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Durban |
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Surrounded by the warm currents of the Indian Ocean, the East Coast of South Africa, Durban and Zululand, have become one of the country’s leading tourist destinations. Year round sunshine and a lot of rainfall provide for a prosperous sugar industry and a profusion of holiday resorts such as Durban itself, Umhlanga Rocks, Ballito and San Lameer. Untamed wildlife, wilderness and wetlands can be found north of the Tugela River.
Although KwaZulu-Natal is a relatively small province, this province manages to provide a great variety of different sights and landscapes which are of special interest for visitors to KwaZulu-Natal. The province features the magnificent Drakensberg mountain range in the south west, a long coastline of subtropical surf beaches, remote lowveld savannah in the far north, and historic battlefields of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu Wars. In the centre of KwaZulu-Natal is the Zululand, the Zulu heartland. Furthermore, KwaZulu-Natal provides several game reserves which are home to many of South Africa’s wildlife such as lion, leopards, elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes and zebras.
KwaZulu-Natal with more than 8.7 million inhabitants has the largest population of any of South Africa’s provinces.
Durban is known for its subtropical climate, unspoilt game reserves, sandy beaches and its powerful ocean currents. Durban, with its many hotels and resorts, its popular beachfront and shopping centres, is easily accessible by car or by flight (Durban International Airport). The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park is a paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers. In the nearby wooden hills of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, rhino, zebras, elephants, buffalo and lions can be found.
Vasco da Gama’s port natal was renamed Durban in honour of the Cape governor Benjamin Durban after Zulu chief, Shaka, had given the land to the British in 1824. Today, this former trading post is the holiday capital of KwaZulu-Natal. Most of Durban’s sightseeing attractions can be found along the beachfront, conveniently located close together in walking distance from each other. Durban is a relatively large, subtropical city along a vast surf beach. Pietermaritzburg is the capital of KwaZulu-Natal.
Durban is home to the largest concentration of Indians living outside of India. South Africa’s biggest mosque is found in Durban.
Being Africa’s seaside playground in the sun, Durban has a unique and special charm and atmosphere which adds to the meeting of the warm Indian Ocean, the golden sandy beaches and the lush subtropical greenery of KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline. The magnificent environment and cultural wonders of the Valley of a Thousand Hills in Durban, its long and tranquil beaches of The South Coast and the up-market ambience of the historic and culturally-rich Sugar Coast are famous for KwaZulu-Natal.
It is in Durban central where the proud Zulu nation meets East and West, a great diversity of different influences in regards to customs, traditions, lifestyle and history can be found here. Visitors to Durban can experience the unique vibrancy of township life, the finest curries outside India and a calendar filled with thrilling, spectacular events all year round. International conferences, championship golf tournaments as well as premier horseracing events draw thousands of visitors to Durban every year. Sophisticated and cosmopolitan, Durban in the evening is a buzz with elegant lounges, funky taverns and cosy inns, distinctive local theatre and live music, trendy clubs, pubs and discos. From the luxury hotel and resort, self-catering apartment or guest house, all the delights of Durban are linked by efficient transport services. |
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