Destinations / Zululand >>

The Zulu Kingdom has kept its proud identity intact more than any other tribe in SA through tumultuous times including the Anglo-Zulu Wars and apartheid, when Zululand was a separate black homeland.

Zululand itself covers a large area, but we recommend avoiding some of the tourist traps such as the royal palaces around Ulundi and the theme-park-like Shakaland which are disappointing unless you have children to entertain. Rather just take a drive through remote villages clinging to the sides of the rolling green hills around Eshowe (Cetshwayo’s stronghold). At Eshowe you can hike along lofty board-walks in indigenous mist-belt forest at the height of the birds, hike to Mpushini Falls or sample the beer ‘Zulu Blonde’ which is brewed on site at the George Hotel. The Valley of a Thousand Hills is also a place for lunch if travelling around Durban, with some good dining options with spectacular views.

The famous Battlefields of Rorke’s Drift and Islandlwana ring through the annals of history and you can’t get away from the horror and romance that are synonymous with these places. Without context, they can be a bit of an anti-climax but with a good guide and story-teller they will come alive.