 DURBANDurban, with its long stretch of golden beaches, has long been one of South Africa’s premier holiday playgrounds. The focal point of the beachfront is the Golden Mile, a 6-km-long strip of beachfront lined with beaches, lawns, promenades, luxury hotels and restaurants. Stretching from Blue Lagoon to Addington Beach, the safe bathing beaches attract throngs of sun-seekers, while the Bay of Plenty is famous as a top surfing spot. Among the Golden Mile’s many attractions are Funworld, which features dodgems, an aerial cableway, swing-boat and other hair-raising rides, while Waterworld offers river rides, water slides and aquatic action. Seaworld is famed for its dolphin and seal demonstrations, its shark tank – where visitors can enjoy close-up views of a variety of sharks – and the reef tank, with its rich diversity of tropical fish. The FitzSimons Snake Park has a large collection of indigenous and exotic snakes and other reptiles, and gives regular informative, entertaining demonstrations.
Siyabona Africa Travel recommends KwaZulu-Natal Durban Hotels |
 There is no better place to experience Durban’s distinctive Asian atmosphere than at the lively Victoria Market, where anything from aromatic spices and oriental curios to engraved brasses and ebony ornaments can be bought. In addition to the nearby Jumma Musjid Mosque, the largest in the southern hemisphere, there are several Hindu temples and numerous excellent Indian restaurants. |
 Adding colour to Durban’s cosmopolitan atmosphere are the elaborately garbed rickshaw pullers. The Durban Botanic Gardens, established in 1849, cover 14,5 ha of landscaped gardens and include collections of indigenous and exotic cycads, palms, orchids and exotic bromeliads. |
 Among Durban’s many museums are the KwaMuhle Museum, which portrays the city’s history from an African perspective, while the Durban Cultural and Documentation Centre focuses on the history and culture of South Africans of Indian origin. Other collections may be seen at the Natural Science Museum, Local History Museum, Old House Museum, Campbell Collection and the Natal Maritime Museum. A wide variety of Zulu and Xhosa handicrafts and artworks are sold at the African Art Centre, while the BAT Centre and the Durban Art Gallery are popular venues for art-lovers. |
 UMGENI RIVER BIRD PARK...lies in a scenic setting of waterfalls, lush tropical vegetation and 30-m-high cliffs along the Mgeni River. With a collection of over 3 000 exotic and indigenous birds, it ranks among the top bird parks in the world. Many of the park’s 400 species are rare and endangered birds that form part of an extensive captive breeding programme. Among the park’s inhabitants are brightly coloured parrots, macaws, Asian hornbills, flamingoes and colourful pheasants. Visitors can walk among the birds in large walk-through aviaries, although some species are kept in individual enclosures. One of the highlights of a visit to the park is the bird show, during which a fish eagle, vulture, parrots and hornbills soar past visitors in full flight and react to signals whistled by their handler. |
UMHLANGA ROCKS...features kilometres of sandy and rocky beaches, a 5-km promenade offering splendid vistas of the Indian Ocean and excellent accommodation and recreational facilities. The 21-m-high lighthouse, built in 1945, is a well-known landmark. The coastline north of the lighthouse offers safe swimming, and the superb waves are popular with surfers and paddle-skiers. The resort owes its name to the Mhlanga River, a Zulu name meaning ‘river of reeds’, a reference to the reeds that flourish in the river’s lower reaches. |
 Umhlanga Rocks is the headquarters of the famous Natal Sharks Board, the only institution of its kind in the world. Visitors can learn more about sharks by watching a fascinating audiovisual presentation on the board’s activities, and can even watch a shark being dissected. The display hall contains a large variety of life-size replicas of sharks, rays and other fish.
Siyabona Africa Travel recommends KwaZulu-Natal hotels in Umhlanga |
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