South Africa Battlefields, Safari & Beach

• Walk along the beach at Umhlanga Rocks and watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean
• Explore the beautiful Drakensberg mountain range
• Learn about the fascinating history of the Battlefields
• Relax in an award winning spa
• See the ‘Big 5’ on safari
• Explore the unique iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the wildlife it holds

Umhlanga

Umhlanga is an affluent residential, commercial and resort town north of Durban on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, created in 2000, which includes the greater Durban area. The name means “place of reeds” in the Zulu language, and the correct pronunciation of “hl” in Umhlanga is similar to the Welsh “ll”. It is bordered by Durban North to the south and Mt Edgecombe to the west.

It is well known for the Gateway Theatre of Shopping which is the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere. It also has the second tallest skyscraper in South Africa named Pearl Sky which stands 183 metres high. There are two beaches: Bronze Beach and Main Beach and Umhlanga is one of the fastest-growing cities in South Africa.

Drakensberg

The Drakensberg is the name given to the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – 2,000 to 3,482 metres (6,562 to 11,424 feet) within the border region of South Africa and Lesotho.

The Drakensberg escarpment stretches for more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Eastern Cape Province in the South, then successively forms, in order from south to north, the border between Lesotho and the Eastern Cape and the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal Province. Thereafter it forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, and next as the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Province. The escarpment winds north from there, through Mpumalanga, where it includes features such as the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, and God’s Window. It then extends farther north to Hoedspruit in southeastern Limpopo where it is known as ‘Klein Drankensberg’ by the Afrikaner. From Hoedspruit it extends west to Tzaneen, also in Limpopo Province, where it is known as the Wolkberg Mountains and Iron Crown Mountain. At 2,200 m (7,200 ft) above sea level, the Wolkberg is the highest elevation in Limpopo. The escarpment extends west again and at Mokopane it is known as the Strydpoort Mountains.

Rorke’s Drift

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke’s Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission station of Rorke’s Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Gonville Bromhead, began when a large contingent of Zulu warriors broke off from their main force during the final hour of the British defeat at the day-long Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, diverting 6 miles (9.7 km) to attack Rorke’s Drift later that day and continuing into the following day.

Just over 150 British and colonial troops defended the station against attacks by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. The massive but piecemeal attacks by the Zulu on Rorke’s Drift came very close to defeating the much smaller garrison, but were consistently repelled. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders, along with a number of other decorations and honours.

Hluhluwe

Hluhluwe is a small town in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated between iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park on the banks of the Hluhluwe River. Hluhluwe is situated on the elephant coast, an area known for its national parks, natural diversity and cultural heritage. Although relatively undeveloped the area is of growing interest to international tourists and travellers.

Timber, sugar and pineapples are intensively grown in the area, which produces over 90% of South Africa’s queen pineapples. Other agricultural crops are sugar-cane, sisal, cotton, tomatoes and chillies. Due to traditional settlement patterns and customs, activity is still low in some areas.

Hluhluwe is considered the hub of tourism in KwaZulu-Natal. The Hluhluwe area has an abundance of accommodation facilities, from budget accommodation to five-star game lodges. Hluhluwe town is a service centre to the surrounding area. The town is named after the thorny rope climber Dalbergia armata (umHluhluwe in Zulu), which is found among the forest vegetation.

The main attractions of Hluhluwe are the big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard), Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve, iSimangaliso wetlands park (formerly known as St Lucia Wetlands Park), its natural diversity, Indian Ocean beaches (accessed through St Lucia or Sodwana bay) and the cultural heritage of the Zulu people.

Manyoni Private Game Reserve

Manyoni Private Game Reserve lies in the heart of Zululand, an area that is world renowned for its spectacular game viewing, rich cultural traditions, and conservation history. Initially formed as part of the WWF black rhino range expansion project, Manyoni has become one of the premier big five safari destinations in Kwa-Zulu Natal with a strong focus on endangered species conservation, including the reintroduction of cheetah and wild dogs. Conveniently located only 3 hours from Durban and 6 hours from Johannesburg, Manyoni is home to a range of luxury safari lodges, and boasts 23,000 hectares of magnificent Zululand scenery.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in December 1999 in recognition of its superlative natural beauty and unique global values.

Since 1 August 2019, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park’s marine protected area (MPA) expanded significantly, with the result that the World Heritage Site is now 1,328,901ha in extent (marine and terrestrial combined). The Park is now South Africa’s second largest protected area after the Kruger National Park, incorporating the country’s largest MPA – also the only Transfrontier MPA as it joins Mozambique’s protected waters.

The Park contains three major lake systems, eight interlinking ecosystems, 700 year old fishing traditions, most of South Africa’s remaining swamp forests, Africa’s largest estuarine system, 530 bird species and 25,000 year-old coastal dunes – among the highest in the world. The name iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder, which aptly describes this unique place.

• Arrival Transfer in Durban
• Group F Car Hire (Toyota Corolla or similar)
• The Oyster Box Hotel (Luxury) (Double Luxury Sea Facing Room on a bed & breakfast basis)
• Teremok Boutique Lodge & Spa (Comfort) (Double Standard Room on a bed & breakfast basis)
• Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse (Luxury) (Double Luxury Suite on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis)
• Fordoun Hotel & Spa (Comfort) (Double Deluxe Room on a bed & breakfast basis)
• Three Tree Hill Lodge (Luxury) (Double Churchills Room. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Scheduled/specified activities and other additional services may be included
• Montusi Mountain Lodge (Comfort) (Double Mountain Suite on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis)
• Isandlwana Lodge (Luxury) (Double Room. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Scheduled/specified activities and other additional services may be included)
• Fugitives Drift (Comfort itinerary but luxury accommodation) (Double Luxury Suite. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Scheduled/specified activities and other additional services may be included)
• Leopard Mountain Safari Lodge (Luxury) (Double Luxury Suite. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Game Drives included and other scheduled/specified activities and other additional services may be included)
• Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge (Comfort itinerary but luxury accommodation) (Double Luxury Bush Villa. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Game Drives included and other scheduled/specified activities and other additional services may be included)
• Thonga Beach Lodge (Luxury) All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Nature walks included and other scheduled/specified activities and other additional services may be included)
• Kosi Forest Lodge (Comfort) All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Guided canoe trips included and other scheduled/specified activities and other additional services may be included

• Flights
• Tipping
• Meals and drinks not specified
• Items of a personal nature
• Travel Insurance