HELLOOOO MY LUVIES!
If you have been following my blog you'll know that I am an attorney turned academic. Yes, I went from practising law to teaching it :) I have to admit it has been such an enriching experience and I am enjoying every minute of it. I am so blessed to have finally found my purpose.
So two weeks ago I went on my first business trip as an academic. I attended my very first Law Teachers Conference in...wait for it...DURBAN, KWAZULU NATAL- my home province!
If you have never been to Durban then you definitely do not know what you're missing out on. The best part about Durban has to be THE WEATHER!
Durban hardly ever experiences winter!
I am not exaggerating!
Durban has warm weather all year long. When I relocated to Cape Town my biggest challenge was adjusting to its winters. I wasn't used to such extreme cold.
So here are my TOP THREE REASONS WHY I LOVE DURBAN:
1. GATEWAY THEATRE OF SHOPPING
If you love fashion as much as I do then you absolutely HAVE to make your way to Gateway Mall if you're ever in Durban.
Situated in UMHLANGA RIDGE, UMHLANGA - an upmarket seaside resort town north of Durban - Gateway is (arguably) the best and largest mall in KwaZulu Natal.
So what about Gateway is so amazing you may ask? Not only does Gateway have my favourite department stores such as WOOLWORTHS, FOSCHINI, and STUTTAFORDS; it also houses some designer labels such as PRINGLE OF SCOTLAND (love it), TOPSHOP, ZARA, and of course one of weaknesses, ALDO!
In addition to the shopping, Gateway is the best ENTERTAINMENT hotspot! If you're a surfer dude or dudette then you should make your way to THE WAVE HOUSE. The Wave House has the best fusion of surfing, snowboarding, skating and wakeboarding.
The Wave House is also home to THE ROCK, one of the highest indoor climbing walls you'll ever have the pleasure to see. There are also live bands that perform at the Wave House which makes it one of the TRENDIEST hang out spots in Durbs.
If you love watching theatre productions then THE BARNYARD THEATRE is for you! Also situated in Gateway, you can enjoy local and international performances whilst on vacation in the best summer AND winter destination.
Finally, the BEST part about Gateway is that it's a walking distance from most luxury hotels and upmarket restaurants that you can find in Umhlanga Ridge. So you can experience world class hospitality and fine dining with the best mall at your doorstep.
As it's tagline indicates Gateway is more than a shopping centre, IT'S A DESTINATION!
2. THE BEACH
Durban is a coastal city and so of course you cannot visit Durbs without ensuring that you go swimming in the ocean. The best part about Durban beaches is that you can actually SWIM IN THE OCEAN as the water is WARM! Unlike Cape Town where the water is far too cold to swim in.
3. uSHAKA MARINE WORLD
My favourite place in Durban. At the end of Durban's Golden Mile is the beginning of uShaka, a world-class entertainment and tourist destination. It is the best place for both young and old. At uShaka you'll find THE VILLAGE WALK, which hosts unique outdoor adventure stores, curio stores and surf and ethnic clothing stores creating a retail heaven which is uniquely Durban.
You'll also find SEA WORLD, one of the largest aquariums in the Southern Hemisphere. Sea World is really an adventure. You can watch dolphin shows, seal shows, penguin presentations, shark dives, ray feeds to name just a few.
I really enjoyed my visit to the aquarium.
There were so many interesting fish
CAN YOU SPOT THE FISH? The East Coast Sole Fish which is a master of camouflage.
So should you ever decide to visit our beautiful country, ensure you plan a stay in sunny Durban. It's an ideal vacation destination whatever the weather.
Until next time my luvies
Slius
Labels: Durban, shopping, South Africa, Travel
