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Durban`s blend of cultures
Durban, Apr 19: Gateway to KwaZulu-Natal Province and the Kingdom of the Zulus, Durban is arguably South Africa`s most vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a rich blend of African, Indian, European and Muslim cultures and kilometres of some of the country`s finest surf beaches.
Durban, Apr 19: Gateway to KwaZulu-Natal Province and the Kingdom of the Zulus, Durban is arguably South Africa`s most vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a rich blend of African, Indian, European and Muslim cultures and kilometres of some of the country`s finest surf beaches.
Morning
Catch some sun and surf at any of the city`s superb beaches and, if you`re a true surfhead, check out Durban`s "hang-10 history" at the Timewarp Surfing Museum. The beautiful 1910 Renaissance City Hall houses the Public Library, the Natural Science Museum (with the only known skeleton of the extinct dodo bird) and the Durban Art Gallery, with collections ranging from English masterpieces to the art and artefacts of KwaZulu-Natal. Warwick Junction, on Durban`s outskirts, is an enormous market with thousands of traders selling food, arts, crafts and all things African. Durban has the largest population of Indian descendants outside India and was once home to Mahatma Gandhi. Victoria Market is a traditional Indian market filled with the smells and flavours of all things Indian (and African), including a raft of curry diners. Lunch Victoria Market reputedly has the best curries outside India, and the bunny chow, a uniquely Durban invention of a curry-filled half loaf of bread. For a light lunch with a harbour view, Blue Bottles on the waterfront has good seafood, meats and pastas. The more elegant Bistro 136 in leafy Morningside does a subtle blend of Swiss and French, and Butcher Boys nearby is a slick, upmarket steakhouse that balances with some good vegetarian. Afternoon
For genuine African arts and crafts, the African Arts Centre in the CBD has KwaZulu-Natal ceramics, sculptures, weavings, Zulu and Xhosa beadwork and Zulu beer pots. Tour an African shanty town or experience the culture of the mixed race "coloureds" who have now launched their own tourism venture, a four-hour educational "Coloured Experience" tour to give visitors an insight into their lives and history. (Details from Tourism KwaZulu-Natal at Tourist Junction, 160 Pine St.)
Bureau Report
Catch some sun and surf at any of the city`s superb beaches and, if you`re a true surfhead, check out Durban`s "hang-10 history" at the Timewarp Surfing Museum. The beautiful 1910 Renaissance City Hall houses the Public Library, the Natural Science Museum (with the only known skeleton of the extinct dodo bird) and the Durban Art Gallery, with collections ranging from English masterpieces to the art and artefacts of KwaZulu-Natal. Warwick Junction, on Durban`s outskirts, is an enormous market with thousands of traders selling food, arts, crafts and all things African. Durban has the largest population of Indian descendants outside India and was once home to Mahatma Gandhi. Victoria Market is a traditional Indian market filled with the smells and flavours of all things Indian (and African), including a raft of curry diners. Lunch Victoria Market reputedly has the best curries outside India, and the bunny chow, a uniquely Durban invention of a curry-filled half loaf of bread. For a light lunch with a harbour view, Blue Bottles on the waterfront has good seafood, meats and pastas. The more elegant Bistro 136 in leafy Morningside does a subtle blend of Swiss and French, and Butcher Boys nearby is a slick, upmarket steakhouse that balances with some good vegetarian. Afternoon
For genuine African arts and crafts, the African Arts Centre in the CBD has KwaZulu-Natal ceramics, sculptures, weavings, Zulu and Xhosa beadwork and Zulu beer pots. Tour an African shanty town or experience the culture of the mixed race "coloureds" who have now launched their own tourism venture, a four-hour educational "Coloured Experience" tour to give visitors an insight into their lives and history. (Details from Tourism KwaZulu-Natal at Tourist Junction, 160 Pine St.)
Bureau Report