Durban harbour entrance Acknowledgements Published by Durban Tourism Tel: 031 304 4934 Fax: 031 304 6196 Email: [email protected] www.durbanexperience.co.za 1st Floor, Tourist Junction, 160 Monty Naicker (Pine) Street, Durban, 4001 Compiled on behalf of Durban Tourism by Artworks Communications, Durban Photography: Peter Bendheim, John Ivins While considerable effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at the time of going to print, Durban Tourism will not accept any liability arising from the reliance by any person on the information contained herein or from the use of any operator. The listings herein do not imply that Durban Tourism endorses or recommends any operator or service listed. You are advised to verify all information with the service providers themselves, specifically when undertaking action or extreme sports that involve risk. The Moses Mabhida Stadium Contents Durban and Surrounds Map 2 A City of Many Facets 4 People and Culture 8 Eating Out and Entertainment 12 Shopping 16 Nature, Bush and Safari 19 Beaches and Ocean 21 Sports 24 Adventure and Adrenalin 27 Accommodation 29 Transport 30 Useful Information 32 Listings 40 Durban and Surrounds King Shaka International Airport Durban and Surrounds King Shaka International Airport What to do • What to eat • Where to go • Where to find it • How to have fun Off shore, Durban A City of Many Facets he Zulu name for the coastal city of Durban is ‘eThekwini’, translated as the place “where the earth and the ocean meet”. It is situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the shores of the Indian Ocean, and extends to Tthe Valley of 1000 Hills. Durban has a mild, subtropical climate with sunshine for an average of 320 days a year. The year round sunshine and diverse natural environment makes Durban one of the country’s top holiday destinations, with pristine beaches, subtropical forests and game reserves in close proximity. Durban offers a range of accommodation from beachfront hotels to lodges, guesthouses, self-catering apartments and B&Bs. There are a myriad of shopping malls, markets and street bazaars as well as restaurants, bars and music venues that stay open late into the night. Durban has a busy harbour that handles much of the sub- continent’s international trade, and is South Africa’s second most important economic region after Gauteng, with well developed 4 What to do • What to eat • Where to go • Where to find it • How to have fun industrial, commercial and financial sectors. Industries include automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertiliser, foodstuffs, agriculture and tourism. With its excellent road, rail and communications infrastructure, the city of Durban was chosen by FIFA to host seven 2010 FIFA World Cup™ games, including a semi-final. The iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium was built especially for the event. The King Shaka International Airport, located north of Durban’s city centre, is a new facility that offers transit, accommodation, shops, restaurants and banks. Durban and Surrounds The Durban Metropolitan area covers 2297km² (887miles²), stretching from the Umkomaas River in the south to Tongaat in the north, and as far as Cato Ridge in the west. It has a population of approximately 3.2 million people. City Centre The historical heart of Durban is located in the city centre where the museums and City Hall can be found, as well as buildings that reflect the city’s colonial architectural heritage. The city centre is bordered to the west by the Indian district, where eastern foods, spices and other products can be found, to the south by the harbour, and to the east by miles of uninterrupted beaches. Durban Tourism Tel 031 304 4934 Address 1st Floor, Tourist Junction, 160 Monty Naicker Street, Durban Web www.durbanexperience.co.za North of the City As the city extends north alongside the Indian Ocean, there are holiday towns such as Umhlanga and Umdloti, with beaches, restaurants and shopping districts, surrounded by rolling hills of sugar cane and indigenous bush. Inland from the beach lies Inanda, one of Durban’s big, sprawling townships. It was in this township where Mahatma Gandhi spent his formative years, and where former president Nelson Mandela cast his vote in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994. Knowledgeable tour guides can offer insight into the community and its history. 5 What to do • What to eat • Where to go • Where to find it • How to have fun Umhlanga Tourism Tel 031 561 4257 Address Shop 1a, Chartwell Centre, Chartwell Drive, Umhlanga Rocks Web www.umhlangatourism.co.za Inanda Community Tourism Tel 031 519 2555 South of the City The Bluff is an ancient sand dune that protects Durban harbour, and beyond it is the coastal town of Amanzimtoti, meaning “sweet waters” in Zulu, said to have been named by the Zulu King Shaka after tasting the fresh water that flowed from the river. The area is characterised by unspoilt beaches, nature reserves, shopping malls, restaurant districts and residential suburbs. It is a popular destination for scuba divers who come to explore Aliwal Shoal off Umkomaas, regarded as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Sapphire Coast Tourism Tel 031 903 7498 Address 95 Beach Road, Amanzimtoti Web www.amanzimtoti.kzn.org.za West of the City A 30-minute drive inland from the city centre will bring you to the suburbs of Kloof, Gillitts and Hillcrest. Just beyond Hillcrest is the Valley of 1000 Hills with its breathtaking views overlooking the deep river Zulu dancer, PheZulu, Valley of 1000 Hills valleys where people live in traditional African rural homesteads. The area has nature reserves and dams ideal for adventure activities, a traditional Zulu show village and a vibrant arts and crafts route. 1000 Hills Tourism Tel 031 777 1874 Address Old Main Road, Bothas Hill Web www.1000hills.kzn.org.za 6 What to do • What to eat • Where to go • Where to find it • How to have fun KwaZulu-Natal Durban is the gateway to KwaZulu-Natal, one of the nine provinces of South Africa, which has a wealth of natural and historical sites to explore. It includes: • Two world heri- The Amphitheatre, Drakensberg tage sites: the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. • The oldest game reserve in Africa, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, which is home to the Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard). • The largest concentration of battlefields in South Africa situated on the plains of central and northern KwaZulu-Natal. • The North and South Coasts, endless beaches and coastal holiday towns. • The Midlands Meander, a world class arts and crafts route in the countryside. All of these attractions are easily accessible within a few hours drive of Durban by car or bus. Tel Web KwaZulu-Natal 031 366 7500 www.zulu.org.za Tourism iSimangaliso 035 590 1633 www.isimangaliso.com Wetland Park Ukhahlamba 036 488 1207 www.zulu.org.za Drakensberg Park Ezemvelo KZN 033 845 1000 www.kznwildlife.com Wildlife Battlefields Route 032 946 1198 www.battlefields.kzn.org.za Dolphin Coast 032 946 3515 www.zulu.org.za Tourism Elephant Coast 035 562 0966 www.elephantcoasttourism. Tourism com Hibiscus Coast 039 682 1034 www.tourismsouthcoast. Tourism co.za Midlands Meander 033 330 8195 www.midlandsmeander. co.za 7 What to do • What to eat • Where to go • Where to find it • How to have fun The Temple of Understanding, Chatsworth People and Culture For more attractions, see pages 42-43 urban’s people reflect a rich cultural diversity of African, Eastern and Western influences. When the first Europeans settled in Durban in the 1820s the Zulu people were already here. The Indian people were brought in in the 1880s as Dindentured labourers to work in the sugar cane fields, and were followed by traders and business people from the East. Today Durban is a cosmopolitan African city, home to people from all over the world but retaining that strong African-Indian-European colonial heritage. Languages and Religion • The majority of people living in Durban speak Zulu as a first language. English is widely spoken and is the main language of business. A variety of other languages, including Zulu, Afrikaans, Hindi, Arabic, Gujurati and Xhosa are spoken. There is also a sizeable immigrant population in the city and you might encounter German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese and French. • The population is 68% Christian, 2% Muslim, 1.5% Hindu and about 28.5% indigenous beliefs and animist. Top Attractions The Muti Market Durban’s ‘Muti’ (traditional medicine) Market allows an insight into the world of traditional African medicine and healing practices. 8 What to do • What to eat • Where to go • Where to find it • How to have fun Important Religious Places • The Jumma Musjid Mosque in town is the largest mosque in the southern hemisphere and can accommodate 5000 people. • Built in 1969, the Hare Krishna Temple of Understanding in Chatsworth is simply beautiful. Designed in the shape of a lotus plant, its spires, surrounding moat, pillars, murals and mirrors attract many visitors. • The Emmanuel Cathedral opened its doors in 1904 and finds itself amidst the hubbub of the inner city. The building is a landmark in Durban and was once a centre of intense political activity in the mid-1980s. Tel Address Jumma Musjid 031 306 0026 Cnr Yusuf Dadoo and Mosque Queen Streets Temple of 031 403 3328 50 Bhaktivedanta Understanding Swami Circle, Unit 5, Chatsworth Emmanuel Cathedral 031 306 3595 Cathedral Road Woza eNanda Woza eNanda offers a township tour where you can meet local res- idents and visit some of Durban’s most important historical sites.