It was one of the most movingmoments I can ever recall. We weresat on chairs on a hillside plateau,overlooking a sweeping plain dom-inated by a craggy hill directly infront of us and with a long escarp-

ment in the distance.Small, white stone cairns dotted the land-

scape all around us, the highest concentrationaround the base of the crag, where there werealso several larger monuments. There was achill in the December air despite it beingsummer in the Southern Hemisphere, but itwas nothing compared to the chill I felt in myspine as the tragic events of that desolate

place 130 years ago were vividly brought tolife by our guide, using his baton for effect ashe reconstructed that infamous day in breath-taking detail. A few hundred yards awayanother group was equally fixated as theirguide regaled the same desperate tale.For we were on the battlefield of one of

the worst defeats ever inflicted on the BritishEmpire – Isandlwana. An entire garrisoncomprising over 1,000 of the British Army’sfinest had been overwhelmed and wiped outby 20,000 Zulu warriors, and the white-paint-ed stones marked where they had all fallen.Few other than historians would recognise

the name of that bloody episode today, shock-

ing though it was at the time for the nation.Never before had a native army taken on andannihilated such a powerful, well-armed andtrained fighting force. Yet, another battlefought later that day, January 22, 1879, lessthan 10 miles away has gone down in legend.

Victoria CrossThat battle was Rorke’s Drift, celebrated forthe fact that 139 British soldiers holed up ina tiny, fortified mission camp held off thou-sands of Zulu attackers for 12 hours untilreinforcements arrived. Eleven VictoriaCross medals were awarded to the valiantdefenders, more than for any other singlebattle in history. And it inspired the iconic1964 blockbuster film, Zulu, which starreda young Michael Caine. WhereasIsandlwana, where three VCs were won, wasdepicted in the follow-up flop, Zulu Dawn.So captivating was the recounting, it

almost felt as though we were witnessing thebattle itself. But then much of it had beenpassed down by word of mouth from Zulus

28 The Travel & Leisure Magazine July/August 2009

From its moving Zulu and Boer War battlefield sites, tosuperlative wildlife parks, stunning beaches and

magnificent scenery, South Africa’s Zulu Kingdom isa world-class destination, which will soon be welcoming

the world. Peter Ellegard reports

ZULUdawns

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KWAZULU-NATAL

who had actually fought there. The near eye-witness accounts had been collected by his-torian David Rattray, who spent many hourssitting overlooking the battlefield as we did,talking to an elderly Zulu chief.Tragically, the man locals called the

“white Zulu” was killed in a robbery at theFugitives’ Drift lodge he ran with his wifeNicky and three sons, near Rorke’s Drift, inearly 2007. We had lunch at the lodge later,and met Nicky. I was sorry I didn’t get tomeet her husband, especially having listenedto his spellbinding narration from a recordedradio series while en route to Isandlwana onthe bus.On the way to the lodge we had spent an

all-too-brief 20 minutes at Rorke’s Drift.Having listened to David’s graphic recordedportrayal of events there, the graveyard andmuseum were just as emotional an experi-ence, even if the original buildings no longersurvive. Perhaps the most poignant sight wasthe bronze Zulu memorial, consisting of aleopard resting on a stack of warrior shields.

Zulu battlefieldsThe Anglo-Zulu War battlefields wereamong the highlights I had been lookingforward to seeing on my trip to SouthAfrica’s KwaZulu-Natal province, other-wise known as the Zulu Kingdom. Theymore than lived up to myexpectations and Iwould highlyr e c ommendanyone think-ing aboutv i s i t i n gthere toinclude themon a tour itin-erary. Monthslater, I did justthat when I was in apub in the middle ofnowhere in Scotland’s Trossachs region andoverheard the people on the next table beingtold about the Battle of Isandlwana by anenthusiastic member of their party, an off-

duty soldier and keen amateur historian.There are many Zulu and Boer War bat-

tlefield sites you can visit, particularlyaround Ladysmith (famous for its siege in1899) and Dundee, the nearest city toRorke’s Drift. Provincial capital Durban isrespectively 235km and 173km from them,about three hours or so by road.

With Durban one of the host cities

July/August 2009 The Travel & Leisure Magazine 29

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� Zulu dancers

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� Isandlwanabattlefield site

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for the 2010 football World Cup, this south-eastern part of South Africa is likely to see alot of interest and increasing visitor numbersin the next year or so.Durban itself is undergoing a huge ren-

aissance, with many new facilities beingadded (including a superb new stadium tostage the World Cup games) and majorinvestment in its infrastructure. The beachesin the city and along the neighbouring coast-line are some of the best in the world andthey enjoy the warmest sea temperatures inSouth Africa, reaching up to 28ºC. Its hotelsare second to none, too. Few places pamperyou as much as the beachfront SuncoastHotel & Towers. Sadly, my group’s timingcould have been better. We played golf near-by the day we checked in – and our latearrival meant we just missed the poolsideswimsuit parade at the hotel for the MissWorld contestants, who were in Durban atthe same time as us.

SharksThat night, we dined alongside a giantaquarium full of menacing sharks in one ofthe most unique dining environments I haveencountered, set in an imaginative “rusting”ship’s hulk at the uShaka Marine Worldpark (www.ushakamarineworld.co.za).This coastline is famous for its sharks.

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board(www.shark.co.za) has been protecting thebeaches off Durban for swimmers andsurfers for over 40 years with netting. It isthe only organisation of its kind in the world,and you can visit its HQ in Umhlanga Rocksto learn about sharks with an audio-visualdemonstration followed by a live dissection,after which you can view lifelike replicas ofsharks, fish and rays, including that of a892kg great white shark.KZN (as the province is often shortened

to) is known for other wildlife too, and wegot the chance to see some of its most notedinhabitants on water and game safaris.We took a boat tour of the iSimangaliso

Wetland Park, the new name for UNESCOWorld Heritage Site the Greater St LuciaWetland Park, and got some fantasticclose-up views of hippos wallowing in theshallows. A short drive took us toHluhluwe-Imfolozi, one KZN’s most cele-brated game reserves and one of severalwhere you can see the Big Five. Once thehunting grounds for Zulu kings, they intro-duced the first conservation laws there, in1895. It was in the reserve that the white

30 The Travel & Leisure Magazine July/August 2009

The Zulu Kingdom is heaven for adrenalinjunkies. It offers some of the best diving inthe world, notably for encounters withsharks.Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoals,

respectively 90 and 45 minutes south ofDurban, are the prime shark-diving areasoff KwaZulu-Natal. Divers can encounterspecies such as non-aggressive ragged-tooths, known affectionately as Raggies,which go to Protea Banks in spring(August/September) to mate andcongregate in schools of up to 60 at Aliwalfrom July to October, as well as Zambezis,great whites and hammerheads.You caneven free dive with dangerous tiger sharksat Aliwal, where operators “chum” thewater with bait to attract them.Sodwana Bay is Africa’s most southerly

coral reef, and also marks thesouthernmost area where giant whalesharks are found, their range extending upto Mozambique.Another incrediblespectacle is the annual Sardine Runbetween May and July, when huge shoalsup to 15km long migrate up the KwaZulu-Natal coast.The former Greater St LuciaWetland

Park, now iSimangaliso, has boat safaris tosee hippos and many different bird species.On land, it is the Big Five animals and other

wildlife which provide the thrills. BesidesHluhluwe-Imfolozi, other game reserveswhere you can see them include Phinda,Thanda and the Tembe Elephant Park.And if you want sports action, there is

golf of the highest calibre on coursesincluding Princes Grant(www.princesgrant.co.za), DurbanCountry Club (www.dcclub.co.za),Selborne (www.selborne.com) andChampagne Sports Resort(www.champagnesportsresort.com).

Action andadventure

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rhino was saved from extinction, in the1960s.

The weather was so cold as we clamberedaboard our open-sided safari trucks that weneeded blankets over our legs to keep warm.But we were rewarded with the immediatesight of an elephant as we entered the gates.And as we were driven around the reservewe were lucky enough to see another onealmost within touching distance, but so busyeating juicy leaves we were scarcely noticed.We also spotted lots of antelope and zebra,some water buffalo, warthogs, giraffes and apride of resting lions with playful cubs.

Rich cultureArriving for our overnight stay at our near-by hotel, the Protea Umfolozi, we weretreated to an energetic display of traditionaldancing by local Zulu boys. You can seedancing and other Zulu culture throughoutthe province, visiting a rural Zulu village orenjoying organised cultural experiencessuch as Shakaland or Duma Zulu.

Besides its battlefields, wildlife and richculture, KwaZulu-Natal is rich in naturalbeauty. Nowhere is that more evident than inthe spectacular Drakensberg Mountains,where you can go hiking, mountain bikingor horse-riding. We were there for anotheractivity – golf. Staying at the ChampagneSports Resort, the mountains reared up dra-matically just beyond the course and behindour chalets. With an elevated clubhouse deckgiving sweeping vistas, few golf resorts canenjoy such glorious surroundings.

All too soon, our week-long stay inKwaZulu-Natal was over. It was a truly mes-merising destination, yet one I feel I havebarely scratched the surface of. One thing’sfor sure – I will definitely be back.

32 The Travel & Leisure Magazine July/August 2009

KwaZulu-Natal facts

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When to goThe Zulu Kingdom enjoys a sub-tropical climate with year-round sunshine, and rain generally in November and March.Game viewing is best in winter (June and July). Seatemperatures averaging 22ºC make it a great family destination.

Getting thereDurban is a one-hour flight or easy six-hour drive from Johannesburg,which is served by direct flights from London by South African Airways(www.flysaa.com), British Airways (www.ba.com) andVirgin AtlanticAirways (www.virgin-atlantic.com). Flight time: 11 hours.

Getting aroundKwaZulu-Natal is easy to get around, with excellent roads. Most attractionsare within a three or four-hour drive of Durban and each other. Car rentalcompanies include Avis (www.avis.co.uk).

AccommodationYou can find top-quality accommodation throughout the province.AmongSouth African hotel groups with properties are Southern Sun(www.southernsun.com),Three Cities (www.threecities.co.za) andProtea Hotels (www.proteahotels.com).There are also lodges includingFugitives’ Drift (www.fugitives-drift-lodge.com) and resorts such asChampagne Sports Resort (www.champagnesportsresort.com) andSelborne Hotel, Spa & Golf Estate (www.selborne.com).

Tour operatorsA number of tour operators feature KZN, including Virgin Holidays(www.virginholidays.co.uk), Somak Holidays (www.somak.com), JetsetHolidays (www.jetset-holidays.co.uk), Premier Holidays(www.premierholidays.co.uk),Tropical Sky (www.tropicalsky.co.uk),Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) and Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com).Local tour operator Thompsons Africa (www.thompsonsafrica.com) hasan extensive programme of KZN tours.

Tourist informationVisit the Zulu Kingdom’s website on www.zulu.org.za

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