Compact Travels - Exploring Places Like Never Before...

In the last issue I mentioned about the Mountain Lodge at Phinda where we were residing. Besides the Mountain Lodge, there is the Forest Lodge, the Vlei Lodge and the Rock Lodge and we were fortunate enough to go around and see some of these premier lodges.

The Rock lodge is set into a cliff face overlooking the spectacular Leopard Rock and is a smaller property comprising of six suites. Forest Lodge on the other hand is inventively designed in what is known as a “Zulu-Zen” style and has a panoramic view of the game filled plains. The Vlei Lodge is at the edge of the Sand Forest and you are quite likely to see herds of grazing zebra, antelopes literally at your door step. There is a private pool attached with each luxurious suite and gives you an experience of a life time if you stay at the Vlei lodge.

The day that we arrived at Phinda, we were given an excellent presentation about the property after which we were asked to check-in at our respective suites. Later that evening, we were all set to go for our game drive. Unlike Hluhluwe, firstly, we were given a briefing by the two rangers who were responsible to take us around the Phinda Game Reserve and then we sat in our respective 4 x 4 vehicles and taken into the forest and en route we visited some of the other properties of Phinda. We were told by our ranger Richard that there are quite a few interesting packages available for the wild life enthusiast such as the Rhino- Darting Safaris, a project called Leopard Research as well as tours to go and see the birds and yes the walking tours as well.

As this was an orientation tour for the Fundis, we were taken for two game drives - one in the evening and the other the following morning and we were lucky enough to enjoy a slightly better weather as it wasn't as wet as Hluhluwe. Although the sun wasn't shining on us, we were lucky to experience some cool and windy weather along the way which made our game drives all the more exciting.

As the game drive was for approximately 3 hours, we took a refreshment break in the middle of nowhere and the rangers were resourceful enough to have carried some portable tables which were conveniently laid out with a few refreshments and drinks and it was an experience of all together a different kind.

We were told that all the refreshments that one consumes during the game drive break as well as during our stay at Phinda are comprehensive part of the package for the guests if they wish to stay at Phinda.

At Phinda, we were lucky not only to spot a few wild buffaloes and elephants besides the giraffes and the zebras but to get a most panoramic view of the typical African sunset. It was an exhilarating experience and for wildlife enthusiasts as well as those who wish to have a luxurious holiday away from the noise and buzz of big metropolis cities I would strongly recommend atleast a 2 nights / 3 days stay at Phinda.

Being a Fundi, I am glad to inform our readers that we can offer you the best of packages at some of the finest game reserves in Africa and that includes Phinda as well. Do contact Compact Travels for exciting packages. After having seen probably the last of the wildlife of our trip in their natural habitats we headed into the heart of Zulu Life and Culture at Shakaland. Shakaland is located in Nkwaleni Valley between Eshowe and Melmoth nestling on top of the Entombeni Hills and it overlooks the Umhlatuz Lake. At Shakaland we were greated by Charl Van Wyk, the General Manager of the Protea Hotels and we were told that at the property we would be staying in a traditional Zulu “Umuzi” or homestead, divided into the home of the Zulus and the hotel rooms. This unique resort is built on the set where the famous movie Shaka Zulu was shot. The property comprises of traditional Zulu beehive huts equipped with bathroom and shower with all other modern conveniences. We were told that later in the day we would witness the three hourly “Nandi” programme comprising of the cultural tour and late after dinner we would witness the traditional Zulu dancing.

One can also spend time to see the audio-visual presentation on the life of the great King Shaka. Shakaland is one of South Africa's most unique attractions as besides staying in the midst of Zulu Culture one can experience the flavour of Zulu traditions as there are demonstrations arranged such as beer brewing, spear making, hut building, pottery, weaving and beadwork as well as a cultural tour explaining the lifestyle of Zulu people, their traditional dress and etiquette and is an education to understand a total contrasting lifestyle of this rich country, rich of diverse culture and traditions.

During our stay we were also exposed to a few Zulu words and expressions such as Sawubona which is a greeting and to reciprocate one has to say Yebo. The property is also equipped with a restaurant which creates a very traditional eating experience in buffet style. Each visitor to the Protea Shakaland Hotel is handed a leaflet which has a summary of what to expect during their stay at this unique property. The Zulu warrior wears a head gear made from leopard skin and it determines the rank he holds in his tribe. Then he has combed cow tails worn as arm bands and leggings and a frontal apron around his waist believed to have been made from wild cat tails. The women on the other hand dress differently when they are single, engaged or married. An unmarried woman who is still eligible is proud of her body and is not ashamed of showing it. She only wears a short skirt made of grass or beaded cotton strings and spruce herself up with lots of beadwork.

An engaged woman will let her traditionally short hair grow and cover her bosom with a decorative cloth which is done out of respect for her future relatives and to indicate that she has been spoken for. The married woman covers her body completely signalling to other men that she is taken. With the changing fashion trends, it wouldn't be surprising to see some of the fashion designers taking a cue from the Zulu style of dressing !! The colours of beads used in the Zulu Beadwork play a significant role in communication. This is particularly evident in the beaded love letters where white stands for purity, red for love, blue for loneliness, yellow for jealousy, pink for poverty, black for anger and so on. How the Zulu beehive huts are made is quite fascinating as well. First a circle is drawn on the ground. The men then bend and tie together thousands of saplings to form the shape. The women in the meantime weave thatching grass into ropes, mats and top the notch. Starting at the base, the mats are gradually wound around the framework until the top has been reached.

There are lots of interesting and fascinating aspects about Zulu Culture , one of the most intriguing one being a visit to the “Isangoma” or diviner to contact the ancestoral spirits or the Amadlozi to be healed from sickness or any psychological problems. To take back some Zulu Culture home a visit to the Curio Shop is a must. Late in the night we witnessed the typical Zulu dancing.

The Zulu people love dancing and singing and it is customary for the unmarried girls and young men to dance alternating in separate groups. While the girls dance, they are accompanied by the singing and clapping of the boys and vice versa. What is typical of Zulu dancing is their acrobatic performance of throwing one foot in the air to reach head height and then powerfully stamping the ground to make the ground to vibrate.

There are several dancing styles including the bull dance, the hunting dance and so on. There is lots one can write about the Zulu people and the culture but nothing better than visiting Shakaland and experiencing it yourself. The following morning after having a great experience of Zulu life we left for Durban to take our onward flight to the Mother City - Capetown in the Western Cape region. As Sir Francis Drake rightly said in 1580 whilst describing his unforgettable sighting of the Cape, the Western Cape is undoubtedly the fairest Cape in the whole circumference of the earth. At Capetown and its environs we were to spend the next 6 days of our Fundi trip and to know more about this amazing province you would need to wait until the next issue of Opportunities Today