Durban trip Advice

DrX said:
What's the latest on the ecoli levels for umhlanga main beach, clean or still high ?
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Friend of mine just got back this past weekend. The water is not safe Umhlanga side and is also quite dirty after the rains. Ballito is your best bet if you must go.
 
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SHL said:
Friend of mine just got back this past weekend. The water is not safe Umhlanga side and is also quite dirty after the rains. Ballito is your best bet if you must go.
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Be wary of pickpockets/muggers in Ballito beach area.
 
I go toti side to swim. Water seems cleaner.
Baggies beach,Warner seems good,beach is clean too.

Umhlanga used to be my go to spot but since the flood it's crap,at times you can even smell the **** as you enter umhlanga

I'm on a river watch group and to be honest nothing has been done to sort out the ecoli levels. Municipality is lying to everyone and it's the luck of the draw as to where the rivers are going to push out the sewage.
 
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slightly OT

Uber ok from King Shaka to Balitto ? Flying in on the 14th ?
 
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I would only go from Umhlanga to Ushaka marine world and then to Gateway or Umhlanga Rocks.

We flew in with the kids and stayed at the City Lodge, although my friends said the road lodge was decent as it had a sleeper couch? Not sure. But both are next to each other. I honestly wont book the hotel breakfast as you're on the other side of Gateway's parking area, so you merely take a stroll and have breakfast in the mall. We just went to Ushaka for the Water and Aquarium side and had lunch there and went back. Used Uber and even our driver said he feared going into Durban itself as it's a dump. Luckily we had the same Uber driver for there and back.

Both hotels has a pool, you can swim there. Its better maintained.

If I go there again, I would probs just stay at the Road lodge, as generally you just want to sleep and its got good reviews for cleanliness. City Lodge is next door, although its 2 per room, RL can fit 3 if you use the green chair for a bed. Protea hotel too. You can use your clicks clubcard I think for discount, otherwise try booking.com, but this would be the best, and safest area to stay. If you want to be closer to the beach, goto Umhlanga Rocks side. This is just over the ridge from the beach.

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ushakamarine.com

uShaka Marine World

A world class entertainment theme park & tourism destination located on Durban’s Golden Mile. Looking for things to do in Durban, South Africa? We bring together cultures, like no other place in Africa–into a safe, secure & clean environment.
ushakamarine.com ushakamarine.com

There are restaurants outside Ushaka and its got a bit of a beach infront.
 
tcofran said:
slightly OT

Uber ok from King Shaka to Balitto ? Flying in on the 14th ?
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I prefered the Uber over the Hotel Shuttle which was like a dodgy venture bus, that costs 2.5x more than the Uber. We used Uber the whole time, but because the hotel was right across from the mall's parking, it was easy. And the more has some activities too. Has a fun park, gokarts, cinema and so on. And a lot of food variety.

Just a helluva drive from Cape Town, and flying there? Well we prefer abroad more. But the only place in Durban I would visit again. The stadium walk was terrible. Skip that.
 
City Lodge Umhlanga also now offers sleeper couches, but book via their site, and you can get discount via clicks. They also have a few les 30% discount, but honestly, buy the breakfast at the mall.
 
Corelli said:
ushakamarine.com

uShaka Marine World

A world class entertainment theme park & tourism destination located on Durban’s Golden Mile. Looking for things to do in Durban, South Africa? We bring together cultures, like no other place in Africa–into a safe, secure & clean environment.
ushakamarine.com ushakamarine.com

There are restaurants outside Ushaka and its got a bit of a beach infront.
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Havnt been inside ushaka for a few years but outside and the mini mall (tourist trap) next door is a dump. Don't know what happened but it's fithly and run down and has started to attract really rough crowd there.

There really isn't much left here that's decent.

If you into the whole farmers market thing, on Saturday there is shongweni market (really worth the trip)and a market I havnt been to in ballito
 
Its R9500 return to Thailand at the moment via Singapore Airlines. You can book a multicity and stop in Singapore or you can do a 2 stop. ie Singapore for 3 days (Stay Chinatown side there is a nice hostel there St something cant remember but it has seperate rooms too), and then can pop into Universal Studios with the kids and enjoy Sentosa. Then onward to Hong Kong for shopping. Stay the YMCA near Mong Kok. From there take the train or bus and goto Disneyland Hk. 2 days is plenty. You can also take a longer trip and stay overnight in Macua (via the bus is cheap).

So dependent on how old your kids is, airfare etc will be cheaper for them.

And the best part? Just visa on arrival at all of them or visa free for a South African. If you want more beachy maybe goto Bali as its pretty cheap. A week accommodation isnt much. Legian is nice.
 
Corelli said:
Its R9500 return to Thailand at the moment via Singapore Airlines. You can book a multicity and stop in Singapore or you can do a 2 stop. ie Singapore for 3 days (Stay Chinatown side there is a nice hostel there St something cant remember but it has seperate rooms too), and then can pop into Universal Studios with the kids and enjoy Sentosa. Then onward to Hong Kong for shopping. Stay the YMCA near Mong Kok. From there take the train or bus and goto Disneyland Hk. 2 days is plenty. You can also take a longer trip and stay overnight in Macua (via the bus is cheap).

So dependent on how old your kids is, airfare etc will be cheaper for them.

And the best part? Just visa on arrival at all of them or visa free for a South African. If you want more beachy maybe goto Bali as its pretty cheap. A week accommodation isnt much. Legian is nice.
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Oh my goodness are you brain-dead or something?

The man just wants to take his family to Durban/Ballito from Pretoria for short holiday (maybe for the weekend), wants to find out about the beaches and amenities.

What is your suggestion?..... Go to Bali, Hong-Kong, Indonesia.

I guess you not a fan of Durban, and as your previous post, you want to close down Prospecton Toyota plant and ship all the jobs to Thailand.

Cost difference R250k vs R10k .....


You living in Disneyland

PS ..... You don't need a visa AT ALL for HK and Singapore, Thailand.... What the hell are you talking about? I was there to all of those countries a few months ago, and plenty of times at that, I didn't need a Visa.
 
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Show me
Corelli said:
Its R9500 return to Thailand at the moment via Singapore Airlines. You can book a multicity and stop in Singapore or you can do a 2 stop. ie Singapore for 3 days (Stay Chinatown side there is a nice hostel there St something cant remember but it has seperate rooms too), and then can pop into Universal Studios with the kids and enjoy Sentosa. Then onward to Hong Kong for shopping. Stay the YMCA near Mong Kok. From there take the train or bus and goto Disneyland Hk. 2 days is plenty. You can also take a longer trip and stay overnight in Macua (via the bus is cheap).

So dependent on how old your kids is, airfare etc will be cheaper for them.

And the best part? Just visa on arrival at all of them or visa free for a South African. If you want more beachy maybe goto Bali as it’s pretty cheap. A week accommodation isnt much. Legian is nice.
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Show me where Thailand is R9500 with Singapore airlines, return
I’ll wait….
 
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