St. Lucia Central Reservations

Presents

St. Lucia & The Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park Area

 

Travel Advisories : St. Lucia Wetland Park Area

 
The following advisories are general good practices and or travel information for this area.   St. Lucia Central Reservations does not accept liability or responsibility for the accurateness thereof or incidents that any individual may experience there from either to the contrary or otherwise.

These advisories may be revised from time to time as deemed necessary.

 

Crime

 Due to the high rate of unemployment in the area the occurrence of crime, mostly opportunistic crime is a constant to guard against. Keep the following in mind :


-   Keep car doors locked whilst traveling, stopping at intersections or road stalls;


-   If vehicle has no air-conditioning keep windows turned up reasonably high;


-   Do not create temptation and keep valuables [ cameras, money, etc. ] out of sight or locked up; 


-   Do not stop for long periods at roadside where there is no infrastructure available;


-   Do not leave property lying on beaches and then go for strolls;


-   Report all crime incidents to establishment management, security or the local police office;


-   Know the traffic regulations/laws and abide by them;


-   Know the relevant emergency numbers for the area.

Health




Malaria

 Notwithstanding that Authorities claim that certain areas are malaria free, do not believe everything you hear - prevention is better than cure:


-   If not allergic to prophylactics, do take them as a precaution;


-   Use mosquito repellents liberally - definitely at night time when outside;


-   If available or provided,  do use mosquito nets;


-   Inform your doctor where you traveled when showing common flu symptoms.


 

 

Aids / HIV The prevalence of AIDS / HIV amongst the indigenous population of the area is the highest in South Africa.


 

 

Water Although drinking water supplied by Authorities and / or establishments is normally safe for human consumption, individuals with sensitive stomachs may be adversely affected :


-   Bottled water is readily available in stores;


-   Ensure that your medical kit contains remedies for diarrhea and stomach cramps; 


-   Do not drink untreated or water from streams.


 

 

Medical Services The following places have doctors available or otherwise indicated where nearest is available:


Mapelane    :   

Day-time 

 None - Nearest is Mtubatuba or Richard's Bay. 

+- 70 kilometer


                         

Night-time 

 Kwambonambi. 

 +- 40 kilometer


St. Lucia      :    

Day / Night 

 Doctors with dispensary otherwise Mtubatuba. 

+-  25 Kilometer


Cape Vidal  :  


None - Nearest is St. Lucia.

+- 46 kilometer


Hluhluwe    : Day / Night Doctor available.


Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve  :
None  -  Nearest is Mtubatuba or Hluhluwe.

+- 45 kilometer


Sodwana Bay  :
Parks Board Camp site  - Emergency treatment room only otherwise doctor at Mbazwana.

+- 15 kilometer





Larger pharmacies only available in Mtubatuba and Hluhluwe


 

 

Sunburn During Summer [ October to March ] sunburn a high risk factor especially for European travelers with fair skin.


During the cooler months sunburn is still a risk factor especially on the beach.


Light clothing protection and sun screen Factor 30 is always recommended.


 

 

Banking




Bank Services Regular banking services are only available in Mtubatuba and Hluhluwe.


St. Lucia has Agency service only on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays  -  09h30  to  13h00


 

 

Credit Cards Credit cards are generally accepted with the exception of American Express Cards.


Acceptance of credit cards may vary from establishment to establishment.


Inquire beforehand if credit cards are accepted.


 

 

Forex Make sure to keep up to date with official exchange rates.


Banks  are safe exchange facilities  -  private individuals / establishments may charge exorbitant commissions.

 

 

Climate

Seasons

 

 

 

 Consider that normal seasons in Southern Africa are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere. Apart from the normal seasonal periods the following are advisories for St. Lucia and the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park area :

Mid November to Mid March      -     Very hot with high humidity levels along the coast

Mid May to Mid August               -     Moderate Winter climate along the coast

 

Weather

 

 

 

 Consider the following weather patterns :

Rainy Seasons          -         Mid September to Mid November and End January to End March

Windy Season           -          August to Mid October

[ Rainy and windy periods do occur also intermittently during other periods ]

 

 

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