MARYANNE ISAAC
KWAZULU-NATAL has much to offer and boasts several landscapes of tourism wonders to suit every traveller. Whether you’re a wildlife and bird enthusiast, prefer culture and history trips, or would rather spend the day immersed in mountain hikes and trails – there’s a unique experience waiting for you.
The home to the Zulus and comprising a melting pot of African, Indian and European cultures, KZN has a rich history - and its Battlefields Route is a popular tourist attraction. It draws visitors from around the world with its wildlife attractions, adventure resorts, birding routes, breathtaking landscape, African crafts, and the historical Zulu heritage sites.
The Battlefields Route covers the majority of northern KwaZulu-Natal, and tells the stories of six different historic wars and 68 sites of conflicts. With the Battlefields Route, there is a connection to the United Kingdom due to the British and Zulu war, with many tourists from Canada, Australia and the UK gravitating to the province to visit the route’s many sites. The Zulu-Voortrekker, British-Zulu, and Voortrekker-British wars have garnered widespread attention among visitors, with battle re-enactments taking place during the annual anniversaries.
“The Anglo-Boer war has gained tremendous interest in Australia and Canada, because troops from each of these countries were sent to fight in the war. There are a lot of stories, and for the centenary (commemorations) in 1999, we started doing battle re-enactments where people get the opportunity to fight in these battles. This fun experience is also a learning experience for tourists,” said Pam McFadden, chairperson of the Battlefields Route and Dundee Tourism.
Route 22 Elephant Coast is another KZN route that offers an exceptional experience - stretching along the coast from Matubatuba and the world heritage site of Lake St Lucia in the south, to Kosi Bay in the north of the province; virtually on the Mozambique border. It is also home to the oldest game reserve in Africa, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, as well as the Tembe Elephant Park.
“Our longest coast from Matubatuba to Kosi Bay is home to more than 1 200 fish species, and we have over 500 bird species. Further north, we have Jozini and border caves where fossil remains were discovered. We have the point of interest where three countries meet – Swaziland, South Africa and Mozambique,” said Miseni Dladla, tourism officer at Umhlosinga.
Route 22 is one of the few routes in South Africa that encompasses heritage sites, wetlands, unspoilt beaches and wildlife as a whole.
Another route that promotes and preserves Zulu heritage and culture is Route 66. This experience gives tourists an authentic feel of the former Zulu king’s life and foundation of the Zulu kingdom. This route covers almost 240 km from the Dokodweni offramp on the N2 to the alternative route inland to Eshowe and Nongoma, past sugar cane fields and rolling hills.
“We are the only route that has its original and authentic buildings, graves of former kings, and the unique cultural villages such as Shaka Land and Imbube Cultural Village on the banks of Mona River. This is close to the current palace of the reigning king of the Zulus, King Misuzulu,” said Wilfred Mchunu, secretary of Route 66 and tour operator.
The Drakensberg Experience is a tourism association with 142 members, whose specialist offerings range from accommodation, restaurant and coffee shops to adventure and activities. Northern Drakensberg is a three-and-a-half hour drive from Johannesburg. There are several adventure activities for the whole family, wine tasting, a local brewery, king swings, quad biking trails, paintball activities, ziplining, horseback riding and mountain biking. If you are not into adventure travel, bird watching and fly fishing are also other options.
“There’s a lot to do for every generation. The Okhahlamba mountain range spans about 200kms and is central to the northern berg section. The Amphitheatre and Tugela Falls are iconic tourist attractions. The Drakensberg has everything South Africa has to offer, from the northern to the central section – you have everything except the beach,” said Brenda Campbell, marketing officer of The Cavern Drakensberg Resort & Spa.
Julia Amaral, marketing and brand manager at Midlands Meander, was delighted that TKZN had given SMMEs a platform at Africa’s Travel Indaba. Midlands Meander has 108 members who were also promoting at the Indaba.
The tourism industry has bounced back with vigour as domestic travel has far exceeded 2019 numbers, and at the same time, international arrivals in South Africa are closer to pre-pandemic levels.