Durban is one of those cities in South Africa that has a lot of interesting places to see. This part of the world still holds many secrets that travellers discover once they come here. While there are almost no historical sites where you can learn more about the past days of Durban, this place boasts a lot of manmade landmarks and views that are worth your attention. If you are going to travel to Durban, spend some time reading this article to learn more about the sites that you can visit once you are in.
1. Go Along the Golden Mile
The Golden Mile of Durban is one of the most beautiful and attractive places in South Africa and the whole world. This is also the best beach to stay for a while. If you travel to Durban and decide to visit the Golden Mile, you will find a lot of attractions along your way.
When you travel to Durban and walk along the Golden Mile, you can visit the Blue Lagoom, a museum of surfing, and even watch the miniature of the whole city, which will help you learn more about what you will find inside.
Visitors to Durban often stay here for longer to enjoy local views, the sun and smooth sand of the beaches as well as to swim in the Indian Ocean. If you are a fan of surfing, this place is a true paradise for those who like to slide on the waves. If you are willing to stay here for longer, there are plenty of great comfortable hotels along the beach.
2. Enjoy the Half-Day Tour of Durban
If you travel to this miraculous city and want to learn more about in a relatively short period of time, you can join a half-day Durban city tour. An experienced local guide will lead you through the most interesting places and tell you more about their history and modern days of Durban.
The tour goes through Victoria Street Market – a sacred place for shopaholics who want to buy something that will remind them about this part of the world long after they return home. There are plenty of accessories of top quality that are inspired by local culture. In addition, you will find tons of souvenirs, clothes, decorations, etc.
The Moses Mabhida stadium is the next point. The guide will show visitors the exterior of the building and tell you more about its history. Tourists will also spend some time on a special sky platform.
The tour covers many other interesting places, including the famous Golden Mile. Visitors will have time to shop and have lunch there before going further. The Beautiful Botanical Gardens are also included into the program.
3. Visit the Valley of a Thousand Hills
If you are looking for some natural beauties, then the Valley of a Thousand Hills is what you will definitely want to see. Apart from admiring majestic landscapes and views, visitors will have an opportunity to enjoy shopping, see local crafts and have lunch there.
If you are going to walk around, prepare yourself for a long trip. Therefore, you should think about appropriate clothes and shoes. However, it is a good idea to buy one of those tours to the valley and enjoy the outskirts from a vehicle. This will allow you to see more and to visit more places. A lot of attractive activities such as rock climbing or paragliding are waiting for you in the Valley.
4. Lie on the Ansteys Beach
If you decide to travel to South Africa in the high season, there are plenty of beaches that you can enjoy in Durban and other regions. One of the most popular ones is the Ansteys Beach, which is located in the KwaZulu Natal region.
This place is a local mecca for surfers and paddlers. If you are tired of activities and want to have some rest as well as to have a snack, there is a restaurant nearby and a restroom facility. For those who come to the Ansteys Beach of Durban by car, there are plenty of parking lots available.
Along with traditional activities like swimming or surfing, Durban guests are welcomed to rent a boat and go fishing in the clean waters of the Indian Ocean. The place is totally safe as there are plenty of lifeguards on the beach.
5. Try your Luck in the SunCoast Casino
This is one of the most famous offline casinos in Durban and South Africa. It is located on the Golden Mile and you can find a lot of options inside. While the casino is the central part of SunCoast, there are plenty of other activities that you will be pleased to try. Once you reach SunCoast, you will find premium restaurants, a lot of shops, as well as a private beach for SunCoast customers only.
Those who travel to Durban to enjoy the land-based casino at SunCoast have access to more than 1,000 slot machines and about 50 tables with various games. With this in mind, SunCoast is one of the best offline casinos in the region. After playing for a while, you can visit the local Lounge Bar and taste delicious cocktails. You can experience a lot more types of entertainment there if you have enough time to spend in Durban.
6. Half-Day Safari
Wildlife is what attracts many tourists who travel to South Africa. By joining the half-day safari tour, visitors will be able to step outside the city of Durban and learn more about the wildlife of the region. Don’t worry, this safari is about learning and not about killing animals. Therefore, you can go on your own or even take your family with you.
The trip goes through Natal Lion Park and you will be able to see the king animal among other representatives of local wildlife. With the help of the experienced guide, you will see a lion’s pride as close as possible with no risks of being attacked by the wild animal. Moreover, the safari tour allows you to familiarize yourself with local nature and admire it to the fullest.
7. Spend a Romantic Evening in the Indian Ocean
Durban is famous for various private boat cruises that you can join at any moment during the day. However, the most appropriate time for those cruises is when the sun goes down, especially if you want to add some special meaning to such a trip.
Once you depart from the beach, you will admire the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean and the beautiful city of Durban with its fancy buildings that are illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. This is a good idea for all types of celebrations and even for a honeymoon trip.
8. Botanic Gardens
One of the most attractive places for nature lovers are Botanic Gardens of Durban. They were founded in 1851 and hold a great collection of plants and trees that were imported from various parts of the world.
All those plants are spread on a huge area of more than 37 acres. Visitors will not only admire nature, but also will have an opportunity to attend various themed events that take place here throughout the year. Even if you are not a big fan of trees and plants, you can spend a couple of hours there simply hiding in the shades of the trees from the sun to freshen up.
9. Shakaland
You have a unique opportunity to learn more about Zulu culture when visiting Durban. Shakaland is a historical village where time seems to stand still. By reaching this place, you will be able to discover local culture and the traditional way of Zulu lifestyle. Visitors are shown a lot of interesting things, including traditional tool making, taste local beer as well as admire local people to perform traditional dance and songs.
If you are going to visit Shakaland, you should plan this trip in advance as the tour takes two days. If you are starting from Durban, you can buy special tours that include transportation and local guides who will provide you with high-quality interpretation services.
It was already mentioned that the tour takes a couple of days. Therefore, there are some facilities there where you can spend a night before diving deeper into the culture of Zulu people. All accommodations include meals in local restaurants. Visitors are offered a lot of souvenirs that will boost the impressions of travelling to Shakaland.
10. Phansi Museum
While most attractions of Durban are connected to present days, Phansi Museum allows you to look into the past of this region of South Africa. Here you will find a lot of artifacts and the world’s largest collection of crafts. The museum was located in the basement of a private home first, but nowadays, the collection occupies three floors of the Victorian house.
Visiting Phansi Museum is another great opportunity for tourists to learn more about local culture and traditions. You will find baskets, statues, dolls, blankets and other artifacts that belong to various epochs. Once you reach the top floor of the museum, you will find several marionettes in traditional costumes.
Discover the Most Interesting Parts of Durban
There are plenty of other interesting things to see and admire there. Durban is the place where you want to come more than once for its incredible views and other interesting things. Even if you visit all those landmarks and sites that are mentioned in this article, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy in this part of South Africa.
