Fugitives Drift

The luxurious rooms within Fugitives’ Drift Lodge offer incredible views over the Buffalo River Gorge and its surrounding plains, which can be best enjoyed from the comfort of your private verandah. The spacious bedrooms feature a king-size bed with plush pillows and soft duvets, as well as a small lounge area that faces out towards the floor to ceiling glass sliding doors. From here, you can snuggle up and enjoy sweeping views of the landscape.

Air conditioning is provided to help maintain an optimum climate, and guests can enjoy refreshments from the mini-fridge. The bedroom leads to an en-suite bathroom with both indoor and outdoor showers. Guests staying in the lodge can easily access the swimming pool, Harford Library and Fugitives’ Drift Museum.

The Guest House rooms each include a charming verandah, which faces over the lodge’s gardens and indigenous bushveld. The bedrooms are luxuriously decorated and all include en-suite bathrooms which are fitted with modern facilities. Ceiling fans are provided, helping to keep the rooms at a comfortable temperature, and the guest house has its own swimming pool and soothing garden area where guests can relax in a tranquil setting, undisturbed. The Guest House also features a communal living and dining area with comfy sofas and a communal table where meals can be enjoyed.

Umzinyathi was once a farmhouse which has since been renovated into 3 en-suite bedrooms, a lounge, dining room and a kitchen. This accommodation allows guests to concoct their own culinary creations, although you may also dine at the lodge at an additional cost. The farmhouse’s location at the top of the reserve allows for stunning views of Isandlwana and additional privacy. Originally, Umzinyathi was the home of George Bunting, an expert on the Anglo-Zulu War.

Guests staying at Fugitives’ Drift can look forward to three delicious meals each day, served at the lodge’s communal table. Guests staying at The Guesthouse can dine there, and guests staying at Umzinyathi Farmhouse can choose to self-cater or take their meals at the lodge. The lodge’s chefs freshly prepare each meal, combining homely dishes will local flavours. Lunch is sometimes served out on the library’s verandah where guests can soak in the sweeping views of the plains and Buffalo River.

Take a historical trip to the Isandlwana Battlefield, and learn about the events of 140 years ago, when British troops attempted to invade, and were met by the brave Zulu Warriors who were not ready to give up their homeland. Follow in the footsteps of the advancing British forces until they were met by tens of thousands of warriors, and their soldiers were decimated.

The tour sets off at 7.30 am, with an audiotape by David Rattray to give background knowledge on the events of the battle at Isandlwana. At 9 am, guests can take a comfort break and admire the incredible artefacts displayed at Isandlwana’s museum. Lectures and stories will be delivered throughout the day, giving a rich account of the events after the battle, and what happened to those who survived. Guests will return to the lodge in time for lunch at 1 pm.

Explore the legendary site of the battle of Rorke’s Drift, one of the most famous moments from the Anglo-Zulu War where 139 British soldiers defended a medical base from 4,000 Zulu warriors and, against the odds, survived. Many of the British soldiers were wounded, sick or disabled, but they managed to defend themselves over the course of an entire night, until the Zulu forces relented.

Douglas Rattray gives a powerful talk that recounts the events of the battle at Rorke’s Drift and the soldiers who fought there. After the battle, 11 Victoria Crosses and 5 Distinguished Conduct Medals were awarded to the troops, the most that has ever been given for a single battle. The tour departs at 3 pm, giving guests time to experience the Rorke’s Drift museum before the lecture begins at 4 pm. You will also have the chance to explore the graveyard and view the memorials before returning to the lodge.

Visit the graves of Lieutenants Teignmouth Melville and Nevill Coghill, two officers who died attempting to save the Queen’s Colour of their regiment. They are both now buried where they were struck down, just a short distance from the Fugitives’ Drift lodge. The graves walk takes approximately one hour and is relatively gentle except for a short climb.

Enjoy incredible views of the natural splendour and Buffalo River, as well as exciting wildlife encounters. Watch towering giraffes poke their heads above the treetops as you travel through this historical setting.

This family-friendly tour is perfectly suited for under guests under the age of 12, giving a deep and informative insight into the events that transpired on South Africa’s historic battlefields. The kid’s tour offers parents the chance to visit the battlefields while younger guests learn about the British soldiers and Zulu warriors who clashed on the battlefield and fight for the land.

The tours will be followed by a gentle game walk and can be tailored depending on the age or requirements of the individual children.

Fugitives’ Drift offers a unique mountain biking experience across a variety of tracks, including both flat and steep terrain, technical and novice options. Guests can enjoy endless views of the beautiful scenery, sweeping plains and Buffalo River Gorge, as well as incredible wildlife sightings including giraffes, zebras, kudus, wildebeest, and impalas. The bikes and helmets will be provided by the lodge.

Take a leisurely walk through the Fugitives’ Drift grounds and enjoy the melodic songs of approximately 300 different bird species as you pass between the green slopes of the Fugitives’ Drift Nature Reserve. The 2,500-hectare reserve features a range of indigenous plants and wildlife, and can be explored either with a trained field guide or alone.

The lodge’s guides are certified by the Field Guide Association of South Africa, and will be able to teach you interesting facts about the African bushveld and the amazing life that thrives within it. Walks typically last for around 2 hours, covering a distance of 2-3 kilometres and allowing guests to explore the diverse ecosystems within the reserve.

Enjoy a peaceful afternoon by the Buffalo River, and reel in gigantic Natal Yellowfish from the rushing waters. The Natal Yellowfish are endemic to South Africa and can grow up to an incredible 65cm in length. These strong fish will be a challenge to catch, but with the help of the lodge’s fishing guides and custom-made flies, guests will be ready to take them on.

The tranquil and quiet surroundings are ideal for this relaxing activity. Fishing in the Buffalo River is only available from May to October, with the optimum time being between June and September. All fishing is on a catch-and-release basis in order to maintain healthy aquatic populations.

Take a trip to the Blood River and witness the site of a ferocious battle between the Boers and Zulus that was fought on December 16th, 1838. Also known as the Ncome River, Blood River gained its nickname after 470 Boers came under attack from 12,000 Zulu warriors. The Boers were able to maintain their defence, killing thousands of Zulus and turning the river red with their blood. Today, the site is marked by 64 incredible solid bronze life-sized wagons, and guests can visit the quiet landscape and take in its shocking history.

Guests staying at Fugitives’ Drift Lodge are required to pay a conservation levy in order to help support the nearby communities and ongoing sustainability projects.

‘It currently supports seventeen schools and thousands of impoverished children in the greater Rorke’s Drift area. This levy will take these efforts to a higher level. The levy will be split equally between Khula and the Fugitives’ Drift Game Reserve which will enable us to increase our work in the schools, and ensure the sustainability of the flora and fauna in the game reserve (a registered Natural Heritage Site) for future generations to enjoy.’

Fugitive’s Drift and Rorke’s Drift both support the Khula Education program (formerly known as the David Rattray Foundation), which aims to provide all children with an education, regardless of their financial or living situation. Khula Education works with teachers and students in order to offer children in the remote and rural KwaZulu-Natal area the best education possible and improve their employability prospects. This has resulted in the following:

• ‘Despite having limited or no exposure to English when they started pre-school, 80% of KHULA’s pre-school children were fluent in English by the end of two years with us
• KHULA students consistently rank in the top 20% of the grade when they graduate from KHULA pre-schools to primary school
• Our primary school teaching support programme saw a year-on-year average increase of 7% in English and Maths scores in 2020
• Our senior school teaching support programme saw an improvement in Maths pass rates for all eight classes taught in 2020, against baseline testing
• In final year Matric testing, our Grade 12 teaching support programme saw 100% pass rates in English for 2020
• Over the past two years, KHULA’s Life Skills & Job Readiness Programme has influenced the lives of 1,100+ in-school youth’