Shakaland

The Zulu cultural village is a unique place absolutely worth a visit! The village's location is on top of a hill overviewing a lake. The main house is in traditional style like the rest of the village but with a typical Safari lodge touch (well, from the 80th). There even is a pool. The people are super friendly, they try really hard to give and show you information about the Zulu culture (spread over the whole day). We stayed overnight in one of these traditional huts. Well, they are stunning and spacious. But please consider that this will become a basic experience. It's a hut. Last not least the food: really well made and even for vegetarians a lot to choose from. We enjoyed our stay very much!

This place is rubbish accommodation. The huts are dark, and not only smell like a wet dog after a run in the park, but exude dampness from every surface, pillow, and sheet. It was a bit gross to sleep on. The fixtures, fittings, and furniture were also quite tired and in need of updating. The bar staff always had to be hunted down to get a drink, as they were never behind the bar. When I found one, I was treated like an annoyance and not a customer. Dirty pool water, no sun loungers by the pool. I could go on, but I'll end this review with the cherry on top: AT 6:55 AM THEY MARCH AROUND THE ROOMS BEATING A DRUM! A drum before 7am.... Just not a good idea guys!

I visited and stayed here in 2011 and it was not bad. Good show, comfortable but not luxury accommodation. Fast forward to 2020. Not much maintenance. Surly staff - gone were the laughing Zulu's: now into the "get as much as you can from the tourists". Expensive drinks. They seem to have a deal with Eshowe Council to traffic fine rental vehicles to/from the main road on their short and little used access road: no explanation/justification provided so you are forced to pay a R300 entry/exit fee regardless of what time you spend at the facility. Government corruption at work? - tourists beware!

The guided tour through the village was very informative and encouraged guest participation. The guide allowed for questions and answered these very confidently and is very knowledgeable. The spirited dance at the conclusion was a fitting end to the walk through the village and gave a sense of the energy of the Zulu warriors in battle. The lunch served was wholesome and offered a wide variety of options.

The tour was ok, felt rushed from one point to the next. I would suggest less content and more time on explaining things properly so that one can understand the ways of living before moving on to the next thing. I also felt trapped in the big hut at the end whilst the dancing was taking place. Either make it a bit shorter or tell people that they can pop outside and come back if they want to. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The food was very good.

An excellent experience esp for city kids like us. We stayed a night only at the Shakaland Traditional Zulu Handwoven bee-hive hut and experienced two Shaka cultural programme whilst there. The facilities and amenities are modern despite the Zulu outlook. WiFi is only available at two area: the reception and bar area but they are top notch. Take it from me. I'm from Singapore and I'm raving about the WiFi at Shakaland. Their executive from HQ who happened to stay overnight too, observed city kids like us congregating at the reception area after dinner instead of retreating to our room, we explained the need to stay connected. He said he will bring the feedback back to the HQ. So if you stay here next time, and could connect to civilization, the credit is ours. For those who want to cut off from modern world, you can always choose to disconnect. All meals here are cooked pretty much similar to modern hotel chains. Oh and pack more bottled water before coming here. Each bottle costs R26 here. The Zulu tribes here speak good English and have a great sense of humour. We also picked up beautiful handmade bracelets here as souvenirs. R10 a piece. (R10~US$0.70)

Shakaland is intriguing and confusing. It offers a simple introduction into traditional Zulu culture and as such it is useful and interesting. It is an odd mixture of authentic and tourist - I imagine it is very difficult for those running Shakaland to know what mixture of information and entertainment to offer. We enjoyed the tour of Zululand living and customs and the show was vibrant. We were fortunate that on the evening we attended there was a large group of local Zulu secondary students in the audience, which gave the event a strong vibe and the perfomers responded well. It was said that a few week's earlier there were only a handful of people in the audience and it is hard to think the experience would have been so immersive. The buffet at the end of the evening had a wide variety of choice, well-cooked and presented, and with both local and 'western' dishes.

Shakaland brings history to life with an excellent service! A blend of traditional and modern, the huts take one away from the hustle and bustle of city life only to represent it in the enthusiasm found in the sale of Zulu memorabilia. Modern comforts are not neglected and it is possible to withdraw from the heat to air conditioned rooms. There is also a very able restaurant. Shakaland is more than just a tour of the past with mod cons. It is an opportunity to take part in the Zulu culture.