Off the BT/TLjul09v1pp28-32:T&L 20/7/09 11:14 Page 28

ZULU
dawns

ing though it was at the time for the nation.

From its moving Zulu and Boer War battlefield sites, to Never before had a native army taken on and
superlative wildlife parks, stunning beaches and annihilated such a powerful, well-armed and
magnificent scenery, South Africa’s Zulu Kingdom is trained fighting force. Yet, another battle
fought later that day, January 22, 1879, less
a world-class destination, which will soon be welcoming than 10 miles away has gone down in legend.
the world. Peter Ellegard reports
Victoria Cross
That battle was Rorke’s Drift, celebrated for

I
t was one of the most moving
moments I can ever recall. We were
sat on chairs on a hillside plateau,
overlooking a sweeping plain dom-
inated by a craggy hill directly in
front of us and with a long escarp-
ment in the distance.
Small, white stone cairns dotted the land-
scape all around us, the highest concentration
around the base of the crag, where there were
also several larger monuments. There was a
chill in the December air despite it being
summer in the Southern Hemisphere, but it
was nothing compared to the chill I felt in my
spine as the tragic events of that desolate
place 130 years ago were vividly brought to
life by our guide, using his baton for effect as
he reconstructed that infamous day in breath-
taking detail. A few hundred yards away
another group was equally fixated as their
guide regaled the same desperate tale.
For we were on the battlefield of one of
the worst defeats ever inflicted on the British
Empire – Isandlwana. An entire garrison
comprising over 1,000 of the British Army’s
finest had been overwhelmed and wiped out
by 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-
the fact that 139 British soldiers holed up in
a tiny, fortified mission camp held off thou-
sands of Zulu attackers for 12 hours until
reinforcements arrived. Eleven Victoria
Cross medals were awarded to the valiant
defenders, more than for any other single
battle in history. And it inspired the iconic
1964 blockbuster film, Zulu, which starred
a young Michael Caine. Whereas
Isandlwana, where three VCs were won, was
depicted in the follow-up flop, Zulu Dawn.
So captivating was the recounting, it
almost felt as though we were witnessing the
battle itself. But then much of it had been
passed down by word of mouth from Zulus

28 The Travel & Leisure Magazine July/August 2009

Off the BT/TLjul09v1pp28-32:T&L 20/7/09 11:15 Page 29

off the beaten TRACK

KWAZULU-NATAL

Roger de la Harpe
■ Zulu dancers

■ Rorke's Drift
memorial

Peter Ellegard
Roger de la Harpe

Peter Ellegard
■ Isandlwana
battlefield site
■ Rorke’s Drift

who had actually fought there. The near eye- Zulu battlefields duty soldier and keen amateur historian.
witness accounts had been collected by his- The Anglo-Zulu War battlefields were There are many Zulu and Boer War bat-
torian David Rattray, who spent many hours among the highlights I had been looking tlefield sites you can visit, particularly
sitting overlooking the battlefield as we did, forward to seeing on my trip to South around Ladysmith (famous for its siege in
talking to an elderly Zulu chief. Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, other- 1899) and Dundee, the nearest city to
Tragically, the man locals called the wise known as the Zulu Kingdom. They Rorke’s Drift. Provincial capital Durban is
“white Zulu” was killed in a robbery at the more than lived up to my respectively 235km and 173km from them,
Fugitives’ Drift lodge he ran with his wife expectations and I about three hours or so by road.
Nicky and three sons, near Rorke’s Drift, in would highly With Durban one of the host cities
early 2007. We had lunch at the lodge later, recommend
and met Nicky. I was sorry I didn’t get to anyone think-
meet her husband, especially having listened ing about
to his spellbinding narration from a recorded visiting
radio series while en route to Isandlwana on there to
the bus. include them
On the way to the lodge we had spent an on a tour itin-
all-too-brief 20 minutes at Rorke’s Drift. erary. Months
Having listened to David’s graphic recorded later, I did just
portrayal of events there, the graveyard and that when I was in a
museum were just as emotional an experi- pub in the middle of
ence, even if the original buildings no longer nowhere in Scotland’s Trossachs region and
survive. Perhaps the most poignant sight was overheard the people on the next table being
the bronze Zulu memorial, consisting of a told about the Battle of Isandlwana by an
Roger de la Harpe
leopard resting on a stack of warrior shields. enthusiastic member of their party, an off-

July/August 2009 The Travel & Leisure Magazine 29

Off the BT/TLjul09v1pp28-32:T&L 20/7/09
■ Superb beaches
Action and
adventure
The Zulu Kingdom is heaven for adrenalin
junkies. It offers some of the best diving in
the world, notably for encounters with
sharks.
Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoals,
respectively 90 and 45 minutes south of
Durban, are the prime shark-diving areas
off KwaZulu-Natal. Divers can encounter
species such as non-aggressive ragged-
tooths, known affectionately as Raggies,
which go to Protea Banks in spring
(August/September) to mate and
congregate in schools of up to 60 at Aliwal
from July to October, as well as Zambezis,
great whites and hammerheads.You can
even free dive with dangerous tiger sharks
at Aliwal, where operators “chum” the
water with bait to attract them.
Sodwana Bay is Africa’s most southerly
coral reef, and also marks the
southernmost area where giant whale
sharks are found, their range extending up
to Mozambique. Another incredible
spectacle is the annual Sardine Run
between May and July, when huge shoals
up to 15km long migrate up the KwaZulu-
Natal coast.
The former Greater St Lucia Wetland
Park, now iSimangaliso, has boat safaris to
see hippos and many different bird species.
On land, it is the Big Five animals and other
30 The Travel & Leisure Magazine
11:16 Page 30
for the 2010 football World Cup, this south-
eastern part of South Africa is likely to see a
lot of interest and increasing visitor numbers
in the next year or so.
Durban itself is undergoing a huge ren-
aissance, with many new facilities being
added (including a superb new stadium to
stage the World Cup games) and major
investment in its infrastructure. The beaches
in the city and along the neighbouring coast-
line are some of the best in the world and
they enjoy the warmest sea temperatures in
South Africa, reaching up to 28ºC. Its hotels
are second to none, too. Few places pamper
you as much as the beachfront Suncoast
Hotel & Towers. Sadly, my group’s timing
Roger de la Harpe
could have been better. We played golf near-
by the day we checked in – and our late
arrival meant we just missed the poolside
swimsuit parade at the hotel for the Miss
World contestants, who were in Durban at
the same time as us.
Sharks
That night, we dined alongside a giant
aquarium full of menacing sharks in one of
the most unique dining environments I have
Toruism KwaZulu-Natal
encountered, set in an imaginative “rusting”
ship’s hulk at the uShaka Marine World
park (www.ushakamarineworld.co.za).
This coastline is famous for its sharks.
The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board
(www.shark.co.za) has been protecting the
beaches off Durban for swimmers and
surfers for over 40 years with netting. It is
the only organisation of its kind in the world,
and you can visit its HQ in Umhlanga Rocks
to learn about sharks with an audio-visual
demonstration followed by a live dissection,
after which you can view lifelike replicas of
sharks, fish and rays, including that of a
Peter Ellegard
892kg great white shark.
KZN (as the province is often shortened
to) is known for other wildlife too, and we
got the chance to see some of its most noted
wildlife which provide the thrills. Besides inhabitants on water and game safaris.
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, other game reserves We took a boat tour of the iSimangaliso
where you can see them include Phinda, Wetland Park, the new name for UNESCO
Thanda and the Tembe Elephant Park. World Heritage Site the Greater St Lucia
And if you want sports action, there is Wetland Park, and got some fantastic
golf of the highest calibre on courses close-up views of hippos wallowing in the
including Princes Grant shallows. A short drive took us to
(www.princesgrant.co.za), Durban Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, one KZN’s most cele-
Country Club (www.dcclub.co.za), brated game reserves and one of several
Selborne (www.selborne.com) and where you can see the Big Five. Once the
Champagne Sports Resort hunting grounds for Zulu kings, they intro-
(www.champagnesportsresort.com). duced the first conservation laws there, in
1895. It was in the reserve that the white
July/August 2009
T&L Ads July/August09:Layout 1 24/7/09 12:24 Page 31

July/August 2009 The Travel & Leisure Magazine 31

Off the BT/TLjul09v1pp28-32:T&L 20/7/09 11:17 Page 32

■ Zulu woman

Roger de la Harpe
Peter Ellegard
■ Elephant encounter

rhino was saved from extinction, in the

KwaZulu-Natal facts 1960s.
The weather was so cold as we clambered
When to go aboard our open-sided safari trucks that we
The Zulu Kingdom enjoys a sub-tropical climate with year- needed blankets over our legs to keep warm.
round sunshine, and rain generally in November and March. But we were rewarded with the immediate
Peter Ellegard
Game viewing is best in winter (June and July). Sea sight of an elephant as we entered the gates.
temperatures averaging 22ºC make it a great family destination. And as we were driven around the reserve
we were lucky enough to see another one
Getting there almost within touching distance, but so busy
Durban is a one-hour flight or easy six-hour drive from Johannesburg, eating juicy leaves we were scarcely noticed.
which is served by direct flights from London by South African Airways We also spotted lots of antelope and zebra,
(www.flysaa.com), British Airways (www.ba.com) and Virgin Atlantic some water buffalo, warthogs, giraffes and a
Airways (www.virgin-atlantic.com). Flight time: 11 hours. pride of resting lions with playful cubs.

Getting around Rich culture

KwaZulu-Natal is easy to get around, with excellent roads. Most attractions Arriving for our overnight stay at our near-
are within a three or four-hour drive of Durban and each other. Car rental by hotel, the Protea Umfolozi, we were
companies include Avis (www.avis.co.uk). treated to an energetic display of traditional
dancing by local Zulu boys. You can see
Accommodation dancing and other Zulu culture throughout
You can find top-quality accommodation throughout the province. Among the province, visiting a rural Zulu village or
South African hotel groups with properties are Southern Sun enjoying organised cultural experiences
(www.southernsun.com),Three Cities (www.threecities.co.za) and such as Shakaland or Duma Zulu.
Protea Hotels (www.proteahotels.com).There are also lodges including Besides its battlefields, wildlife and rich
Fugitives’ Drift (www.fugitives-drift-lodge.com) and resorts such as culture, KwaZulu-Natal is rich in natural
Champagne Sports Resort (www.champagnesportsresort.com) and beauty. Nowhere is that more evident than in
Selborne Hotel, Spa & Golf Estate (www.selborne.com). the spectacular Drakensberg Mountains,
where you can go hiking, mountain biking
Tour operators or horse-riding. We were there for another
A number of tour operators feature KZN, including Virgin Holidays activity – golf. Staying at the Champagne
(www.virginholidays.co.uk), Somak Holidays (www.somak.com), Jetset Sports Resort, the mountains reared up dra-
Holidays (www.jetset-holidays.co.uk), Premier Holidays matically just beyond the course and behind
(www.premierholidays.co.uk),Tropical Sky (www.tropicalsky.co.uk), our chalets. With an elevated clubhouse deck
Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) and Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com). giving sweeping vistas, few golf resorts can
Local tour operator Thompsons Africa (www.thompsonsafrica.com) has enjoy such glorious surroundings.
an extensive programme of KZN tours. All too soon, our week-long stay in
KwaZulu-Natal was over. It was a truly mes-
Tourist information merising destination, yet one I feel I have

TL
Visit the Zulu Kingdom’s website on www.zulu.org.za barely scratched the surface of. One thing’s
for sure – I will definitely be back.

32 The Travel & Leisure Magazine July/August 2009

T&L Ads July/August09:Layout 1 24/7/09 12:25 Page 33

July/August 2009 The Travel & Leisure Magazine 33