This is Swaziland’s best known cultural event, and has a more open feel than the Incwala.
In this eight-day ceremony, young girls cut reeds, present them to the Queen Mother (Indlovukazi) – ostensibly to repair the windbreak around her royal residence – and then dance in celebration.
Up to 40,000 girls take part, dressed up in brightly coloured attired - making it one of the biggest and most spectacular cultural events in Africa.
The proper festivities kick off on day six, when dancing gets under way in the afternoon. Each group drops their reeds outside the Queen Mother’s quarters then moves to the main arena, where they dance and sing their songs.
The dancing continues on day seven, when the king is present. Each regiment dances before him in turn.
Little can prepare you for the sheer scale of the pageantry, with column upon column of girls advancing like vast ululating centipedes across the parade grounds of Ludzidzini, each dissolving in turn into the pulsating mass of bodies around the royal kraal.
Up close, it’s an almost overwhelming immersion in noise and colour, as the girls stamp, sing and sway in step, anklets rattling, naked flesh and dazzling costume blurring into a living, chanting kaleidoscope.
The warrior escorts, adorned with cow tails and clutching knob-stick and shield, are sternly intent on their duties and seem contemptuous of tourists, but the girls are all smiles.
It’s Swaziland’s biggest holiday and, after days of tramping the hillsides, cutting reeds and camping out, they’re determined to party.
Today the Umhlanga is as well attended as ever. Indeed cultural historians marvel at how its ever-increasing popularity in Swaziland defies the apparent decline of traditional culture elsewhere.
It offers the visitor a unique experience. There are no special visitor arrangements – except for a special grandstand to accommodate visiting dignitaries – but simply turn up at Ludzidizini and follow the crowds.
Police will direct you where to go, and where to park. Officially, permits are required for photography.
The event takes place around the last week of August / first week of September. The dates for the event are released relatively close to the time as they derive from ancestral astrology.
Though we are waiting for confirmation, we expect the Reed Dance to start on 29th August, with the main day (Day 7) being Monday 4th September. We will confirm this news on our site when the dates have been officially announced.
A number of Swaziland accommodation and travel providers have special offers on at the time of the Reed Dance. See below:
Pigg's Peak Hotel & Casino: Special room rate.
Sibane Hotel: Special room rate and lunch offer.
Myxo's Woza Nawe Cultural Tours: Reed Dance Tour.
Peace Guest Centre Guest House: Special room rates.
All Out Africa: Lobamba Village Walking Tour package.
Tourists visiting the annual Reed Dance are not permitted to take photographs. If you are taking photographs for media organisation then please make contacts.
For the latest news on this year's event, including details of a number of initiatives to assist visitors to the event, please see our latest news items.
You can read a fantastic blog entry all about Swaziland's Reed Dance.
The full schedule is as follows:
Day One
The girls gather at the Queen Mother’s royal village. Today this is at Ludzidzini, in Sobhuza’s time it was at Lobamba. They come in groups from the 200 or so chiefdoms and are registered for security. Men, usually four, supervise them, appointed chiefs. They sleep in the huts of relatives in the village or in classrooms of nearby schools. This is a very exciting time for the maidens.
Day Two
The girls are separated into two groups, the older (about 14 to 22 years) and the younger (about 8 to 13 years). In the afternoon, they march to the reed-beds with their supervisors. The older girls often march about 30 kilometers, while the younger girls march about ten kilometers. If the older girls are sent further, government will provide trucks for their transport.
Day Three
The girls cut their reeds, usually about ten to twenty, using long knives. Each girl ties her reeds into a bundle. Nowadays they use strips of plastic for the tying, but those mindful of tradition will still cut grass and plaint it into rope.
Day Four
In the afternoon, the girls set off to return to the Queen Mother’s village, carrying their bundles of reeds. Again they return at night. This is done “to show they traveled a long way.”
Day Five
A day of rest where the girls make final preparations to their hair and dancing costumes. After all that walking, who doesn’t deserve a little pampering?
Day Six
First day of dancing, from about three to five in the afternoon. The girls drop their reeds outside the Queen Mother’s quarters. They move to the arena and dance, keeping their groups and each group singing different songs at the same time.
Day Seven
Second and last day of dancing. His Majesty the King will be present.
Day Eight
King commands that a number of cattle (perhaps 20 -25) be slaughtered for the girls. They receive pieces of meat and go home.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Tourism, Travel, Hospitality, Conservation: News,Stories And Experiences From Allover The World
Showing posts with label Tourism in Swaziland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tourism in Swaziland. Show all posts
Friday, 30 June 2017
SWAZILAND: 2017 Reed Dance Dates Announced
The dates for Swaziland’s biggest cultural event have been announced and a hive of colourful activity will soon descend upon the country in the form of the festival known as ‘Umhlanga’ or Reed Dance.
The Festival is set to start on the 29th of August, with the main day (Day 7) set to take place on Monday 4th September. It will be on this day when the main ceremony occurs, with the dancing attended by the King signaling a public holiday in Swaziland.
This ceremony is an amazing spectacle and a centuries-old tradition where the Kingdom’s unmarried and childless females present their newly cut reed to the Queen Mother to protect her residence.
The King sometimes makes use of the occasion to publicly court a prospective fiancée or Liphovela.
When the main day arrives, young women from all over Swaziland and beyond her borders converge on the royal residence in Ludzidzini for this momentous occasion.
Maidens gather in groups and head out along riverbanks to cut and collect tall reeds, bind them and return to Ludzidzini, the Royal Homestead in Lobamba.
Tens of thousands of maidens, led by Swazi princesses, provide a sea of colour as they dance and sing, proudly carrying their cut reeds.
Traditionally, virginity is a pre-requisite for participation as it is considered taboo for an ‘impure’ woman to cut the reed.
Residents of this tiny mountainous Kingdom are intensely proud of their deep culture and taking part in the Festival is a proud and privileged moment for all the family.
The highlight of the event is the reed-giving ceremony - one of Africa’s largest and most colourful cultural spectacles.
The maidens gather at Ludzidzini dressed in traditional attire; bright short beaded skirts with colourful sashes revealing their bare breasts to dance and sing and celebrate the unification of the Kingdom’s women.
His Majesty King Mswati lll joins the celebrations to pay tribute to the maidens.
At the end of the day, the maidens present their cut reeds to the Queen Mother,Ndlovukazi, and the protective Guma (reed fence) around her homestead will be rebuilt.
The Umhlanga Festival is a visual spectacle that bonds this small but perfectly formed nation.
Its ever- increasing popularity defies the apparent decline of traditional cultures elsewhere in Africa.
Witnessing this festival is a truly unique experience.
Visitors are welcome, but are vastly outnumbered by the participants! This is a traditional event that allows spectators, not one that exists for spectators.
See it for yourself and experience Swaziland’s unique blend of ancient culture, pristine wilderness, year round wildlife and spirit of adventure!
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
The Festival is set to start on the 29th of August, with the main day (Day 7) set to take place on Monday 4th September. It will be on this day when the main ceremony occurs, with the dancing attended by the King signaling a public holiday in Swaziland.
This ceremony is an amazing spectacle and a centuries-old tradition where the Kingdom’s unmarried and childless females present their newly cut reed to the Queen Mother to protect her residence.
The King sometimes makes use of the occasion to publicly court a prospective fiancée or Liphovela.
When the main day arrives, young women from all over Swaziland and beyond her borders converge on the royal residence in Ludzidzini for this momentous occasion.
Maidens gather in groups and head out along riverbanks to cut and collect tall reeds, bind them and return to Ludzidzini, the Royal Homestead in Lobamba.
Tens of thousands of maidens, led by Swazi princesses, provide a sea of colour as they dance and sing, proudly carrying their cut reeds.
Traditionally, virginity is a pre-requisite for participation as it is considered taboo for an ‘impure’ woman to cut the reed.
Residents of this tiny mountainous Kingdom are intensely proud of their deep culture and taking part in the Festival is a proud and privileged moment for all the family.
The highlight of the event is the reed-giving ceremony - one of Africa’s largest and most colourful cultural spectacles.
The maidens gather at Ludzidzini dressed in traditional attire; bright short beaded skirts with colourful sashes revealing their bare breasts to dance and sing and celebrate the unification of the Kingdom’s women.
His Majesty King Mswati lll joins the celebrations to pay tribute to the maidens.
At the end of the day, the maidens present their cut reeds to the Queen Mother,Ndlovukazi, and the protective Guma (reed fence) around her homestead will be rebuilt.
The Umhlanga Festival is a visual spectacle that bonds this small but perfectly formed nation.
Its ever- increasing popularity defies the apparent decline of traditional cultures elsewhere in Africa.
Witnessing this festival is a truly unique experience.
Visitors are welcome, but are vastly outnumbered by the participants! This is a traditional event that allows spectators, not one that exists for spectators.
See it for yourself and experience Swaziland’s unique blend of ancient culture, pristine wilderness, year round wildlife and spirit of adventure!
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Monday, 26 June 2017
SWAZILAND: Swaziland Wins At African Responsible Tourism Awards
The African Responsible Tourism Awards were established in 2014 to celebrate and inspire change in the African tourism industry.
The Awards rest on simple principles – that all types of tourism, from niche to mainstream, can and should be organised in a way that preserves, respects and benefits destinations and local people.
Swaziland is a country recognised internationally for its efforts in responsible tourism, so it’s no surprise that they managed to win not once, but twice, at the 2017 African Responsible Tourism Awards.
Reasons for winning: With references from universities in Swaziland and Florida attesting to All Out Africa’s contribution to both research and education on habitats and species the judges were particularly impressed by All Out Africa’s social-entrepreneur approach to solving the problem of insufficient ecological information and capacity to enable successful conservation.
Over the last 12 years All Out Africa has enabled 500 international volunteers to contribute meaningfully to conservation through data collection and supported and trained over 100 local students in field-based conservation and ecological research.
They have supported the education of 15 local students at MSc level and more than 1000 undergraduate students from both local and international universities.
Reasons for winning: A three-day festival held annually in the scenic Malkerns Valleys of Swaziland attracting 25,000 participants from across the globe (in 2016 from 62 countries) to enjoy and experience a rich texture of arts, cultures, crafts, and food markets.
Over the last 10 years the festival has grown in international recognition and used its cultural and economic success, the festival creates employment for 1200 Swazis making a significant contribution to the local economy.
The festival’s call to action #BRINGYOURFIRE, has stimulated a personal and collective commitment to social programmes: the Schools Festival (2000 Swazi students and teachers annually), the Arts Round Table (that brings together international and local artists) funding for Young Heroes (an Aids Orphan support programme) and BoMake Rural Projects which benefits rural Swazi women.
Bushfire sparked the FireFest Route, which now involves Azgo (Mozambique), Zakifo (Durban, SA) Africa Day (Johannesburg, SA) and Sakifo (Mother festival to Zakifo, held in Reunion Island.)
Yet more evidence that despite its small size, Swaziland's diverse and extensive tourism operations and activities are leading the way in Responsible tourism in Africa.
Meanwhile,A group of journalists from the UK, writing for a number of top newspapers and websites, arrived in Swaziland today courtesy of leading UK adventure tour operator Explore!, for a jam-packed tour of this amazing and little discovered Kingdom.
Swaziland may be small, at around half the size of Belgium, but it has a big heart, friendly people and an amazing variety of rich culture, thrilling safaris and stunning scenery.
‘Africa-in-a-Nutshell’, it’s small, safe, welcoming and easy to travel around, offering a genuine experience of real Africa.
A rich culture of unique and ancient traditions is carefully guarded and faithfully celebrated. Beautiful and varied landscapes can be easily explored and Swaziland’s parks and reserves are home to the Big 5 and offer exciting safaris by a variety of methods – on foot, by bike, on horseback or in a 4x4.
The choice of activities is vast, from rhino-tracking to tree top canopy tours, via white-water rafting and endless hiking possibilities.
With its wide range of activities and experiences, Swaziland has recently been establishing itself as a stand-alone destination, a position that this media trip is sure to cement.
When, in 2015, Explore! became the first UK adventure operator to offer a Swaziland-only trip, it quickly became their best selling new long-haul trip of that year! Building on that momentum Explore! are taking a select group of UK media out to Swaziland to share what they have discovered for themselves.
With representatives from the London Evening Standard, the Mail on Sunday, the Irish Independent and Lonely Planet joining the trip, Swaziland's secret will soon be well and truly out!
The Awards rest on simple principles – that all types of tourism, from niche to mainstream, can and should be organised in a way that preserves, respects and benefits destinations and local people.
Swaziland is a country recognised internationally for its efforts in responsible tourism, so it’s no surprise that they managed to win not once, but twice, at the 2017 African Responsible Tourism Awards.
Reasons for winning: With references from universities in Swaziland and Florida attesting to All Out Africa’s contribution to both research and education on habitats and species the judges were particularly impressed by All Out Africa’s social-entrepreneur approach to solving the problem of insufficient ecological information and capacity to enable successful conservation.
Over the last 12 years All Out Africa has enabled 500 international volunteers to contribute meaningfully to conservation through data collection and supported and trained over 100 local students in field-based conservation and ecological research.
They have supported the education of 15 local students at MSc level and more than 1000 undergraduate students from both local and international universities.
Reasons for winning: A three-day festival held annually in the scenic Malkerns Valleys of Swaziland attracting 25,000 participants from across the globe (in 2016 from 62 countries) to enjoy and experience a rich texture of arts, cultures, crafts, and food markets.
Over the last 10 years the festival has grown in international recognition and used its cultural and economic success, the festival creates employment for 1200 Swazis making a significant contribution to the local economy.
The festival’s call to action #BRINGYOURFIRE, has stimulated a personal and collective commitment to social programmes: the Schools Festival (2000 Swazi students and teachers annually), the Arts Round Table (that brings together international and local artists) funding for Young Heroes (an Aids Orphan support programme) and BoMake Rural Projects which benefits rural Swazi women.
Bushfire sparked the FireFest Route, which now involves Azgo (Mozambique), Zakifo (Durban, SA) Africa Day (Johannesburg, SA) and Sakifo (Mother festival to Zakifo, held in Reunion Island.)
Yet more evidence that despite its small size, Swaziland's diverse and extensive tourism operations and activities are leading the way in Responsible tourism in Africa.
Meanwhile,A group of journalists from the UK, writing for a number of top newspapers and websites, arrived in Swaziland today courtesy of leading UK adventure tour operator Explore!, for a jam-packed tour of this amazing and little discovered Kingdom.
Swaziland may be small, at around half the size of Belgium, but it has a big heart, friendly people and an amazing variety of rich culture, thrilling safaris and stunning scenery.
‘Africa-in-a-Nutshell’, it’s small, safe, welcoming and easy to travel around, offering a genuine experience of real Africa.
A rich culture of unique and ancient traditions is carefully guarded and faithfully celebrated. Beautiful and varied landscapes can be easily explored and Swaziland’s parks and reserves are home to the Big 5 and offer exciting safaris by a variety of methods – on foot, by bike, on horseback or in a 4x4.
The choice of activities is vast, from rhino-tracking to tree top canopy tours, via white-water rafting and endless hiking possibilities.
With its wide range of activities and experiences, Swaziland has recently been establishing itself as a stand-alone destination, a position that this media trip is sure to cement.
When, in 2015, Explore! became the first UK adventure operator to offer a Swaziland-only trip, it quickly became their best selling new long-haul trip of that year! Building on that momentum Explore! are taking a select group of UK media out to Swaziland to share what they have discovered for themselves.
With representatives from the London Evening Standard, the Mail on Sunday, the Irish Independent and Lonely Planet joining the trip, Swaziland's secret will soon be well and truly out!
SWAZILAND: Visit Swaziland For Genuine Eco-Cultural Tourism Experience
Swaziland is proud of its many community projects that give visitors the opportunity to explore traditional ways of life.
The Shewula experience offers genuine Swazi hospitality run totally by the community, for the community.
Shewula was the first ever community owned eco-tourism camp in Swaziland opening in 2000. Sitting high atop the Lubombo mountains close to the border with Mozambique, the first thing visitors will notice is the superb, far stretched views across the lowveld over into the country’s big 5 reserve, Hlane Royal National Park.
The Shewula Community is a nature reserve of 2650 hectares, under the leadership of Chief Mbandzamane II and home to Shewula Mountain Camp.
Guests expecting 5 star luxury should really look elsewhere, this rustic camp offers a real insight into the local way of life whilst providing employment and an income to the Shewula community.
The camp has no electricity, light is provided by paraffin lamps and accommodation is in 7 thatched rondavel huts with en-suite facilities and showers with views to die for.
In the Shewula community there still survives the "ubuntu" tradition, which is the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. In the "ubuntu" tradition, you are a person only with and through other people.
Getting involved is the Ubuntu way of life at Shewula and guests can explore local villages and join in their daily chores.
You can visit a Sangoma – a traditional healer, and learn of their healing powers and ability to predict the future.
Nature lovers can hike down to the Mbuluzi river and gorge, spotting birds and crocodiles basking on the banks.
The Sibhaca performance will leave you with a shake in your step as you learn the importance of this traditional song and dance.
The local food is excellent, prepared to traditional methods, meals here cost under £7 and are probably the best local food you will have tasted!
Washed down with an “umcombotsi’ (the local beer) you’ll be ready to turn off the paraffin lamp for a sound nights sleep.
The Shewula experience offers genuine Swazi hospitality run totally by the community, for the community.
Shewula was the first ever community owned eco-tourism camp in Swaziland opening in 2000. Sitting high atop the Lubombo mountains close to the border with Mozambique, the first thing visitors will notice is the superb, far stretched views across the lowveld over into the country’s big 5 reserve, Hlane Royal National Park.
The Shewula Community is a nature reserve of 2650 hectares, under the leadership of Chief Mbandzamane II and home to Shewula Mountain Camp.
Guests expecting 5 star luxury should really look elsewhere, this rustic camp offers a real insight into the local way of life whilst providing employment and an income to the Shewula community.
The camp has no electricity, light is provided by paraffin lamps and accommodation is in 7 thatched rondavel huts with en-suite facilities and showers with views to die for.
In the Shewula community there still survives the "ubuntu" tradition, which is the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. In the "ubuntu" tradition, you are a person only with and through other people.
Getting involved is the Ubuntu way of life at Shewula and guests can explore local villages and join in their daily chores.
You can visit a Sangoma – a traditional healer, and learn of their healing powers and ability to predict the future.
Nature lovers can hike down to the Mbuluzi river and gorge, spotting birds and crocodiles basking on the banks.
The Sibhaca performance will leave you with a shake in your step as you learn the importance of this traditional song and dance.
The local food is excellent, prepared to traditional methods, meals here cost under £7 and are probably the best local food you will have tasted!
Washed down with an “umcombotsi’ (the local beer) you’ll be ready to turn off the paraffin lamp for a sound nights sleep.
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