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DURBAN CITY
CENTRALGATEWAY TO THE NORTH COAST, ZULULAND, DRAKENSBERG, SOUTH COAST AND MIDLANDS MEANDER
AVAILABLE FROM DURBAN : Half Day Tours Full Day Tours Extended Tours
African Destiny, based in London has close ties with the most reputable companies in Durban, and therefore can
offer unique tours and safaris to all destinations within KwaZulu Natal and most other destinations within South Africa. All companies utilised are accredited members of the South African Tourism Services Association (SATSA), and comply with the strictest criteria of standards demanded in South Africa. All tour guides are accredited by SATOUR, the official South African tourism body, and offer a professional and friendly service.ABOUT DURBAN
Now the largest and busiest
city on the East Coast of South Africa, in KwaZulu Natal, Durban has an
interesting his
tory. It was founded in 1824 by a party of British
traders from Cape Town, who discovered the present harbour, then a lagoon
fed by the Mbilo and Mhlatuzana rivers. The surrounding countryside
was teeming with wildlife, including elephant and lion, and the settlers
contended with many dangers. Even today, the main roads from the
city to the suburb of Berea are built on old elephant trails.
The local people were the Zulus. The Zulu nation was in the process of being formed and consolidated under its first and greatest king, Shaka. Shaka's fame and news of the prowess and vitality of the Zulus had reached Cape Town, spurring on the expedition to open trade relations with the new nation. The settlement at Port Natal prospered, and was renamed Durban in 1835 after Sir Benjamin D'Urban, the governor of the Cape.
A strong Afrikaner population
arrived in the 1830s during a movement known as the Great Trek. A
Boer republic of Natal w
as established with a capital at Pietermaritzburg,
80km from Durban. This interfered with British interests, and a
brief war was fought between the British and the Boers in 1842 resulting
in Natal becoming a British colony in1844. The three strong powers
fought various battles, and the province has many battlefields ;
British/Boer, British/Zulu, Boer/Zulu and Zulu/Zulu.
Durban harbour was enlarged by extensive dredging operations, and the early exports of ivory and skins soon expanded to include all types of general cargo, especially South Africa's sugar exports. The sugar industry was the cause of extensive Indian migration to Natal, as indentured labour. After their indenture period was complete, these people decided not to return to India. They now form a high proportion of the current population, and have made significant contributions to the cultural diversity of the city.
Durban has a population of over 4 million, who enjoy one of the finest climates in the world. The tropical maritime climate gives warm wet summers and cool dry winters. The Indian ocean allows swimming all year round on beautiful beaches. Durban is the gateway to the KwaZulu Natal interior with magnificent scenery, including the Drakensberg mountain range, excellent game viewing opportunities, Zulu cultural villages, the World Heritage site of St Lucia, and many historical sites.
AVAILABLE FROM DURBAN : Half Day Tours Full Day Tours Extended Tours
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Tel + 44 (208) 2550067
Fax + 44 (208) 2559152 |
