Known to Zulu speakers as eThekwini, Durban is a popular tourist destination amongst South Africans due to its subtropical climate, undulating landscape and sandy beaches.
With a population of around 3.4 million, Durban is South Africa’s third most populated city but has a land area larger than any other, meaning it retains a spacious feel and cross-town commutes can take an age.
The modern city of Durban dates from 1824, when adventurer Henry Francis Fynn befriended the Zulu King Shaka by helping him to recover from a stab wound. As a show of gratitude, Shaka granted Fynn a "25-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in depth". In 1835 residents of Fynn's territory decided to build a capital and name it "d'Urban" after Sir Benjamin d'Urban, then governor of the Cape Colony.
Durban embodies the spirit of the ‘Rainbow Nation’ and is perhaps South Africans most racially diverse city thanks to a large Asian community. Indeed India's political icon Mohandas Gandhi worked as a lawyer in Durban for 20 years. Locals also consider it as South Africa’s most vibrant city, as almost 50% of the population is under the age of 24, and the median age in the city is 25.
Expensive: Bistro 136, Florida RoadA stylish, relaxed bistro that serves French and Swiss cuisine.
Posh: Sunset View Set in one of Durban’s northern coastal suburbs, 15 minutes from Durban City. Enjoy a lush, tropical garden, a private pool and attentive staff. Doubles start from R540 per night. sunset-view.co.za
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