The Point Promenade

Name: The Point Promenade
Brand: VoiceMap
SKU: 3470
Price: 0.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.0 (2 reviews)
Author: Nicholas

(2 reviews)

This is a 0.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 20 mins to complete.

Durban

South Africa

$0.99

Access all 8 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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About the Tour

Hear the fascinating account of the early history of Durban and its harbour, the biggest and busiest port in South Africa. Walk along the city's newest beach promenade opened in 2019: The Point Promenade. This world-class walkway will lead you onto the North pier where you can 'walk out to sea' and enjoy panoramic views across the Golden Mile of Durban as well as the harbour itself.

Tour Producer

Nicholas Gordon

3 tours

Copywriter, Storyteller, History Nut. I love exploring my surroundings and knowing the rich history of events that preceded me on every corner. I'm proud to call Durban my home and hope to spotlight it as one of the world's underrated tourist destinations.

Preview Location

Location 1

Starting Point Moyo uShaka Pier

Welcome to this audio tour of the history of Durban’s harbour and early settlement.

My name is Nick, and I'll be your guide. As you'll no doubt find out: I'm passionate about my hometown of Durban and I'd like to share more of its fascinating history with you.

Our tour ... Welcome to this audio tour of the history of Durban’s harbour and early settlement.

My name is Nick, and I'll be your guide. As you'll no doubt find out: I'm passionate about my hometown of Durban and I'd like to share more of its fascinating history with you.

Our tour begins on the new Point Promenade outside UShaka Marine World, in front of Moyo. This beautiful walkway was officially opened in November 2019 by the Ethekweni Municipality and offers the public unrestricted access to the North harbour pier which was previously off-limits.

Let's get started.

Turn so that the sea is on your left and UShaka behind you. Make your way onto the path ahead and keep going.

While you walk, I'll briefly explain how VoiceMap works.

It uses your phone’s GPS to play audio as you move through locations laid out on this route. I’ll be guiding you, but there is also a map you can follow on your phone. If at any time you want to stop, feel free. And if you feel lost, don’t worry, VoiceMap will let you know.

As you look out onto the warm Indian ocean, imagine what was here before the city, before the harbour. Before the first British settlements in the 1800s. Before the conquests of the Portuguese in the 1500s.

What must life have been like for those who lived here? The original inhabitants? The truth is we just don't know for sure. The indigenous African peoples left no written record, and there was no mighty Zulu nation at this stage.

Historians accept that the first peoples in this area were known as the San. They were hunter-gatherers who lived a nomadic lifestyle on the coastline. They were later displaced by the Bantu-speaking Nguni tribes who had made their way from central Africa, through Zimbabwe and down into South-Eastern Africa. The Nguni people were pastoralists who farmed cattle and grains. The Durban area likely contained a scattering of Nguni tribes from the 1700s onwards. It is only when King Shaka's Wars of Conquest, known as the Mfecane, begin in the 1820's - coupled simultaneously with the arrival of the first British settlers - that events rapidly begin to change in this area.

Continue walking. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and website.

Take virtual tours anywhere, like a podcast

Select Virtual mode in the VoiceMap app to listen to tours like a podcast - at home or in transit.

Buy for less on voicemap.me and sync

Once you've purchased a tour, it's added to your VoiceMap library. To access it in the app, just sign in using the same account.

Do tours without paying for data

Tours work offline, so you don't have to pay roaming fees. Just download them over WiFi before you get started.

Major Landmarks

UShaka Marine World
New Point Promenade
Durban Harbour
Bluff

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
uShaka Marine World, 1 Bell St, Point, Durban, 4001, South Africa
Total distance

1km
Final location
Durban North, Pier, Durban, 1077, South Africa
Distance back to start location

963.41m

Directions to Starting Point

The starting point is infront of Moyo restaurant (at Ushaka Marine World) , with Moyo pier and the beach to your left.
If coming by car: I recommended parking is in Ushaka Parking Area B. It is a safe, secure parking lot and charges an affordable day rate to park. Access is via Browns Road or Camperdown Road.
If coming by rideshare (like Uber) then set destination for Ushaka Marine world, and walk to the beachfront and to start the tour, ensure that Moyo pier is on your left as well as the beach. 29°52'03.0"S 31°02'50.1"E

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Moyo on the pier (for refreshments). John Dory's for seafood. North pier for photographs. Ushaka Marine World itself is a wonderful entertainment complex with a water park, aquarium and mall.

Best time of day

Mornings are the best time of day before the heat and wind gets up.

Precautions

As a general rule in South Africa, rather don't walk after sunset.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

Google Play Store

Questions and Reviews

5 / 5

2 Ratings

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