Durban, located on South Africa'€™s east coast, is a city with endless wonders and many tourist attractions, from its warm beachfront and breathtaking game reserves to its awe-inspiring historical and cultural sites.

Durban, South Africa'€™s second most populous city after Johannesburg, is located in the province of KwaZulu Natal and is one of the country'€™s major tourism centers. Durban took part in hosting the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup in its famously grand Moses Mabhida Stadium, named after a former South African Communist Party leader. The city in 2011 also hosted the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-17).

'€œToday, Durban is one of South Africa'€™s most popular tourist destinations,'€ said a local guide named Siboniso Manukuza.

Manukuza said that Durban'€™s status as a tourism site dated back to the 1970s, when its coastal line, dubbed the Golden Mile, was the main attraction. The Golden Mile since then has been given a major facelift and looks distinctive and stunning with the golden sands of the beachfront and the sky-high buildings just behind.

A good view of it can be enjoyed from the top of the Moses Mabhida Stadium, which visitors can reach using the stadium'€™s SkyCar ride.

Along the Golden Mile, visitors can surf and swim in the water. A pool located by the beachfront also allows young visitors to swim safely with their parents. Tourists can also engage in dry activities, such as a Segway ride along the beachfront.

Durban is also home to a number of game reserves, including the Tala Private Game Reserve, where visitors can complete their South African experience with a private game drive and see wildlife in its habitat. The Tala Private Game Reserve is home to giraffes, zebras, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, ostriches, antelopes and wildebeest, among many other animals.

On board a green open truck, visitors can enjoy the view and take pictures of the wildlife. However, a guide at the game reserve, who calls himself Lonely, noted that visitors had to keep quiet and stay inside the truck during the ride.

'€œThe animals often run away at loud noises, so it'€™s better to stay silent during the ride. Everyone must also stay inside the vehicle during the ride for their own safety,'€ he said.

Durban, home to the Zulu tribe, also offers cultural experiences for tourists. For example, tourists can enjoy a traditional Zulu dance at the Phezulu Park. The flashy dance with contagious moves and energetic chants tells the story of a marriage between a Zulu man and woman. According to Zulu tradition, a groom must present cattle to his bride'€™s family to prove his appreciation for his future in-laws before marriage.

Tourists can also visit nearby Howick, where former South African president Nelson Mandela was famously captured by the apartheid government after being on the run for more than 17 months. A museum and a monument now stand along the road where the anti-apartheid revolutionary was arrested while posing as a chauffeur for Johannesburg-based British journalist and political activist Cecil Williams.

The museum offers humbling insight into Mandela'€™s decades-long journey toward ridding South Africa of the apartheid government.

For tourists seeking souvenirs, the busy Victoria Street Market, also known as the Durban Indian Market, offers various handmade Zulu accessories, such as necklaces and headbands. The market shows Durban'€™s diversity, as its shops are mostly owned by people of Indian decent. Aside from South African goods, the market also offers traditional and authentic Indian spices and herbs.

A number of major airlines fly to Durban. Most recently, Qatar Airways opened a new route from the Qatari capital of Doha using Boeing 787 aircraft.

Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said the new route was launched to commemorate the airline'€™s decade of flying to South Africa; the airline began flying to Johannesburg and Cape Town in 2005.

Durban Mayor James Nxumalo said tourists were more than welcome to enjoy the many wonders offered by his city.

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