Nature reserves near St Lucia Estuary offer superb opportunities for hippo-spotting

South Africa is hardly short on coastal towns with excellent beaches, but when it comes to submerging yourself in the Indian Ocean, the pick of the bunch is St Lucia Estuary.

Nature reserves close to St Lucia Estuary offer great chances to take in more wildlife - crocodile, hippos and birds abound. The area also boasts the highest vegetated dunes in the world as well as extensive and diverse wetland systems.

There is a great quiet beach a couple of miles along from the nature reserves where the mighty waves of the Indian Ocean crash to earth. You just might lose your bikini or trunks here, but so what? Being that close to nature is an unforgettable experience and you literally have to go with the flow.

One word of warning through: malaria precautions are necessary here.