Drakensberg Ukhahlamba mountains at golden hour
Willies Tourism Services

Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal

Slow journeys through
the old Zululand.

Guided tours, transfers and group travel across the KZN Battlefields Route, Hluhluwe-Mfolozi, the Zululand coast and up to Kruger — run from a small office in Vryheid since 2019.

Plan a trip See experiences

We design quiet, well-paced trips through a part of South Africa most visitors only read about.

Every itinerary is built around a knowledgeable local guide, an unhurried route and a short list of places we genuinely return to. Individuals, families, school groups and corporate teams welcome.

Where we travel

KZN Battlefields Route
History

KZN Battlefields Route

Redcoats and Zulu impis — Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Hlobane, Talana, Blood River and Spionkop, guided by a Mzinyathi Tourism Awards winner.

Hluhluwe-Mfolozi & Zululand reserves
Wildlife

Hluhluwe-Mfolozi & Zululand reserves

Big-five game drives and overnight walking trails through Hluhluwe-Mfolozi, Thula-Thula, Pongola and Ndumo.

Zulu cultural journeys
Culture

Zulu cultural journeys

Reed Dance, Royal Household ceremonies, traditional villages and community-hosted evenings across Zululand.

iSimangaliso, Sodwana & Kosi Bay
Marine

iSimangaliso, Sodwana & Kosi Bay

World Heritage marine tours, boat cruises, reptile centre, Jozini Dam tiger-fishing and slow coastal drives.

Zululand Heritage Route 66

A drive through the heart of the old Zulu kingdom.

Willies Tourism guides the full Zululand Heritage Route 66 — a signposted driving loop from Gingindlovu up through Eshowe, Melmoth, Ulundi and eMakhosini, tracing the oldest trade routes, missions and battlefields of the Zulu Kingdom.

  • · The Prawn Shack
  • · Amatikulu Nature Reserve
  • · Ultimatum Tree
  • · Fort Pearson
  • · Harold Johnson Nature Reserve
  • · Ndondakusuka battlefield
  • · Fort Chelmsford
  • · Grave of John Dunn
  • · Siyaya Coastal Park
  • · Umlalazi Nature Reserve
  • · John Dunn's Pool
  • · Raphia Palm Site
zululandroute66.co.za
Zululand Heritage Route 66 — printed heritage route map showing signposted places of interest
Route 66 heritage map · places of interest
Zululand Heritage Route 66 map cover, published by Zulu Kingdom tourism
Route cover · Zulu Kingdom / EDTEA

Activities & special offers

Everything we run, in one place.

Twenty years of freelance guiding, distilled into a working list of tours, transfers, training and packages.

Our guiding fee starts at R3 800 per day — this is the guiding fee only and excludes transport costs. The rate applies to individuals and small groups of 2 to 5 pax. From 6 to 15 pax we charge per person, and for coach or bus groups, coach-liner arrangements are required before we can issue a quotation.

  • Guiding fee — individuals & small groups (2–5 pax)

    Guiding fee only, excluding transport costs.

    From R3 800 / day

  • Groups of 6 to 15 pax

    Charged per person — rate confirmed on enquiry, guiding fee only.

    Per person / day

  • Coach & bus groups

    Coach liner arrangements required before a quotation can be issued.

    Quotation on request

  • Kruger & Blyde extended tour

    Three nights, Mpumalanga escarpment, small group.

    From R14 000 pp

  • Bookings & reservations

    Balance payable after service rendered.

    70% deposit

  • Short-notice cancellations

    Public liability & indemnity insurance cover in place.

    50% fee

  • Battlefields

    01

    Isandlwana · Rorke's Drift · Blood River · Ulundi · Talana · Hlobane · Spionkop.

  • Birding

    02

    BirdLife SA specialist routes through Ithala, Mkuze and the Pongola valley.

  • Cultural

    03

    Zulu villages, Reed Dance (uMkhosi Womhlanga) and Royal Household ceremonies.

  • Nature

    04

    Hluhluwe-Mfolozi, Thula-Thula, Ndumo and Field Guide Apprenticeship trails.

  • Marine

    05

    iSimangaliso Wetland Park, greater St Lucia, Sodwana Bay and up to Kosi Bay.

  • Wilderness & Hiking

    06

    Multi-day wilderness trails and hiking across northern KZN.

  • Shuttles & transfers

    07

    Airport transfers from King Shaka, Richards Bay, Ulundi and Mkuze to any destination in KZN.

  • Educational tours

    08

    Curriculum-linked school heritage and nature itineraries.

  • Guide training

    09

    NQF2 & NQF4 tourist-guide training — cultural, nature and marine, CATHSSETA / FGASA framework.

  • Accommodation booking

    10

    Star-graded B&Bs, lodges, guesthouses and hotels across the region.

  • Combination packages

    11

    Sightseeing, historical and other places of interest bundled into one itinerary.

  • Extended tours

    12

    Mpumalanga, Kruger and Blyde River Canyon from R14 000 pp / 3 nights.

Cultural experiences

The living Zulu kingdom.

Guided visits to uMkhosi Womhlanga (the Reed Dance), Royal Household ceremonies at kwaKhangela and eNyokeni, traditional villages and the eMakhosini valley — the burial ground of the Zulu kings.

Zulu maidens carrying reeds and staffs at uMkhosi Womhlanga, the annual Reed Dance

uMkhosi Womhlanga

Zulu maidens at the Reed Dance

The annual Reed Dance at eNyokeni Royal Palace, Nongoma — young Zulu women carrying reeds to the King in a centuries-old ceremony of cultural pride and coming-of-age.

The late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu seated at a Royal Household ceremony

Royal Household

His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu (1948 – 2021)

The late King of the Zulu Nation, photographed at a Royal Household ceremony hosted with Willies Tourism guests. His Majesty was the driving force behind the annual revival of uMkhosi Womhlanga and uMkhosi Woselwa.

Battlefields experience

Welcome to the KZN Battlefields Route.

The full presentation of the KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields experience — the sites, the stories and the communities along the route. Open any slide to view it, or download the complete PDF presentation.

Open the PDF presentation

Zululand Heritage Route 66

The Route 66 presentation, with music.

A 155-slide journey along the Zululand Heritage Route 66 — from the Golela border gate through uPhongolo and the heart of Zululand. Download the PowerPoint to view it as a slideshow with its soundtrack.

Download the PowerPoint (with music)
Willies Tourism guests in Zulu regalia at the Prince Imperial memorial on the KZN Battlefields Route

A small operator

Founded and run by Wilfred Mchunu, from Vryheid.

Willies Tourism Services is an owner-operated Pty Ltd running guided tours, shuttles and bookings out of Vryheid. Wilfred is a qualified nature, coastal marine and cultural guide, Deputy Chair of the KZN Battlefields Route and Chairman of the Vryheid Community Tourism Association.

Based
Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal
Registered
EDTEA, FGASA, Zululand Tourism
Travels in
English, isiZulu, Afrikaans
Fleet & suppliers
Avis, Imperial, Kempster, Atlas Coaches

What we do

Six services, one phone number.

  • Guided tours

    01

    Battlefields, birding, cultural and nature tours across KZN.

  • Airport & city transfers

    02

    King Shaka, Richards Bay, Ulundi and Mkuze airports.

  • School educational tours

    03

    Curriculum-linked heritage and nature itineraries.

  • Corporate & group travel

    04

    Team-building, conferencing and incentive trips — guiding from R3 800 / day, excluding transport.

  • Accommodation booking

    05

    Star-graded B&Bs, lodges, guesthouses and hotels.

  • Extended tours

    06

    Mpumalanga, Kruger, Blyde Canyon from R14 000 pp / 3 nights.

Special interest

Birding routes for the patient traveller.

Multi-day birding circuits through Ithala, Mkuze and the Pongola valley, with early starts, generous waiting time and guides who can name what you are hearing before you raise the binoculars.

Ask about a birding itinerary
Lilac-breasted roller in the bushveld

Printed material

Willies Tourism flyers.

The two-page printed brochure we hand out at tourism expos and lodges — a full snapshot of tours, training and terms.

Willies Tourism Services flyer — tourist guided tours, training and wildlife
Flyer 1 · A Taste of Zulu Culture
Willies Tourism Services flyer — specialties, services, tariffs and contact details
Flyer 2 · Services, specialties and rates

From the field

Moments from the road.

A working archive of guided tours across Zululand — battlefields, birding hides, game drives, coastal walks and long dirt-road afternoons.

View full gallery
Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 1Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 2Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 3Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 4Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 5Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 6Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 7Willies Tourism — Zululand moment 8

Recognition

Awards & industry roles.

Recognised across KwaZulu-Natal for guided battlefields and cultural tourism.

  • 2019

    Mzinyathi Tourism Awards

    Battlefields Route — Winner

  • 2016

    Lilizela Tourism Awards

    Cultural Guide KZN — Runner Up & Nominee

  • 2022

    Vryheid Community Tourism Assn.

    Chairman (current)

Working with

  • Gooderson Resort & Spa
  • Anew Hotel Group
  • KZN Wildlife
  • Garden Court Hotels
  • Aloe Lifestyle Hotel
  • Babanango Private Game Lodge

Credentials

Trained, registered, accountable.

Two decades of formal guiding qualifications across cultural, nature and specialist bird guiding — plus continuing operator development with SATSA and the KZN provincial tourism authority. Click any certificate to open the PDF.

Plan a trip

Tell us where you want to go.

Send a short note about your group, your dates and the kind of trip you are picturing. We reply within one working day with a draft itinerary and an honest price.

Office
Postnet Vryheid 3100, KwaZulu-Natal
Email
williestours925@gmail.com
wilfredmchunu@gmail.com
Phone
+27 79 868 9229
+27 73 929 0702
Hours
Mon to Sat, 08:00 to 17:00

We use your details only to reply to this enquiry.