Ladysmith
Description
Ladysmith is a historic city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal. It is famous for being the hometown of the award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo and for its rich variety of Battlefields, monuments, and memorials commemorating those who fought in the second Boer War and the Siege of Ladysmith. Browse our wonderful accommodations available in Ladysmith below.
The town of Ladysmith was established in 1850 and named after “Lady Smithâ€, the Spanish wife of the governor of the Cape Colony, Sir Harry Smith. The town served as a staging-post for those on their way to the gold fields in the Transvaal and the diamond diggings at Kimberley.
Ladysmith boasts a lovely subtropical highland climate with warm summers and cool, dry winters, making it an ideal holiday destination all year round. A number of accommodations, from guest houses to game lodges, are on offer in Ladysmith.
Ladysmith boasts a colourful and interesting history. It has seen many war-ravaged times during the Second Boer War and the Siege of Ladysmith. A number of Second Boer War battlefields are set around Ladysmith and have been preserved as memorial sites. Many monuments and memorials commemorating those who died during the battles can be seen at most of them. Be sure to visit the Ladysmith Town Hall which features the artillery pieces Castor and Pollox, the Siege Museum which features 6,000 documents relating to the Siege and the Boer War, and the Imperial Light Horse Memorial on Platrand. Also worth a visit are the Burgher Memorial just outside of Ladysmith, the Soofie Mosque, the Mohandas Ghandi statue at the Lord Vishnu Temple, and the 5 South African Infantry Battalion (military shooting range).
Today Ladysmith acts as a commercial centre for the large surrounding farming district and serves as a gateway to the central and Northern Drakensberg. While you’re here, visit the Qeduzi Dam, Spioenkop Nature Reserve, Chelmsford Nature Reserve, and the Nambiti Game Reserve, which is the only reserve in KwaZulu-Natal with Big 5 viewing.
Another popular attraction in Ladysmith is the Culture Centre, a township shack tribute to the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir and the Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Activities to be enjoyed in Ladysmith include horse riding, the Le Sueaur Cheetah Project, golfing at Ladysmith Golf Club, hiking the Black Wildebeest Hiking Trail, and exploring Weenen Game Reserve. KwaZulu Weavers is also well worth a visit where one can purchase hand-woven carpets and candles, play a game of mini putt-putt, and enjoy treats at the Waffle Hut.
Other places of interest in Ladysmith include the Ladysmith Country Club, The All Saints Church, Manchester Fort, Maiden Castle, Caesar’s Camp, Bell’s Koppie, War Graves Cemetery, and Old Stone Fortification. Before you leave Ladysmith, do a tour of the Battlefields Route. Guided day trips are offered to the famous battle sites of Rorke's Drift, Isandlwana, Blood River, Colenso, Vaalkrans, Tugela Heights, Spioenkop, and Elandslaagte.
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