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Ondini historic reserve
Ondini is located near Ulundi in the heart of Zululand. An Historic Reserve, Ondini is situated on 300ha of bushveld, and incorporates the reconstructed royal residence of King Cetshwayo, the Ondini Site Museum, the KwaZulu Cultural Museum and the Umuzi rustic tourist camp. Ondini is an ideal base from which to visit other sites of interest such as the battlefields, the Emakhosini (Valley of Kings) and the Mfolozi Game Reserve.

Ondini
King Cetshwayo inherited the Zulu throne on the death of his father King Mpande In 1873. In 1879 the British government in South Africa, fearing that the independent Kingdom of Zululand posed a threat to Colonialist expansion, invaded Zululand. The Anglo Zulu War lasted seven months, and culminated in the Battle of Ulundi, fought on 4 July 1879. The Zulu army was defeated and following this, the British went on to torch Ondini, King Cetshwayo’s capital. In the 1980’s the site was excavated, and on the basis of archaeological evidence, the royal residence was reconstructed over the original hut floors which had been baked hard by the burning of the site. Today visitors can see the reconstructed royal residence and learn about King Cetshwayo and the Anglo Zulu War in the adjacent Ondini Site Museum. Ondini also boasts a herd of white royal Nguni cattle which only the king was allowed to possess.

The KwaZulu Cultural Museum
The KwaZulu Cultural Museum houses one of the finest collections of Zulu Material culture. The museum is divided into two areas dealing with the following themes:

1.The cultural history of the region
Exhibits tell the story of the KZN from 100 000 years ago, through the stone and iron age, formation of the Zulu nation to historic times, including struggle history. .

2. Items in context
This area, including interactive displays explains the cultural significance of various items. It includes the well-known beadwork collection, dress, a reconstructed dwellings and musical instruments. For more detailed information on the items in the museum explore our virtual museum at

The Virtual KwaZulu Cultural Museum .

The KwaZulu Cultural Museum also has various educational programmes and guides and education officers are available to assist.