Durban's unheralded delights

A statue of Nelson Mandela at the Ohlange High School,where he cast his vote in the 1994 election.[Photo by Hilton Yip / China Daily]

Ninety years later, Nelson Mandela cast his vote at the nearby Ohlange High School in the nation's first free election. Mandela did this as a sign of respect for John L. Dube, the school's founder and the first president of the ruling African National Congress, Mandela's and Zuma's party.

Dube and his wife are buried in the school's compound. This part of town is in a sprawling low-income settlement, a vivid reminder of the country's social inequality.

One of Durban's main landmarks is a much more recent addition.

The Moses Mabhida Stadium, one of the most magnificent of South Africa's 2010 football World Cup stadiums, was the venue for seven World Cup games.

From a distance, the gleaming white stadium resembles a surging whale. Its open top is bisected by a 106-meter-arch that looms spectacularly over the stadium, which visitors can ride to the top of, or even bungee jump off of, as long as there isn't a match being played.

Durban can look and feel like a mix of Africa, Europe, North America and more.

Visitors should try the city's most distinctive delicacy, bunny chow. Despite its name, there is no rabbit meat, but curried chicken or mutton combined with potatoes and stuffed into a hollowed-out quarter or half loaf of bread.

The dish comes from the city's Indian community, supposedly the largest outside India at almost a million people.

Their forefathers came from India to work, mostly as indentured laborers, in the province's sugar plantations during the 19th and 20th centuries. As such, there are many Indian restaurants. Indian snacks, such as samosas, are sold everywhere.

Downtown, the Indian heritage, unique to South Africa, can be seen with the Juma Masjid mosque, the largest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Victoria Street Market, where incense, Indian goods, and spices are sold in its many shops.

Travelers don't need to restrict themselves to Durban because the city is also a gateway to many attractions including the Drakensberg mountain range, Anglo-Zulu and Boer Wars battlefields, Zulu villages, and wildlife parks.

Durban is a must-see destination for any South African travel itinerary.