The Durban bucket list worth getting out for

If you’ve spent years watching surfers from the promenade, perhaps it’s time to join them.

Xpression on the Beach offers lessons with a professional coach and provides the board and equipment. You’ll have someone to help you get started, and nobody expects you to stand up on your first attempt. Book a lesson with a friend and leave the rest of the morning free. You’ll probably want breakfast afterwards.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Book through Xpression on the Beach. Confirm the meeting point, lesson requirements, and weather arrangements before you go.

Most of us pass Durban’s harbour without giving it much thought. A boat trip gives you time to take a proper look.

From the water, the city buildings and port share the view. It’s a different way to spend part of a morning, particularly if your weekends tend to follow the same coffee-and-shopping routine. Operators offer short harbour cruises, including a 30-minute trip, so you can fit one into the day without much fuss.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Check harbour cruise options and confirm the departure point, sailing time, and weather arrangements with the operator.

Phansi is worth making a specific trip to Glenwood for, especially if you’re more likely to visit a museum on holiday than at home.

Its collection is housed in Roberts House, a restored Victorian building on Esther Roberts Road. Ask about a guided visit and give yourself time to hear about the objects on display. Take someone curious about the city too; you’ll have plenty to discuss afterwards.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Phansi Museum is at 500 Esther Roberts Road, Glenwood. Contact the museum through its website to confirm opening hours, admission, and guided visits.

You don’t have to go far from Durban to spend a morning walking in nature. At Krantzkloof in Kloof, choose a trail that suits your fitness and allow enough time to enjoy it.

Pack lunch if you’d like to stay afterwards. The Kloof Falls picnic area has spots beneath indigenous trees, making it a pleasant place to rest before heading home. Go with comfortable shoes, water, and a route you’ve checked in advance.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Use the reserve’s current online trail map, which is updated to show open routes. Older printed maps are outdated. Confirm entry arrangements before your visit.

Choose a performance, book your tickets, and make a proper evening of it.

The Chairman in the Point hosts live jazz alongside artists whose music draws on soul and African rhythms. Check the programme for someone you’ve been wanting to hear, or take a chance on a musician you haven’t seen before. Go with friends who enjoy live music and arrive in time to settle in before the show.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Chairman is at 146 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Point. Check the advertised details for your chosen performance, including tickets, starting times and age restrictions.

For the Fugitive’s official clues and competition information, visit East Coast Radio.