The City of Durban is sophisticated, but it merges modern with traditional cultures and blends African and Oriental flavors to delight tourists. Popular tours of the Port of Durban take visitors along the Victorian Embankment to the Botanical Gardens or through the Valley of a Thousand Hills, stopping at a Zulu village to sample native cooking. The Port of Durban's Indian Market and African Art Centre will enchant visitors with beautiful and exotic wares. Travelers can hire a rickshaw to see the waterfront.

The Port of Durban has a mild subtropical climate with mild frost-free winters and warm wet summers. With large variations in altitude, though, the western areas get cold in the winter. Temperatures vary from an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) from January through March to an average low of 11 °C (52 °F) in June and July.

While you're in the Port of Durban, you should see the Barea, a long ridge that overlooks the harbor, beaches, and city center. Florida Road is the place for dining, shopping, and nightlife. City Hall is an art gallery, public library, and somewhat outdated science museum not to be missed. The Durban Botanical Gardens are a pleasant break from the city and, on Saturdays, the scene for a fascinating mix of cultural weddings. The Port of Durban's Golden Mile, the beaches near downtown, offers excellent surfing along beautiful beaches with many pools and playgrounds for children and excellent hotels, bars, and restaurants.

Travelers will never be bored while visiting the Port of Durban. Water sports abound: swimming, surfing, canoeing, snorkeling, and deep-sea diving. You can take helicopter rides for a bird's eye view of the port. The Suncoast and Sibaya Casinos offers recreation for gamblers. You can enjoy horse racing at the Greyville Race Course or surf artificial waves at the Gateway Shopping Center. Golfers enjoy the 18-hole International Zimbali Golf Estate, and the more adventurous visitor can have a great time at Skydive Durban.

Families will enjoy the Fitzsimons Snake Park or uShaka Marine World with a huge aquarium and a waterworld with eight different rides. A visit to the Shark Institute offers a boat ride to see shark nets that protect beachgoers from shark attacks. You can enjoy historical tours of the Mahatma Gandhi Settlement or the historic compensation sugar mill. You can also watch the only road race on the Grand Prix circuit, the Durban A1 Grand Prix.

Visitors will discover many festivals. Poetry Africa celebrates international poetry every October, and the International Festival of Writing takes place every March. In July and August, the Durban International Film Festival celebrates movies. The Jomba! Contemporary Dance Festival and Awesome Africa celebrate dance and music annually. MTN Durban Fashion week thrills fashion lovers every June. Durban July is Africa's premier horse-racing event. There are also many Hindu festivals throughout the year that will enthrall visitors.

Travelers to the Port of Durban will want to have an authentic Zulu experience. They will find a traditional Zulu village in the Valley of a Thousand Hills where they can learn about this rich culture. Highlights at the village include meeting a Sangoma (a traditional healer and spiritual guide), watch traditional beer being brewed, witness a home being built, enjoy an authentic Zulu meal. Many tours of the area are available.

Visitors to the Port of Durban will also enjoy its wonderful beaches where they will find dolphins and turtles plentiful. With 600 kilometers of coastline on the Indian Ocean and a subtropical climate, the beaches are alive with joggers, cyclists, Tai Chi practitioners, and fishermen out for their breakfast catch. Surfers line the shores waiting for the day's best wave. Paddle surfers play with the dolphin pods. Families enjoy the sun and sand together. The Port of Durban beaches are a definite must-do.

Travelers who want to visit the Port of Durban and KwaZulu Natal can find a list of scheduled cruises on the Cruise Compete website.

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