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<\/a><\/p>\nI love the city of Cape Town and I know I\u2019m not alone. I have stayed there on all four of my South Africa holidays. It\u2019s addictive! That is why it can be easy to overlook areas of South Africa outside of the Cape and away from the Garden Route.<\/p>\n
On a recent\u00a0South Africa<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0holiday I had the opportunity to explore the diversity, the beauty, the culture and some of the history of KwaZulu-Natal. My wife and I had already spent a week driving from Johannesburg<\/a><\/strong><\/span> to the Blyde River Canyon and visited the Kruger National Park<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, down through Swaziland, then in to KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n Our first port of call was to the principal battlefield sites of Isandlwana and Rorke\u2019s Drift, the settings of popular Christmas movie repeats \u2018Zulu Dawn\u2019 and \u2018Zulu\u2019. As local guides relate, with accuracy, the events of those days in 1879 on the site of the battles themselves, you cannot fail to feel the emotion that seems to run through the place. In Isandlwana, white cairns mark the spot that British soldiers fell in their fighting with the Zulu warriors, and in Rorke\u2019s Drift the museum and surroundings on the actual site give a clear indication of the final hours that elapsed and resulted in a record eleven Victoria Crosses being awarded.<\/p>\n Apart from learning the history, which changed the future of South Africa\u2019s development as a nation, the Battlefields landscape is one of natural beauty and definitely merits a visit during a South Africa holiday. Whilst the roads between the sites are mainly gravel tracks, our hire car was up to the challenge. Our stays at both Isandlwana Lodge and Rorke\u2019s Drift Hotel were comfortable and the welcome was very friendly. We were able to compare thoughts of the day\u2019s activities with other guests at dinner.<\/p>\n We headed east towards the coast via the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve, the combination of two separate reserves. Having made use of driver guides in Kruger<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, we opted to do our own game drive on the main roads with careful negotiation of the potholes. There were not many vehicles here and it was great to see such a variety of animals so close to the road, including a family of white rhinos lazing under a tree.<\/p>\n Our next destination was South Africa\u2019s first World Heritage Site \u2013 the Isimangaliso Wetlands \u2013 here we spent a wonderful afternoon on a St Lucia river cruise \u2013 spotting the local birdlife, crocodiles and large numbers of hippos.<\/p>\n After two weeks on the road, our visit to KwaZulu-Natal was coming to a close, so a little rest was called for at the Oyster Box Hotel<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, in Umhlanga, just to the north of Durban, where the curry buffet dinner was every bit as good as the recommendations we had received. Before long, we were heading southwest (by air this time!) \u2013 for a few days in Cape Town<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, of course!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nWe also visited the site of the Battle of Blood River, where the Boers had overcome the Zulus some 41 years earlier in 1838 by means of a 64 wagon encampment, which has been re-created on the site today. You might assume that the majority of visitors to these sites were graduate historians or those with a military background, but there is a wider appeal to anyone wanting to learn a little about South Africa’s historic battles in a beautiful yet emotive landscape.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nReady to go?<\/h2>\n