Durban is a city of about 3 million on South Africa's east coast in KwaZulu-Natal. It is no longer just a holiday/resort city, boasting industry and South Africa's busiest container port.
Get in
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)
See also Discount airlines in Africa.
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.
Get around
There is a public bus system but as in any large city use common sense. Bus schedules are rarely followed, so allow extra travel time if taking the bus.
Registered taxis are common, generally safe and relatively inexpensive. There are also unlicensed taxis, referred to as "combi taxis", that are impossible to miss as they're brightly decorated and always have music pumping. They are mostly small vans and there is always someone hanging out of a window making the hand gestures that indicate whether there are seats available and where the combi is going. Combi taxis are very common and less expensive than registered taxis, but opinions differ as to their safety. There are many published reports of accidents involving combis and you'll see that the drivers rarely have safety in mind. Strictly speaking, they are minibuses that take people to and from work, they stick to set routes and they are not suitable for tourists. Rather hire a car.
Rickshaw rides are offered to tourists along the beach front, for amusement rather than getting around.
See
City Hall. Built in 1910, it is pretty much an exact copy of the city hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Berea. This is a long ridge overlooking the harbor city centre 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, this is well worth a visit.
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