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South Africa is where two great oceans meet; it is a land of big game safaris, modern urban centres and is the so-called powerhouse of the Dark Continent. It is a first word country in a continent of many developing countries. The figures speak for themselves, forty percent of the continent's phones are located in SA, seventy-five percent of African electricity is generated here and the country provides much of the world's gold. It is a country of many cultures, its Europeans may be derived from Dutch or British settlers, while much of its black population may count themselves part of the famous Zulu tribe and over 11 languages are spoken in this post-apartheid society. Durban began life in the 19th century as a well-sheltered port. Europeans found it an excellent site to trade with the Zulus and their leader - the fearsome King Shaka, who saw a ready market for ivory. King Shaka transformed his tribe's fighting techniques (his men did not throw spears, as was traditional, but used them up-close like swords. He was assassinated by Dingane who saw Europeans as a potential threat to his new power. When a wave of Voortrekkers arrived. Dingane attacked, killing the Boer's leader, however, less than a year later, in 1838, the Europeans struck back, and several thousand Zulus were overwhelmed by a few hundred settlers armed with rifles and cannon. The defeat became known as the battle of Blood River as the river turned red with Zulu blood. It was a turning point for the city, the settlement grew. Europeans were here to stay. Durban is SA's second biggest city and not only offers a vast range of attractions - from exotic beaches to theme parks - but it is a stepping stone to other attractions such as famous safaris, battlefield tours and sports activities (gold, scuba diving, seas fishing and so on). Durban is a coastal city, a major seaport and a major resort. It is fronted by literally miles of soft sandy beaches that are overlooked by modern, high-rise hotels that jostle for our custom. As you can expect in a city with a high visitor turnover and modern living - there are plenty of European eateries, however, those with a taste for the more exotic may opt for some distinctly African delicacies - shark anyone? Crocodile? You might not also know that Durban had been nicknamed the curry capital of South Africa due to the large population of Asian Indians who originally arrived to work in the sugar cane fields - it is perhaps no surprise to know that a highly popular form of travel around Durban, is by that most famous of Indian vehicles - the rik shaw. |