The Battle of Isandlwana commenced on the 22 January 1897. This was the first encounter in the Anglo-Zulu war and after 11 days, the British were defeated by the Zulus. The Zulu army consisting of 20,000 warriors attacked the British main Column which consisted of around 1,800 troops and around 400 civilians.

The Zulus were mainly equipped with traditional weapons such as assegai iron spears, iklwa, cow-hide shields as well as a small number of muskets and old rifles. The British were armed with state of the art equipment such as the Martini-Henry breech-loading rifle, two 7 pounder artillery pieces and rocket battery. Despite the fact that the British had an advantage with their advanced equipment, they were well outnumbered by the Zulus and poorly led which resulted in over 1,300 troops being killed. The Zulu army suffered the loss of around 1000 in the battle.

Hotels that offer Battlefield Tours:

Antbear Guesthouse Battlefield Tours Take a battlefield guide and relive history. Raymond Heron is a specialist South African War raconteur and registered guide who will accompany you to the many historic sights of the Kwa-Zulu Natal battlefields. Read more about Antbear Guest House >>

Oaklands Country Manor Battlefield Tours Registered local tour guides can accompany visitors to the old battlefields, and detailed maps and brochures are available from the Ladysmith Tourism Information Office. Read more about Oaklands Country Manor >>

Spionkop Lodge Battlefield Tours The SpionKop Lodge is set against the backdrop of the majestic Drakensberg mountains, on the Kwazulu-Natal battlefields route. Read more about Sandford Park Resort >>

Three Tree Hills Lodge Battlefield Tours Three Tree Hill Lodge specialises in the history of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War from (1899 – 1902) with the Battle of Spioenkop being our focal point. Tours can be organised to any of these battlefields by prior arrangement only. Read more about Three Tree Hills Lodge >>

Top 10 Anglo-Zulu battle sites in South Africa

1 Isandlwana, KwaZulu-Natal The Battle of Isandlwana commenced on the 22 January 1897. This was the first encounter in the Anglo-Zulu war and after 11 days, the British were defeated by the Zulus. The Zulu army consisting of 20,000 warriors attacked the British main Column which consisted of around 1,800 troops and around 400 civilians.

2 Fugitives’ Drift, Dundee This site is set up to follow the route that the few survivors took when they fled the battle of Isandlwana. This lone hillside is the home to the graves of Lts. Coghill and Melvill who were responsible for saving the Queens colours. This site is on private land and there are guides that are able to lead groups along the trail. The other option is to drive to Fugitives' Drift Lodge and pay to view the site at reception.

3 Fort Pine, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands This site is a fort that was built in order to defend the frontier in 1878.

4 Rorke’s Drift, Dundee The battle and the battle site at the Swedish Mission Station of Rorke's Drift has now become world famous. There were 11 Victoria Crosses awarded to the defenders in this battle, 7 of which were given to the 24th Regiment (now Royal Regiment of Whales). An entrance fee is required. This site and museum is open from 08:00am till 16:00pm on weekdays and from 09:00am till 16:00pm on weekends and holidays.

5 Ntombe, Paulpietersburg It was along this River that the Zulus attempted to attack fully loaded supply wagons.

6 Hlobane, Vryheid This site is where Redvers Buller and his mens skills were put to the test on the side of the Hlobane Mountain.

7 Kambula, Vryheid At Kambula, worriors fought for over 4 hours only to be driven away by an intense fire that killed man.

8 Gingindlovu, Eshowe A battle was fought here in 1879 which resulted in the death of more than 1000 Zulu soldiers. The British were able to defeat them as they were aided by skilled artillery.

9 The Prince Imperials Monument This historic monument is situated in between Dundee and Vryheid. This site marks the spot and grave where the Prince Imperial of France, Louis Napoleon, died. He was killed on 1 June 1879 and his body was returned to England for burial. This site is open daily and request a donation from visitors.

10 Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal The battle of Ulundi took place within Ulundi in July, 1879. This was the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu war. In this battle, the British were able to eventually brake the military power of the Zulus and defeated their main army right after capturing and destroying the capital of Ulundi.

Sites and Museums in Isandlwana

Blood River s The battle at Blood River was fought on the 16th December 1838. At this site, Voortrekkers defeated a Zulu army. This is where a circle of 64 commemorative wagons have been erected. In this area there is an interpretation centre, a coffee shop and a curio shop. An entrance fee is required. The battlefield is open from 08:00 till 16:30 daily except for Christmas Day.

Ncome Museum This Museum is located across from the Blood River site. The building is designed in the form of a bulls horn which was the attack formation that the Zulu army used during battles. This museum features the history and the culture of the Zulu people and tells the story of the battle that took place on the 16 December 1838. You'll recognise the museum by the row if metal traditional Zulu shields that line the outside the wall. There is a donation required when entering this museum. The museum is open daily from 08;00 am - 16:30 pm daily.

Isandlwana and Museum This historic site is the site of the biggest defeat encountered by the British in colonial times. The battle took place in the 22nd of January 1879 and left behind a site that is arguably the most nostalgicof all the battle sites. The site is marked by hundreds of whitewashed stone cairns that reveal the resting places of the troops that were killed there. There is a required entrance fee. The site is open from 08:00 am till 16:00 pm on weekdays and from 09:00 am till 16:00 pm during weekends and public holidays.

Rorke's Drift and Museum The battle and the battle site at the Swedish Mission Station of Rorke's Drift has now become world famous. There were 11 Victoria Crosses awarded to the defenders in this battle, 7 of which were given to the 24th Regiment (now Royal Regiment of Whales). An entrance fee is required. This site and museum is open from 08:00am till 16:00pm on weekdays and from 09:00am till 16:00pm on weekends and holidays.

Fugitives' Drift This site is set up to follow the route that the few survivors took when they fled the battle of Isandlwana. This lone hillside is the home to the graves of Lts. Coghill and Melvill who were responsible for saving the Queens colours. This site is on private land and there are guides that are able to lead groups along the trail. The other option is to drive to Fugitives' Drift Lodge and pay to view the site at reception.

Site of the death of the Prince Imperial This site marks the spot and grave where the Prince Imperial of France, Louis Napoleon, died. He was killed on 1 June 1879 and his body was returned to England for burial. This site is open daily and request a donation from visitors.

Helpmekaar Helpmekaar means 'to help each other'. The town was given this name as this is where the mountain pass became hard to travel through via ox wagons and people had to help each other. In most cases a double span of oxes were needed in order to get to the top of the pass. This village was the base camp for British troops during the Anglo Zulu War and now contains a cemetary as a surreal reminder of the lives lost in the war.

Battle of Talana The battle of Talana took place on the 20th October 1899. This was the first major battle between the British and the Boers. The museum is situated at this site and there are walk and talk tapes that are available with self guided tours.

Elandslaagte This particular battle took place on the 21st of October in 1899. The hill is covered in memorials and there are also two cemeteries that reminds people of another battle that was fought between the British and the Boer.

Talana Museum This museum and cultural centre is situated in a 20 acre heritage park on Talana hill which was the first battle site in the Anglo Boer War. This museum differs from the others as it is in a creative cluster that is in the process of being developed. The cultural centre allows you to visit the crafts people at work and it also contains a shop where you can buy these unique items.

 

 

 

 

 

Aimed at those driving down from Joburg to Durban and are looking for a bit of a quiet break inbetween the two cities. 2 nights at Cathedral Peak in the central Berg and 2 nights at Elephant Rock in the Nambiti game reserve. Total actual drive time is 4 hours to Cathedral Peak - 90 mins to Nambiti and 3 hours to Durban.

Price for 4 nights accommodation and meals where included is R 5 500 per person sharing What you can add on: Helicopter flip over the Berg. Rhino Hunting, Cave painting

Aimed at those driving down from Joburg to Durban and are looking for a bit of a quiet break inbetween the two cities. 2 nights at Cathedral Peak in the central Berg and 2 nights at Elephant Rock in the Nambiti game reserve. Total actual drive time is 4 hours to Cathedral Peak - 90 mins to Nambiti and 3 hours to Durban.

Price for 4 nights accommodation and meals where included is R 5 500 per person sharing What you can add on: Helicopter flip over the Berg. Rhino Hunting, Cave painting

Aimed at those driving down from Joburg to Durban and are looking for a bit of a quiet break inbetween the two cities. 2 nights at Cathedral Peak in the central Berg and 2 nights at Elephant Rock in the Nambiti game reserve. Total actual drive time is 4 hours to Cathedral Peak - 90 mins to Nambiti and 3 hours to Durban.