One of the key things to look out for in any modern city is its night life, how the city goes to sleep; if indeed it goes to sleep at all.  My recent trip to Durban, which was my first visit to the beautiful city in the KwaZulu Natal province, left a lasting impression on me. While the activities in the bright and sunny day excited my senses, the night was packed with enough to see and do that had me guessing what awaited me each night.

Durban has an active mix of nightlife, since it draws in countless tourists who enjoy fun in the sun as well as revelry afterwards. The city is filled with many lovely hotels, pubs, casinos, restaurants and nightclubs that offer a variety of options for whatever kind of outing one prefers, as well as the crowd one prefers. The post sunset activities in Durban range from grooving to techno at one of the hip nightclubs, relishing the atmosphere at a romantic restaurant, watching theatre or simply grabbing a brew at a local pub. Since Durban’s population is eclectic, even the types of clubs and pubs are diverse. For instance, 330 is a club that garners rave reviews from all who visit for its expertly mixed music.

The Florida Road experience…

During my visit, most of my night activities were around dining and clubbing. For dining, our place of call was Durban’s dining street, Florida Road. In the mornings, sidewalk cafes on Florida Road are the haunt of friends, colleagues and shoppers. At night, the street’s clubs and bars come into their own, earning Florida Road its reputation as one of Durban’s top night spots. Many of Durban’s best-loved restaurants have a Florida Road address. Some well-known establishments are the Taco Zulu, Europa Food Emporium, House of Curries, Vicky Christina’s and Mamma’s all offering a wide range of treats ranging from Mexican to Italian cuisine. As Durban has strong Indian influences, it can also be felt largely in their dining.  When the kitchens’ close, the bars and clubs on Florida Road come into their own. You can choose between laid-back, bohemian vibes, chic sophistication and techno temptations at venues that stay open until the early hours of the morning.

On our first night, we went dinner at The Keys on Florida, which is to be one of the best venues for early cocktails and late parties, and we saw lots of private parties such as birthday celebrations going on while we were there. Styled on a modern sports bar concept Keys On Florida offers several High Definition screens for live sports viewing as well as a free wi-fi internet connection for when business calls (but I only used the Wi-Fi to post photos of my food and cocktails).

Our second night on the Florida Road was at Coco’s on Florida.  Coco’s on Florida is a vibrant, upbeat lounge, bar and restaurant which serves quick grubs. Coco’s offers a superb variety of beverages including very wild cocktails, which seemed to be a favourite of the very young crowd we saw during our visit.

Clubbing to a different groove in Durban…

My friends would tell you I’m not much of a clubber in Ghana. Take me to a club and I would be seated all throughout bumping my head to the music and drinking a little…and that’s just what happened in Durban. The only difference is the kind of music I was bumping my head to!  During my visit to CAPE 2 CAIRO Niteclub, the music was more of Techno inside the VIP lounge, while the outdoor club had more urban and Kwaito themed music. The nightclub which has been voted Best Club in KwaZulu Natal 6 years in a row, is a mega niteclub with four signature dance floors, -an outdoor tropical themed pub, live performances, seven resident DJs, eight themed bars, an exclusive VIP lounge, live video mixing and state of the art sound and lighting

My second night’s clubbing experience was at Vogue Durban, a strikingly stylish ambience which offered more urban music selection from a catalogue of old and new hiphop and R&B. With different sections ranging from intimate to extravagant, Vogue combines a sophisticated sensuality and vibrant energy to create the ultimate nightlife destination for you.

The last dinner….

Before heading back to Ghana, we went for our final night out at the Gateway Mall, where we had dinner at the Piatto Restaurant Grill, which offers beautiful, and spacious indoor seats and outdoor seats overlooking the courtyard of Gateway Mall. Piatto Mediterranean Kitchens offer the best of traditional Italian, Greek and Portuguese cuisine, cooked the inimitable Piatto way. The menu includes a selection of delicious Italian pasta dishes, authentic Portuguese cooking with a nostalgic hint of “old LM” flavour, Greek Moussaka and Lamb “stolen meat” Kleftico the way the Hellenics have done it for centuries – tender, loose on the bone and seasoned with spices and wine. I had baby chicken with roasted potatoes and I loved it!!!!

So there you have, a taste of Durban nightlife!!!