Isandlwana Lodge has won a major travel award from a leading, professional UK travel and tourism association.
The South African Travel to Africa and the Indian Ocean Association, SATOA, awarded the Lodge winner of the category Best Hotels 20 rooms or more.
Formed in 1982, SATOA promotes travel to Africa and the Indian Ocean while providing members with a platform from which to promote their products.
Sue Gallagher of SATOA said the awards were held in London with the winners being judged by our members and travel industry partners.
Pat Stubbs, who co-founded Isandlwana Lodge in the late 1990s, expressed her surprise by the announcement adding that ‘I knew we made it to the finals but did not dream we would win!’.
Decima Jones of Dundee Tourism said the award was ‘fantastic news for Dundee’s vibrant tourism industry which in 2012 added over R66-million to the local economy.’’
The story of Isandlwana Lodge started in 1996 with a chance meeting of two American women, Maggie Bryant and Patt Stubbs, on an aircraft.
Maggie Bryant, former Chairperson of The Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the United States, has been involved in eco-tourism and conservation in several countries in Southern Africa and around the world. Mrs. Bryant is a resident of Middleburg, Virginia, who devotes most of her time to projects that preserve the environment and wildlife.
Pat Stubbs, retired from a business career that took her to many parts of the world, was looking for a challenge when she became intrigued by a story in an investment magazine in the U.S., which highlighted the opportunity of tourism investment in Southern Africa. Miss Stubbs’ permanent residence is in Mexico Beach, Florida, but she spends the majority of her time at the Lodge.
These two enterprising women visited Isandlwana together for the first time in December of 1997. Contacts with Amafa (Heritage) KwaZulu-Natal, the organisation that manages the historical sites in KwaZulu Natal, brought them to Isandlwana to discuss a possible investment here. Some ten years before, Amafa and the Mangwe Buthanani Tribal Authority had identified the site.
After discussing the possibilities with the Tribal Councillors, the group walked the site and a simple handshake with the Inkosi of the Tribe created a partnership that has brought jobs to the local community and will bring revenue to the Tribal Trust for use in building schools, clinics and enhancing the life of villagers.
The Lodge was purposefully designed to look as though it grew out of the rock formations on which it is built. It is shield shaped, with a thatched roof and is made of rock from the area to resemble the native’s kraals. The slasto tiles used in the Lodge are from South Africa. Most of the furniture was made in Durban from indigenous woods. The columns that support the roof are from the old West Street Pier in Durban and each is named for a Zulu commander or significant person in the chain of command during the Anglo-Zulu War.
Guests from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, South America, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and the United States have visited the Lodge since it was officially opened on May 124 999 by Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a direct descendant of King Shaka,.