Durban

Durban is situated on the eastern coastline of Southern Africa. With its beautiful beachfront, the Golden Mile, and predominantly English-speaking, very friendly locals, this city has an incredibly relaxed, tourist-friendly atmosphere. It's the perfect city in which to simply unwind.

The city is in a central position to the many adventures and experiences the area has to offer. Umhlanga and Ballito are a twenty-minute drive up the coast and have magnificent beaches and malls. The South Coast has beautiful beaches and cottages where you can relax for a lazy weekend away, while The Midlands Meander - a tour through the magnificent Valley of a Thousand Hills - starts just outside the city. Zululand is approximately a two-hour drive north of the city, and is resident to the famous Lake St Lucia.

The recently-built uShaka Marine World is an enormous adventure park in Durban. There are supertubes and slides, an enormous aquarium, a dolphinarium, a seal tank, dolphin and seal shows, restaurants, shops, a dive tank, a snorkelling reef and the beach, just a minute's walk away.

You can also bask in Durban's warm waters at the Aliwal Shoal, a short drive south and a haven for diving enthusiasts. North Beach in Durban, host to the annual Mr Price Pro Surfing Competition, is also a beach worth visiting.

Other attractions include the snake park, Mini World (a miniature model of the city), an ice rink, the Local History Museum, Gateway Shopping Centre (the largest in the country), horse races at the Greyville Racecourse, and a cornucopia of award-winning restaurants. The Aubergine and Lemongrass in Hillcrest is one of the province's best restaurants and only a thirty-minute drive outside of Durban. For action enthusiasts, the Sun Coast Casino has a large selection of slot machines, tables, restaurants and shops.

Durban's climate is extremely agreeable, as the summers are deliciously warm with thunderstorms, and winters mild and golden.