uShaka Marine World

uShaka Marine World opened on the Point at the southern end of Durban's beachfront in April 2004 and is the city's largest family attraction. Spread over about 16 hectares, it combines an aquarium, a water park, smaller paid attractions, a stretch of beach and an outdoor shopping and restaurant area called the Village Walk. Its tanks hold around 17 million litres of water, and the park describes Sea World as Africa's largest aquarium.

Sea World is the heart of a visit. The complex includes a shipwreck-themed aquarium section, and the galleries take you past sharks, rays and a wide range of fish. Daily feeding sessions and animal presentations are listed on the park's entertainment schedule, and add-on experiences include a shark dive, a snorkel lagoon, a fish feed, a ray feed and a Meet a Dolphin programme. Next door, Wet 'n Wild has water slides and pools, Dangerous Creatures houses venomous snakes and other reptiles, Chimp & Zee is a rope and climbing park, and Kids World caters for younger children. uShaka Beach is directly accessible from the park and is open all year.

The park suits families above all, but couples and school groups also come for the aquarium alone. If you have small children, a full day combining Sea World in the morning, lunch at the Village Walk and the water park in the afternoon is a common plan. Note that some activities are suspended from time to time; at the time of writing the park reported that one water slide and the Behind the Scenes tour were unavailable, so check the operational notices before you go.

Sea World is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00. Wet 'n Wild opens from 10:00 and, outside public and KwaZulu-Natal school holidays, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, as is Kids World. The park warns that it does not sell tickets online and that fake discount websites have circulated, so buy tickets only at the uShaka ticket office on site. Weekdays outside school holidays are quieter. Bring swimwear, towels and sunscreen if you plan to use the water park or beach.

uShaka sits at the end of the beachfront promenade, so you can walk or cycle here along the Golden Mile from the central beach hotels. Ride-hailing cars and taxis can drop off at the entrance on King Shaka Avenue. The harbour mouth and the restaurants of the Point area are close by.