This luxury tour combs the historic battle sites on the fringes of the Drakensberg Mountains. The most famous battlefields are Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, and Blood River.
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ItineraryGuests are met and welcomed at a location of their choice, in either Johannesburg or Pretoria, by their African Sky guide. The tour starts easterly across the rolling Highveld plains before crossing the Drakensberg range at Laing's Nek near the Charlestown settlement. Once a border town in the Colony of Natal, Charlestown started life as a railway siding along the main trade route between the Colony and the old Transvaal Republic. Near here in early 1881, the Battle of Majuba took place between the British and Boers over the question of the independence of the 'Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.'
We pass through the town of Dundee before taking unpaved roads en route to our overnight accommodations, set on a hilltop above the Buffalo River with the recognizable hill of Isandlwana in the distance. Relax after a day of traveling and enjoy a magical sunset over the rolling northern KwaZulu-Natal hills.
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Itinerary In 1899, hostilities between the British and Boers erupted again over the question of the Transvaal's independence. The Boers quickly invaded northern Natal to deny the British access to the port of Durban. The first engagement of the war took place on 20 October 1899 on Talana Hill just outside Dundee. Although sustaining heavy losses, the British were triumphant but were forced to withdraw to Ladysmith. Your morning is devoted to a visit to the Talana site and museum. Several historical buildings exist on the property and may be inspected at leisure, while the museum itself offers some insight into the region, its people, and the local economy.
Later in the day, a visit is made to the site where the Battle of Blood River or 'iMpi yaseNcome' took place on 16 December 1838. Under the leadership of Andries Pretorius, only three Boer soldiers were injured, while some 3,000 Zulu warriors succumbed. The injured Zulu attempted to flee across the Ncome River, and as they did so, the water was tainted red with their blood. Today, the bronze life-sized 'laager' provides some perspective on the Boer encampment, while the Ncome Museum on the opposite bank provides a contrasting Zulu viewpoint. The tour returns to your overnight accommodations during the late afternoon.
Distance ItineraryIn all probability, the most famous of the Anglo-Zulu battles are the battle sites of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift. Today we visit these two battlefields which are both not too far from our overnight accommodations. Isandlwana is the battle in which the British suffered the highest number of casualties at the hands of a native army. To form a Southern African federation, in early 1879, the British prepared to invade Zululand to force the Zulu into battle after providing their king with an impossible ultimatum.
Under Lord Chelmsford, the British were undisciplined in their defense of Isandlwana, which was to have tragic consequences. After overrunning the British encampment, the Zulu crossed the Buffalo or Mzinyathi River into the colonial territory and attacked the fortified mission station at Rorke's Drift under the command of Lt. John Chard. The handful of soldiers mounted a gallant station defense and rebuffed the attacking Zulu force. The historic defense resulted in the awarding of eleven Victoria Crosses, the most ever received in a single action by one regiment. After visiting these historic sites, we will travel to your overnight accommodations in the late afternoon.
Distance Itinerary We say goodbye to Fugitive's Drift and head south towards Ladysmith, where we briefly stop at the Siege Museum. Although small, the museum, a typical corrugated iron structure built in 1884 as a market house, is considered one of the best Anglo-Boer War museums in the country and offers a wealth of information.
En route from Ladysmith to our overnight accommodations, a visit is made to a prominent hilltop, where in January 1900 the Battle of Spioenkop took place between British and Boer forces. The British, commanded by General Sir Buller, were hoping to relieve a force under siege in nearby Ladysmith and attempted a frontal assault on Boer forces, which were encamped on the hilltop with its commanding view. The Boers successfully rebuffed them under General Louis Botha and suffered heavy losses. With the impressive Drakensberg Mountains as a backdrop, we inspect this historic site at leisure before retiring to our overnight accommodations adjacent to the Spioenkop Nature Reserve.
Distance ItineraryAfter a relaxing morning and sumptuous breakfast at your elegant accommodations, the tour returns to Johannesburg and a location of your choice after a memorable and comprehensive KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields tour.
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