Original Tours

“Thanks so much Nicki – you’ve been wonderful company and we’ve learnt loads. You’ve really brought it all to life for us. We’ve had an excellent time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! It has outweighed all our expectations and we’ll go home and impart our newly acquired knowledge (or at least try to!).”
Tanya & Shelagh - UK

“Nicki, you have a natural gift to tell a story and brought the battles alive and vivid – you are wonderful. You are well organised, communicative – totally giving of yourself. Thank you for a wonderful experience.”
Paul & Felicity - USA

"I want to put in a strong commendation for Nicki and her company, 'Campaign Trails'. She has all the accomplishments of an excellent guide - comprehensive knowledge of her subject, the ability to present it in a most lucid , vivid and open style, allowing for lots of questions and debate, and a sunny personality which made her excellent company over our 5 days together. The hotels at Spion Kop and Isandlwana are stunning, and the fact that Nicki was able to introduce us to our hosts and tell us about the background added to the pleasure. Altogether, and mainly thanks to Nicki (who worked very hard for us), this was a most memorable holiday. I hope, for the sake of your future customers in SA, that you will make as much use as possible of Campaign Trails."
Graham Hadley - UK

“You made us feel as though we were hearing an eyewitness account, and you made sense of the complicated movements and counter-movements and the determination of both sides. We also got a real appreciation of the distance involved and the rugged terrain, the real barrier of the Tugela & the lack of shelter between the koppies, and the sound and smell of Africa.”
Barbara & Michael - England.

“Our guide Jennifer was excellent. Her stories of the battles were amazing, we all feel very well informed. But we must mention her driving skills – it rained so hard that the roads were mudslides, and she coped so well in looking after us safely. We have been in good hands.”
Ann - UK

“We felt this was done for us in a personal way and never felt that we were listening to an oft-repeated pattern - which was great. Jennifer’s real enthusiasm for the subject and continuing research showed through and a proper political and social background to events makes the incidents of the battles much richer.” Spence / Kreitman Family

“We would certainly recommend this to other travelers.

Nicki Von Der Heyde runs the most amazing tourist enterprise. Campaign Trails describes the business exactly. It focuses on Campaigns fought in Kwa Zulu Natal and introduces the ‘Trail’ element allowing participants the option of riding the veldt on horseback.

From the outset, it was clear that that my wife and I were in highly professional hands. This extended from the time we began to choose our holiday, right through the build up of our itinerary, the booking procedures and the stunning package that Nicki and her Team had organised for us.
We received first class administration and straight forward financial arrangements. In value for money terms, Nicki was able to give us a really exceptional holiday that we shall never forget.”
John - UK

“Just to say that Dad and I had the most fantastic time and loved the whole trip. Thank you so much Nicki for all the effort you put in to making our trip so special - it is not often one spends any time with a parent once you have your own family and it was a marvellous way to catch up with Dad (or try to keep up!!). Thanks again and very best wishes”
Katie - UK

“I was totally blown away by my experience of the battlefields with Nicki – the whole experience was wonderfully interesting and memorable, and it exceeded my expectations completely. This was largely because of Nicki’s personal input into my tour experience, more than the tour itself. It was our first time in Kwa-Zulu Natal, but from the first Nicki made us feel completely at home and welcome in your beautiful country. The guiding was of the highest quality and her knowledge was extraordinary, but I am sure that you have many other excellent guides to these wonderfully evocative sites. However, I doubt if you have other guides who can add to their professionalism a sense of the dramas, of the stories behind the story, of the heroism, the stupidity and the emotion of these conflicts. All this, Nicki does, but never in a dry or academic way: her sense of history and her choice of exactly the right words and the right places meant that we were not just tourists looking at the sites – we felt ourselves to be part of them.
In addition, she had gone to great trouble to take us to lunch to meet other people living at the sites, and this meeting with a cross section of people who took us into their homes and shared their knowledge and enthusiasm with us added so much to the overall experience.
Finally, it was the greatest fun. Nicki has a great sense of humour, is a wonderful person to be with, and we will never forget our few days with her. We came away with our knowledge of the great conflict that had created your country enhanced, with a sense of affection and gratitude to all the people we had met and for all the kindness we had received.”
Jane and Michael - UK

“Nicki has taken the trouble to go out visiting the battle fields, visited the war memorials, established the graves of those who fell in battle and has even found new graves previously not uncovered of soldiers who lost their lives.

The reports that I have received from acquaintances and friends who have accompanied Ms Von der Heyde on trail is such that she has been able to enthral them and capture their imaginations with her telling of the history surrounding the battles and sites that she takes them to see. It makes their experience that much more unforgettable.”
Andrew Ewing. Lawyer, South Africa.

“My most memorable moment was sitting on the saddle of Isandlwana at dusk – the only people on the battlefield”
Douglas – Scotland

“Isandlwana was most memorable, as I was able to actually get an idea of how the soldiers were positioned because of the cairns which brought the stories alive – along with the detailed account from Nicki”
Fiona – England

“Very informative tour backed up with good maps. Well organized and presented – really enjoyable”
Mike – England

“Hospitality everywhere. Educational aspect of places visited and excellence of narration”
Eileen – UK

“Climbing Majuba was a highlight, with breath taking views and you had a sense of the hardship soliders endured to march up these mountains”
Colin – England

“We’ve had a marvelous time. The scenery, the people, Spioenkop and Isandlwana were most memorable. The whole trip was flexible and exciting.”
John & Angela - England

Teambuilding & Leadership

“The setting for this team building session was great. The history lesson was very good in terms of setting the foundation for the rest of the session. Drawing on the strengths was a great way of getting the team members to appreciate the inherent strengths of each team member, and an opportunity to capitalize on these strengths in mapping out the team’s future challenges.”
HR Manager: Tiger Brands Snacks

“On behalf of Nedbank Corporate Banking we would like to thank you for sharing your knowledge and valuable time with our guests.”
MD: Nedbank Corporate Banking

“People are still referring to Botha and Buller when they come across similar situations/people! I think the whole "history lesson" and the debate that followed also encouraged us to think differently about ourselves, our team members and the situation we find ourselves in. It also gave us the opportunity to differ from each other on matters other than work and I think we learnt a lot about "how to differ".

We also know each other a lot better now. We now understand a little bit better why people react the way they do to certain situations. We are also less wary of each other. We now feel we can address issues/problems with people directly, where as previously issues were mostly addressed through a third party or not addressed at all.”
Project Coordinator: Tiger Brands Snacks

“Just a quick note to thank you very much for your organisation and participation in our Battlefields trip last weekend.

I have received nothing but praise from all our guests for a wonderful weekend and whilst there are a few sore muscles where people had forgotten they had muscles, everyone enjoyed the company, venue, high quality of food and the informative lectures.

Well done to all of you.”
GM: Commercial Business Division – Mutual & Federal Insurance Company Limited

Corporate Clients

“On behalf of Nedbank Corporate Banking we would like to thank you for sharing your knowledge and valuable time with our guests”
Graham & Francis – Nedbank Corporate Banking

“Devi has given the following feedback regarding the time with you:

· the setting for this team building session was great
· the history lesson was very good in terms of setting the foundation for the rest of the session
· drawing on the strengths was a great way of getting the team members to appreciate the inherent strengths of each team member, and an opportunity to capitalize on these strengths in mapping out the teams future challenges

I agree with Devi, but I think your contribution was a bit more than just talking about strengths. People are still referring to Botha and Buller when they come across similar situations/people! I think the whole "history lesson" and the debate that followed also encouraged us to think differently about ourselves, our team members and the situation we find ourselves in. It also gave us the opportunity to differ from each other on matters other than work and I think we learnt a lot about "how to differ". We also know each other a lot better now. We now understand a little bit better why people react the way they do to certain situations. We are also less wary of each other. We now feel we can address issues/problems with people directly, where as previously issues were mostly addressed through a third party or not addressed at all.

On a personal note, I was so intrigued by the whole battlefield story and the way you presented it, that I am seriously thinking about coming with you on some of your other tours! You really now your stuff, and you have an excellent way of telling the story and brining across the message behind the story.”
Marisa – Tiger Brands

“Just a quick note to thank you very much for your organisation and participation in our Battlefields trip last weekend.

I have received nothing but praise from all our guests for a wonderful weekend and whilst there are a few sore muscles where people had forgotten they had muscles everyone enjoyed the company, venue, high quality of food and the informative lectures.”
Richard – Mutual & Federal

“I can only add to what Richard has said - the weekend was superb and enjoyed by all. Thanks for looking after us all so well. The high level of food quality and service deserves special mention. I also found all the staff very friendly and professional - not often you see staff motivated and friendly to customers to the extent that we saw this weekend.”
Chris – Mutual & Federal

Group Tours

“Thanks for a wonderful tour. The horses and equipment were excellent – the horse trail was full of fun and a real adventure.”
John – South Africa

“Nicky was brilliant and was the one factor, which guaranteed the success of the holiday.”
Barney – UK

“Your choice of Nicki von der Heyde was inspired. She answered all our questions: on bird, animal, flowers, trees and including History in a most acceptable way. A very balanced judgment of all the facts in each battle!”
George – UK

“Really enjoyed walking the Fugitives’ Trail”
Phoebe & Jeremy - South Africa

Adventure Tours

“Thank you very much for having us to stay. We could not have enjoyed ourselves more and the siege weekend was the highlight of the trip.” Tom – Irish Guards
"Many thanks to you and all your guides for the excellent attention that you dedicated to our brief visit to your beautiful country. Thanks to you we all have many memories for which we are eternally grateful to offset the cold and rain that is a normal Belfast day. I hope our Northern Irish style hasn’t disrupted your equilibrium too much (we do tend to leave an impression!) and that you carry on providing an excellent service to many more groups in the future"
Rob Atherton - WO2 QUOTC Trg WO