DURBAN
Durban is South Africa’s answer to Miami with miles of soft sand, glorious surf and warm weather all year round- as 2010 visitors will soon find out.
Fun in the Sun
Durban’s balmy weather makes it ideal for those who love the great outdoors, so come and enjoy sunny days, with temperatures in the mid-20 degrees Celsius during the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. Head to the ocean for a fishing charter or chill out on a sundowner cruise. Take in the marine life at Ushaka Marine World and burn up some energy at Water World. For some R&R (that’s rest and relaxation), escape to one of the many green spaces, parks and conservancies surrounding the city.
Nightlife thrives in this port city, there are loads of pubs and restaurants along the Waterfront, and the area of Florida Road is where the young and trendies hang out.
Durban’s Surrounding Areas
Durban is the gateway to KwaZulu-Natal, where you can swim in subtropical sea in the morning and stand on top of the 3000- metre Drakensberg mountains four hours later.
The coast has a mixture of uninterrupted beaches and rocky coves splashed by the Indian Ocean. To the north are spectacular Big Five game reserves, subtropical marine reefs and the Isimangaliso (Greater St Lucia Wetlands) World Heritage Site. To the east is the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, also a World Heritage Site and the highest range in Africa (this side of Kilimanjaro).
To the far south is the rugged Wild Coast with stretches of uninhabited indigenous dunes and forest, and excellent fishing opportunities.
KwaZulu-Natal is rich in culture and history. You can see battlefields from 100 years ago in the Midlands or ancient 5000-year-old artefacts in the Drakensberg caves. There are many paces to experience Zulu culture, and a half-hour drive from the city centre will take you back in time to a traditional way of life.
The fertile Midlands is only an hour inland. The area also gives expression to its inhabitants’ creativity, hence the Midlands Meander which showcases over 100 craft shops and galleries.
History and Culture
Many events, cultures and nations have shaped Durban and you’ll find more than a dozen museums that tell its unique story.
The Indian community plays a major role in the local economy and culture. Follow the footsteps of Gandhi who devised his philosophy of passive resistance here in the suburbs of Phoenix. Nearby is the home of John L Dube, the first president of the ANC. See how 19th-century colonists lived in Durban at the Old House museum in St Andrew’s Street, Albert Park. Check out military memorabilia at the Warrior’s Gate MOTH museum. Phezulu in the Valley of 1000 Hills is a great introduction to the traditional Zulu way of life. See what present-day life is like in an urban township by taking a shebeen tour. (A shebeen is a local township pub and eating place, often with live musical entertainment.)
Wildlife
KwaZulu- Natal is world-renowed for its nature and conservation efforts on both land and sea. Take a boat trip with the Sharks Board to learn more about these predators of the deep.
The sardine run could rival the spectacle of the 2010 FIFA World Cup when it hits the beaches of the South Coast and Durban. It’s a natural phenomenon you won’t see anywhere else in the world and it usually happens every June and July.
KwaZulu- Natal is a leading conservation area packed with major game parks, all of them no more than three hours away. In the north are Hluhluwe/Umfolozi and the Isimangaliso (Greater St Lucia Wetlands) World Heritage Site. Inland is the mighty uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, another World Heritage Site.
Moses Mabhida Stadium
Named after a hero of the working class; the Durban Kwazulu Natal Moses Mabhida Stadium located adjacent the ABSA Stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct – a site located in Stamford Hill, is yet to be another world class multi-purpose stadium set to make possible successful history in the making of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
To make way for this prestigious contribution Kings Park Stadium was demolished in late 2006 to develop a new a stadium complex set to comprise of an adjoining indoor arena, sporting museum, sport institute and a new transmodal transportation station in preparations ahead of the world showpiece.
The stadium is being constructed on the grounds of the Kings Park Soccer Stadium, in the Durban sports precinct. The stadium will have the capacity to hold 70, 000 spectators during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Its design allows the stadium seating to be reduced to 54,000 for local matches or up-scaled to 80,000 for events such as the Olympic Games.
There are 150 corporate hospitality suites with 7,500 seats.
