Originally called Port Natal by early British settlers, this colorful city on the east coast of South Africa is the third largest city in the country. It has the busiest port in Africa, and is a municipality of eThekwini. The most common languages in Durban include both Zulu and English, so you have no need to worry if you don’t speak Zulu!
There are many things you can do in and around Durban, starting with the beach of Durban. The Golden Mile, as it is aptly named, is a wide stretch of sandy beach which is separated by piers. Here you can enjoy the sub tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, or find a handy spot on one of the beaches and sun bathe.
If you are coming to Durban with the express purpose of visiting the beaches, be warned that during Christmas time, the beaches can get very crowded. However, if you don’t mind rubbing elbows with the teeming masses, then you are in for a fun filled stay.
You will also find that there are many bars, café’s and restaurants lining the promenade that runs the length of the Golden Mile – just perfect for that spot of relaxation and to get away from the sun for a short time.
The beaches in Durban however, are not the only things that you can indulge in while you are here. The KwaZulu Natal National Park will afford you with some quality leisure time, as will the Durban North Japanese Gardens, and the Durban Botanical Gardens. Or maybe you might like to take a look over the city and the harbor from Berea, a once coastal forest area which has since made way for human settlements.
If you are looking something a little more fun filled however, you might want to take a look at uShaka Marine World, one of the largest marine aquariums found in the world. If you want to go along with the theme of nature and animals, you might want to head on over to the Umgeni River Bird Park, where you will find a wide variety of bird species.
Or maybe you want a change from all this outdoorsy stuff, and would like to spend your time doing something more relaxing...something like shopping. If this is the case, you have most definitely come to right place, as Durban boasts of the largest shopping centre in Africa (and second only to Australia’s Chadstone Shopping Centre, in the entire of the southern hemisphere). The Gateway Theatre of Shopping, or Gateway as it is more informally known, has among other things, 18 theatres to keep you occupied, 6 Nouveau Cinemas, and an IMAX theatre. It also boasts of a wide range of restaurants, as well as a staggering number of shops that cater to just about every need.
And if this isn’t good enough reason to visit Durban, you might want to add to your list of things to do while in Durban, the activities of surfing, snorkeling, canoeing, swimming, diving and scuba diving, not to mention sky diving. That’s an awful lot of diving to do, but at the end of the day, you can relax at one of Durban’s many casinos. So, what are you waiting for? With such a plethora of things to engage your interest, isn’t it about time you made your way over to Durban, South Africa?
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