Durban listed as holiday paradise

Description:

The city of Durban together with other cities like Kauai, Hawaii; Karon Beach, Thailand; Tavira, Portugal; Cottlesloe, Australia and Sanur, Bali is listed as one of the top ten family beach holiday destinations in the world by Lonely Planet.

Durban is a holiday resort paradise, for the sole purpose of entertaining families. With safe beaches watched over by lifeguards, the Golden Mile is great for swimming, snorkeling and water sports.

According to SA Tourism's Roshene Singh, this news is excellent for visitors to KwaZulu Natal as Lonely Planet is a well respected voice in the global travel and tourism industry. To get this sort of recognition, by being featured among the top 10 family beach holiday destinations in the world, is a significant achievement for South Africa. Durban and KZN in particular, is still a relatively undiscovered for it’s year-round beach holiday hotspot.

This region is a great year-round beach paradise we have along KwaZulu-Natal's coast, that we sometimes take for granted. We really have something to be proud of on our doorstep.

As image is everything and to get recognized by Lonely Planet is huge. This could have a major positive impact on Durban's image as a tourist destination and it could not have come at a better time. The World Cup is around the corner and awakens the awareness the city for international people to discover our great balmy winter weather. Durban will be the hottest place during the 2010 World Cup.

Durban just had a multimillion-rand beachfront upgrade, and after the 2010 World Cup, Durban will have cemented its place as one of the top beach and sports destinations in the world. Soccer World Cup in 2011.


Round and About

As the day dawns on Durban, a golden shudder signals the presence of the life force of our city - the sun and the sea.

You can cycle around the Durban beachfront. Taking a ride both along the Golden Mile as well as next to the actual beaches in the early morning is beautiful and relaxing. What could be mistaken for a school of seals sliding in and out of the waves comes slowly into focus as wet-suited surfers navigate the early morning water on North Beach and it's only 5.20am.

Stopping next to a group of middle-aged overweight women, breasts hanging over their lacy bras, as they wash the salt off their limbs under the shower after an early romp in the sea create the Disney-like lions, wildebeest and bird creatures in the sand along the piers are stirring. They head along to a nearby tap, drink and rub their faces, ready for a day of carving and patting in exchange for a couple of hopeful coins from a tourist or three.

Cruising further along the coastline. Around us puff joggers, speed walkers and casual strollers. Elderly couples wrapped in quiet conversation, mysterious Muslim women in Nike shoes and buffed young 20-something’s who run barefoot on the sand, weights in hand, are all out, keeping their heart rates healthy and their thighs toned.

Passing the near deserted skate park and then on to Beach Cafe which is lightly pumping out Cafe Del Mar melodies. Waiters drag tables and chairs out and a cleaner brushes some windswept litter from the entrance. More and more fishermen arrive in banged up Ford Cortinas, fishing rods sticking out the back, the smell of bait and coffee from flasks is shared amid joviality.

Continuing past the closed Mini Town and take to Marine Parade. The "Bush'', as it is known and the beachfront's best kept secret, the resident Battery Beach with it’s. alarm clock, a cock-a-doodle-doo and making sure the residents won't be late for work.

The real beauty lies in the fact that to watch it all doesn't cost a cent.

Hundreds of seagulls, Indian Mynahs and pigeons fly around her small frame which cuts a dynamic silhouette against the horizon.

Plastic containers holding the remnants of last night's dinner are scattered around and the birds squawk, squabble and push each other to devour the tasty morsels.

The beachfront is all about watching. Watching the girls in bikinis, watching the boys in baggies, watching the pros handle a wave, watching the fisherman watching the sea, watching the Zionists give thanks to their maker, watching the Shembes baptising their brethren, watching the lifeguards watching the swimmers, watching the carguards watching your car, watching the cameras watching you.

Standing at the end of the pier you can Titanic your arms into the expanse of the Indian Ocean in front of you with the sun nearly in full bloom.

It's a beautiful ocean out there and a beautiful city that lives on its shore with the canoeists and bodyboarders navigate the tide.