Curry on with culture, safely

The key to enjoying a visit to Durban, South Africa's third city, is to gel with the locals. Given the visibly mixed ethnic variety in the city, the chances of 'sticking out like a sore thumb' are less.

And not 'sticking out' is important. This beautiful Indian Ocean port city is not one of the safest places to wander around.

Crime, while not as diabolical as in Johannesburg, is still a fact of life here, highlighted by boards outside homes and offices that warn would-be burglars of an 'armed response'. It pays not to stroll about with the Nikon around the neck and a tourist map in hand.

Continental mix

Africa, England and India meet in Durban. The city is a curious mix of these three very different cultures. And, given the legacy of apartheid, it is still possible to go to 'native', 'Indian' or 'white' areas.

In 1824, the English settlers, who built an ivory-trading outpost here after being granted land by the Zulu king Shaka, named the city Port Natal. Later, it became Durban, after the Cape Colony's governor, Sir Benjamin D'Urban.

The most 'exotic' part of town is the Victoria Street Market. Here, you can come across witch doctors hawking fresh baboon legs used in traditional medicine. And if you can still bear it, walk past the nearby meat market, where you can buy every imaginable — and unimaginable — type of meat.

Indian connection

They say Durban is the 'Indian capital' of South Africa. Indeed, the Indian connection is so strong here that, in some areas, you could be forgiven for thinking you are in Chennai or parts of Gujarat. Most of South Africa's ethnic Indians are descendants of indentured labourers brought to work on the sugar plantations of Natal in the 19th century.

The rest were traders who came from western India, especially Gujarat.

One of the most famous Indian residents of Durban was Mahatma Gandhi. He reached South Africa in 1893 and stayed there for the next 21 years.

Fulfilling experience

The Phoenix Settlement, Gandhi's ashram outside Durban, is worth a visit. Phoenix was meant to be an experience in self-sufficiency and communal living. Gandhi also built a house and installed a printing press there. Both were destroyed in squatter riots in 1985, but have been rebuilt since.

South Asian flavours dominate Durban's cuisine. Traditionally, Indian restaurants have been some of the most popular eating joints. And with the influx of Pakistani restaurateurs, since the early 1990s, you can find restaurants with names such as 'Chicken Tikka Palace' and 'Khana Khazana'.

Do not forget to sample the 'bunny chow', a dish unique to Durban. This is made of a bun, the middle of which is scooped out and filled with curried vegetables or meat.

My guide, Urmilla, believes the dish got its name from baniyas, as the Gujaratis who introduced it were known, given their trading background.

Praying for the best

The best restaurants are in the Grey Street-Queen Street area. Here you will also come across one of Africa's largest mosques, the spectacular Juma Masjid. For a free, guided tour of the mosque, you can contact the office of the Islamic Propagation Centre International — which was founded by the well-known Muslim scholar, the late Shaikh Ahmad Deedat.

Durban is known as South Africa's coastal playground. It has some of Africa's best surfing beaches. Though I have never held a surfboard in my hand, I have always been fascinated by surfers ducking 15m-high waves. One afternoon, I sat in the balcony of my hotel on Marine Parade — part of Durban's 'Golden Mile' — waiting for the action on the beach to begin.

What I saw were not surfers but rescue vehicles and red flags: the waves were perilously high, and had breached the levies near the corniche.

The lobby of a hotel nearby was filled with seawater. I found myself calling up the met department, asking whether it was safe to stay on.

Go there...Durban

From the UAE
From Dubai: Emirates and South African Airlines fly five times a week via Johannesburg. Fare: Dh4,500
(All fares exclusive of taxes)
— Information courtesy: MMI Travel

Information

• When in Durban, use private taxis. The meter starts at about R4 (Dh2). Public transport is avoidable. And the informal, stop-and-pick vans that operate on important routes are not safe for tourists.
• The city's infrastructure is first class, with well-paved and well-marked motorways.
• If you have time on your hands, you can also visit the picture-perfect town of Pietermaritzburg, about 80km from Durban. It was here that Gandhi was thrown out of a whites-only railway compartment, an incident that was to have a major impact on his life. Today, a bronze statue of Gandhi stands in the city centre.

Visas
Citizens of most countries need a visa to travel to South Africa. In Dubai, the visas can be got from the South African consulate. Phone number: 04-3975222.

Where to stay
I stayed at the four-star Beach Hotel on the Marine Parade, where most of the good hotels are located. At R500 (Dh250) a night, including breakfast, it was good value for money.