Durban

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, this idyllic outdoor lifestyle in subtropical paradise offers you that much more - more buzz for your buck...pleasure for your pound...rave for your rupee!

Africas largest, busiest port and economic powerhouse of our Zulu Kingdom, Durban boasts investment opportunities aplenty - more yield for your yen! Durban Metro also extends the warmest welcome to our Kingdoms many, compelling treasures...gateway to two World Heritage Sites among majestic Drakensberg peaks and vast Game Reserves of the Zululand Bush, plus history-drenched Battlefields, fascination- filled Midlands and a resort-dotted coastline that stretches seemingly forever in both directions

Durban seafront has exerted a magnetic pull since time immemorial... first attracting San hunter-gatherers of the Stone Age from their icy mountain fastness with the mildest winter imaginable. Iron Age peoples from Central Africa began infiltrating about two thousand years ago...pirates and shipwrecked European explorers of the modern era made temporary homes here during the 1700s...and in 1824, British adventurers deceived King Shaka and raised the Union Jack over this gem of his recently-founded Zulu realm.

The Golden Mile: This quaint, rather antiquated description of Durban beachfront - and the fact that its still popularly used - bears witness to both its radiant beauty and the easy-going charm that evokes memories of modest bathing suits and sepia-tinged holiday photographs. Merely a few paces from an enticing selection of international-class, ultra-modern and meticulously maintained colonial-style tourist accommodation, clean golden sands and warm Indian Ocean beckon with irresistible allure. Protected year round by shark nets and expert lifeguards, our sea has rhythm...and invites you to leap and frolic in waves perfect for surfing and body-boarding aquabatics.

Designated areas keep bathers and surfboard riders a safe distance apart, so theres no chance of being speared by an errant piece of sporting equipment! If you re new to surfing or board-sailing, sheltered Addington Beach has ideally-small waves for learning the three- dimensional dance with natures energy. Hawaiian kings may have invented surfing, but we caught on very quickly...and Durbans own hang-ten history is displayed with devotion at the Timewarp Surfing Museum. Curated by (grand)father-figure of the Durban surf scene, Baron Stander, one of the museums aims is to enthuse new generations...particularly those youngsters kept alienated from surfing culture by the racially-segregated beaches of our recent past.

Further added dimensions to the beachfronts surf, sand and sun are daily dolphin shows and fascinating marine life at UShaka Marine World, the spine- chilling inhabitants of our Snake Park and scaled-down perspective of Mini Town. Salt-water paddling ponds and olympic-size swimming pool ensure we cater for water-babies of all ages and exercise- regimes!

Among all these attractions are cinemas, restaurants and taverns, fast-food outlets, amusement arcades, flea-markets and the opportunity to watch traditional Zulu arts and crafts in the making. For a low-flying birds-eye view, survey the scene from our cable-car route...or stroll the long, waters-edge promenade for a more orthodox panorama. Come sundowner time, theres little more satisfying than to relive a day of dedicated sun-worshipping over tall, cool glasses on a sea-facing verandah!

North of the Golden Mile, Country Club Beach, Tekwini Beach and Laguna Beach are away from hotels and self-catering holiday apartments overlooked...instead by two golf courses and major sporting complexes. At the wide Umgeni River mouth, Blue Lagoon Beach is Durbans most popular fishing locale...while beyond the river, La Lucia and Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve offer long, tranquil walks along empty sands.

Shark-net and lifeguard protection resume at the satellite- resort and capital of our northern boundary Sugar Coast - Umhlanga Durban.

On the Southside of Durban, meanwhile, suburban residents of The Bluff - a gigantic headland that forms the southeastern arm of Durban Harbour - enjoy a string of safe and protected beaches that make a pleasant change from their city cousins . Brighton Beach, Cave Rock Beach, Ansteys Beach and Garvies Beach are all highly popular, with interesting walks through coastal bush that ends almost at the waters edge. This stretch of shoreline continues beyond industrial areas and Durban International Airport to become seaside playground of The South and its capital - Amanzimtoti.

Hotels, resort complexes, self-catering establishments and caravan parks follow the beaches at Doonside, Warner Beach, Winkelspruit and Illovo leading to Metro Durbans southern boundary at the Mkomazi River. Named the Place of Whales by King Shaka after marvelling at the giant creatures basking in the river mouth, the broad Mkomazi Rivers southern bank is crowned by the spectacularly sited town of Umkomaas. Now within Durban Metro limits, but also regarded as the first destination of our South Coast region. Umkomaas is worth an extra mention because 5km offshore lies the internationally renowned scuba-diving combination of Aliwal Shoal and the Nebo - a steamer that sank in 1884. More proof that our Durban beaches have exuded magnetic qualities for a very long time!

Durban Attractions

Francis Farewell Square

This historic square in the middle of Durban is the spot where the city originated as a tiny settlement of itinerant traders and hunters in the early 19th century. It is named for Henry Francis Flynn, one of the prominent inhabitants of the time. Around the square are some interesting sights, particularly the 1910 City Hall on the south side, which is an exact replica of the City Hall of Belfast, Ireland. On the first floor of the City Hall is the Natural Science Museum with an interesting insect section; on the first floor is the renowned Durban Art Gallery. Various musical, song and dance performances are held on the City Hall steps every Wednesday at 1pm. Alongside the City Hall is Durban's local history museum housed in the Old Court House, which was the first public building ever erected in Durban, in 1866.

uShaka Marine World

In January 2004 Sea World closed its doors to the public and reopened as uShaka Marine World, which has become the largest marine theme park in Africa. The park is tastefully themed with African imagery and has five zones offering entertainment, dining, a retail village, water slides and access to uShaka Beach. The Sea World zone incorporates an aquarium, dolphinarium, a seal pool and penguin rookery, as well as interactive activities in the dive tank, snorkel reef and touch pool, while Wet 'n Wild offers heart-stopping, adrenalin-pumping rides as well as water-based activities for the less adventurous.

Address: 1 Bell Street

e-mail: mkt@ushakamarineworld.co.za

Website: www.ushakamarineworld.co.za

Telephone: 031 328 8000

Transport: Marine World is on the main Point Road bus route and is serviced by Greenline and Mynah buses

Opening time: Sea World: Daily 9am to 6pm, Island activities closed Mondays. Wet 'n Wild: Wednesday to Sunday 9am to 6pm. Open daily on public holidays and during government school holidays

Admission: Combined tickets: R135 (adult), R90 (children). Sea World: R92 (adults), R62 (children); Wet 'n Wild: R70 (adults), R55 (children); other concessions available

KwaMuhle Museum

The notorious building that was once the ‘Department of Native Affairs’ where every black South African in Natal was required to register in the days of Apartheid, now houses a museum dedicated to tracing the history of racial laws in Durban, including memorable video and photographic exhibits. Despite this the building is known to all as KwaMuhle, meaning ‘place of the good one’, the name honouring a white man who ran the department but did his best to fight the system within its constraints.

Address: 130 Ordinance Road

Telephone: 031 311 2237

Opening time: Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 4pm; Sundays and public holidays 11am to 4pm

Juma Masjid Mosque

The magnificent Juma Masjid Mosque, the largest mosque in the Southern hemisphere, dominates Durban's central Indian district. It's gilt-domed minarets tower over the bustling commercial area, but inside the marbled worship hall is peaceful and boasts a simple elegance. Tours of the mosque can be arranged. Around the mosque, on Grey Street, are several Indian food outlets, most offering the uniquely Durban 'bunnychow' (half a loaf of bread scooped out and filled with curry). Off of Grey Street is the Madressa Arcade bazaar. Also in the area is the brightly painted Victoria Street Market (on the corner of Queen and Russell streets) offering incense, henna tattoos, spices and other exotic goods.

Address: Grey Street

Telephone: 031 304 1518

Opening time: Weekdays 9am to 4pm and Saturday mornings. Tours are recommended

Durban Botanic Gardens

Durban’s botanical gardens are renowned for having the finest collection of plantlife anywhere in Africa. Established in 1851 the gardens, on Sydenham Hill Road west of the Greyville Race Track, are the city’s oldest natural attraction, providing a relaxing spot to stroll among huge indigenous and exotic trees, and the stunning orchid house display. The gardens are also abuzz with birdlife and boast a lovely tea garden.

Address: 70 St Thomas Road

Website: www.durbanbotanicgardens.org.za

Telephone: 031 2011 303 or 031 309 1170 (tour bookings)

Opening time: Daily 7.30am to 5.45pm. 5.15pm in winter

The BAT Centre

On the Victoria Embankment beside the Durban harbour is a haven for traditional artists known as the BAT Centre (an acronym for Bartle Arts Trust). The centre features an enormous studio where artists work, a theatre, exhibition galleries and a restaurant serving authentic African dishes. There are stunning views of the harbour from the restaurant deck. Nearby is the Maritime Museum, which details the history of the harbour and houses a restored tugboat and other interesting exhibits.

Address: SAS Inkonkoni Building, 45 Maritime Place, Small Craft Harbour, Victoria Embankment

e-mail: info@batcentre.co.za

Website: www.batcentre.co.za

Telephone: 031 332 0451

Opening time: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; Saturday 10am to 2pm

Accommodation in and around Durban