Durban Metro

When looking for a hotel in Durban Metro, you can first consider which themes you want to shape your stay. The eThekwini municipal museums cover different subjects, including history, visual art, and natural science; uShaka Sea World combines an aquarium with animal presentations, while uShaka Wet n Wild is a water park. This brings together a range of cultural and leisure interests. To make your choice, start by considering which of these themes matters most to you.

Municipal museums: history, art, and natural science

The eThekwini municipal museums include the Durban Local History Museums, which focus on cultural and historical heritage; the Durban Art Gallery, which features visual art; and the Durban Natural Science Museum, which covers natural science aspects of heritage. These represent three distinct areas of interest: local and cultural history, art, and natural science. If you are planning your trip around particular themes, you can use this distinction to consider which subjects interest you most.

The Local History Museums comprise 19 locations, all managed entirely by the Municipality. The number of locations may change.

uShaka Sea World and Wet n Wild

uShaka Sea World is an aquarium. Presentations offered there include dolphin shows, seal viewing, and penguin presentations. The show program may change, so it is a good idea to check the current schedule before your visit. uShaka Wet n Wild is a water park. Its focus differs from Sea World: Sea World centers on the aquarium and animal presentations, while Wet n Wild is a water park. This comparison can help you choose leisure activities based on your interests.

More museum themes in the wider destination of Ethekwini

The wider destination of Ethekwini offers further museum themes. The Durban Natural Science Museum – City Hall offers self-guided and guided gallery tours, workshops, and exhibition programs. The KwaMuhle Museum features reconstructions of the oppressive conditions experienced by South Africa’s Black population under apartheid.

The Pinetown Museum covers the development of the Pinetown region from prehistory to modern times. Its exhibits include a replica of Mrs Ples’s skull, Stone Age tools and artifacts, and material on local Indian culture. The historical themes differ: the KwaMuhle Museum focuses on apartheid and its oppressive conditions, while the Pinetown Museum spans the period from prehistory to modern times and includes specific exhibits as well as material on local culture.

Ethekwini as a regional setting

The eThekwini Municipality stretches from cosmopolitan coastal areas in the north to rugged valleys in the west. This geographic range describes the wider destination of Ethekwini and adds a perspective on the region as a whole to its individual museum themes.

Discover more destinations: Umdloti, Chatsworth, Kingsburgh, Durban North, KwaMashu, Gillitts, Tongaat, Craigieburn.

Return to the wider travel overview: Kwazulu-Natal.