Durban Tours and safaris present some of the best reflections of South Africa a visitor to our country can get. The cultural diversity of Durban City includes African, Asian and European influences, which make it the most cosmopolitan city in South Africa. A tour of Durban is well recommended.

Durban is perfectly situated for tours and safaris as it is a gateway to the unique destinations of KwaZulu Natal, including the Drakensberg Mountains, Zululand with its wildlife and Zulu culture, the World Heritage site of St Lucia, the Battlefields of Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer War, and the stunning coastline of the Indian Ocean.

Amatikulu Tours is based in Durban, South Africa, and offer unique tours and safaris to all destinations within KwaZulu Natal and most other destinations within South Africa. We are accredited members of the South African Tourism Services Association (SATSA), and comply with the strictest criteria of standards available in South Africa. All tour guides are accredited by SATOUR, the official South African tourism body, and offer a professional and friendly service.

About Durban

Now the largest and busiest city on the East Coast of South Africa, in KwaZulu Natal, Durban has an interesting history. It was founded in 1824 by a party of British traders from Cape Town, who discovered the present harbour, then a lagoon fed by the Mbilo and Mhlatuzana rivers. The surrounding countryside was teeming with wildlife, including elephant and lion, and the settlers contended with many dangers. Even today, the main roads from the city to the suburb of Berea are built on old elephant trails.

The local people were the Zulus. The Zulu nation was in the process of being formed and consolidated under its first and greatest king, Shaka. Shaka's fame and news of the prowess and vitality of the Zulus had reached Cape Town, spurring on the expedition to open trade relations with the new nation. The settlement at Port Natal prospered, and was renamed Durban in 1835 after Sir Benjamin D'Urban, the governor of the Cape.

A strong Afrikaner population arrived in the 1830s during a movement known as the Great Trek. A Boer republic of Natal was established with a capital at Pietermaritzburg, 80km from Durban. This interfered with British interests, and a brief war was fought between the British and the Boers in 1842 resulting in Natal becoming a British colony in1844. The three strong powers fought various battles, and the province has many battlefields ; British/Boer, British/Zulu, Boer/Zulu and Zulu/Zulu.

Durban harbour was enlarged by extensive dredging operations, and the early exports of ivory and skins soon expanded to include all types of general cargo, especially South Africa's sugar exports. The sugar industry was the cause of extensive Indian migration to Natal, as indentured labour. After their indenture period was complete, these people decided not to return to India. They now form a high proportion of the current population, and have made significant contributions to the cultural diversity of the city.

Durban has a population of over 4 million, who enjoy one of the finest climates in the world. The tropical maritime climate gives warm wet summers and cool dry winters. The Indian ocean allows swimming all year round on beautiful beaches. Durban is the gateway to the KwaZulu Natal interior with magnificent scenery, including the Drakensberg mountain range, excellent game viewing opportunities, Zulu cultural villages, the World Heritage site of St Lucia, and many historical sites.

Durban Tours