The R66 from Eshowe goes through some of the finest scenery and several of the most interesting historical sites of Zululand. After an initial descent into the fertile valley of the Mhlatuze River - once teeming with big game and a favourite hunting-ground of the Zulu kings - the road joins the R34 from Empangeni and starts to ascend the steep northern side of the valley until it reaches Melmoth at about 800m above sea level.
Less than 80 kms from the hot and humid coastal plains, Melmoth is another world of lush, misty forests and timber plantations.

The mystical Mfule River valley.

Experience village life at Simunye Zulu Lodge.

Piet Retief's grave at uMgungundlovu.

Melmoth - established by the British when they annexed Zululand in 1887 and named after Melmoth Osborn, the resident commissioner - is an ideal base for travellers wishing to explore the major battlefields of the Anglo-Zulu War as well as the historical heart of the Zulu Kingdom.
Visitors to Melmoth have an excellent opportunity to experience the traditional way of life in Zululand by spending a night with the Biyela clan on the banks of the mystical Mfule River.
The Simunye Zulu Lodge strives to give visitors an authentic experience of rural life and offers a gentle mix of tradition, hospitality and leisure.
From Melmoth it is an easy excursion to the restored Royal residences of King Dingane at uMgungundlovu and King Cetshwayo at Ondini. The KwaZulu Cultural Museum at the site of Ondini outside Ulundi houses one of the best collections of Zulu cultural artefacts.
Nearby is the beautiful and unusual domed stone memorial built to honour those who died in the final battle of the Anglo-Zulu War at Ondini in 1879.
The other famous battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift are a comfortable day excursion on the Babanango road from Melmoth.
The 9 000-hectare Opathe Game Reserve on the banks of the White Umfolozi River - less than 50kms from Melmoth - was recently proclaimed as a sanctuary for the endangered Black Rhino.