Discovering Durban: Where the fun never ends

Ask anyone about South Africa and its holiday destinations, Durban will surely make the top five after Cape Town, Johannesburg and Mpumalanga.

This KwaZulu-Natal city is a popular holiday destination.
On all measures, this destination is still a darling – one of the most loved in this part of South Africa that is what I found out on my recent trip. Durban’s multicultural balm city is inspiring; it is so wonderful, so unpretentious, and so diverse. Well, it is.
I was lucky enough to stay at the Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani Hotel, home away from home for a week. From the hotel’s top you get the stunning and panoramic views of the sprawling city and beyond. Its tropical climate and superb location make it Durban’s premiere beach-resort destination.

Painting a picturesque view of Durban
Durban – a 3.4 million-strong metropolis, known as eThekwini – it felt like a different country. Leaning on plentiful tourist activities, amid sub-tropical weather and ever-warm beaches, makes eThekwini as the place ‘where the fun never sets’.
The pristine Durban beaches are not short on remarkable sights. Just one-hour drive from King Shaka International Airport, Durban’s monotonous, lush green landscape that flanks the highway is occasionally interrupted by tantalizing glimpses of the Indian Ocean’s blue waters.
People-watching, whether from beach-hugging restaurants or apartments and hotels boasting sea views, is common. From hotel’s rooftops visitors watch the world go by while they unwind merrily. Beachgoers mills around beachfront meditating and enjoying their time with a howling ocean and crashing waves in the background.
Once in a while, hills (and sub-tropical forests) take a bow, perhaps to provide a sneak preview of the ocean. At one point I glimpse a grazing herd, about a dozen cattle, with woodpeckers in their company. Right there, as if on canvas, the ocean looms large in the background. It’s a continuous sight.
To this day, with the mercury soaring and the ocean a magical azure, the number of people on the promenade swells. Joggers, walkers and pram-pushing parents can be spotted. Others use the shore to just lie or tan while some play football and volleyball. Children build sandcastles.

The hottest spots
There’s no shortage of places to go, with an array of restaurants a stroll away and a cultural market whose stalls sell everything from fruit and clothes to books and souvenirs such as beads and sculptures.
Among the many shops, restaurants and clubs is Cubaña, whose environment evokes a picture of Havana. It’s the hottest spot around. There is a personalised favourite in the House of Curries, renowned for delectable bunny chows.
With art galleries, cafes and shops also in the proximity, there’s plenty to do during the day. Also in the mix are picnicking families and, at a flat across the road, a group of friends having a braai. The smell wafts towards the beach where the ambience and mood are always relaxed.
Durban’s obvious mix of beauty and serenity hosts business and leisure visitors for some serious relaxation. Business and leisure visitors exchange the hustle and bustle of the city for the peace and quiet of nature.

The nightlife and feasts
Surely one of the most exciting moments in Durban is the nightlife where visitors experience. The umpteen eateries and pubs and their patrons, complete the picture.
By day Florida Road, it does seem a little out on its own in some ways, looks no different from any other road by the morning side, a suburb. As night falls, you realize just why it deserves to be declared the capital of eThekwini’s nightlife. That adds to its allure.
Travelers to the teeming and humid Durban, can’t escape a cacophony of hoots and music – house, hip hop and kwaito – blaring from minibus taxis and privately owned buses shuttling commuters in all directions.
Lovers of nature don’t have to go too far to get their fix with nature reserves within striking distance, while fishermen toil all day and night, with the perfect vantage for watching the sunrise from the ocean.
A handful of eateries serve various exotic seafood and traditional buffet cuisines. Shisa Nyama feast is a fusion of local Zulu and South African dishes served in many restaurants and pubs. Such are places to come and relax, socialise, have fun and drink. Its music playlist is a reminder that hip hop is gospel according to youngsters.
If you feel like getting down, head off to the Origin, which describes itself as ‘an entertainment wonderland’. With four dance floors, a roof garden, and music that spans house and electro, why not bring your dancing shoes and make new memories?
Moses Mabhida Stadium and Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre are a must visit within the CBD area. Their aesthetics and iconic historic names tell the history of great men in KZN.