Durban is the largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, and is well-known for being the busiest port in Africa. The city’s sub-tropical climate and warm sea-water make it a sought-after tourism destination.
As the city extends away from the coast into the rolling hills that characterise the KwaZulu-Natal landscape, the city has a wide geographical spread, a diverse population and is the largest city on the Indian Coast of the African continent.
While Durban is usually associated with tourism, it cannot be overlooked that Durban has a large and diversified economy with strong finance, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. It is regarded as South Africa’s “third city”.
Tourism attractions in Durban include the Golden Mile beachfront area, uShaka Marine World, housing one of the largest and most unique aquariums in the world, the Umgeni River Bird Park, and the sports stadiums of Kings Park (rugby), Moses Mabhida (soccer) and Kingsmead (cricket). Durban is also a convenient starting point to explore other KwaZulu-Natal attractions, such as the Drakensburg, the Natal Midlands, the historical Battefields sites of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift and the scuba diving attractions of Sodwana Bay.
Aside from its busy port, which is about to undergo a massive expansion, Durban also has a new international airport. Situated to the north of the city and completed in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the King Shaka International Airport offers regular international flights to Dubai, Lusaka, Maputo, Mauritius and Harare.
