Overnight Tour to the Natal Battlefields

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It was among the picturesque hills and rock formations of this sweeping landscape that fearless, spear-wielding footsoldiers of the all-conquering Zulu kings first encountered the rampant British Empire's sophisticated fire-power. This is where each faced the unfamiliar guerilla-warfare tactics of the Boer - descendants of the west European settlers who five generations earlier had claimed divine right to this 'Promised Land'.

Isandlwana
At Isandlwana Hill, a British force of some 1,700 men was virtually wiped out by a Zulu army of over 20,000 men under the command of Ntshingwayo Khoza and Mavumengwana Ntuli.

Rorkes Drift
Some 100 British soldiers defended this position against 4,000 Zulu warriors in a 12 hour engagement.

Fugitive's Drift
On this lonely hillside the two men who were responsible for saving the Queen's Color from the Isandlwana camp were killed are buried. The site is located 15 km beyond Rorke's Drift. The Fugitive Trail follows the route along which the handful of survivors fled from Isandlwana to Fugitives Drift.

Ladysmith
Ladysmith is located on the banks of KwaZulu-Natal's Klip River. Proclaimed in 1850, it was named after the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith. It became a prosperous staging- post for fortune-hunters en route to the Transvaal gold- fields and diamond discoveries at Kimberley. Ladysmith made world headlines at the turn of the previous century when it was besieged for 118 days during the most crucial stage of the Anglo-Boer War.

Isandhlwana Battlefield, South Africa

Monday

Tour departs from selected Durban city hotels

6:30am

Tour returns to original point of departure

Tour departs from most central Durban hotels. Please include the details of your hotel at the time of booking. You MUST call the supplier at least 24 hours prior to tour commencement to reconfirm all tour and departure details. If the supplier does not pickup from your hotel, they will advise you of the meeting point. The contact details will be listed on your voucher.

Day 1: Durban - Fugitive's Drift (L, D)
Early departure from Durban. Expert Battlefield guide recounts the 1879 battle of Isandlawana, where 24 000 Zulu impi's attacked a British regiment. Continue to Fugitive's Drift and Rorke's Drift, where for 12 hours, some 100 British troops repulsed 4000 Zulu impi's. Return to Fugitive's Drift.

Overnight Accommodation: guest house

Day 2: Fugitive's Drift - Durban (B, L)
After a hearty traditional South African breakfast, summit Spioenkop Mountain. Guide will recount tragic battle between the Boers and British in January 1900. Winston Churchill, then a reporter, and Gandhi, a stretcher bearer, witnessed this battle. After lunch, return to Durban where the tour ends in the late afternoon.