Durban is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini
metropolitan municipality. It is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and is famous as the
busiest port in Africa. It is also a major centre of tourism due to the city's warm subtropical
climate and beaches.
It is thought that the first known inhabitants of the Durban area arrived from the north
around 100,000 BC, according to carbon dating of rock art found in caves in the
Drakensberg. These people were living in the central plains of KwaZulu-Natal until the
expansion of Bantu people from the north sometime during the last millennium. Little is
known of the history of the first residents, as there is no written history of the area before it
was first mentioned by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who came to the
KwaZulu-Natal coast while searching for a route from Europe to India. He landed on the
KwaZulu-Natal coast on Christmas in 1497, and thus named the area "Natal", or
Christmas in Portuguese.
The modern city of Durban dates from 1824, when a party of 25 men under British
Lieutenant F. G. Farewell arrived from the Cape Colony and established a settlement on
the northern shore of the Bay of Natal, near today's Farewell Square. Accompanying
Farewell was an adventurer named Henry Fynn. Fynn was able to befriend the Zulu King
Shaka by helping him to recover from a stab wound he suffered in battle. As a token of
Shaka's gratitude, he granted Fynn a "25-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in
depth. During a meeting of 35 white residents in Fynn's territory on June
23, 1835, it was decided to build a capital town and name it "d'Urban" after Sir Benjamin
d'Urban, then governor of the Cape Colony.
Voortrekkers established the Republic of Natalia in 1838 just north of Durban, and
established a capital at Pietermaritzburg. Fierce conflict with the Zulu population led to the
evacuation of Durban, and eventually the Afrikaners accepted British annexation in 1844
under military pressure. A British governor was appointed to the region and many settlers
emigrated from Europe and the Cape Colony. The British established a sugar cane
industry in the 1860s. Farm owners had a difficult time attracting Zulu labourers to work
on their plantations, so the British brought thousands of indentured labourers from India
on five-year contracts. As a result of the importation of Indian labourers, Durban became
the largest Asian community in South Africa.
PLACE TO VISIT
FLORIDA ROAD - Definately the happening street in Durban. Restaurants, Bars
Cafe's Boutique shopping the in happy friendly Durban hang out.
City Hall - There is an art gallery and outdated science museum inside, as well a a
public library.
Berea - This is a long ridge overlooking the harbor, city center and beaches. Once
covered with coastal forest, it is now completely built up.
Umhlanga Rocks - A holiday resort that's now also home to many businesses that
have relocated from Durban's central business district. Home to the Sharks Board, which
is well worth a visit.
Victoria Street Market - Mostly oriental souvenirs. Haggle hard, beware of
pickpockets.
Essenwood Craft Market - This has somehow lost it oomph - to much imported
junk.
Durban Botanical Gardens - visit on a Saturday and see a mixture of Cultural
weddings all having their photos taken
The Golden Mile - The Golden Mile, the nickname for the beaches near downtown
that stretch along the Indian Ocean, is well known for it's excellent surfing, occasional
shark attack and wide sandy beaches. Visiting around the Christmas holidays ensures a
crowded experience, complete with stations for missing children, but visit at the off
season and you'll practically have the place to yourself, save the serious surfers. There
are also play pools and playgrounds for children along the waterfront, as well as hotel,
bars and restaurants.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Durban International Airport (formerly Louis Botha Airport) is the main
airport serving the city of Durban and is 15km south of the city center. It serves mostly
domestic destinations and the only international flights are to/from Mauritius (Air
Mauritius) and Swaziland (Swazi Express Airways and South African Express). All other
international flights will enter the country through either Cape Town or Johannesburg. A
new international airport is under construction 40km North of the city at La mercy and due
to be operational in time for the Soccer world cup in 2010.
By bus - All national carriers (e.g. Intercape, Greyhound) and the Baz Bus offer regular
services to Durban. The city is also the gateway to Kwazulu-Natal province.
By train - The central train station is in the city centre. Spoornet operates daily inter-city
trains to Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg, with a weekly service to Bloemfontein,
Kimberley and Cape Town. You can also get to Port Elizabeth or East London by
changing trains in Bloemfontein.
MetroRail operates frequent commuter trains to various suburbs of Durban and towns
nearby (such as Pinetown and the resort towns of both the south coast (eg. Kelso and
Park Ryne) and the north coast).
By boat - Some cruise ships dock in Durban, but generally there are no "one-way"
entries by boat to Durban. In theory passage on a freighter might be arranged, but it's not
widely advertised
