HARTFORD ZULU DANCERS REACHING FOR THE STARS

Click above to watch the
Hartford Zulu Dance Troupe at the annual Summerhill Stallion Day

HARTFORD TRADITIONAL ZULU DANCERS

It’s official. The Hartford Zulu dance troupe is the best in KwaZulu-Natal having won the provincial competition this past weekend. Next stop, Joburg, where they will compete for the honour to represent South Africa at the World Traditional Dance Championships to be held later this year. Having competed at international level before, coming third in Tokyo and second in Hong Kong, and in the process beating some of the best dance troupes in the world, this is an amazing achievement for our little troupe... the self same troupe who perform for our guests every weekend in the Hartford gardens.

Growing up in the Mooi River district, their determination to rise above poverty and helplessness has catapulted them onto the international stage.

This is yet another another amazing story from our area, showing that with determination, bags of sweat, and enterprise we can achieve anything.

Now they’re off to the city of gold, Egoli, with big dreams, carrying their cowhide drums and hose sticks, and of course the beat of Africa.

They leave with warm wishes from all at Hartford House, Summerhill Stud and Vuma Horse Feeds.

Onwards and upwards!

HARTFORD HOUSE REVIEWS ON TRIPADVISOR.COM

It’s always gratifying to receive feedback from guests who stay at Hartford House, as an enormous amount of effort goes into making every guest’s stay a memorable one.  It was therefore with deep appreciation that we received these reviews via the Tripadvisor.com website:

A WONDERFUL HOTEL FOR A WEDDING (Durban, South Africa)

A Hartford Wedding
(Please click photo to enlarge...)

We booked Hartford House for my daughter’s wedding.  We took over the whole hotel for two nights. What an unbelievable experience! All the guests from the United Kingdom and South Africa thought it was a very romantic location for a wedding. 

The food we had at the reception was, as expected, excellent. The accommodation in the suites which overlook the lake was out of this world.  I do not think I have stayed in a room anywhere in the world as large as the one at Hartford House.  We also took advantage of the guided tour of the stud farm which was very interesting and informative. 

My daughter could not have had a better wedding experience. The staff could not do enough for us during our stay.  A highlight was the performance by a local group of young Zulu dancers which the hotel arranged for the evening before the wedding.  They were the best we’ve seen.

FABULOUS HARTFORD HOUSE (London, England)

Ezulweni Lake Suites
(Please click photo to enlarge...)

During our stay I mentioned to the manager that they should put Hartford House on the TripAdvisor site, and I’m glad she did!

This is a fabulous place for ambience, countryside views, peace and tranquillity and excellent food.  We were lucky that, while we were there, a top South African jockey and his family were staying and, together with them, we had a guided tour of the stud farm with Mick Goss, the owner. They look after and breed for many of the top owners in the world. The horses are amazing! There are just fields of mares and foals.

They have several rooms, the best definitely being the suites which overlook the fishing dam which is quite good for fly-fishing. My husband also went on a fly-fishing trip on the small trout rivers nearby which were demanding but, apparently, very good.

I would thoroughly recommend Hartford House.

WONDERFUL COUNTRY ESTATE (Cape Town, South Africa)

Siyabonga Suite 15 Bedroom
(Please click photo to enlarge...)

We booked at Hartford House in Natal for 2 nights, due to the fact that the on-site restaurant was voted as one of the Top 10 restaurants in South Africa.

The Siyabonga Suite we stayed in is completely separate from the whole estate, overlooking the dam. The suite itself was massive with a complete lounge with fireplace, entrance area, and a big bedroom with seating space. The bathroom was the cherry-on-top with 2 freestanding baths next to each other for bathing. A massive shower room with separate toilet and dressing area completed the suite. Everything in the suite was in neutral earthy colours and our suite even had a grass roof. The materials used to build the suite were made by the locals with their local building materials.

The main building is absolutely beautiful. The building is still the old original sandstone farmhouse. Inside, portions of the ceilings are even stained glass, which lets light through during the day and is absolutely amazing. The main building houses the restaurant, lounge, porch and breakfast area. Everything has old world charm, yet is updated with modern style and done tastefully. It is a beautiful house.

The estate itself is on a working stud farm and apparently breeds some of the best horses in the world. We did see some horses and it's understandable why. The estate is massive with every inch of ground manicured to perfection.

The highlight of our stay, however, was the restaurant. Being avid “foodies”, the dinner and breakfasts during our stay were mouth-watering sensations each time. I'm not going into detail, but each course was made with fresh ingredients from the estate and had a perfect combination of tastes. Even breakfast was a three-course meal, and not the normal buffet with a selection of everything. The three-course breakfast was a refreshing experience with exquisite combinations.

All in all, this estate combines everything perfectly. The proximity to the Drakensberg is also very nice, as it's only 50kms from Giant's Castle.

We loved our stay here and will be back again and again.

HARTFORD HOUSE DANCERS : A National Institution

Hartford House Zulu Dance Troupe
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

About ten years ago, a group of local kids approached us with a view to auditioning as a traditional dance troupe. Mick Goss grew up in the heartland of traditional dancing in one of the remotest parts of South Africa, and he’d seen just about every traditional dance there was to be seen. Reluctantly, and only because they represented families of our disadvantaged, he and Cheryl agreed to attend an audition on Hartford’s front lawn. In the event, some 30 turned up, ranging from ages 8 to 18, together with six makeshift drums, strapped with animal hides and beaten with garden hoses as substitutes for the traditional drumsticks.

Remember, the judges had sat through more than a thousand renditions of traditional dance routines in their lives to that point, so this had to be impressive to become anything more than just another audition. Yet these kids were so good, when the show was over, it took the Gosses less than a minute to decide they would be a permanent fixture, on duty every Saturday evening at Hartford House for as long as the weather permitted. These youngsters were not just talented, they had regaled themselves in the full ceremonial gear at their own expense, yet they were part of an impoverished community. No doubt about their determination, not to mention their self belief.

Until three years ago, they’d never ventured beyond the confines of Mooi River, then, out of the blue, they were invited to perform at the Provincial Championships in Durban. There they won the right to represent KZN at the National Championships, and the rest is a fairytale. As the best dance group in South Africa, they were sent to Tokyo for the World Traditional Dance Championships, and on debut, they ranked third, in the whole darn world! It’s barely believable, we know, but here they were, the only team on the African continent to rank this high, and a year later, in Hong Kong, they finished second.

Reality is, this team is still a “work in progress”, and they’re getting better by the day, to the degree that we were confident, had it taken place as scheduled in the United States earlier this year, they might’ve returned with the World crown. Sadly, the present economic climate in the United States has led to the postponement of the event, but these youngsters will still have their day.

You need only ask those that’ve witnessed their routine to know how good they are. And while a man of Michael Jackson’s dance talents owes everything he’s knows to his African roots, he’d struggle to make the “bench” in the Hartford troupe.

Click here to view
Hartford Zulu Dance Troupe

The truth is incontrovertible: The Best Value in the World.

The Hartford Zulu Dance Troupe
(Hartford House)

One thing you’ll always notice about the change of seasons in the Drakensberg area, is that each season has a distinct character, and this year Spring has been as spectacular as ever.

It’s not only the birds that are singing: undoubtedly the best boy’s choir in the world, the Drakensberg Boys' Choir, is situated just up the road from us and they’re preparing for their Summer and Christmas seasons. If you’re in the vicinity of Hartford House, be sure to let us arrange a visit for you to one of life’s most outstanding choral experiences. We can even pack you a delicious picnic lunch and direct you via South Africa’s art capital, Clarens, all in the same morning.

Besides a burst of greenery and the profusion of young buds, they’re foaling “royalty” at South Africa’s champion racehorse breeding establishment, Summerhill Stud. This weekend also witnessed the departure of more than 100 bouncing two-year-olds to the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale in Johannesburg, on their way to racing glory no doubt.

Most of these youngsters have never set foot on a moving vehicle in their lives, and it’s a joy to watch the skills of our young Zulu horsemen coaxing them aboard to the encouraging serenades of school children, wives and "gogos" (or grandmothers) at the loading ramps.

You don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway to get among the trophy trout on this property. Just a few weekends back, two of our young guests availed themselves of our "master-class fly casting lessons", and each came away with prize trout of between six and seven pounds.

Another couple, whilst enjoying a “bomb-proof” horse ride in the direction of the Boathouse and Magic Mirror lake, were thrilled by a sudden stampede of startled Reedbuck and the sighting of the endangered Oribi.

We continue to be surprised, (but oh so pleasantly) at the pilgrimage of foreigners who travel from so far to visit with us at Hartford.

While we’ve always enjoyed a healthy sprinkling of Brits and Europeans, and a throng from the horse-loving countries to the west and east of us, we appear to have new devotees from the United States and Australia. People are supposedly rediscovering their roots, and it seems this area (Hartford House and Summerhill in particular) offers one of the warmest, most hospitable and genuinely authentic experiences on the planet.

There are others who delight in the entertainment of our Zulu dance troupe, and it’s a source of considerable pride to tell you that in a couple of weeks, they'll be winging their way to their third World Traditional Dance Championships to be held in the United States. The troupe have already achieved 2^nd and 3^rd in Tokyo and Hong Kong respectively and believe they now know how it’s done, and we’re confident they’ll return home the best Traditional Dance troupe in the world.

We know we don’t have to ask you to join us in wishing them well on their way. It’s the visits of our Guests that have encouraged and uplifted our people to such a degree, and we’re forever grateful for the contributions you make.

We sincerely hope this note finds you in the “pink”. If you aren’t already on your way to us, please visit us on our website at www.hartford.co.za for the latest in what’s up at Hartford. There’s just a tiny chance we might be able to lure you back before too long!

With the Rand at unprecedented levels against the major currencies, South Africans will be staying at home more than ever, and our foreign friends will find us the best value in the world, by a country mile.

Warmest regards,

PAULA MACKENZIE
HARTFORD HOUSE

  Click here to view photos of the Hartford Zulu Dance Troupe