Our world class Durban promenade is the longest in sub-Saharan Africa at over 8km, and stretches all the way from Blue Lagoon – the mouth of the Umgeni River – to the entrance of the Durban Harbour. You can stroll, run or hire bikes and enjoy this amazing stretch of shoreline known as “the Golden Mile”. Worthwhile stops along the way are coffee at Bike and Bean; breakfast at Circus Circus; awesome burgers at Surf Riders; with my particular favourite port of call being Maha Cafe right harbour entrance. Umhlanga’s promenade is not as long, but provides equally beautiful vantage points with an extended walkway through Hawaan Forest at the north end. And the start of the promenade is just 200m from Teremok! Did you know that the award-winning pier (see picture below) is designed to look like the skeleton of a whale, and that we have more whales that pass by our coast than the Cape does?
Situated on the east coast of Africa, Durban has breathtaking views of the sun rising over the Indian Ocean, and nothing beats taking an early morning boat ride with one of the Sharks Board crews as they inspect the nets along the Golden Mile. This not only offers another spectacular vista of the city, but you can count on dolphins adding to the excitement and perhaps also witness a shark being released from the nets that protect the bathers.
Durban has the biggest Indian population outside of India, which makes the city colourful and eclectic, and so different to the rest of the country. Us locals are mad about curries, and very proud of our culinary contribution to the world, the bunny chow. It is a quarter or half loaf of white bread stuffed with curry (it soaks up the delicious gravy) and is eaten with your hands and great gusto. There is no better time to tackle a great curry than in winter, however mild it is. And by that, I mean the weather and not the curry!
