❤
No worries, we take the bad with the good! Fortunately there is so much more good always! We appreciate you hopping on board again. 🚙🤩
Well done guys!!!!!!🙃🙏❤
Thank you! 🚙😊
I really enjoyed this video from the backseat. Thank you Curtis and Sonia. The African artwork was absolutely beautiful at The Brewery. It’s very, very sad about the Rhino poaching.
A drive well planned and to show us so much in a short space of time. The drive and vegetation was beautiful. Thank you i never got sleepy in the back seat - it was all so nice to experience. A nice little town. Thank you for the privilege to be on board.. next trip booked in advance
Glad you enjoyed, we were very happy to have eventually visited Hluhluwe. Your seat is ready and waiting for the next leg of our KZN journey! 🚙👌
Hi hi! Ons is die pastoriepaar vir Hluhluwe NG Kerk
Super Proud of the way the two of you handled the situation with those disrespectful people, it's their loss not yours. Thanks ever so much for your Fantastic videos - Loving and appreciating all of them...
Thank you for watching our videos and for your very kind words of encouragement. 😊 We know that travelling isn't always smooth sailing, but fortunately our good experiences far, far outnumber the bad ones. So we took a deep breath and carried on! 🚙😁
I haven't visited the town but the Umfolozi Hluhluwe game reserve is something, especially the Hilltop viewing and accommodation centre.
We heard that and that's why we went. It was good to see the town though. 🚙🙂
Have never been there so a most interesting video again. Thank you so much and sorry for the unfortunate bother which was handled with great grace. Well done!
I'm glad you enjoyed our visit to Hluhluwe. Travelling isn't always fun and games and we've been lucky so far to have had very few bad experiences. 🚙😁
Hi guys this is what I love about these videos they are totally real love the train chase I was sitting in my chair willing you on .!! .again I am amazed at the industry pineapples and timber. So there is another False bay interesting? The DRF church was pristine and the lovely lady let you look inside stunning for a small place it seems to have everything shops etc .interesting about the town name. The tain station name got it 👍 we saw impala goats and a cow brilliant 👏. The brewery and shop were great established the Zulu baskets. The story about Ron is inspiring what a guy .the mural with the rhino's with no horns is better than no rhino's. We know where the horns are going to I'll say no more. I'm glad you managed to get some craft beer and a great burger. I must say I was upset for you both with the rudeness of the staff it happens here in the UK give them a uniform and they act like little Hitlers .you two could not be more polite as is proven by the wonderful people you meet. As a black cab driver in London you have to pass the Knowledge test it took me nearly 5years of study and driving on a 90cc moped around London one of the things that the examiners do is to be very rude and condescending this is to check your reaction if you are aggressive no way with you pass .you would definitely pass on this test Curtis. Thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one
The train chase was super exciting for us too, I wasn't going to let a chance like that slip through my fingers! 🚉😁 We were just as surprised to find another False Bay, almost 2000km from our own! 😍🌊 It will always be sad to see dehorned rhinos, but we'd much rather have them around alive without horns any day of the week. They're my ultimate favourite land animal, I just think they're awesome animals. 🦏 The basketware and other crafts at the shop were incredible. I saw some pretty unique items there, created with such artistic flair. Wow! It sounds like it's almost impossible to pass that Knowledge Test! 😳🚕 A calm temperament is extremely important when one deals with any kind of customer, we deal with customers ourselves and respect is absolutely imperative at all times. It's really as simple as that. 🤷🏻♂️ Thank you for your kind words of support. they are much appreciated. 🚙😊
Jaaaaa een rijdende trein, de aanhouder wint 🎉🚂🥳. Al dacht ik even, we horen een knal en de autospiegels sneuvelen door de poort tijdens het naar buiten scheuren maar gelukkig bleef de Kwid heel 😂. Geweldig die brouwerij, die tip heb ik direct geappt naar mijn vrienden die rond de jaarwisseling ongeveer jullie route gaan doen maar dan andersom. Wat een pracht aflevering, zeker ook die NG kerk met mooie gekleurde glas ramen waarvan 1 blauwe zelfs open kan, erg aardig dat binnen mocht komen. En filmen …. want het kan dus ook anders. Inderdaad, een respectvolle houding en benadering is alles, goed dat jullie je eigen respect behielden en zijn omgedraaid. Er is genoeg anders moois te zien in de omgeving. Zelf maakte ik wel een toer door dit natuurpark, al kan het volgens mij niet wedijveren met Kruger Park. Enfin, de trein, de brouwerij, de natuur met rennende bokkies en de zegen ‘van boven’ op de kansel zijn voor mij de hoogtepunten. En uiteraard jullie immer respectvolle houding jegens de mensen, dieren en natuur om jullie heen 😍😍😍
We've been looking for moving trains for almost two years now. You better believe I'm going to make a beeline in the direction of a train's horn. And fortunately we made it just in time to see the engine and all its cars speeding by! What a thrilling few moments those were! 🚉🤩 The brewery and its shop were absolutely fantastic. Sonia also loved the coloured windows at the church, she loved how the sun shone in through them and lighted up the entire interior of the building. 💒 You were very lucky to have been through the Imfolozi-Hluhluwe Game Reserve, I was quite surprised to hear it's a Big 5 Reserve! 😍🐘🐆🦏🦁🐃 Make sure you tell your friends to visit the brewery on a weekday if they can. I think those basket weavers are also a must and they're not around over weekends. Thank you for your words of encouragement, they mean a lot to us. 🚙😊
It's a long one train. So thrilling to see.
Indeed, it was awesome! 🚉🤩
Whoop whoop....🎉🎉🎉
My comment gone walk about again.....eisch
Nope, I see it! 🚙😁
Sorry you had to deal with these type of people. Sadly Hluluwe Game Reserve and the Farm Stall won't be seeing us.
Me too 💥😳and the farm stall can take there stuff and stuff it somewhere else. Wouldn't get money from me. Cheers Cape town 💥😳😂😂
@tammyerasmus36 Thank you for visiting the town of Hluhluwe with us. 🚙😊
Thanks
Sure! 🚙👌🏻
Good day like this side of Kzn. In 1983 was the last time I went to this side of Kzn.
Perhaps it is time for another visit, it's certainly been long enough! 🚙😁
I love that the Coral trees (it looked like) are in flower, I loved that shop - have not seen anything like that before - those baskets are amazing but I am sorry that it was not the best visit for you both. I must also just ask - Curtis, do you preach? You seemed quite comfy behind the pulpit. And I think I counted 80 carriages on that train. Great hearing - I might have missed that. Thank you both for a wonderful trip. Safe travels as always 😊
The handcrafts in that shop were absolutely unbelievable, those creators are incredibly creative and artistic. 😍 I wouldn't be able to preach to save my life! I always enjoy the view from the pulpit though since most of the churches were designed to have a full view of the congregation from that vantage point. It's quite a unique perspective. 💒 I'll never miss a train horn, we always hope to see a moving train and that was the day! Thanks for counting the cars, 80 is quite a lot! 🚉😁
This was lovely to watch , I was born and raised in Hluhluwe and now stay in the Uk. ( I could spot my home in the video even😂) I'm definitely rewatching this whenever I get home sick.
Aha! That is a major game reserve. Love the old tractor . Good to see the station. The church is so lovely with the stained glass windows. Lovely inside too. ??!Whats up with the game reserve? That is so uncalled for! Just because they are raking in foreign money does not give them the excuse to be rude to fellow civillians. But they are not the only ones, too many of such people are so up themselves. But then I dont know the whole story, I just feel indignant. Yes rhinos are cool, and glad to see them being protected. My fave is still the elephant! Totally love an ellie and do hope you come across one someday. So special to see impalas. Oh wow! You caught a train! Thats the highlight for me. Takes me back to my young days of train chasing with dad, except it was mostly steam, but the mournful song of a diesel was also welcome.
The coloured windows in the church let in loads of light and it was actually quite beautiful. 💒 The story about the treatment we got at the Game Reserve was really just what I included in our video, nothing more and nothing less. 🤷🏻♂️ Disrespect has no place on our travels. We never give it and we will certainly never accept it. That's really all there is to it for me. A rhino is my ultimate favourite land animal, I find it so prehistoric-looking! 😍🦏 I so wish we could still be chasing steam engines, but the diesel did just fine for us. It was super exciting! 🚙🚉
Wow… what a fabulous shop. I could spend a fortune in there .
Yup, Sonia said exactly the same thing! 🤑 They have some pretty unique and awesome artwork and crafts for sale there. 🤩
Dankie vir nog 'n oulike video! Baie jammer oor die slegte ervaring by die Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park. Dis 'n baie besonderse plek en 'n ongelooflike omgewing! Pragtige natuurskoon.
Love the Hluhluwe.
I hope you at least had some of the brewery's beers after that rude lady at the nature reserve. Ek het job se geduld maar so selfde as jy gedoen het. Ek love jou show Curtis , dis AWESOME!!!
Yup, I had three of their craft beers that evening and perhaps drank them a little faster than I normally do! 😁🍻 They did the trick though and I was all smiles again the next morning! Thank you for your support and for watching our videos, I appreciate it very much! 🚙👌🏻
Another great video. Spent some time in the area about twenty years ago, consequently my memory is a little rusty. Just like the tractor! I remember Saint Lucia, but it has changed alot. Back in the early 2000's it was sooooooooo quiet. I would have been a very early tourist there, as SA was relatively unknown, and considered too dangerous to visit. Don't think we went through Hluhluwe, but it is so representative of alot of the towns in the area. Needless toi say, I fell in love with SA back then. Such a beautiful country, and friendly people (apart from on or two exceptions). Anyway, keep up the wonderful work, and hope to get back there soon. Hopefully 2024.
It is for sure time for a return visit to our beautiful country, it's been way too long! 🇿🇦😍 It was our first-ever visit to this part of KZN and the quiet area you describe, is incredibly hard to imagine since it was rather busy in most places we got to visit. I agree with you, the vast, vast majority of folks we've met and encountered on our many trips through South Africa, have been nothing but super friendly and hospitable. We'll hang our hat on that, and cough the odd bad experience up travelling being like everything else in life where we also have the odd unpleasantness to contend with. Thank you, as always, for watching, I appreciate that! 🚙👌🏻
So sorry to see you treated with such disrespect. I cannot for the life of me imagine what they expected to achieve by behaving like that, apart from loosing custom. I think sometimes if someone is given an ounce of authority, there's always the person who gets delusions of having absolute power. It's very sad. I thought those dancers at the entrance were also rather 'Pushy'.
It does make me wonder if the Owners of the place are aware of what is going on?
Stay safe and well.
Cheers from the UK... Phil (I also would have driven away).
Thank you for your comment and for watching our video. We're never happy to report poor service, but also feel we have to be real at all times. The Imfolozi-Hluhluwe Game Reserve is not privately-owned, but managed by KZN Wildlife as far as we know. We reported the incident to the the Honorary Ranger we met in town that evening and he was going to in turn report it to the Park Warden. It's a Big 5 Reserve, so I'm sure it would be an awesome place to visit. 😍🐘🦏🐃🐆🦁
Well I am sorry you had a bad experience, but luckily in all your travels now the bad experiences were luckily minimal. Dont let that put you aff....but I know how you feel..
You're so right, we've been very lucky and haven't had many bad experiences at all. We take the bad with the good. Nothing will put us off travelling, we're back on the road as I type this. 🚙😁
Curtis you must have taken driving lessons at Kyalami to get to that train so quickly🏎. Wow, three engines !!🚂🚂🚂 Looks like you might have caught that Matriarch she elephant 🐘 in a bad and onbeskof mood at the Hluhluwe Game Park. I wonder why she did not like you filming the copper sign ? Weird. Sad about the service at your accommodation. Were the Police also staying there ? Apart from those two little hiccups, the rest of the visit was very enjoyable. That Farm Stall should have let you film. Free advertising for them. You have been blessed with great weather in KZN. I can imagine The Strand being cold like NZ in August. ⛄😂
😁 I knew that I had to do whatever it took to catch a glimpse of that train behind the hooter. And it was super exciting that we finally got to see such a long one in motion! 🤩🚉 I had cleared everything at the Game Reserve office before I returned to the vehicle to enter. The lady in question had other ideas and wanted to dictate when I film the plaque. She did so by raising her voice and I thought that was completely unnecessary. 🤷🏻♂️ The Police vehicle was at the guesthouse the entire time we were there and I saw them going back-and-forth to the vehicle. My assumption was that they also stayed at the establishment. The Strand was freezing this whole winter, it was a very cold, very wet and very long one. 🥶 Luckily we escaped two major cold fronts since we're on the road again this week! 🚙😁 Stay warm! 🧣🧤
Their False Bay is on Lake St Lucia. When there's a drought there's no bay (although I think that was largely due to the natural connection between the lake and the mouth of the Umfolozi River being managed for the benefit of local farmers, instead of for the lake, and this has now been fixed up AFAIK.)
You should probably complain about the rudeness at the gate, not for yourself, but "for the park". If gate staff are being rude to visitors, that's going to have a negative impact on the park.
At least the basket work was beautiful. There are so many curios for sale all over the country that it's hard for something to stand out, but everything about that shop did - especially all the basket work you first showed.
As for the hluhluwe vine, you've probably seen it in places like the South Coast before. It's the thick vine with the huge thorns on it - almost little branches, they're so big.
I used to visit there, often. (The Lake, not Hluhluwe. I was not aware that there was any reason to visit Hluhluwe. Went there a few times for work when I was young, and it seemed to be mainly just some wholesalers supplying the local area's tuck shops, and nothing much else.)
Once, I went behind the "bait station" at Charter's Creek, to go and look at all the "pom pop flowers" floating on the creek itself. Very pretty. Was standing right near the water's edge, thinking how beautiful it was, when something made me a bit edgy, and I looked a bit more carefully. And there in the middle of the raft of floating vegetation I saw this yellow eye checking me out. I nearly jumped out of my skin. (Didn't so much run as jump up the bank.) I got lucky. There was a big croc "lying athwartship to me" in the floating vegetation. As soon as I did my panicked escape it was almost as if it lost its temper. The whole creek exploded in croc and splashing, and flowers being scattered. It just had a "bad line" on me. A little bit further up the creek, or a little bit better aligned with the bank and that would've been the end of me.
My brother built a jetty there, once. It was a rookie job to "toughen him up", I think. He spent most of several days out there waist deep in the lake water, putting in piles by hand. When they were finished, someone hung a lamp off the end of the jetty, and the next morning it was gone. It was about a meter above the water, but it's pretty much certain that a croc launched itself up to bite it. Apparently they go for lights. And then about two weeks after that, a dead hippo drifted into the little "bay" there, and the whole place became full of crocs feeding on it. Quite an unpleasant sight for someone who's just spent a lot of time standing in the water, working there.
When we met the Honorary Ranger that evening, we relayed the incident to him and he said he'll mention it to the Park Warden, whom he knows personally. The basketware and so many of the other items in the shop were absolutely fantastic, I agree! Those weavers are true artists and I so wish we could've seen them in action. 😍 Hluhluwe is a small, yet busy place and there were quite a few interesting things to see. Phew, it sounds like you had quite the narrow escape with that croc! 😳🐊 What an experience that must've been!
@@DustBugsTravel I'm glad you reported the incident. That kind of attitude can do so much harm, and it's so easy to be at a minimum, coldly polite. (That will do if that's all that's possible for whatever reason.)
And ja, the eye that was lining me up is something I can still see in my mind's eye. :D (At least I never dream of it, though.)
We enjoy your videos. Problem with lazy government officials, the more people they can chase away the more time for doing nothing and still getting paid.
Kauai has red soil like that; and in the heyday they grew lots of pineapple. I believe the clay in the soil makes it so red and tends to hold moisture which is needed by the pineapple.
I can't understand people stopping you from filming inside their businesses; potentially giving them free advertising. I guess you win some and you lose some.
That is cool info about the red soil and the pineapples, thank you! We basically saw that in action and those pineapples were enormous! 😁🍍 We've been very fortunate to be allowed filming at many fantastic places and we completely respect folks saying no. But when we're treated with disrespect at a place which should represent the hospitality and incredible natural wonder of South Africa's fauna and flora, we simply can't accept that. 🇿🇦😥
Well guys there are rude people the world over unfortunately. But you both did exactly the right thing. Walk away. I was going to buy a Circular saw bench a few years ago that was $5,000.00 so not a cheap unit. I stood patiently waiting to be served and waited and waited and waited for over an hour. Eventually I walked toward the door and as I got to it one of the sales guys said so sorry can I help you. I just smiled and said I was interested in that saw but nowvi will go to your competitor. He said please sir let me assist. Again I smiled and said no thanks. Have a wonderful day further. And with that I drove 60km to the other side of town and purchased the same machine for a hundred dollars more. But it was worth it.
I'm so sorry that you both had to experience disrespect from employers😔. The thing people forget is that just because you might have a title under your name you do not automatically get respect. Respect is earned and based on things like ones attitude towards people. That place is doing a great job trying to protect animals and the employers give it a bad name by having a bad attitude, it only takes one person. And now this has gone viral and seen by thousands around the world. First impressions always last. I'm sorry for the other employers working their who might be good friendly people, because unfortunately they are going to be comb under the same come, which is not fair. I have watched hundreds of your videos and one can get a sense of your personality and to me I do believe Sonia, Curtis does not seem to be the type to stand and argue to a point it get out of hand. You are both so happy and go lucky people always laughing and smiling. As I said I've watched hundreds of your videos and I can testify that not once have either of you really moaned about anything you both always have something positive to say about each place you go to weather big or small towns. You both have such positive attitudes and appearance any thing big or small. But the positive side of this video is the animals and loved seeing the train riding with the beautiful sunset in the background. Lol Curtis I love in every video you greet us with a cup of coffee in the morning lol😂❤
It's a government owned park. I'm sure it's the cadres helping themselves to the rhino.
I simply can't accuse unless I have the proof to back up those accusations. And I don't. 😥🦏
I am so sad to hear you were treated poorly at Hluhluwe. As an expat South African I have experienced this on a number of occasions when returning to visit family in South Africa. When people at government offices see a US passport they forget I speak the language. Please treat tourists with respect. They pay your salary.
🤦🏻♀️Sorry about your unpleasant and unnecessary experience at the gate and that you missed out on the nature of Hluluwe.❤
Yes, nature was the real loser here. 😥💚
Unfortunately hope you reported that, they cannot have disrespectful people in charge. What about the tourist from overseas. They would of filmed that plaque as well. Sad.
We did mention later in our video that we spoke to an Honorary Ranger about our experience and he undertook to speak to the Park Warden about what happened. I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. Our video stands testimony to exactly what happened if there is any doubt. It would be horrible if overseas tourists are treated the same, especially if they visit our country to experience its wildlife and natural beauty. Every single one of those employees are supposed to be respectful custodians of nature. That was not the vibe we got. 🤷🏻♂️
Hluhluwe wouldn't be visited , because of this. That is why business is going down and i will help them. Cheers Cape town 💥😳😂😂😂💥
Thank you for watching our video. 🚙😊 It wasn't our goal to put viewers off of visiting Hluhluwe. We just believe in documenting our true experiences as they happen and travelling isn't always only fun and games. 🤷🏻♂️
Trust me: you’d be robbing yourself, your family and the wildlife. It’s a national park, tourism keeps everything going and the animals protected. It really is unfortunate the Dustbugs encountered a horrible staff member (they are everywhere in SA these days) and they lost out on that experience. But we can’t paint everyone with the same brush. You can drive through, but I’d recommend taking an guided tour on a safari vehicle if you’re staying in St Lucia or one if the accommodations around Hluhluwe.
I’m so sorry for this unpleasant experience. So unnecessary. I am curious though….did you have accommodations booked, because if so, I hope you got a refund. ❤
No, we had booked our accommodation in advance in the town of Hluhluwe, which we showed in our video. 🚙🏡 We heard from someone in town that we shouldn't miss the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve and, although our time was extremely limited, we thought it a good idea to pay them a visit. Unfortunately that didn't work out according to plan. 🤷🏻♂️
The speed bumps are there to stop all the WANNA BE formula 1 drivers from exhibiting their not too rehearsed talents on the way home from the shebeens on Friday and Saturday nights.
the speed bumps are also there for the protection of that rude person at the game reserve gate - Curtis , Sonja - I apologise on behalf of all Natalians for the disrespect show by a person who is clear result of BBB-EE
I can think of a few more places which need speed bumps. 🚙😨 They don't really bother us, we're slowcoaches anyway. We know that travelling comes with its fair share of challenges and we're very lucky to not have had that many along the way. Challenges should never include any disrespect between any human beings though and that was our problem with the entire scenario that played out. 🤷🏻♂️
Hi Love your videos
Get back to around 20-25 minute videos 50 minutes far to long with respect thx in advance
It is entirely your, and every other viewer's, decision how much you choose to watch of any video. When our videos were shorter, we had numerous requests for longer ones and, since our videos are essentially our memories of our travels, we're happy to include as much footage as possible. 🚙🤩