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I chose snorkelling over shark cage diving because I wanted more time in the water. By the end of our visit to uShaka Marine World, I was still swimming, had seen the sharks through the glass and felt quite smug about the whole arrangement.
But first, there had been a helicopter. And painting. And a very good dinner.
Southern Sun and Durban Tourism had invited us on a two-day media trip, with Beverly Hills in uMhlanga as our overnight base. There was plenty on the itinerary, though thankfully someone had also scheduled massages.
Ronelle Pillay, Southern Sun’s regional revenue and sales manager for KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, explained why the programme took us beyond the hotels. The partnership with Durban Tourism was about giving visitors reasons to explore the city as well as somewhere to stay.
Day one: a helicopter ride, painting and dinner
We boarded the Ricksha Bus for Virginia Airport, where a helicopter ride awaited. It was quite a start to an ordinary weekday.
Living in Durban, I spend plenty of time beside the coast. Taking a flight from Virginia gave me a reason to stop treating it as the background to everything else I’m doing.
For anyone wanting to explore by bus, the standard Ricksha Bus city tour costs R116 per adult, or R59 for children aged four to 17 and South African pensioners aged 60 and older. That is a three-hour sightseeing tour; our airport transfer was arranged for the media trip.
The flight deserves a separate story, as does our stay at Beverly Hills. Back at the hotel, we settled around tables for sip-and-paint, with canvases, brushes and drinks.
After the morning’s outing, sitting down to paint was a welcome change. There was time to chat and work on our pictures before dinner, hosted by Southern Sun, brought the first day to a close.
Go-karts before breakfast
The following morning, we collected our pedal go-karts from Xpression and headed along the promenade. There were blue skies, palm trees and the beachfront stretching ahead. Breakfast would have to wait.
It is an easy outing to overlook when you live here. There is always somewhere to be or something to finish. On this morning, riding along the promenade was the thing we had come to do.
Time Out Durban’s published guide lists Xpression’s kart hire at R150 per hour. Check the current rate and collection point directly before visiting.
Then it was over to Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani, where breakfast was worth the early start. The spread was excellent, but the breakfast bunny was the one I asked executive chef Shaun Munro about afterwards.
He had taken the bunny chow and filled a mini version with scrambled egg, crispy bacon, baked beans and mushrooms, with cheddar to sprinkle on top. “Breakfast in a bunny,” as he put it. It was delicious, and one of my favourite things we ate.
Munro also spoke about seafood cooked to order at Lingela and the kitchen’s own spice blends for its curries. Breakfast had given us a good reason to return for another meal.
Southern Sun treated us to a pool party afterwards, with massages from the Mangwanani team. After getting up early to pedal along the promenade, I was happy to sit still for a while.
A new look for familiar hotels
Elangeni & Maharani is also being refurbished. General manager Lettisha Singh told me that work had started on public areas and guest rooms, with a wider room rollout planned for 2027 once the sample rooms are approved.
Time Out previously reported that the R250-million refurbishment programme began in July 2026 and would run over three years.
Singh spoke just as warmly about returning guests. People tell her they got married at the hotels, celebrated birthdays there, or visited as children. Now, some are coming back for their own children’s weddings.
The refurbishment will change how the hotels look, but those family connections help explain why people keep booking.
READ: Durban’s Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani undergoes R250-million refurbishment
The swim I didn’t want to finish
Our final outing took us to uShaka Marine World, where we had a choice between snorkelling and shark cage diving.
I went for the snorkel, thinking it would give me more swimming time. On our visit, those doing the cage dive were lowered into the water and brought back up after a relatively short encounter. I was still in the lagoon, happily swimming among the fish.
At the far end, I could see the sharks through the glass separating the tanks. We were very much in different spaces, which suited me perfectly.
For what I wanted, I had made the right choice. I got a long swim, plenty of fish to watch and a look at the sharks anyway. The cage dive may appeal more to anyone set on that closer encounter, but I had no complaints from my side of the glass.
A 30-minute Snorkel Lagoon session is listed at R169 per person, with a R90 off-peak option on Mondays and Tuesdays. The shark dive costs R282 per person. Check admission requirements separately before booking.
Of everything we packed into those two days, that was the activity I was least ready to finish. I would happily go back for another swim. Breakfast, too, if someone is taking bookings.
After uShaka, we headed to Tyler’s in uMdloti for lunch. I was famished after all that swimming, and sitting down to a meal was the perfect way to end our two-day trip.
What does a stay cost?
Southern Sun’s SunBreaks sale advertises Beverly Hills standard rooms from R4,018 per room per night. At Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani, standard rooms start at R1,365, and family rooms at R1,540 per room per night.
These are promotional starting rates, including breakfast for up to two adults, rather than general one-night prices. The Elangeni & Maharani rates cover the combined property; request a Maharani room specifically if that is your preference.
Bookings open from 27 to 30 October 2026, for stays from 1 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. Savings are up to 25% for two to five nights, or up to 30% for six nights or more.
A 50% non-refundable prepayment is required. Rates include VAT but exclude the tourism levy. Availability and blackout dates apply, including 30 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 at Elangeni & Maharani.
See the SunBreaks offer and full booking conditions.
Our activities were arranged as part of a hosted media trip. The sip-and-paint session, dinner, pool party and massages should not be read as inclusions in the hotel offer.
The writer was hosted by Southern Sun and Durban Tourism.
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