Reasons to Visit Durban South Africa

Durban is located towards the East of South Africa and has been largely underrated before the FIFA world cup of 2010 which opened it to the world and gave reasons to visit Durban South Africa. CNN listed Durban amongst the 10 most underrated cities in 2014 while New York Times followed closely behind in 2015 with Durban being amongst the 23 cities in the world with the best street food. According to Mercer which ranks cities all over the world, it rated Durban as having the best quality of living amongst other cities in the whole of South Africa during its annual survey.

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Reasons to Visit Durban South Africa

Beautiful beaches

Durban is blessed with a gloriously warm weather all year long which is attributed to the presence of the Indian Ocean as opposed to the Atlantic Ocean which is present toward the west of South Africa. Also, the toasty Mozambique current passes through which provides adequate warmth and adds to reasons to visit Durban South Africa. A most popular beach stretch amongst locals, surfers, and tourists alike is the Golden Mile which is located towards the North of Durban which is ranked amongst the best beaches with KwaZulu-Natal. The Golden Mile is known for the great activities and parties which go on at nights along its length where merry revelers are seen having a good time in skimpy attire.

Relaxed Lifestyle

Being a coastal city Durban has a relaxed lifestyle with very mild winters comparing to other places in Europe and even South Africa as a whole. The locals of Durban are mainly fishermen who can be found along the harbor otherwise go down to the beach. Here you would find different people from tourists to mixed Indians and locals. If you are looking for something local to eat visit downtown Durban where mostly seafood is being served or go further to Chatsworth for Indian food and KwaMashu for some local music and braaied meat. For backpackers who prefer cooking their meals in new locations, there are markets where fresh food is sold twice weekly like the Heart Market and the Morning Trade Market.

Weather

The subtropical climate which is present all year round in Durban makes it a great destination for travelers looking to escape the harsh winter months of other South African cities within May to September to enjoy the warm toasty weather and maybe get a tan while at it. The weather should be one of the main reasons to visit Durban south Africa while creating your bucket list.

uShaka Marine World

uShaka Marine World in Durban South Africa is listed amongst the best aquariums in the world and can be amongst your reasons to visit Durban South Africa. This marine-themed wonder is located along the South Beach and boasts of a water park, the cultural village for tourists to get the experience of a typical South African village and shop for souvenirs. The outstanding feature of this park is the aquarium which is listed amongst the best in the world and built around five different shipwrecks to complete the work.

Reasons to Visit Durban South Africa

Tours

For places to tour while in Durban you should check out Victoria street market on Bertha Mkhize street where fairly used things especially art, jewelry, and Indian spices are majorly sold. After leaving Victoria Street go down to the nine markets of Warwick junctions where assortments of things are sold and a wonder to most tourists. To join in the walking tour of Durban you have to book ahead and arrive at the city centre by 9:30 am and 1:30 pm daily to join in the tour. The guide takes you through oriental walkabout exploring the points there before moving to the old Durban station down to Gandhi’s influence in Durban to see the various style of their architectures before going down to the meat and fish market.

Affordability

If you are considering the cost of your visit to South Africa cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg, Durban is a good alternative as feeding and the cost of accommodation is quite cheap. Including some entertainments like window shopping along Northern Durban is Gateway Shopping Mall which is amongst the largest malls in South Africa with over 400 stores, a games arcade, theme park, waterpark, over 15 cinema halls and various restaurants. Another outstanding feature is the watching of the sunrise across a promenade which rises exotically over the ocean and experienced by only early risers.

Neighbourhoods

In comparison to its sister cities, Durban spots neighbourhoods where some class of people is seen to frequent and get to unwind from time to time. Going around Station Drive Precinct the once industrial community now attracts the young crowd with contemporary restaurants, designers’ shops and breweries ready to serve as long as needed.

Morningside which is above the city centre along Florida road has a restaurant, pubs and coffee shops to attract the regular passerby to relax before continuing on their merry way. Rivertown District can be compared to Maboneng, Johannesburg as the cities artistic core with night food and craft markets beckoning to be explored. Leafy Glenwood which is situated in the university area is another hippy gathering for the young crowd.

Snorkeling

To engage in snorkeling, Durban is the city to visit with its warm beaches and the abundant sea life the coastal town is just waiting for you to add the activities as part of the reasons to visit Durban South Africa. The clear waters would allow you the best vision to see and identify various species of the marine world from the exceptional tidal pools to the North coast where the Umdloti pools and Salt Rock tidal pools can be discovered. Along the Harbour is Vetch Pier at uShaka Beach where snorkeling is more like a culture.

Sardine run

Seeing canned sardine fishes is nothing compared to seeing the live ones in the sea which is characterized by the great migration of Sardines around May/June. This period shoals of silver Sardines are seen migrating from the cold waters of South Africa’s Cape to the coastline of Durban. The arrival of the Sardine causes a “feeding frenzy” for both Whales and birds alike to get their fill of the Sardines before they go deeper underwater.

Sky Car

A visit to Moses Madhiba football stadium which was built solely for the FIFA World cup 2010 which was hosted in South Africa. At the stadium are Sky cars which when taken to the top a breathtaking view of Durban awaits. From this point, the deep blue sea waters can be seen through the stretch down to the Golden Mile.

People’s Park

For couples travelling with kids the people’s park just below Durban stadium is a place to be which features a well-equipped children’s play area and a café to get snacks for munching while the children play. Another use of this park is the hosting of different entertainment programs at nights to help generate revenue for the park’s upkeep.

Outdoors

To enjoy the great outdoors go down to Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve which is a dune and wetland Forest with Beachwood Mangroves where tiny Chameleons can be found. This forest preservation is a good place to have a relaxing picnic with friends and family to experience nature at its undiluted.

Drakensberg Mountain is another great place to experience the great outdoors for hiking lovers. At the mountain’s plateau and slope, there are little or no barriers to climbing as long as the will and endurance are present. Drakensberg Mountain is the starting point of any snow that might hit Durban as it’s the closest to the atmosphere.

Have you been to Durban South Africa? We would like to hear about your experience in the comment Section.

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