ALTERNATIVE African Tours, launched this year in Pietermaritzburg, offers specialised tours to small groups of international tourists who want to visit previously unexplored rural Zulu communities and experience the Zulu nation's rich cultural diversity.
James Rivett-Carnac, who launched the company with partner John Butler, says the tours can accommodate eight to 16 people and last from two to six days, dependent on required itinerary.
The tours are conducted with the full co-operation of the communities and a small percentage of the proceeds go towards their development and upliftment.
Itineraries are flexible and can incorporate visits to game reserves, visits to historical sites and golfing.
Currently, the company's biggest market is the UK, Germany and the USA, but Rivett-Carnac says he would like to tap the emerging Japanese market.
(Adele Mackenzie)
