Tribes, the Fair Trade Travel company, is offering a remarkable opportunity to see the full glory of the Zulu nation as they celebrate at their vibrant annual festival. The trip also incorporates the main highlights of KwaZulu Natal including the Drakensberg mountains, the Battlefields, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, Kosi Bay and St Lucia Wetlands. It encompasses so many sides of life (culture, wildlife, history, nature & beach) that it has something for everyone.

The trip begins in the Drakensberg mountains, where we hike to see San rock art. It then continues to the Zulu/British Battlefields such as Rorke's Drift, and on into the Valley of the Kings where many Zulu kings are buried. We are able to visit one of the King's royal palaces, before attending the Annual Reed Dance festival on the 10th September.

The Reed Dance is a celebration of the Zulu nation and performs the essential role of unifying nation and the king, who presides over the ceremony. The festival takes its name from the riverbed reeds, which are the central focus of this four-day event. The reed-sticks are carried in a procession by thousands of young maidens who are invited to the King's palace each year. More than 10 000 maidens, from various communities throughout the province of KwaZulu- Natal, take part in the Reed Dance ceremony, with the rest of the Zulu nation helping them to celebrate their preparation for womanhood.

We then head east to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, home to large populations of black and white rhino as well as all other members of the big Five and many antelope species. In the beautiful Kosi Bay we will take a canoe trip through the swamp forest, and later a 4x4 trip to the mouth of the Kosi Bay. The last part of the trip is at St Lucia, where you can enjoy an estuary trip or birdwatching or time on the beach, as well as a deep-sea whale watching trip.

Date: 6th to 16th September 2005 - Durban to Durban.

Price: �1755 pp (not inc flights) � min 4, max 8 people.

Includes: 10 nights lodge or inn, based on twin share, 1 day dinner, 6 days breakfast and dinner, 2 days full board, 2 days breakfast, transport in air-conditioned microbus, professional guide.

For more information or photos, contact:

Amanda Marks on 01728 685971 email Amanda@tribes.co.uk.

12 The Business Centre, Earl Soham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 7SA Tel: 01728 685971 www.tribes.co.uk