Looking for the warmest place to be for FIFA World Cup 2010? Or simply a winter destination with beach weather? Welcome to Durban, voted by Lonely Planet as one of the 10 top family beach holiday cities in the world.
A sophisticated, cosmopolitan city — a fusion of East, West and African culture — Durban’s mix of cultural diversity and multi-cultural traditions make it an exotic and fascinating destination.
One can shift easily from the familiar Western-modern — upscale hotels, quirky boutiques and trendy shops selling brand name goods — to the hot vibrancy of township life; the exotic rhythm and action of tribal dancing; and the fascination of fire-walking not done at the end of some motivational course, but authentic, traditional, and part of the city’s Indian heritage, along with the best curries outside India.
Plus, Durban is the gateway to the world-in-one-province attractions of the kingdom of KwaZulu-Natal (yes, there really is a king).
There are beaches and more beaches to the south and to the north, the Drakensberg mountain range inland, lush sub-tropical forests, heritage tourism sites, game parks where you can see the Big Five, and that’s before you get to the unique cultural mix, the cuisine, the art, the people — and that’s just for starters.
“Traditionally in South Africa the tourist icons have been Cape Town the the Kruger Park,” says James Seymour, director of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal. But that is in the process of changing, spurred in no small part by World Cup 2010.
“The World Cup has bolstered a lot of very bold initiatives that began about 10 years ago,” says Seymour.
Durban will host seven games, including a FIFA World Cup semi-final. At each, 70 000 fans can watch from the new state-of-the-art Moses Mabhida Stadium (right, below), a short walk from the city’s Golden Mile (beachfront), hotels, and the site of the FIFA Fan Fest, a grand beachfront meeting and party area for soccer enthusiasts who don’t have stadium tickets or who want to be in Durban and watch games played in other cities.
“Durban (the city) and KwaZulu-Natal (the province) have gone all out to upgrade facilities and improve the infrastructure with tourists in mind,” says Seymour.
Come to Durban now and you will get to enjoy:
A fabulous new beachfront promenade designed with a view to aesthetics, entertainment — and safety. “People tend to identify Durban and KwaZulu-Natal with beach tourism and as a beach destination,” says Seymour. Crime had tarnished the reputation of the beachfront, which rubbed off on the city and the province.
“When the beachfront development is complete,” says Durban Tourism’s Philip Sithole, (it will be 95 percent ready by the start of the World Cup, he adds), “it will look like one single project when you walk from uShaka Marine World to the Moses Mabhida Stadium.” The focus in the design, he says, has been on safety, walkability and entertainment, what with strategically placed shops and restaurants. (Photo above, Cafe Fish and Point Yacht Club view.)
“I think it was a bold initiative on the part of the city to upgrade the Golden Mile and uShaka (Marine World) and also to (build) the Moses Mabhida Stadium, which could alternatively be an Olympic stadium.” The stadium will be used in a future bid by Durban to host the Olympics.
“A lot more innovation has gone into World Cup 2010 developments in Durban than in any other city in the country,” says Seymour.
Another major impediment to Durban tourism occurred with South African Airways and British Airways curtailed international flights to the old Durban airport, says Seymour. “We saw a dramatic decline in the arrival of foreign market tourists.”
This month, Durban’s new state-of-the-art King Shaka International Airport (pictured right) opened and overseas flights are already heading into the city.
“Another important initiative for tourism in KwaZulu-Natal was the establishment of two World Heritage Sites, says Seymour. World Heritage Sites recognize and protect areas of outstanding natural, historical and cultural value.
KwaZulu-Natal’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park, formerly the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, includes coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems, swamps, and extensive reed and papyrus wetlands. The largest mammal found in there is the humpback whale and on land the African Elephant. More than 500 different species of birds are resident or pass through the wetland system annually and this is home to South Africa’s largest populations of white-backed and pink-backed pelican. Hippo (pictured immediately above) and other creatures and features abound.
The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park diverse habitats protect many globally threatened species, including birds and plants. This spectacular natural site also contains caves and rock-shelters with the largest and most concentrated group of paintings in Africa south of the Sahara, made by the San people over a period of 4,000 years.
Back to the urban, Durban was the first city to develop an international convention center (the iNkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Center) — and to extend it in the face of competition. The city regularly hosts international conventions.
“Durban will host the inaugural Sea Trade Tourism Forum in 2011 with a view to boosting cruise tourism,” says Seymour. Miami, Florida, is the current capital of cruise tourism.
“A key to everything we’ve done has been looking toward the future,” says Durban city manager Dr. Michael Sutcliffe.
“In the greater Durban metropolitan area (known as eThekwini), we have 90 km of beaches. Our beach upgrades have been designed to clear the (apartheid) clutter of the past (when beaches were segregated). We know we have the best beaches in South Africa.”
Durban has two major urban entertainment zones, so-called and revamped for World Cup 2010. The Florida Road zone and the Davenport Road zone are trendy upscale neighborhoods filled with a diverse array of restaurants, shopping and nightlife options.
Then, there are Durban heritage tourism and township tourism tours. Recently a new trail was launched in the township of Inanda in Durban’s greater eThekwini municipality. Watch this space for more coming soon on this. (Right: Drummers at the recent launch of the Inanda Heritage Trail.)
“With all that’s going on, I believe Durban and the province are ready to reach their tourist potential,” says Seymour. The current developments have been undertaken with a view that extends way beyond the World Cup. Come enjoy them now or anytime into the future.
Photos: Wanda Hennig and Tourism Durban
See more about Durban as a FIFA World Cup destination here.
Visit Durban’s official tourism site here.
Fly to South Africa with South African Airways, the national carrier. SAA flies to South Africa from Washington and New York. SAA recently formed an alliance with Jet Blue for flights from the West Coast. Read about the SAA-Jet Blue link here.
Visit Tourism KwaZulu-Natal here.
Comments
I had no idea Durban would look like that. What an incredible mix of things to do, if one were to go vacation there. It looks great.
Never knew about those World Heritage sites. Nature at her best. I didn't expect to see an airport like that in Africa.
IS that the new WATERFRONT in South Beach? Cool!!
Spot-on Wanda! Durban's the place to be for the World Cup. It'll be freezing everywhere else.
The beaches of Durban are as good as they look. There are so many places to go to that it would make a good homebase for touring.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!