World Cup Welcome

Welcoming the world to Durban are Guesthouse co-owners Dave and Llewellyn on the rooftop of the house with views of the new FIFA World Cup Football Stadium in the background.

The past few weeks have been busy ones at the Guesthouse recovering furniture, painting, choosing new furniture and curtains for some of the rooms, putting desks and safes in every room and pimping up the Pub for the visitors from around the world due for the World Cup Football event.

We will be welcoming guests from Australia, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, United States, England, Netherlands, South Africa, and Switzerland.  

We hope you have a really awesome time in Durban guys and may the best team win.

It's happening in Durban

The fans and teams are arriving and it's happening in Durban.

The excitement is building and everyone has flags of the nations on their cars, houses and shop-windows.

In the photo above is a Makarapa (left and right) - it's a plastic constuction hat that has been turned into a football fan hat by cutting out figures and picture-shapes from the hat and hand-painting them so that they stand out in relief from the hat.

The Makarapa was invented by a cleaner Alfred Baloyi and they are being made at a workshop in Johannesburg especially for the World Cup. A real hand-made Makarapa would make a good souvrenir from South Africa and the World Cup. And have you got a Vuvuzela....?

Welcome to the Greek team

Welcome to the Greek national football team who have arrived in Durban for their World Cup training.

They are based in Umhlanga, a suburb of Durban where we have a large greek community. They will not however be playing in Durban - unless of course the team qualifies for one of the semi-finals. Good luck guys!

Brazil vs Portugal Fri 25 June

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and I made my way yesterday to the FIFA ticket office to collect my tickets I bought online some time ago.

The crucial part of the visit was waiting long enough as the queues in the early days when the ticket office opened were hectic. Yesterday was a breeze and I walked right up to the counter and my tickets were instantly printed out.

So here they are. We are going to see Brazil vs Portugal. I have already bought my Brazil t.shirt!!

Durban lights up the World

Durban's main street is ablaze with lights for the World Cup event. Traditionally only Christmas lights have ever spanned our main street, so it was a treat to see the World Cup countries flags down the length of the street.

Football hotbodz for World Cup

With the World Cup coming to Durban in just over two weeks fans are excited not just to see their favourite footballers in action on the field but many hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the sexier players. We have compiled a photo-selection of some of the hotter bodz which could keep Durban girls and guys eagerly awaiting their arrival.

In the photos are from top to bottom and left to right - Ruud van Nustelrooy (Nethrlands), Roque Santa- Cruz (Paraguay), Cesc Fabregas, left and right (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and next pic with Armani jeans,  David Albelda (Spain), Iker Cassilas (Spain), Roque Santa-Cruz (Paraguay), Vincenzo Montella (Italy) and again Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). WOW!

Soccer fever.. less than 30 days

It's less than 30 days to the World Cup event and around us shops, cars, houses, people.. are sporting world and South African flags.

The wedding shop window display - top pics - are really awesome and the pics don't really do justice to the real display. Well done guys. GO FIFA GO!! I still have to collect my tickets to the Portugal vs Brazil game.. avoiding the queues, and last night I made contact with a guy involved with FIFA who may have some Australia vs Germany tickets available. Anyone want to buy some?

Africa's largest "Indaba" travel show in Durban

South Africa's Tourism Indaba (Zulu for "Meeting" or "gathering") is Africa's largest travel show and has been held for the past 12 years by popular demand in Durban.

Today we became tourists in our own country and visited the show to see what Africa has to offer the world. The Indaba attracts over 12 000 delegates representing the tourism industry world-wide who come to see the showcase of Southern African and Indian Ocean islands travel opportunties.

In the photos (from top) Durban Stadium View Guesthouse co-owner Dave on the 1st floor of the South African Airways stand at the Indaba show, a photo of the Durban Moses Mabhida Stadium forming part of the Art exhibition at Indaba, Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn at the Indaba entrance, a footballer sculpture in wire, beads and lights representing the FIFA World Cup event, also represented widely at the show, and Dave blasts a vuvuzela, the local form of trumpet used to herald and make noise at soccer events locally.

New King Shaka Airport Durban

Here are some more images of Durban's new King Shaka International Airport most of our guests for the World Cup will be seeing soon.

Durban dawn

The sun has risen and it's another glorious winter morning in Durban. For those not from Durban it is almost hard to believe it is winter; we went to the beach yesterday and tanned coming home a little pink. This is not the case for the rest of South Africa though - it is already quite cold inland and whereas we have a dry winter, it is usually raining and cold this time of the year in Cape Town.

Guesthouse Studio gets an uplift

With the FIFA 2010 World Cup almost upon us we have been busy at the Guesthouse with some upgrades to the rooms and facilities.

The photos show the Garden Studio and the new decor, the kitchen, the en-suite shower and the large spacious interior. We have just hung new curtains, added furniture and soft furnishings and repainted. Guests are sure to be comfortable.

Breakfast in the Guesthouse is included with our Garden Studio rates, but guests there also have a mini-kitchen so can also make meals, warm goodies up in the microwave or store coldstuffs in the fridge. This is especially handy for those spending more than a few days with us.

The Studio can also accommodate an extra bed for an additional guest or couple. The rates are R1950 per night (for 3 guests).

King Shaka International Airport - opened 1 May 2010

Wow, what an exciting weekend for Durban!! We made international aviation history as the only airport to have completed re-located to a brand new airport 35kms north of the city. Both airports were up and running simultaneously, with staff at both ends having to oversee the big switchover. 

We were there on Friday 30th April to see the last plane land at the Durban International Airport - open since 1955 and closed for the last time at 10pm.

Then this morning, Sat 1 May heralded the opening of the brand new 3x larger King Shaka International airport designed to cater for the huge A380 Airbus and the droves of international tourists who are discovering the gem of Durban on the sunny east coast of South Africa.

In the photos from top, how the morning paper covered the planeload of dignitaries who were first to land at the new airport. then the pics of the awesome new airport I took today, and in the smaller pics Dave (that's me) hamming it up at the deserted check-in counters and baggage belt at the closing airport after the last flight had departed on Friday night.

All the Durban Info

All the important information you will need about Durban for the Fifa World Cup football is set out on Durban's Official site - just follow this link.

Our Guesthouse is about a 15min walk to the Stadium, but Durban's transport will swing into action  for the World Cup and special additional bus and mini-taxi routes have been laid on to get the fans from all around Durban there on time.

We have also prepared a Google map of the area and nearby restaurants and you can see this by following this link to help you get your bearings.

German Football Team fly in Style

The German national football team will arrive in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup in style as they will be part of Lufthansa’s first long haul flight for their new A380.

The special flight operated by Lufthansa’s new flagship leaves Frankfurt Airport on Sunday 6th June and will arrive in Johannesburg.

Germany plays Australia in Durban's opening World Cup game at our new Stadium on Sun 13th June.

Durban Transport Plan

Everyone in the tourism industry is delighted that Durban has launched a new Public Transport website in time for the World Cup Football event.
If you follow the link here you will be able to find bus routes and time-tables helping you get around the city.

We have also been hard at work at the Guesthouse and have put in a Guest computer with free internet access (in addition to the free wi-fi we have throughout the house) and on the desktop you are able to click on our Google Map and find restaurants, pubs and tourist info within 100 metres of the Guesthouse as well as directions to other places of interest and nearby shopping centres.

In addition we have installed a telephone for guest use with free calls to book a taxi or one of our favourite restaurants.

In the photo above Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn checks out the Google Africa map showing Durban View Guesthouse.