Do you long for swimming with sharks? In Durban you can fulfill your dream - National Geographic

Do you long for swimming with sharks? In Durban you can fulfill your dream - National Geographic

Author: Mart Eslem

22. 06. 2012

Durban, a three million cosmopolitan metropolis on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal province east of the Dragon Mountains. It is the third largest city in South Africa and the largest seaport on the African continent.

Port Natal (Portuguese for Christmas) got its original name from the sailor Vasco da Gama, who landed as the first European on the coast at Christmas 1497. For centuries, the refuge of pirates, castaways, adventurers and slave traders did not get its current name until 1835. , after the British Governor of the Province of Cape, Sir Benjamin D'Urban.

Swimming with sharks

Durban is a popular seaside resort. About two million tourists visit the city every year. The local so-called northern beach is a popular refuge for surfers. There are large blue-yellow warning signs on the beaches warning of night bathing.

Dozens of sharks are caught around Durban every year. Hundreds of nets protect the beaches from these marine predators. Even so, the beaches are completely closed for several days a year, as a large number of sharks clog the net and they begin to tear. Inscriptions prohibiting swimming cannot therefore be underestimated.

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Toužíte po koupání se žraloky? V Durbanu si můžete splnit sen - National Geographic

One of Durban's most bizarre attractions is associated with the shark and the most dangerous. Perhaps every travel or information agency in the city offers diving face to face with a great white shark. If you want to experience real adrenaline, you can get locked in an iron cage for a fee. Below the Indian Ocean, there is a close encounter with a man-eating shark. Attractions only for those really tough!

Indian Durban

The city is home to a strong community of several hundred thousand Indians. Together with a mixture of whites and Zulus, this fact gives Durban a very cosmopolitan touch. As one meets Indians on every corner, one certainly cannot be surprised to learn how the famous Indian independence fighter, Mahatma Gandhi, spent more than twenty years here with breaks. He came to Durban after studying in England as a young lawyer in the late nineteenth century. However, due to his background, he experienced a lot of humiliation, so it is no wonder that it was here that he created his philosophy of nonviolent resistance and led mass protests against discriminatory laws.

Victoria Street Market is one of these attractive places. In the Indian Quarter, you will soak up the real atmosphere of the Indian market with a taste of the East, even though the original Indian market burned down in 1973. Your clothes smell of exotic spices and you can admire Hindu religious images or carved corals.

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To the worst restaurant in the world

Do not miss a walk along the coastal boulevard without being bothered by the busy traffic of the modern city. The promenade lined with luxury hotels and modern restaurants will infect you with the right holiday atmosphere. If it still exists, sit on the terrace of The Deck Restaurant after dark and treat yourself to a snack. Or visit Joe Kool's Restaurant, which boasts the slogan "Undeniably the world's worst restaurant" and relax by looking at the waves of the Indian Ocean or dozens of ships moored on the horizon.

On the coast you will definitely not miss the Sea Aquarium. Great white sharks are not kept there, but feeding sharks is one of the most popular attractions here. The performance of intelligent marine mammals in the dolphinarium is very popular. And if you're too upset about sharks, you can calm your nerves at the Botanic Gardens on Sydenham Road or another of the many parks Durban is rightly proud of.

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Drive left

Remember that in Durban, as in all of South Africa, cars drive left. Along the highways of South Africa, you are sure to notice safety signs for drivers. Slogans such as "Run alive", "Don't be crazy and don't rush" or "Speed ​​kills" are supposed to prevent traffic accidents.

And since it takes a while for our people to get used to looking to the opposite side when crossing the road, it can easily happen that the drive on the left will surprise you, even in the First National Bank exchange office. I got to the bank counters on the escalators and of course I threw myself on the one on the right. What a surprise when the right one drove down. It took me a while to understand that the escalators are also located in the opposite guard and I could have bought a South African randa in peace…

Introductory photo: Isifa

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