Durban guide 2009

With its subtropical climate and golden mile of beach, Durban is one of the most popular destinations for travellers. Sports fans, surfers, sun lovers and shoppers will all find something to interest them in this lively cosmopolitan city. There's plenty for families as well. Ethnically, Durban is a fascinating mix of different cultures. With the largest population of Indians outside of India itself, the survival and prosperity of Durban's core owes a lot to its industrious settlers.

THE BEACH

So lets start with what Durban is most famous for: the "golden mile" which is in fact over 3 miles of soft silky sand bordering the warm Indian Ocean. This is the perfect place to start any holiday and is often used as a base for many of Durban's events such as the Ocean Africa Festival in July which includes the Gunston 500 world famous surfing competition. Shark nets protect the beaches and swimming is safe as long as one stays within the patrolled and flagged zones. Jo Kool's still holds pride of place on the beachfront and is the perfect place to enjoy a cold one at any time of the day, with its balconies overlooking the sand. At night it becomes a lively venue for Durban's clubgoers. Also beach side is The Cattleman restaurant and The Deck, famous for its decktop breakfasts looking out at the ocean. A word for the wise for those with cars - the gentlemen in the parking lots can be a valuable resource. Not only will they find you an empty spot they will also keep an eye on your vehicle while you enjoy the sand and surf. Don't neglect to give them a tip as most of them do their job well and for many this quasi-official position offers them a valuable source of legitimate income. Many will where badges or shirts indicating that they are sanctioned by the businesses who use the car parks. All along the waterfront you will find ladies selling their handicrafts and on the weekend you'll find bigger, more organised flea markets down near the beach. In particular there is a Sunday fleamarket near the Military Museum on Marine Parade which offers a wide range of handicrafts and goods for sale. For families wanting a break from lying on the beach, there are plenty of things to do. Seaworld, at the bottom of Smith Street, has an aquarium and a dolphinarium and shark feeding to give a view of life beyond the shark nets. Going north up the beach, you hit Funworld an amusement park with bumper cars and other rides. Still heading north up the beach on Snell Parade are the Snake Park, for the less squeamish amongst us, and Mini Town a slightly dated but still interesting miniature replica of Durban itself. Further up, you'll find Water Wonderland with water slides and the like.

THE BAY

Away from the beach but still on the water, Durban's port has a lot to offer. With the Victoria Embankment running its length, you will find the Natal Maritime Museum as well as the yacht club. From the Gardiner Street Jetty, you can catch a boat tour of the harbour, fascinating for those wanting to know more about the development of Durban. Here also stands the Vasco de Gama clock presented by the Portuguese in 1897 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the sighting of the Natal coast . Also on the harbour front is the BAT Centre an arts and culture centre offering exhibitions of everything from photography to painting to sculpture and mixed media as well as art lessons and a deck top cafe overlooking the harbour. Cafe Fish is a delightful place to enjoy an evening meal looking out onto the hundreds of sailing boats moored in the harbour.

THE CITY

The place to start exploring the city and indeed the rest of KwaZulu-Natal is Tourist Junction on Pine Street. As well as offering information of virtually everything there is to see, do, and eat in the province, they also run a Book-A-Bed-Ahead service to solve any accommodation problems you might have. From here you can catch a Ricksha Bus, a double decker affair with a hop on/hop off ticket covering 12 locations throughout the city. The main shopping streets, West and Smith, run parallel to each other and although a lot of businesses have moved out of the central business district into the suburbs, the shops here still have a lot to offer. Running between these two streets are a series of lanes and arcades with a variety of boutiques, shops and cafes. The Victoria Market on the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets is the original Indian market and offers a massive range of goods from the East. The city hall, between Smith and West, and modelled on the one in Belfast is a good place from which to start exploring the downtown. Free music concerts are often held on its steps. Nearby is the Natural Science Museum on Smith Street. Offering a fascinating look at history of the human and not so human kind, here you can finally get a glimpse of a real dodo as well as various dinosaurs - perfect for one of Durban's rare rainy days. In the museum is the Kwazuzuwazi Science Centre, an interactive display and a chance to explore history using multimedia computers. Upstairs from the Science Museum is the Durban Art Museum which has a permanent collection of South African and international artists as well as a fascination display of traditional basketry. For more local history, the aptly named Local History Museum on Aliwal Street gives an overview of Durban's development form colonial days to the present. Still near the city hall, the Natal Playhouse offers a great range on contemporary theatre, dance and music. Slightly out of the centre but well worth a visit, the NSA Gallery , on Bulwer Road offers not only exhibitions of modern South African artists but also has an amazing gift shop offering everything from glassware to textiles, paintings to jewellery, much of it locally made to a very high standard. SPORTS Like all of South Africa, Durbanites are sports mad. Year round surfing attracts enthusiasts from around the world, peaking during the Gunston 500 which is the oldest professional surfing competition in the world. The surf varies depending on which area of the beach and local conditions are always available from the local surf shops or from ZigZag, a magazine devoted to the sport of surfing and available in most shops. The Ocean Africa Festival also includes virtually every beach activity you can think of including many, such as beauty contests and beer gardens, for the spectators. Bands and beach volleyball all help in drawing huge crowds to the waterfront during the festival Close to the centre, Kingsmead stadium is often host to world class cricket and further north Kings Park Rugby Stadium is host to both national as well as international matches. For golf enthusiasts, the Durban Country Club host various golfing events throughout the year including international tournaments. For those who want to play a few rounds themselves the nearby Windsor Park Golf Course is open to the public and stretches out along the picturesque Umgeni River. For the kids, there is also mini golf, indoor on Brickhill Road and outdoors at Blue Lagoon. For horse racing fans, Greyville Race Course is not far from the centre and is host to the Rothman's July handicap.

FURTHER OUT

but still in Durban... Leaving the centre of Durban and moving west, the Botanic Gardens are a perfect place to enjoy the lushness of the Natal coast. On the occasional Sunday, the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra perform here offering a near perfect picnic experience. There is also an innovative garden for the blind as well as rare species of cycads. Out of the centre you also start to get into the shopping malls. Musgrave Centre in Berea,and the Pavilion out in Westville both offer a good range of shops, cinemas and restaurants for those seeking a more indoor experience.

Useful Numbers...

Tourist Junction - (031 0 304 3868 Tourism KwaZulu-Natal - 304 7144 Weather - 307 4121 Mynah buses (for travel around the city and beach) - 307 3503