Mzanzitravel Magazine

Discover
nincompoops this should be clear illustration that if you destroy one part of the
ecosystem cycle, you destroy the entire cycle. It is permanently irreplaceable once
that has happened.
Flower Valley Conservation Trust and the farms it manages started in 1999 as
the brainchild of a concerned individual, Carol Blumenthal. When there was talk
that the area was to be converted to commercial vineyards, she enlisted the
help of Fauna & Flora International (FFI) to purchase Flower Valley Farm. The
conservation trust was then set up to manage the farm. In the years that followed
more neighbouring farms were purchased and, among other things, entered into
a joint venture with Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. The venture set up Fynbos
Retreat on Witvoetskloof Farm, a neighbouring farm, offering three fully-furnished
self-catering houses for visitors and tourists. One Erica species is found only on
Fynbos Retreat, and nowhere else in the world. Grootbos itself is also a leading
example of sustainable eco-tourism that includes 5-star luxury accommodation.
Fynbos Retreat also offers a number of activities, from hiking, mountain-biking,
bird-watching, swimming, or simply being at one with nature in this tranquil setting.
The Trust also works with Walker Bay Trails to jointly promote the Walker Bay
Fynbos Conservancy (of which Flower Valley is a member) to potential hikers. A
three-day hiking trail called The Fynbos Trail, during which hikers cross Fynbos
Retreat and Flower Valley Farm, was launched in 2011. It is routed through
sections of fynbos-covered mountains, afromontane forests and milkwood
forests, with stunning mountain and sea views.
• Contact: Fynbos Retreat Tel +27 06 03597086 or +27 82 4144586; Flower
Valley Conservation Trust head office Tel + 27 (0) 28 425 2218 or email
info@flowervalley.co.za; Flower Valley Farm Tel + 27 (0) 28 388 0713; or
visit their website at www.flowervalley.org.za.
Zulu-Mpophomeni Tourism
Experience…discovering fascinating
Zulu culture
Many people are fascinated by Zulu culture, but know so little about it. Have you
ever been mesmerized by those feathered Zulu warriors singing and stamping their
feet in a war dance, or read about the exploits of Zulu kings and their fighting impis
against the mighty British armies, seen the traditional huts dotting the countryside,
or the women singing and dancing while weaving baskets and cooking over open
fires? If it made you feel you’d like to know much more about these proud people,
then Zulu Mpophomeni Tourisim Experience is an absolute must.
shutterstock:Jane Rix
Zulu Mpophomeni Tourisim Experience (ZMTE) is a community-based tourism
organisation that was launched formally in 2000 to promote the people of the
Mpophomeni Township 14km from Howick in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Today
ZMTE is an award-winning, non-profit organisation catering to an ever-growing
number of local and international tourists who seek out this unique opportunity
to experience authentic Zulu culture and explore unspoilt township life. The
shutterstock: Codegoni Daniele