Information: Durban Region |
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 Durban, South Africa's premier playground, is a city of astonishing contrasts. You can stay at a luxury 5-star Hotel or spend the night in a traditional Zulu hut. Eat sushi and crayfish, curry or samp and beans. Explore world-class shopping malls, neon-lit nightclubs or rough it on a wilderness trail. Where else do surfers and brokers enjoy a beer together, or vervet monkeys join you for breakfast at an outdoor cafe? As a gateway to historic battlefields and luxury game lodges, Durban's got it all - cuisine and culture, history and heritage, wildlife and watersports.
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| Accommodation Back to KwaZulu Natal |
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| Ballito |
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On KZN’s North Coast, Ballito is a mega-tourist-friendly seaside resort with wonderful, safe, shark net-protected beaches. Tidal pools ranging from kiddies’ paddling numbers to a full Olympic-sized pool offer safe bathing for all levels of swimmer and even non-swimmers. There is a lovely long boardwalk offering easy scenic beach walking and a more rugged trail all the way up to Salt Rock includes a short tunnel best attempted at low tide. The surfing is great at nearby Salmon Bay. |
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| Cato Ridge |
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Cato Ridge is a town situated halfway between Pietermaritzburg and Durban and is probably the best seting off point for the Valley of 1000 Hills, is one of KwaZulu-Natal's best-kept secrets. The Valley of a 1000 Hills forms around the majestic valley created by the Mngeni River and it's tributaries. |
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| Durban City |
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City Hall Durban
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Wide streets lead from the Beachfront to the heart of Durban's City. It's not a long walk and there are some interesting sights en route. Almost every street bears the name of an historic figure, and you'll soon notice that Durban architecture is an eclectic mix of old and new.
A little closer to town, 'Liberation Struggle' graffiti marks the site where Durban Central Prison once stood, that was demolished along with the 'Old South Africa'. KwaMuhle Museum is arguably the most fundamental and crucial in the annals of the Zulu Kingdom. It was within these walls that Durban's colonial authorities innovated and refined the principles and structures of urban racial segregation. A short distance away is the Old Fort, where in 1842 a small contingent of British soldiers held out against Boer troops while Dick King and his Zulu aide, Ndongeni, rode to the Cape Colony for reinforcements. The Boer defeat led ultimately to our Kingdom's annexation as a British Colony.
Across town, the Old Court House Museum presents fascinating replicas of Durban's early settlements, and among its collections are photos, artefacts and documents that relate to Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual and non-violent political 'apprenticeship'.
Our 1910, Edwardian neo-baroque City Hall is a much photographed landmark that houses the intricately-detailed Natural Science Museum, main Public Library and the Durban Art Gallery.
If you're planning a trip to India, a mini-preview of 'downtown Delhi' is waiting a few blocks away in the bustling area around Grey Street's Great Mosque. A couple of blocks further, the 'Indian Market' has undergone a dramatic face-lift and acquired the more polite title of Victoria Street Market.
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| Durban Berea |
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Art Deco Building in Berea
Copyright: Andrew Moore |
Berea is one of the city’s most upmarket suburbs. Built on a ridge rising from the city centre, Berea overlooks the sea and harbour as well as Greyville Racecourse the Royal Durban Golf Course. Berea boasts a broad selection of excellent restaurants. |
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| Bluff |
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| The Bluff has the Indian Ocean on its one side and the harbour on the other, hence the name "Bluff". There are two swimming beaches on The Bluff, Ansteys Beach and Brighton Beach. Ansteys Beach is the safest beach to swim at as there are not as many rocks at Ansteys as there are at Brighton Beach. |
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| Durban North |
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Durban North is situated halfway between Durban and Umhlanga Rocks, with the magnificent sea view of the Dolphin Coast. |
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| Glenwood |
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Upmarket suburb close to Berea, stadiums, city and the beaches.
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| Umhlanga |
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The beach at Umhlanga
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Umhlanga Rocks was originally part of the sugar estate of Sir Marshall Campbell. In 1931 Umhlanga became a village and began to expand into a thriving holiday village that offers all the amenities of a well established town, while retaining the feel of a friendly seaside community.
When it comes to entertainment and activities, Umhlanga has an amazing aray to choose from, including the Natal Sharks Board, the only organisation of its kind in the world.
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| Amanzimtoti |
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The beach at Amanzimtoti
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The naming of Amanzimtoti as 'sweetwaters' is generally attributed to Shaka, the famous King of the Zulus. During one of his campaigns, he and his army stopped to rest here and he was brought a calabash filled with water from the local river. He sipped the water and said “Kanti Amanz'amtoti' meaning ' the water is sweet'.
Amanzimtoti is now a bustling and popular holiday resort
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| Umkomaas |
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Rubber Dingy's on Umkomaas Beach
Copyright: www.lalamanzi.co.za
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Umkomaas was established in 1861 when an atttempt was made to develop a harbor in the river mouth. Due to the sand bar and hazardous currents the attempt was aborted.
Umkomaas is named after the Mkomazi River, which means Place of the Whales in zulu. The Aliwal Shoal is at Umkomaas and popular among divers and boaters. |
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