In the Battle of Isandlwana, both British and Zulu sides lost heavily in the battle. Estimates of British losses were 1,357, and approximately 3,000 Zulu warriors were also killed. At this news, King Cetshwayo said 'alas, a spear has been thrust into the belly of the nation'.
Seventy years of bitter and merciless head-on confrontation proved as pivotal to South Africa's geo-political evolution as the wars that forged modern Europe and established the freedom, identity and boundaries of North America. Perhaps the most influential British leader of all time first came to public attention amidst the heat of battle on KwaZulu-Natal soil.
The powerful legacy of the Zulu Kingdom's critical, blood-soaked conflict today lives peacefully reconciled in this fascinating region's myriad of battlefield sites, historic towns, national monuments and museums. Each has a fascinating tale to tell, an event to commemorate and a poignant memory to recall.
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Natal Battlefields - Boer, Brit & Zulu
1 Nights / 2 Days - Tragic battles, heroic deeds and beautiful scenery. Tour commences and ends in Durban Hotel or North Coast Area or Durban International Airport.
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Battlefields
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Isandlwana Carved into the Nyoni Rock, Isandlwana overlooks the battle of Isandlwana and makes the perfect base from which to explore Kwazulu Natal Battlefields.>>
No. 7 Worcester Street This is a story that must be heard - of frontier wars, pioneering spirits and heroic people bound together by indomitable determination and gritty humour.>>
Fugitives Drift Lodge David and Nicky Rattray, pioneers of Heritage Tourism in South Africa, have created award-winnig facilities for visitors to savour the extraordinary saga of the Anglo-Zulu War.>>
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about Battlefields
On 11 January 1879, three British columns crossed out of the British colony of Natal into the kingdom of the Zulu nation under King Cetshwayo Ka Mpande, direct descendant of the mighty King Shaka Zulu. What followed was a series of bloody, tumultuous battles that initially threw the British forces into disarray before ultimately resulting in the defeat of the proud Zulu nation, thus ending a period of regional military might covering sixty-three years.
Explosive, full-scale warfare broke out on 11 October 1899. The South African War, as it was known, was the first of the modern wards of our time and the last full-scale war to be fought on South African soil.
Tours of the Battlefields can be done a self-drive or tailor-made basis for a more in-depth understanding of the battlefields and wars.
The Battlefields are more or less the same travelling time by road from Johannesburg or Durban, so either departure point is feasible.
Natal Battlefields TourFull Day - Approx. 8 hours Travel inland via Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu Natal. Drive through sugar can fields and forest areas to Greytown and experience the ‘hinterland’ as we proceed through the rural areas of Tugela Ferry and Pomeroy.
Enjoy the locals in their traditional dress and the landscape with its many ‘beehive’ huts. Travel to Fugitive’s Drift – the gravesite of Lt. Coghill, Lt. Melville and then to Rorke’s Drift to a see a pictorial account of the battles in the museum. Visit the battlefields of Isandlwana – highlight of the trip!
Continue through Zululand and Nkwaleni Valley. Arrive in Durban in the late afternoon.
SOUTHERN AFRICA TRAVEL The Oak Suite, Guardian House,
Borough Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 2AE Tel: 01483 425533 Fax: 01483 860391 The air holiday packages on this website are ATOL protected
by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 4795. Please see our booking
conditions for more information. Click on the ATOL logo above for more information.
Many thanks and credit to the following
photographers whose images have been used in this site: Michael Poliza, Colin
Bell, Dana Allen, David Ross, Nick Melidonas and Wilderness Safaris.
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Enquiry Form or call us on +44 (0)1483 425 533
Natal Battlefields Tour
Full Day - Approx. 8 hours
