Berea, Durban Accommodation

Berea in Durban is one of the city's most upmarket suburbs. Built on a ridge rising from the city centre, most of Berea overlooks the sea and harbour as well as Greyville Racecourse surrounding the prestigious Royal Durban Golf Course. From many points there are also views of the magnificent Botanical Gardens, Kingsmead Cricket Ground and King's Park rugby and other sports stadiums. Durban must be the only city in the world with so many recreational amenities bordering its CBD! So there is little wonder that Durban's Berea is much sought after as a residential area as well as by visitors who prefer to stay in sedate suburbia but want easy access to the tourist hotspots. Berea is also favoured by business executives visiting Durban. They have many comfortable B&B guesthouses and lodges to choose from, as well as self-catering cottages and apartments. Many of them are within walking distance of Musgrave Shopping Mall, which includes several cinemas. Berea also boasts a broad selection of excellent restaurants.

Guests Visit to Durban
 "I know a place that feels like home..." truly describes our stay at the Acorn Bed & Breakfast in Essenwood, on Durban's Berea.
My nieces wedding on the Berea in Durban KwaZulu Natal, was the perfect excuse to escape the Free State, and we made this beautifully restored old colonial home on the Berea our home base for the long weekend.

In close proximity is the hustle and bustle of Durban's Berea Florida Road - which stretches from Jameson Park rose gardens, to Greyville Berea. Florida road offers a diverse selection of culinary delights, and the Berea's Fabulous Moroccan Restaurant (yes, that really is its name), was the setting for a never to be forgotten gathering of family and friends, for an authentic North African experience.

While searching for accommodation in Berea Durban, we discovered handy facilities like Berea's Musgrave Centre which offers shopping for the discerning shopper - an upmarket centre where you feel that you really are 'living the good life'. On the opposite end of the scale, the Victoria Street Market in central Durban was a vision of the Maharajah Palace - a big 'pink jewel' reigning over the somewhat shabby, bland surrounding buildings. Almost every inch of the warrens meandering the length and breath of the building are covered in stalls, stuffed from head to toe with an irresistible eclectic mix of African and Oriental delights. After splurging on a variety of 'must haves', we tucked into traditionally Durban Bunny Chow's, then headed back to the bed & breakfast on the Berea for drinks under the stars.

The weekend's highlight was of course the wedding, which was held at the Durban Country Club - another 'old world' establishment steeped in Durban's history. The golfer's among us thoroughly enjoyed a Sunday game at the Durban Country Club, voted one of the top 100 golf courses of the world, and within 'spitting' distance of Durban's 'golden mile' beachfront, where the non-golfers spent the morning strolling the promenade and soaking up the sun.

The weekend was too short to visit much of the surrounding Durban area, but we do plan a return trip, where we hope to stay at a self catering cottage on Durban's North Coast, and explore Umhlanga Rocks and Ballito - firm family summertime favourites.
Accommodation in Durban can be a bit "all over the place" if you don't know exactly where you want to go. If you need to be close to the main Durban swimming beaches, then you should look at the Durban Beachfront Hotels, or maybe one of the Durban beachfront apartments. Some of these can be a little shabby, so check the advertisements out cartefully. If you wish to skip the traffic chaos on Durban's beachfront, then choose a Durban Bed and Breakfast or a Durban Guest House on the Berea.
Morningside accommodation is adjacent to Durban's Berea and also offers plenty of Durban accommodation options, only a few minutes from the Durban beachfront.
Thank you Don and staff at the Acorn Bed & Breakfast for making our stay such a memorable experience.....we made the right choice

Sandy & Doug