Things to do in Durban
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Beach Cafe
Durbs’ hot beach hang-out. Soak up the sun in a deck chair or sun lounge, or chill out with a cocktail on the restaurant deck, overlooking the beach and life guards.
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uShaka Marine World
Divided into several areas (Sea World, Wet’n’Wild World and uShaka Beach), uShaka Marine World boasts one of the world’s largest aquariums, the biggest collection of sharks in the southern hemisphere, a seal stadium, a dolphinarium, marine animals and exhibits, a mock-up 1940s steamer wreck featuring two classy restaurants, a shopping centre, enough freshwater rides to make you seasick, and a beach featuring activities from surfing lessons to kayaking.
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Cargo Hold
A seafood encounter of the most novel kind. On the Phantom Ship in uShaka Marina, your dining companions are fish with very large teeth – the glass tank forms one of the walls to a shark aquarium. Well-known for casting some high-quality fish dishes with international flavours.
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Wilson's Wharf
Wilson's Wharf is a reasonably hip waterside development, with a clutch of decent eateries, boat-charter outfits, shops and a theatre. Enter by car opposite Fenton St.
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Zack’s
Offering cafe-style dining, this stylish (chain) eatery serves good bistro fare washed down with a blast of fresh sea air.
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Harvey Wallbanger’s
A smart, trendy spot on the top floor, above its very own restaurant.
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Beachfront
You'll either love or hate the Durban beachfront and sandy beaches. If you dip into the city's summer surf and sun, you have a playground of more than 6km of warm-water beaches (protected by the requisite shark nets). The 'Golden Mile' Beaches run from Blue Lagoon (at the mouth of the Umgeni River) to uShaka Marine World on the Point. The 'private' beaches near the casino and uShaka Marine World are accessed through the venues themselves.
But Durban's beachfront ain't for everyone. To some, its smorgasbord of bars and restaurants and hectic holiday atmosphere are garish and tacky. If you do take the plunge, always swim in patrolled areas, which are indicated by flags.
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KwaMuhle Museum
The excellent KwaMuhle Museum is a must-see for those interested in understanding South Africa. This was formerly Bantu Administration headquarters, where Durban’s colonial authorities formulated the structures of urban racial segregation (the ‘Durban System’), the blueprints of South Africa’s apartheid policy. There are powerful displays on urban Durban as it was, plus another on Cato Manor, Durban’s contemporary informal settlement and the site of the new South Africa’s ambitious urban-renewal program.
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Natal Sharks Board
This research institute is dedicated to studying sharks, specifically in relation to their danger to humans. With the great white shark – a big shark with a fearsome, but largely undeserved reputation for attacks on humans – frequenting the KwaZulu-Natal coast, this is more than an academic interest. There are audiovisual presentations and shark dissections at 9am and 2pm Wednesday to Thursday and 2pm Sunday. The public can accompany the Sharks Board personnel on their boat trips.
The Natal Sharks Board is signposted; it is about 2km out of town, up the steep Umhlanga Rocks Dr (the M12 leading to the N3).
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Spice
At the time of research, Spice was moving to this new location, but wasn’t yet open. We’ve included it because, in short, those in the cuisine scene simply rave about it. Whether it’s because the likes of Bill Clinton have dined at the establishment’s former premises, or because the imaginative menu – South African and Indian fusion dishes – is so damned good, we’ll have to leave it up to you to decide.
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Old Courthouse Museum
The Old Courthouse Museum is in the beautiful 1866 courthouse behind the City Hall. It offers a worthwhile insight into the highs and lows of colonial living and houses an interesting sugar-mill exhibit. Among the wonderful displays of colonial items – from pipes to necklaces – there’s a display of corresponding Zulu items; identifying them is especially fun for kids (and some adults, too).
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Botanic Gardens
The Botanic Gardens is a 20-hectare garden with one of the rarest cycads, Encephalartos woodii, as well as many species of bromeliad, and is a pleasant place to wander. On weekends local bridal parties galore pose with their petals for the photographers. The gardens play host to an annual concert series featuring the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and other concerts.
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180° Adventures
The Umkomaas River and mighty Tugela River (uThukela in Zulu, meaning 'the Startling One') are the rafting places in KwaZulu-Natal. The Umkomaas offers some of the best white-water rafting, especially from November to April, when you can rip through Grade II-IV rapids. 180° Adventures organises rafting on both rivers and canoeing trips on nearby rivers can also be organised.
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Temple of Understanding
Temple of Understanding, situated 8km west of Durban, is the biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere. This unusual building, designed in the shape of a lotus flower, also houses a vegetarian restaurant. Follow the N3 towards Pietermaritzburg and then branch off to the N2 south. Take the Chatsworth turn-off and turn right towards the centre of Chatsworth.
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Moyo
The newest kid in the uShaka complex, Moyo is more novelty than quality cuisine and a fun (if noisy) night out. The concept is great – the decor features sculptures and decorations from recycled materials – and there’s face painting, fabulous tableside serenades and bands of a high quality. But the food simply doesn’t match the entertainment pizzazz.
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Society
Housed in a former harbourmaster’s house, this flamboyant bar is where the beautiful people meet. The decor – classy kitsch – has a wonderfully 1930s feel with black chandeliers, black-and-white tiles and funky lounge suites. A restaurant serves lunch and dinner, but drinking in these refined surrounds provides the most fun. Definitely worth packing the stilettos for.
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Bent
Durban is a bit short on gay and lesbian venues. However, new on the scene is Bent, which organises monthly parties (not on set nights) at roaming, classy venues in Durb's 'burbs. Parties range from between 200 to 600 patrons - both guys and gals - although they're more popular among the 'wymyn' (their spelling, not ours). International guests are welcome.
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Playhouse Company
Opposite City Hall, Durban’s central theatre, The Playhouse Company, was recently renovated and is a stunning venue. The Zulu mosaics and beadwork in the foyer are alone worth seeing, as are the dance, drama and music performances. Ask at the box office or Durban Tourism for information about what’s on. Newspapers also have listings.
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Campbell Collections
The Campbell Collections are well worth seeing. Muckleneuk, a superb house designed by Sir Herbert Baker, holds the documents and artefacts collected by Dr Killie Campbell and her father Sir Marshall Campbell (KwaMashu township is actually named after him), which are extremely important records of early Natal and Zulu culture.
Killie Campbell began collecting works by black artists 60 years before the Durban Gallery did so, and she was the first patron of Barbara Tyrrell, who recorded the traditional costumes of the indigenous peoples. Her paintings beautifully convey clothing and decoration, and the grace of the people wearing them.
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Victoria St Market
At the western end of Anton Lembede (Victoria St), this is the hub of the Indian community and offers a typically rip-roaring, subcontinental shopping experience, with more than 160 stalls selling wares from across Asia. Watch your wallet and don’t take valuables. Note: most shops run by Muslims close between noon and 2pm on Friday.
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Sun Coast Casino
The glitzy, nouveau art-deco of Sun Coast Casino is popular among locals and features slot machines, cinemas and some well attended restaurants.
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Phansi Museum
The Phansi Museum houses a private collection of Southern African tribal artefacts, displayed in the basement of a Victorian home. Owner-collector Paul Mikula has amassed outstanding examples of contemporary sculptures, beadwork of KwaZulu-Natal, carved statues, and artefacts from pipes to fertility dolls.
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Umko Rafting
The Umkomaas offers some of the best white-water rafting in South Africa, especially from November to April, when you can rip through Grade II-IV rapids. Umko Rafting runs an action-packed four- to five-hour trip plus a more lazy river ride of about 18km with great scenery and a few rapids to keep you alert and busy.
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Art Gallery
The Art Gallery houses an excellent collection of contemporary South African works, especially Zulu arts and crafts, and has both temporary and rotating exhibitions (look out for the collection of baskets from Hlabisa, finely woven from a variety of grasses and incorporating striking natural colours).
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Gateway Mall
The giant Gateway Mall, the mother of all shopping malls, houses some indoor extreme activities including a wave house (www.wavehouse.co.za), the first of its kind in the world (which includes a huge skate park), and the highest free-standing indoor climbing rock in the world. The mall is north of central Durban.
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