Durban, South Africa — Things to Do
Sightseeing in Durban
Durban's beautiful subtropical climate means the city enjoys a relaxed outdoor lifestyle that makes it a great destination to visit at any time of the year. Renovations for the FIFA World Cup in 2010 have given its tourist infrastructure a sparkling new finish, and ensure that there's always plenty to see and do in Durban.
The first place to start for Durban sightseeing is definitely the beach, with its famed Golden Mile stretching four miles (6km) from the neon-lit Suncoast Casino in the north to uShaka Marine World in the south. The Golden Mile is famous for its mild water temperatures, great surfing, and beautiful setting. There are plenty of beach bars and restaurants to choose from when enjoying a sundowner cocktail or local beer. The beaches are patrolled by colorful Zulu rickshaw pullers, who will give you the royal treatment and a ride over the short distance of the promenade.
uShaka Marine World in South Beach is Durban's newest major tourist attraction, with massive aquariums displaying fish and marine life from all over the world, and a Wet n' Wild Waterpark with eight water rides ranging from gentle to extreme. You can even go shark diving or snorkeling for an up close and personal experience. It's a relatively short walk from the Golden Mile, and opens right onto the beach.
Durban's Botanic Gardens, centrally located in Greyville and accessible by bus or taxi, are beautifully-maintained, and have one of the best collections of plants in the world. They host regular Sunday afternoon concerts, and are a great place to take the kids for a relaxed picnic. The Gardens are popular for wedding pictures as well, and bridal parties of all cultures can be spotted there on Saturdays.
More adventurous travelers will want to take advantage of the plethora of water sports available in Durban, including surfing, swimming and kiteboarding from the Golden Mile; snorkeling and scuba diving among the shipwrecks at Aliwal Shoal; or just going for a boat cruise in the harbor. Those more comfortable on land can enjoy hikes through the Mangrove Swamp or spotting zebras, rhinos, hippos, and other game in the Kenneth Steinbank Reserve or Tala Valley.
Most attractions in Durban are relatively safe, as long as travelers refrain from wearing expensive jewelry and clothing and showing expensive cameras. It is always best to stay in a group when walking around in urban areas.
Shopping in Durban
Durban is home to several of the largest shopping malls in the southern hemisphere as well as a plethora of traditional markets, boutiques, craft fairs and independent stores, ensuring a wide variety of experiences for visitors looking for gifts, souvenirs, and mementos of their Durban holiday.
For those who crave a breadth of choice, the nearby coastal town of Umhlanga boasts the Gateway Theater of Shopping, with over 420 stores offering everything from designer clothing and jewelry to furniture, electronics, music and books. It's also home to the Kizo Gallery, which specializes in local art. Gateway is a great family excursion as well, with dozens of restaurants, an IMAX movie theater, a wavehouse, a skate park designed by Tony Hawk, and a new indoor funfair with go-karts and other rides.
The Pavilion, just inland in the suburb of Westville, is another popular Durban shopping destination. In addition to stores, it has a miniature golf course, movie theaters, skate ramp, and a great selection of restaurants.
The more adventurous shopper might head to the Victoria Street Market in Durban's central business district to catch the scent of herbs and spices and traditional muti (medicine) sold by traditional Zulu healers. You can bargain your way to a great deal on many handcrafted local items, including elephant hair bracelets, soapstone carvings, wooden drums, and tribal masks. Other distinctive Durban souvenirs include hand-woven baskets made of wire, colorful saris, traditional Zulu "shwe-shwe" fabric, and Indian spices. It's a must-see, but be careful not to show expensive cell phones, cameras, jewelry, or cash, and keep a watchful eye for pick-pockets.
Other markets to visit include the weekday Workshop market, which surrounds a local shopping center in the central business district set inside an old train workshop; Essenwood Market, which offers fashion, art, music and food beneath the trees in a park in centrally-located Musgrave on Saturday mornings; and the hawkers at the beachfront, who offer many traditional Durban things to buy, including popular souvenirs like miniature Zulu shields and knobkerries, paintings, wire sculptures and Ndebele beaded jewelry.
Stores in Durban close early, at 5pm on weekdays, 6pm on Fridays, and 3pm on weekends, but major shopping centers tend to stay open longer in the evening, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays. While nearly all stores and shopping centers accept credit cards (Visa, but not American Express), markets and less formal traders will only take cash.
Durban Nightlife
Durban is primarily a vacation town, with its mind set firmly on the beach. That doesn't mean the fun stops when the sun goes down, but it lends Durban nightlife a relaxed atmosphere more focused on fun than glamour.
A good place to start is at a beach bar on Golden Mile, perhaps with a local beer at the neon-lit Joe Cools or gigantic strawberry daiquiri from the more African-themed Moyo at uShaka Marine World. Restaurants, bars, and pubs tend to be clustered in certain streets and neighborhoods, so there are always alternatives if you aren't satisfied.
The most famous nightlife district in Durban is Florida Road in Morningside, which has a busy atmosphere every night of the week. It has a wide selection of restaurants, bars, pubs, and nightclubs to choose from, but due to municipal noise restrictions you won't find live music. The Davenport District of Glenwood is another cluster, offering a neighborhood feel with small, independent restaurants and bars. Both areas have limited parking on the street, with car guards standing by for a tip of two to five rand. A bit further north, Umhlanga Rocks has its own main street in Chartwell Drive, with a pedestrian-friendly strip of restaurants, pubs, and bars spilling out onto the pavement.
Durban has a burgeoning live music community, with great local bands in every genre, from rock and jazz to hip hop and electronica. Burn Nightclub in Stamfordhill is the destination for hard rock enthusiasts, whereas the Jazzy Rainbow offers a blend of jazz, hip hop, and live poetry. City Hall hosts concerts by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra every Thursday night in season, and bigger concerts are held at the International Convention Center.
For clubbers, Durban has quite a few mainstream house venues, including Eighties Nightclub, The Clapham Grand, and Club Sasha. For alternative dance music, Origin hosts international deejays and packed parties every Friday and Saturday night. The Lounge in Stamfordhill is Durban's only major gay nightclub, and Cool Runnings offers a reggae-and-rasta poolhall with drum circles on Thursday nights.
Late-night entertainment doesn't have as many options in Durban, but the watering-hole for the city's creative crowd is Bean Bag Bohemia, with its massive cocktail menu and artistic atmosphere.
Most Durban clubs and bars will accept credit cards (except American Express). Travelers should take extra care when going home late at night, as drunk driving is a serious problem and hijackings are common in some areas. For comprehensive event listings, look in the Sunday Tribune's Sunday Mag Diary section.
Attractions for Kids
KwaZulu-Natal has always been a popular destination for both local and international families to holiday in, so it has quite a few attractions that make Durban great for children.
The famous Golden Mile beachfront offers gentle waves for kids to splash around in, and wading pools for those too little to venture deep. The Fun World Beachfront Amusement Park has carnival rides and an arcade, including a gondola ride that gives you a great view of the city and the ocean, but it's best to go there only during the day. Minitown in North Beach is another way to get a bird's eye view of the city, with miniaturised versions of buildings and landmarks to wander through.
uShaka Marine World gives children an exciting educational experience in its massive aquarium, and you can let them let loose in the Wet 'n Wild Water Park with its eight waterslides. Be sure to pack sunscreen though, as the Durban sun can be brutal, especially in the summer months.
Gateway Theater of Shopping in Umhlanga has much to offer for children of all ages, and ensures there's a lot to do in Durban for kids and teenagers, with a massive indoor climbing wall, a skate park designed by Tony Hawk, and the Flowrider man-made wave at the Wavehouse. It also boasts an IMAX theater, ten-pin bowling, video arcade, indoor carnival rides, and go-kart racing.
For a relaxed afternoon picnic, the Durban Botanic Gardens are a scenic oasis in the middle of town, or you can visit the manicured Mitchell Park, which has a restaurant and tea garden, a small and slightly dilapidated zoo, and a playground that features a special area specifically designed for handicapped children.
