Durban, South Africa

Here we are in Durban (nicknamed “Durbs”), the third most populous city in South Africa after Johannesburg and Cape Town. Our Currents newsletter today is titled “Explore Durban” which I find a bit ironic since our cruise director warned us (twice) over the PA system last night about being careful with handbags, phones and money, removing jewelry, staying in groups, being alert to our surroundings, etc while exploring this city! A coastal city with a major port and tourist hub, Durban is known for its high levels of theft, armed robbery and violent crimes against both visitors and locals. Knowing this didn’t really encourage me to want to “explore Durban.”

We arrived late last evening shortly after 5 p.m. No way did we want to venture out after dark, especially after all the warnings about our safety! We considered eating dinner on the back deck but decided it was a bit too chilly with the clothes we were wearing.

 

hmm....maybe not!

 

looks like everyone else had the same idea

Durban has a population of 3.9 million people for the greater metropolitan area. It is a highly ethnically diverse city with large Zulu, White and  Indian/Asian populations. Its first languages are English (49.8%) and Zulu (33.1%). It has a crime index of 80.4 paired with a safety index of 19.6. 

It has a natural harbor which is the busiest port in South Africa. It is known for its “Golden Mile” beach and world renowned Indian-inspired cuisine.

Durban - a busy port city

views from our deck

from the deck - not as pretty by day

I was not happy this morning when Ronnie announced that he was going to run off the ship, but thankfully he had a good run and returned safe and sound. The weather here has been very pleasant today - a nice change from all the heat we’ve had to endure in many of the countries we’ve been in. The further we get from the equator, the more pleasant it is. 

Golden Mile run opportunity - Point Durban (photo credit: Ronnie)

Since we were here in 2023, I had planned to stay on the ship knowing that we have excursions planned for the next 2 days. But after lunch we changed our minds and decided to walk to an outdoor shopping area nearby, perhaps a half mile from the ship. By that time, there were lots of people out - both locals and tourists. I did a bit of souvenir shopping and then we were both ready to head back to the ship.        

 

Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal

 

uShaka Village Walk

Golden Mile beach

hand carved giraffes come in all sizes

tiny beaded animals

We've enjoyed sitting on our deck this afternoon/evening. There are quite a few what I would call "party boats" that come by. They are full of people, music, noise and a lot of twerking or whatever it's called these days. Many of the women are dressed in colorful long dresses or all white with colorful (artificial) leis around their necks. They basically just ride around the bay, oftentimes coming by the ship to check us out.                                                                                                                                                                                   

party boat nearing sunset

                                   

party boat after dark