Discover Zululand 2018
Wamukelekile! Welcome to Zululand!
Discover Zululand and all the many gems it has to offer. From lush rolling hills to indigenous forests, majestic wildlife, meandering rivers and pristine beaches, Zululand has it all!
The heart of the Zulu kingdom has a rich history and culture. It is here that the great King Shaka Zulu ruled and many great battles were fought during the Anglo-Zulu war. Visit any of the historical landmarks in Zululand and experience the magic. Under the African skies of Zululand, locals enjoy summer weather for most of the year. Therefore, the mild subtropical climate and unhurried pace make Zululand the perfect year-round holiday destination
Find it all in the City of uMhlathuze
The city ranks first in the ‘Location Attractiveness Index’ included in the recently released Alexander Forbes Benefits Barometer, which identifies municipal areas and cities in South Africa that are conducive to investment and where growth potential can be unlocked.
And rightly so.
However, even though ‘Industrial Tourism’ is extremely attractive to technikon and university students, it is the co-existence of busy industry and relaxing nature that gives the city its huge appeal.
Richards Bay – the heart of the City – has been dubbed ‘Sizzle City’ for a variety of reasons, as visitors can enjoy arguably the best climate year-round while entertaining themselves with a wide variety of both indoor and outdoor activities.
It is a water sport and recreational mecca of note: surfing, kiteboarding, stand-up paddling (SUPping), fishing, boating, marlin angling, whale and dolphin watching, scuba diving, shipwreck exploring, spearfishing, yachting and jet skiing in the country’s warmest ocean waters.
Bathers at our signature main beach – Alkantstrand – are protected by lifeguards on duty, while there are amenities for family picnics including shaded lapas and braaiing facilities.
All this alongside the country’s largest port, where fish eagles soar above the waters in a region that boasts a vast array of species that lures birders from all over the world.
Move inland, and more attractions abound: from fine dining to game viewing township tours, cultural hubs and shopping – we have it all.
The Tuzi Gazi Waterfront offers a wide variety of outdoor and indoor dining – from fresh seafood to wood burned pizzas and outdoor cocktail lounges – what better way to end the day?
A rainy day presents no problems for the family out for adventure – pop into one of the shopping centres to enjoy a meal, watch a movie or game the day away in a family arcade.
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Emergency Centre: 035 791 5301 or 035 791 5311
Great prizes for ‘Town of the Year’ voters
Our readers have voted and the verdict is out, therefore, Richards Bay is once again the Zululand Observer ‘Town of the Year’.
Readers had the opportunity to vote for their favourite Zululand town by completing a voting form which appeared in the newspaper.
As an incentive, the Zululand Observer gave away prizes for three lucky voters.
The first prize was R1 000 in cash.
Cane Cutters Tropical Bird Park sponsored the second prize, a weekend getaway for four people at Cane Cutters Estate.
Arabella Spa Excellence is the sponsor of the third prize: a day of pampering at the spa, which includes a spalicious de luxe manicure and pedicure, six Skincare Velocity facial, Swedish full body massage, relaxing bath soak/jacuzzi and a complimentary light meal and drink.
The Zululand Observer would like to thank our prize sponsors for helping to make the competition a success.
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Relive the early days
Situated in Turnbull Street, the museum is home to the history and artwork of locals far and wide.
The building was previously utilised as a meeting place, cinema, clinic and more before its neglect led to a decision to introduce an art gallery and later a museum.
This presented the perfect platform to showcase the rich culture and diversity of Zululand.
The museum is home to an array of artefacts from the early days of the sugar cane farming community, as well as historical objects reflecting King Shaka Zulu and the Mthethwa clan.
Most importantly the artwork on display is replaced on a two-month cycle.
Enjoy a day at Enseleni Nature Reserve
Enseleni Nature Reserve is well worth a visit for a family picnic or short, scenic hike. This small reserve lies about 11km north of Empangeni, just off the N2.
It consists of coastal grasslands and forest, while the Nseleni River provides a freshwater habitat.
For birding enthusiasts, the reserve boasts several unusual or rare species, such as the purple crested lourie, Pel’s fishing owl, white-eared barbet, African finfoot and three species of elusive nightjars – Mozambique, fiery necked and European.
Enjoy a leisurely day’s outing with the family at one of the pristine picnic spots, or explore the area by hiking one of the two short trails (2km or 7km). Look out for giraffe, bushbuck, zebra, reedbuck, nyala, impala, giraffe, blue wildebeest, hippo, crocodile, blue, red and grey duiker and waterbuck. The entrance gate is on the north bound side of the road. A small entrance fee applies.
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The town set on a hill
eShowe, once known as the capital of Zululand, holds a lovely old-world charm. The area offers historical attractions, beautiful eco-tourism projects and cultural adventures. The town surrounds the indigenous Dlinza Forest, a 250 hectare indigenous coastal scarp forest, which is one of the Great Five Natural Forests in KwaZulu-Natal.
eShowe is a shopping – and entertainment – hub for the surrounding rural communities, with regular markets and concerts drawing many people from far afield.
It is also fast becoming a thriving sport destination with events such as the Pick n Pay eShowe Elephant Big Five mountain bike race and the Trappers Ngoje trail run being hosted in eShowe.
Bucket list
- Visit Fort Nongqayi Museum Village. The Zululand Historical Museum is located inside the complex, which also has the Vukani basket collection in the Vukani Museum.
- Go bass fishing in Lake Phobane / Goedertrouw Dam
- Visit the Mission Museum, which highlights the work of the early Norwegian Missionaries in the area.
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SA’s cleanest air
In need of fresh air? Visit Melmoth, the town with the cleanest air in South Africa.
This town lies amid a sweep of large sugar cane and timber plantations, picturesque hills and green fields.
It is a place of rich natural and social diversity where new lifestyles thrive next to a culture steeped in tradition.
Near Melmoth lies Dingane’s spring. Believing that water from nearby rivers was polluted, King Dingane, therefore, ordered his warriors to guard the spring.
More than 2 000 Zulu maidens walked 12km daily to fetch water from the spring, they had to carry the water in clay pots balanced on their heads. Legend has it that if the water was dirty once they reached the King’s homestead, the maidens were thrown off a cliff so that the King’s ‘children’, the vultures, could be fed.
Bucket list
- Visit Mtonjaneni Zulu Cultural Museum for a comprehensive collection of mementoes and artefacts from the Anglo-Zulu wars, as well as traditional Zulu artefacts.
- Take a guided tour to Dingane’s spring.
Discover Gingindlovu
Gingindlovu is situated just before the mighty Tugela River
It was once one of the strongholds of Zulu King Cetshwayo.
The Battle of Gingindlovu Memorial signifies the two battles that were fought there during the Anglo Zulu War of 1879.
The name Gingindlovu means ‘swallower of the elephant’ in Zulu.
The magic of Mtunzini
Whether you refer to it as Mtunzini, The Village or just Zini, this beautiful small coastal town is well worth a visit.
The town has been declared a conservancy and boasts open parks of grassland and forests interwoven with streets, homes and businesses.
Mtunzini overlooks a large stretch of unspoilt beach with the Mlalazi River winding its way lazily through a coastal forest before reaching the sea.
Bucket list
- Walk down the timber boardwalk in the swamp forest, past thousands of fiddler crabs and mudskippers, to the heart of the colony of raphia palms.
- Hike one of the village’s many forest trails
- Grab your binoculars and see how many bird species you can record such as the Palmnut Vulture and many more
- Look out for the rare Palmnut Vulture which inhabits the grove of raphia palms that were planted in Mtunzini 100 or so years ago, and which have been declared a national monument.
The lagoon offers the perfect spot to enjoy water sports or a picnic.
Gateway to Zululand
Mtubatuba is mostly regarded as the gateway to Zululand, as one briefly passes it en route to holiday destinations such as St Lucia.
The town has an interesting history, though.
It was named after the Zulu chief iNkosi Mtubatuba of the Mkhwanazi clan.
He was one of the longest-serving and wealthiest Zulu chiefs.
Legend has it that he would often ask his closest followers to help him count his money.
Counting would continue all day.
Hundreds of cases, boxes, bags and coffee tins filled with bank notes would be emptied and counted.
By the evening most of the counters had lost count, so all the money would be packed away again until the chief wished it to be counted another day.
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A holiday-makers’ paradise
St Lucia is renowned for its unspoilt natural beauty.
The small holiday town is situated within the wondrous iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The park is a proclaimed World Heritage site that includes nine percent of the country’s coastline, as well as a mosaic of wetlands, lakes, forests and submarine canyons.
The St Lucia estuary has one of the highest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in Southern Africa.
It is one of the few towns where hippos wander the streets at night – much to tourists’ delight.
It is a laid-back town with numerous restaurants, accommodation and plenty to do.
Bucket list
- Embark on a boat safari and see a hippo, or two… or 80
- Treat yourself to a guided night-time turtle tour and watch turtle hatchlings make their way to the ocean.
- Snorkel at Cape Vidal or go on a thrilling deep sea fishing trip.
- Walk one of the many trails
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A haven for adventure-seekers
Sodwana will make your dreams of a balmy tropical beach holiday come true.
This gem is rich in biodiversity and forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park – a World Heritage site.
Sodwana Bay is regarded as the southernmost coral reefs in the world and the only tropical dive site in South Africa.
It is a haven for scuba divers, snorkellers and deep sea anglers seeking adventures beneath the blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
Loggerhead and leatherback turtles also love Sodwana – it is here that they return to lay their eggs every summer.
Bucket list
- Snorkel. Jesser’s Point is the most popular snorkelling spot, especially during low tide.
- Go diving. Dive sites in Sodwana range from 12m to over 40m, suitable for divers of all experience levels.
- Do some souvenir shopping. Browse the local stalls for anything from reed baskets to wooden bowls and hand-carved wooden fish.
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Home of the AmaZulu
Hluhluwe is known as the traditional home of the AmaZulu, who migrated to this rich land during the 16th century.
However, it is believed that the area was home to Iron Age communities as long ago as 300AD.
Ancient metal working sites discovered inside the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park date back to about
1 000AD.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is the oldest Big 5 game reserve in Africa and offers magnificent big game sightings, such as elephant, buffalo, lion and rhino.
The area used to be the hunting grounds of the mighty King Shaka Zulu.
No one else was allowed to enter the area and if caught poaching, intruders would be killed ‘no questions asked’.
It was declared a conservation area in 1895.
Today the reserve is world-renowned for its rhino conservation efforts.
Bucket list
- Visit the Hluhluwe River floodplain. Accessible only via a few entry points, this is a bird watching paradise.
- Spot a BELL tractor (Empangeni is the original home of this world famous agricultural brand)
- Walk the Hluhluwe Primitive Trail. Backpack for three or four nights through the reserve, sleep underneath the stars and bathe in the river.
- Visit the Zulu Croc Reptile Park.
- Visit DuMaZulu Cultural Village for an introduction into Zulu cultural tradition.
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Best of the Best celebrated at the KZN Lilizela Tourism Awards
Nine Zululand accommodation establishments were recently honoured with provincial Lilizela tourism awards.
They were among 33 KwaZulu-Natal tourism and hospitality establishments that earned Lilizela awards.
A total of 1 385 entries were received.
The finalists will represent KZN in the national finals later this month.
The Lilizela awards are an initiative of the national Department of Tourism and are spearheaded by South African Tourism.
Sihle Zikalala, the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, presented the awards.
‘Those honoured represent the crème de la crème in the KZN tourism sector, who make providing excellent service not just a practice, but a way of life,’ said Zikalala.
This is a highly competitive global industry and success does not happen overnight. It takes exceptionally hard work and a tireless commitment to making every tourist’s stay memorable, ensuring that each visitor has such a good, authentic experience that they return home as word-of-mouth ambassadors and mobile billboards for the province.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of Tourism KZN, Phindile Makwakwa, said service excellence is everything in today’s global tourism environment.
‘Today we are celebrating tourism players that go beyond the call of duty to provide a world-class service to our visitors. ‘They raise the bar in terms of enhancing the visitor experience and reinforce the value of our tourism workers and the sector to provide a complete exceptional #DoKZN experience.’
The winning Zululand accommodation establishments are:
- Bed & Breakfast, 4-star: Kwalala Lodge.
- Game Lodge, three-star: Hilltop Resort Lodge.
- Game Lodge, four-star: Thula Thula Private Game Lodge.
- Game Lodge, five-star: Amakhosi Safari Lodge (Pty) Ltd
- Guest House, three-star: Gecko Inn.
- Hotel, four-star: Ghost Mountain Inn.
- Lodge, three-star: Tembe Elephant Park & Lodge.
- Lodge, four-star: Makakatana Bay Lodge.
- Self-catering exclusive, two-star: Nselweni Bush Lodge.
Increased international travel
KZN remains a popular tourist destination.
Some 2 000 more international tourists arrived via King Shaka International Airport in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year.
International visitors made a record 206 000 trips to KZN in the first quarter of the year, while there were almost half a million local domestic trips.
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal reports that KZN received 7.3% of the 2.8 million international trips to South Africa in the first three months of the year. This represented a 5.5% increase.
The tourists stayed an average of 10 nights in the region, spending an average of R7 800 each and boosting the regional coffers by R1.3-billion.
With more airlines flying directly to KZN, the tourism market is growing, because it’s now quicker and more convenient for visitors to enter the province than before.
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The City of uMhlathuze is rich in diversity and is the ideal holiday destination where nature lovers can explore internationally acclaimed game reserves and visit spectacular game wetlands. Indulge in cultural township tours and take advantage of our sub-tropical climate and endless beaches.
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