Durban lies beautiful on South Africa’s Indian Ocean Coast, with its sandy white beaches, rich culture and tropical beauty. Spend your days exploring its trendy bars, stylish restaurants, and lip-smacking street food. The most popular stretch of beachfront in Durban is the Golden Mile, where you can take part in various water activities. This city is also popular for its extensive marine life and various festivals. There are so many attractions in Durban that you will never face a dull moment while you spend your vacation in South Africa. To start things off, here is a list of the top three Durban attractions which you must visit while you spend your holiday in Durban.
1. The Golden Mile
The Golden Mile Beachfront is undoubtedly the most popular attraction in Durban. In fact, it is the most famous beachfront of the whole of South Africa. This Durban attraction is famous among joggers, surfers, bikers, walkers, water-sport lovers, sunbathers and everybody else. The place gets its name from the beautiful golden sand that can found on these coastal edges of the city. The four mile stretch from Blue Lagoon South to Addington Beach and Durban Harbor is lined with numerous upscale restaurants and local markets for you to explore. Take a stroll through the wide pavement running the stretch. You can also take part in the various water sports to get your adrenalin fix. Otherwise just spend a leisurely day soaking up the sun, making sun castles or surfing the beautiful waters.
2. Durban Botanical Gardens
Established in 1849, Durban Botanical Gardens is one of the top Durban attractions you can visit during your trip to South Africa. This 37-acre garden is the oldest public institution of Durban. The garden is filled with beautiful trees and plants. The serene beauty of this lush green garden makes it a great place to visit with your family. Many people love to visit this garden to have a nice family picnic. However, Durban Botanical Gardens is also home to one of the largest collection of living fossil plants. Some of these trees used to exist nearly 250 million years ago. The rare opportunity of seeing these pre-dinosaur cycads makes the Durban Botanical Gardens one of the top three must visit attractions in Durban.
3. Inanda Heritage Route
The Inanda Heritage Route connects a number of historically important places situated in the KwaZulu Natal province. The trail starts from Inanda Township, where Nelson Mandela voted in the first democratic elections held in South Africa in 1994. The heritage route recognizes some of the key historical sites which have been really important to the shaping of today’s South Africa. It explores four major movements – the Satyagraha movement of Mahatma Gandhi, the Ohlange Institute for African boys, the Shembe church, and the Inanda Seminary, a mission secondary boarding school that catered exclusively for African girls. Walking through the trail, you will get to learn about all the history which lies with these places. The insane historic value these sites hold make the Inanda Heritage Route a must visit place in Durban.