TRAVEL
LOOKING out the cage into the deep blue sea a shark emerges from the murky depths. The creature’s grey skin shimmers in the water with its beady white eyes seemingly fixated on me.
It gets closer and within seconds I am face-to-face with the two metre long predator. More swim towards me and before I know it a dozen others are now circling the cage.
While my heart is racing, the terror soon gives way to awe as the black tip sharks majestically glide around me. A terrifying, but exhilarating half-an-hour, it is one of the many reasons why South Africa is just simply breathtaking.
Whether it’s cage diving with sharks, watching lions during a game drive or horseback riding in the incredible Drakensberg Mountains - it is a country filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I had flown into Durban, which sits in the south-eastern coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, just days earlier.
Durban itself is a bustling city filled with high-rise hotels, water parks, casino and shopping malls, impressive football and rugby stadiums, a colourful beach front and lively townships.
Cycling down the dazzling stretch of coastline known as the Golden Mile is an enjoyable way of getting to know the area and take in some of the sights and sounds – whether that’s watching brave surfers taking on giant waves or keeping an eye on the cheeky vervet monkeys in the trees.
With daytime temperatures hitting the 20s even in the winter, a great stop-off is at the seafront Circus Circus Cafe where you can enjoy some fresh seafood along with a crisp pint of Castle or a glass of cool dry South African white.
Durban has a fantastic culinary scene and there are no shortage of places to try for a bite to eat in the evening – whether it’s a tender fillet or T-bone steak at Cubana or more traditional African cuisine at Moyo.
And of course no visit would be complete without trying a braai (a traditional South African barbecue) at Under the Moon in the nearby Inanda township - a township where Mahatma Gandhi once lived.
The art-deco Suncoast Towers, which sits just metres from the sea, is the perfect place to base yourself