Durban is the largest city in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. A coastal port with a consistent sub-tropical climate, its wide golden beaches are washed by the warm Indian Ocean. Durban is a holidaymaker's paradise, operating as a gateway to the dozens of seaside resort towns to the south and north of the city.
The Golden Mile central beach area, flanked by numerous high-rise hotels, stretches for four miles (6km). It is fronted by promenades and entertainment facilities with many things to see and do, such as flea markets, a skate park, and colourful rickshaws.
The heritage of the amaZulu, whose ancestors inhabited the province before the coming of the European colonial powers, is very evident in the region north of the Tugela River. This region is known as Zululand, where the legendary King Shaka once ruled supreme.
Today, most of KwaZulu-Natal's best game parks can be found in this region. Durban is the gateway not only to the popular coastal beach resorts of the province, including Ballito, but also to the rolling hills and plains of the Natal Midlands and their backdrop: the majestic, jagged peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains, which border the province in the west and cradle the nearby mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
