Durban

Overview

Located in KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast of South Africa, on the warm shores of the Indian Ocean, Durban is the city where the sun never sets. It is a melting pot of African, European and Asian influences which heve led to a myriad of styles in the city. Architectural variety is expressed in the Victorian houses of the Berea, in the Hindu temples, the largest Mosque in the Southern Hemisphere in Grey Street, the skyscrapers in the CBD. It has many sides to it. Thanks to the beautiful, soft weather all year round, Durban is a real holiday paradise, with warm beaches lined by hotels and appartments with great views over the ocean. It's also a major buisness centre and a gateway to Africa, with its port (the busiest on the continent), airport, and many roads leading inland.

The name Durban comes from Sir Benjamin D'Urban, in 1835 the first successful European settler in the area. The area was colonised first by Dutch and later by English settlers. They brought over large groups of Indian labourers to work in the emerging sugar industry. Durban still houses the largest Indian population outside of India. This becomes clear when you walk the through the Grey Streets area and smell the spices and curries and see Indian women in traditional dress.

Surrounded by sugar cane fields and subtropical vegetation Durban is the perfect place to start your visit of KwaZulu-Natal. You can take a tour of one of the townships and experience a very...more

History