Durban experience

Melissa Mpofu recently in Durban, South Africa
FACT! ! ! Durban rocks. The city built around one of the busiest ports in Africa is that one warm place, even in winter, where your day seems very short as there are so many adrenaline-filled adventures, fabulous food, and exceptional activities to partake in.

Courtesy of South African Express airline and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, I was last week invited to be part of a week-long Vodacom Durban July Educational tour. Held annually, the tour was meant to familiarise the travel trade industry from landlocked countries to Durban – a natural paradise known for its gorgeous coastline of sun-kissed beaches and sub-tropical climate and the KwaZulu-Natal province as a tourism destination.

Participants were drawn from Zambia, Namibia, DRC and Botswana with travel consultants from Sontine, Elgrass, Pearlsard and HRG Rennies Travel, representing Zimbabwe.

Together with South African Express, Zimbabwe country manager — Gertrude Banda — we departed Harare International Airport on a non-stop South African Express two-hour flight on Friday and landed smoothly at King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) in Durban. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by the warmth of Durban and I knew that was the beginning of a fun-filled week as the destination is an uncontested trendsetter in offering great lifestyle, speckled with adventure activities.

A tour operator from Siyavaya Tours chauffeured us to the stylish four-star Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel — where we stayed for the weekend. We were right in time for the Durban July madness. There was so much excitement around the event which was held a day after we arrived.

Elangeni, situated on the spectacular Durban beach front is the ultimate place to reside, well, at least for groupies like me who love rubbing shoulders with celebrities.

There was nothing more refreshing than waking up to a scenic view of the beach from your room. To get a closer view, one was free to grab a bicycle from the hotel or simply walk as the sea front was under two minutes away.

When staying there, you can be guaranteed of meeting at least 10 popular faces in an hour, especially when there is a big event. The hotel is not only favoured by most celebrities, but by leisure travellers because of its huge variety of restaurants, bars, relaxation areas and family-friendly facilities.

On that night, Mafikizolo staged an all-white party at one of the hotel’s bars, which saw even more celebrities trickling into the hotel.

From there, it was time for Durban July — Africa’s greatest horse racing and fashion event. That was the ultimate experience as different types of people converged on the Greyville Racecourse to witness the race.

Several marquees were pitched up to cater for different clientele but all had a mission to achieve one thing — total happiness.

With so many traffic jams, people were not deterred from attending the July and partying afterwards. On that night, Florida Road — the hub of Durban entertainment was the ultimate place to be as most celebrities headed there after the race. The tree-lined road displaying restored Victorian and Edwardian buildings has over 2km in restaurants, pubs and clubs.

Florida Road is a must-go-to place when visiting Durban as there is something to do 24/7. One is guaranteed of having a ball there, especially at restaurants such as Cubana and Keys on Florida.

Day three of the tour saw us checking out of Elangeni and travelling to the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast where we checked in at the exclusive Peermont Mondazur San Lameer boutique hotel in preparation for an ocean safari the next morning. But before leaving, we embarked on a township tour. I was particularly impressed with the strong cultural background that the KwaZulu-Natal province has.

They are so proud of their culture and are not shy to share their history, cultural customs and beliefs. Their strong cultural background is blended in, in most if not all public places.

A two-hour journey from Durban, the South Coast, is home to Africa’s only legal nudist beach which opened this year. Sadly, I did not visit that beach as I couldn’t bare walking nude or seeing nude people.

We, however, had to wake up at about 5AM to embark on the ocean safari at Shelley Beach, leaving us with no time to explore the San Lameer hotel which has access to a pristine Indian Ocean beach with guests being surrounded by beauty, luxury and tranquillity.

The ocean safari is not one for the faint-hearted. Such an adrenaline rush, one needs to hold on to the boat tightly, lest they get thrown out as the ride gets bumpy when opposing the waves. You get to see dolphins, whales and other marine life while on the safari.

To complete the South Coast visit was a tour of Lake Eland Game Reserve – home to the longest Zip line tour in Africa. With breathtaking views, the game reserve has pushed the boundaries when it comes to thrill seeking adventures, with the construction of their 4,5km Zip Line tour which soars across the magnificent Oribi Gorge. An adventure of a lifetime, the tour consists of 14 zip lines starting at the top of the gorge, with the most memorable being number six, which soars over the 200m high gorge.

After completing the Zip line and bridge tours, it was time to head back to Durban where we checked in at the Royal Palm Hotel, conveniently situated at the popular Gateway mall, surrounded by various upmarket restaurants.

What I admired most about KwaZulu Natal province was the fact that tour operators, hoteliers and restaurants are united, sharing ideas and working together to market their destination.

The unique set of experiences in KwaZulu-Natal go beyond their beaches, into the realm of Durban’s diverse culture, urban lifestyle and scenic diversity.