Cultural Attractions:

Shakaland Zulu Cultural Village

Swaziland

Pilgrims Rest

Tucked away in the rolling hills of the Zulu people, Shakaland is a cross-cultural centre and living museum where Zulu people follow the customs and traditions of their forefathers.

Beer brewing, spear making, hut building, pottery, weaving and beadwork as well as lectures on traditional dress, Zulu etiquette and the layout and social structure of a Zulu kraal brings you closer to the Zulu people.

Swaziland is the size of Wales and is landlocked with South Africa and Mozambique as neighbors. About 95% of the 925,000 population are African and speak siSwati. The capital is Mbabane which lies at 1,300 meters above sea level and has a population of 65,000. The Kingdom is an absolute monarchy with King Mswati III as head of state. Swaziland is one of just three Kingdoms remaining in Africa.

The Swazi people have been led by a monarch since the middle of the seventeenth century. Swaziland remained independent until 1890 when it came under the protection and administration of the British Commissioner of the Transvaal, and it was assumed that in time the three High Commission Territories of Bechuanaland (Botswana), Basutoland (Lesotho) and Swaziland would eventually be incorporated into South Africa.

In 1910 when the Transvaal became a province of the Union of South Africa, Swaziland came under the direct control of the UK. When the National Party came to power in South Africa in 1948, incorporation of the protectorate into an apartheid system was unacceptable to both British and world opinion. With the “Winds of Change” sweeping through Africa in the 1960s a new constitution was drawn up in 1966 providing for Swaziland to become a protected Kingdom. Elections were held in 1967 and full independence was granted on 6 September 1968.

King Sobhuza II died in 1982, having reigned for 61 years. One of Sobhuza’s many sons was crowned as King Mswati III 1986 and his mother as heir and Queen Mother. Today Swaziland earns income from coal mining, wood pulp, sugar and increasingly tourism. Tourist hubs of Ezulwini Valley and Malkerns offer many unique attractions and craft shops.

Milwane Wildlife Sanctuary  in Swaziland, Wildlife Safaris Page click here.

Pilgrim's Rest was declared a gold field in 1873 soon after gold digger Alec "Wheelbarrow" Patterson had found gold deposits in Pilgrim's Creek. The Valley proved to be rich in gold and by the end of the year there where about 1500 diggers working in the area. By 1875 there were 21 stores, 18 canteens and 3 bakeries. A reef was found in the 1890s from which gold was produced until 1971 when Beta Mine was closed down. The main street of the town became a museum in 1974 and is one of the few examples in the world of a town reflecting the style of those built during the gold rushes of the 1800s. The entire town has been declared a national Monument to the Transvaal Gold Rush.

You can choose to visit Cape Town and tour the outlaying areas of this wonderful city. Cape Town has plenty to offer, including fabulous tour to the wine country whose history goes back to the earliest French settlers in the mid 17th century. There is a cable car that goes to the top of Table Mountain, or take the Ferry to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed for during nationalist apartheid era.

There are several daily flights from Durban International Airport to the Cape Town. My South Africa Tour has reputable contacts in the Western Cape that can offer our clients the same excellent service and locals advice.

Durban is a port city with a long history. Attractions such as Ushaka Marine World, the surfers at the Durban Beaches, colonial heritage buildings and Zulu and Indian culture.

Yatch Charters are available from Durban. Sail around the harbour, or overnight multiple day tours to Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique Bazaruto Archpealago, Mauritius or Zanzibar.