Two more “Legends” for the Land Of Legends

Ten years ago, a compendium of Kwa Zulu Natal’s top boutique hotels formed the Land Of Legends, a collection whose “glue” is a celebration of history, tradition and culture, and a long-standing record in the upliftment of people and the preservation of the environment. These were icons of their trade, either in the form of the personalities at the helm, the history behind the properties, or the stories they told.

At the time of the formation of the Land Of Legends, KwaZulu Natal was only the third destination of choice for visitors to South Africa, with just 4% of foreigners including these KwaZulu Natal properties on their maiden visits to the country. The magnetism of the brand was quickly apparent, with the flow of international guests including “Legends” on their first itineraries to the country, increasing to close to 40%. This talks to/shows the value of the diversity, the originality and the authenticity the region represents. A visit to these parts, is an intimate experience, bringing the traveller closer to nature, closer to our roots, and closer to the exuberance of the African people.

As recently as September, in the Visa/House & Leisure Best of South Africa awards, Phinda Homestead Lodge was proclaimed the best lodge in the land, Hartford House’s restaurant the number one in the country, and Fordoun Hotel and Spa took the laurels in the spa category. Given the number and the calibre of the competition, that’s saying something, not only of the establishments themselves, but the offerings of KwaZulu Natal as a destination.

Quite why it’s taken so long to welcome them into the fraternity is not apparent, but the latest news is that the Beverley Hills Hotel and Ardmore Ceramic Art have joined the fold. In what ranks as a “first” in the history of the Land Of Legends, the members have reached out beyond the hospitality trade in welcoming Fee Halstead’s world famous Ardmore Ceramic Art, a story of heroic proportions in opportunity and upliftment of a rural community. The artists, whose work adorns the finest Auctions in London (Christies and Bonhams) and galleries in New York and Los Angeles, is a triumph against the odds and a tale of a lady whose life embraces the best in creativity, courage and endeavour. That the internationally celebrated Rovos Rail should choose to pull up their trains at Ardmore’s front door, is testament to the cult status of this jewel of the Midlands.

For those whose memories stretch back to the 1960s, who could ever forget the day “The Bev” changed the skyline of Umhlanga Rocks forever. In another beating-the-odds story common in the Land Of Legends, the “Sun King”, Sol Kerzner opened the doors of Durban’s grand dame forty years ago, in a location considered too far from town and too way out, to succeed. That it remains the destination of choice for royalty, film stars, sportsmen and captains of industry, is a vindication of his vision, and we should never forget that it was the success of the Beverley Hills that inspired the likes of Sun City, the Lost City, Atlantis and the One and Only.

The Beverley Hills and Ardmore Ceramic Art join Rocktail Beach Lodge, Phinda Private Game Reserve, Hartford House and Fordoun Hotel and Spa as a serious destination challenger to Cape Town and the Garden Route, and the Kruger National Park and Mpumalanga, as the premier source of travellers’ intrigue.