Welcome to the Zulu Kingdom, KwaZulu-Natal
$7.88 | £14.00 | €11.41 | | Time: 17:40 |  |
The Reed Dance Continued
zoom 'It is vital to collect and preserve the heritage of my people as it is valuable for the future generations. The celebration of the Reed Dance revives the spirit of the ancestors and enhances the quality of all those who experience it.' |
REGAL AFFAIR
In recent times, however, the King has fittingly used
the Reed Dance festival as an opportunity to educate
the Zulu nation, and particularly the youth, focusing
on vital social issues such as practicing sexual morals
and behaviours which prevent teenage pregnancy and
lower the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases.
The people of the Zulu nation are world famous for
their impressive dancing and singing skills, and the
dancing of the young women who perform for the
King at the Reed Dance festival is both graceful
and powerful.
By paying tribute to the king in this way, the Zulu
nation, represented by the young women, bestows
on the king the symbolic power to rule over the Zulu
kingdom and its loyal subjects in the year to come.
To demonstrate his gratitude, the king responds with
a sacrifice to the royal ancestors on behalf of all the
young women and their communities throughout the
Kingdom.
The chief princess, who wears the inyongo, the gall
bladder of the principal sacrificial animal, which is a
symbol of purity and an important symbol in any Zulu
ritual, leads the procession from the palace.
Speeches and performers entertain the Zulu Royal
family and their guests, the local Inkosi's and their
subjects and other spectators. And , as the ceremony
draws to a close, the King joins in the dancing and
singing in celebration of the successful enactment of
a traditional ceremony which has endured for centuries.
Each September, the Royal Reed Dance attracts guests
From all over the world, and no visitor to KwaZulu-
Natal should miss this unique opportunity to join in
the festive celebration of the cultural roots and proud
traditions of the Zulu nation.
However, a visit to the Kingdom of the Zulu any time
of the year, will afford the visitor a glimpse of the rich
cultural life of the Zulu people from exquisite craftwork
to powerful dancing and singing, in traditional rural
homesteads and in the vibrant urban township settlements.
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ACCOMMODATION
Glover B&B - (035)8310896
Holiday Inn Ulundi - (035)8701012
Jenny's B&B - (035)4500923
Macosini - (035)8700743
MS Thema GuestHouse - (035)8701633
Mtonjaneni Lodge - (035)4500904
Nongoma Lodge - (035)8310667
Shakaland Hotel - (035)4600912
Thandivani B&B - (035)8701911
Virgaries Palm Lodge - (035)8701121
RECOMMENDED ITINERARY
Day 1: Assuming that your point of entry is through
the
city of Durban, depart from the city and travel along the
scenic KZN North Coast into Zululand. Visit Dlinza
Forest Aerial Boardwalk- it is built in the 250-hectare
forest reserve – and it is the only indigenous forest
completely surrounded by an urban setting.
The route takes one to the Zululand Historical Museum
at Fort Nongqayi and the Vukani collection, the largest
collection of Zulu Art and Craft in the world. Stop
overs can be arranged for light lunch at Adams Outpost
and proceed to the Martyr’s Cross, the site of the
death
of the first Zulu martyr with a spectacular view of approx.
80 kms of coastline. At the end of the first route dinner
can be arranged aboard a 'float' at Lake St Lucia
Day 2: Depart for a Zulu Cultural Experience -
traditional
Zulu dancing and buffet lunch at Eshowe. Marvel at the
Display on the prowess of spear throwing and experience
life in a Zulu homestead. Travel to St Lucia village for an
overnight stay and enjoy a traditional Ostrich Potjie dinner
at a local establishment.
Day 3: Depart for a launch cruise on Lake St
Lucia. This
area was identified by the World Wildlife Fund as a 'site of
ecological importance'. Marvel at the sightings of hippos,
crocodiles, mudskippers, mangrove crabs and listen to the
magnificent cry of the fish eagle. Lake St.Lucia is home of
the greatest number of hippos and the magnificent Nile
crocodiles.
For more information on the Reed Dance please complete a query form .
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