Your essential online guide to Zululand
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Your Essential Guide to the Zululand Experience
visitZululand.co.za
The official website of
the uMlalazi Tourism Association


Where it all began


The Nandi Experience
A 3-hour daytime adventure includes an audio-visual presentation of the life of Shaka, guided tour of the village, spectacular dance show and a Zulu feast

Daily starting times:
11h00 and 12h30

Contact details:
035 460 0912
035 460 0824

email: res@
shakaland.com

www.shakaland.com





Experience a gentle mix of traditional Zulu life and world-class hospitality with the Biyela clan


Contact:

035 450 0101/3
info
@simunyelodge.co.z
a
www.simunyelodge.co.za

Stewarts Farm

Day Tours
Accommodation
Conference &
Wedding venue
Team building

Contact:
Tel: 035 460 0929
info@stewartsfarm.com
www.stewartsfarm.com



Land Lover Safaris
Tailor-made excursions

  • Hluhluwe-iMfolozi
    Game Park
  • Forests of Zululand
  • Zulu Culture

Kobus du Toit
(KZN Tour operator)
083 414 9323
035 789 1176
landlover@telkomsa.net
www.landloversafaris.co.za




Birding
Zulu Culture
Game viewing

Customised tours &
hidden gems with
registered tour guide

Des Shuttleworth
035 474 1855
072 711 4413
deseshowe@mweb.co.za



"We cover the widest range of
off-the-beaten-track tours
in Zululand"

- Graham Chennels

The George Hotel,
Main St, Eshowe

035 474 4919
info@eshowe.com
www.eshowe.com


HENRY BIRD
Registered Tour Guide

Battlefields
• Shaka Country
• Martyr's Cross

• KwaMondi
• Museum Village

Contact:
Tel/fax: 035 474 2348
Cell: 082 484 7406
email:
asambe@zulucom.net

ADAMS' OUTPOST
at the Museum Village

Adams Outpost Restaurant
Tea Garden
Restaurant
• Private Functions

• Tour Groups

• School Groups

Contact:
Terry MacDonald

Tel: 035-474-1787



for a world of beads

1 Wantink Rd, Eshowe
035 474 1806



Computer Service Training

Yvonne Lindiwe Mpanza

Office 1,
Inkosi Ndwandwe St
King Dinuzulu, Eshowe
035 474 8013
035 474 1694
082 968 9508

Hands-on practical &
Interactive programmes




Eco Estate & Home
of Zululand Golf

• 18-Hole Golf Course
• 6 Tennis Courts
• 2 Squash Courts
• Restaurant

Contact:
Tel: 035 474 5000
info@eshowehills.co.za


NOBA
Restaurant & Bar
cnr of Kangela and
M. Buthelezi Rds

Noba Restaurant
• Urban Zulu Cuisine
• Open 7 days a week
• From Lunch till Late
Tel:
072 130 1617
072 621 8346

Meet the locals!

 Zulu Cultural Villages
No first-time visitor should leave Zululand without at least experiencing the incredible performance and high-energy of Zulu dancing and the best location to enjoy this spectacle is in one of the three well-established cultural villages in the Eshowe and Melmoth area.
Each village has its own different flavour but all offer an excellent insight into Zulu customs and traditions which have developed over centuries and which still play a vital role in today's society whether it is rural or urban.

Over the years the villages have done much to break down the cultural barriers which existed in such a historically divided society as South Africa but in recent times the villages - all of which have the most beautiful natural settings - have become popular 'exotic' venues for large functions such as conferences, corporate team-building and weddings.
They also offer special educational programmes for school groups where the emphasis is on participation and enjoyment.
Visitors are given an introduction to the layout of homesteads, hut-building techniques, social structure, traditional medicine, beer making, the significance of crafts such as pottery and beadwork as well as a chance to enjoy a traditional Zulu meal and have a lot of fun in the process.


Zulu drummer at Shakaland
The vigorous beating of the cowhide drum sets the pace of the high energy traditional Zulu dance.


SHAKALAND

Shakaland - the largest of the three Zulu cultural villages - was originally built as the film set for the hit television epic 'Shaka Zulu' in the 1980's and is now part of the Protea Hotel group.
Luxury accommodation
It offers a choice of several cultural experiences every day as well as luxury accommodation in traditional Zulu beehive thatched huts and traditional cuisine in its popular restaurant, Shisa Nyama.
Day visitors
With its spectacular setting overlooking Phobane Lake, Shakaland is also popular with day visitors who wish to take in a meal and one of the two daily cultural programmes on offer. Starting times are 11h00 and 12h30 and include a spectacular display of Zulu dancing in the Great Hut in the heart of the village.
Overnight guests
The Shaka Experience is for overnight guests and begins at 16h00 daily. The atmosphere is particularly memorable as the dancing troupe comes down to the restaurant after supper to escort the visitors in darkness up to the Great Hut for the evening's performance.
School groups
Up to 70 school children can be accommodated in the Siyafunda Centre and special programmes have been devised to introduce Zulu culture and traditions to the youth of South Africa.
Contact Details
Email reservations: res@shakaland.com
Tel: 035 460 0912
Website: www.shakaland.com

The Great Hut at Shakaland

Above: The Great Hut - the venue for the Zulu dance experience.

Modern conference facilities at Shakaland


Conferences:
Shakaland has excellent conference facilities (pictured left) and can host up to 120 delegates with accommodation, banquet, cocktail party and entertainment.
This unique setting makes any conference a memorable occassion.

A display of traditional Zulu fighting methodsDancing in the Great HutA young maiden adorned with Zulu beadwork
Visitors to Shakaland get to experience the history and traditions of Zululand with lively displays of warfare, social celebrations and traditional medicine before ending with a rousing finale of Zulu dancing in The Great Hut.

 SIMUNYE ZULU LODGE
Simunye's entertainment area on the banks of the Mfule riverZulu Style

Set deep in the picturesque Mfule River valley outside Melmoth, Simunye Zulu Lodge is far off the beaten track and gives visitors an authentic experience by overnighting as guests of the Biyela clan who have inhabited this area for centuries.
Due to the inaccessibility of the area, guests are met at a central point and from there transported to Simunye Zulu Lodge either on horseback or ox-wagon or 4x4 safari vehicle. It is essential that guests arrive at the departure point well before the time arranged as communications with the village can be problematic should guests be delayed enroute.

Accommodation
Guests have a choice of several accommodation options. The original Pioneer Camp is nestled in the cliff face on a bend in the Mfule River and comprises a Hobbitt-like warren of charming en-suite bedrooms hued from whatever natural resources were at hand.
The bar and diningroom overlook the gentle flowing Mfule river.
More recent accommodation has been built closer to the traditional village and guests can be housed in either beehive huts, rondawels or lodges.
All rooms are electrified and have en suite bathrooms with piped hot water.

Cultural programmes
Guests are introduced to the village in the early evening and get to taste Zulu beer and traditionally-cooked meat before being entertained by the village youth who perform Zulu dances and sing traditional Zulu songs.
The programme continues the next morning with a more indepth look into Zulu traditions and customs.

Conference centre
A conference centre known as Kwa Lukhozi, the Eagle's Nest, has been built higher up the cliff face and is popular for corporate team building exercises and leadership development programmes.
Here the ambience is primal, informal, tranquil and timeless - the ideal atmosphere for focusing on office issues and sources of conflict and then resolving them in a relaxed manner. Functions can also be tailor-made to suit the specific needs of the programme.
The 'exotic' tranquillity of the setting is also being used more and more as a wedding venue.

Above left: The Mfuli Bar and dining area is set on the banks of a gentle flowing river.
Above right: Simple Zulu style in a guest bathroom.

Contact details
Reservations and enquiries: info@simunyelodge.co.za
Tel: 035 450 0101/3
Website: www.simunyelodge.co.za

Guests are met at the village gateway
Simunye guide Eric Biyela welcomes guests at the entrance to the village.
A taste of traditional beer can be a challenge to the taste buds
Guests taste freshly brewed traditional Zulu beer from a calabash drinking vessel.

A fine display of Zulu dancingGuests have a chance to see how high they can kick their legs and stomp their feet
The village youth put on a fine display of traditional dancing before giving the guests a chance to join in.

STEWARTS FARM
Stewarts Farm in the Nkwaleni valley is the oldest cultural village in the country and has a long tradition of accommodating large groups looking for a unique setting and experience.
Guests sleep over in traditional thatched beehive huts (all en suite) and dine on a mixture of traditional Zulu and South African cuisine in the boma overlooking the swimming pool. A large conference centre known as The Snake Pit can be rearranged for any large gathering whether it be a meeting, wedding or family gathering.
Stewarts Farm prides itself on its popular team-building activities and it has devised a series of fun challenges which all use traditional Zulu customs as its theme. Groups of school children and high-powered corporate wheeler dealers are all put through their paces with challenges such as spear throwing, head balancing, bow and arrow and Zulu Survivor.
The challenges are highly participative and designed to encourage people to think outside the box.
This ensures that success comes through pooling skills, resources and experience within the team in order to achieve the set goals.
The village welcomes their guests
To celebrate your visit, the people of the village will prepare a traditional meal and a Zulu dance.
Contact details:

Tel/Fax: 035 460 0929
Email enquiries/reservations: info@stewartsfarm.co.za
Website: www.stewartsfarm.co.za
The entertainment area on Stewarts FarmA group of school girls challenge their classmatesBusinessmen face up to their teams challenge
Stewarts Farm can accommodate large groups for just about any occassion and specializes in school groups with activities lasting from 1-5 days and which give insight not only into Zulu culture but also farm tours, team-building, visits to local schools and a science centre.
www.visitZululand.co.za is the official website of the uMlalazi Tourism Association
Contact details: Tel: (+27) 035 473 3359
email: ronel@umlalazi.org.za
© uMlalazi Tourism Association