Heritage Month is celebrated, indeed, but what is it we are celebrating…? The Readers’ Digest Universal dictionary has it as a country’s or area’s history and historical buildings and sites that are considered to be of interest and value to present generations, or something that passes from one generation to the next in a social group, e.g. a way of life or traditional culture. Some people also call it Braai Day.
In an effort to boost visitor numbers Tourism Dundee and the Tourist Guide Association Battlefields Region went one step further than normal this year, and published pre-arranged battlefield and cultural tours, instead of simply referring visitors to tourist guides to work out their own arrangements.
Tours are presented in three different categories, namely school tours, general interest and specialist military history. The question why people should hire a guide has been regularly asked, as the answer is simple enough: The KZNTA (Battlefields Region) battlefield guide had been recognised by more than one stakeholder in the field as being among the best in the world at what they do, and that is being an ambassador for the rich history of this part of the world.

Full moon tours
Battlefield tourism, also called dark or thanotourism (Thanatourism, derived from the ancient Greek word thanatos for the personification of death, refers more specifically to violent death; it is used in fewer contexts than the terms “dark tourism” and “grief tourism”. The main draw to dark locations is their historical value rather than their associations with death and suffering.)
Dundee lies in the centre of one of the most concentrated group of battlefields in the Southern Hemisphere. There are over 60 battlefields from three major wars in the area, and also one of the bloodiest battles the British army ever had to fight, before the onset of the First and Second World Wars.
The full moon tours to selected battlefields are exclusive, and promise to be a most satisfactory experience for the contemporary history buff.
The idea of being on the battlefield of Isandlwana on January 22, especially at night, makes anything else pale by comparison.
The same can be said for Spioenkop, on January 24.
The Redcoat and Khaki Tours combine the ravages of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and the Anglo-Boer War with a visceral reality that can be underscored with a visit to the Ladysmith Siege Museum, where the details of this bloody part of our history can be viewed.
The very historic area of Utrecht, which used to be part of the Transvaal, positively reeks with history when you get introduced to the adventures of that restless pioneer Uys family, with one of their patriarchs Piet Uys, fighting with Sir Evelyn Wood’s column in the Zulu War. Spellbinding tales galore from a frontier era awaits.
Its yours for the taking.