{"id":75679,"date":"2017-11-23T07:56:08","date_gmt":"2017-11-23T05:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobserver.co.za\/75679\/youre-durbs-holidays-take-amazing-daycation-walk-wild-side-life\/"},"modified":"2017-11-23T08:51:28","modified_gmt":"2017-11-23T06:51:28","slug":"youre-durbs-holidays-take-amazing-daycation-walk-wild-side-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/news-headlines\/2017\/11\/23\/youre-durbs-holidays-take-amazing-daycation-walk-wild-side-life\/","title":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re in Durbs these holidays, take an amazing #Daycation and walk on the wild side of life!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Durban has a windfall of destinations that offer adventurers the whole package \u2013 bright exotic and indigenous bird species, warm Indian Ocean waters teeming with striking fish of all sizes, lushly green reserves replete with a buzzing natural ecology, sun-kissed beaches hosting a truly astounding variety of maritime creatures, and so much more!<\/p>\n<p>In the spirit of all things #Daycation, the\u00a0<em><strong>mad-about-Durban\u00a0team at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dunloptyres.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dunlop<\/a><\/strong><\/em>\u00a0have asked us to put together a short list of remarkable places that\u2019ll undoubtedly make your day out with the family an absolute winner. So, if you love wildlife and will be in the beautiful KZN region over the holiday season, this article is for you.<\/p>\n<h3>A diamond in the rough \u2013 The Umgeni River Bird Park<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_131929\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-131929\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-131929\" src=\"http:\/\/albertonrecord.dev.sites.caxton.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/11\/bird-park.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"418\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-131929\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Witness the artistry of nature at the Umgeni River Bird Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The bird park is a peerless haven of spectacular avian life. Situated on 3.5 hectares of emerald green sub-tropical landscape in an area that started life as a quarry, the Umgeni River Bird Park has been cultivated over 33 years to house a collection of more than 800 birds from over 200 species. Many of these aeronautical wonders can\u2019t be found anywhere else on the African continent, and, as a cherry on top of everything else, the park presents an exciting free-flight show from Tuesday to Sunday every week.<\/p>\n<h3>Discover the pearl of Westville \u2013 Palmiet Nature Reserve<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_131938\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-131938\" style=\"width: 1366px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-131938\" src=\"http:\/\/albertonrecord.dev.sites.caxton.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/11\/African_Fish_Eagle_AdF2-Medium.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"689\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-131938\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The king of the skies &#8211; an African Fish Eagle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At 90 hectares, the Palmiet Nature Reserve is, by South African standards, not at all large. But, quality always trumps size, and if you haven\u2019t heard of the reserve before it\u2019s because people keep the best things in life well hidden from others. On self-guided trails, you may hear the clear calls of majestic Fish Eagles or spot playful vervet monkeys, genets, duikers, bushbuck or even porcupines. The stage may be small, but the cast of characters will keep you thoroughly enthralled.<\/p>\n<h3>Africa\u2019s oldest surviving botanical gardens<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_131930\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-131930\" style=\"width: 1132px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-131930 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/albertonrecord.dev.sites.caxton.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/11\/botanic-gardens.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1132\" height=\"630\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-131930\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paradise on earth. Durban Botanic Gardens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Founded in 1849, the Durban Botanic Gardens has survived tough times, and is today a corner of natural bliss that has managed to keep the urban jungle at bay. With a myriad of indigenous and exotic plant species, and proud trees that are over a hundred years old, the Durban Botanic Gardens is ideally suited to those up for an enchanting stroll before sitting down to lunch in the city\u2019s premier picnic spot.<\/p>\n<h3>Durban\u2019s one and only \u2013 Mitchell Park Zoo<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_131931\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-131931\" style=\"width: 1130px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-131931\" src=\"http:\/\/albertonrecord.dev.sites.caxton.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/11\/zoo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1130\" height=\"504\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-131931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A cotton-top tamarin and suricate at the Mitchell Park Zoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Zoos aren\u2019t for everyone; animals in cages can be a difficult sight. But, the Mitchell Park Zoo is leaps ahead in this regard, and the animals are well kept. Spurning the tradition of keeping large animals in small enclosures, the park has instead opted for diminutive faunas like flamingos, cranes, wallabies, small buck, raccoons, suricates, and cotton-top tamarins. Not to be missed are the truly astonishing Aldabra Giant Tortoises.<\/p>\n<h3>Be safe on your adventures<\/h3>\n<h4>Have you made up your mind up about your ideal #Daycation in Durbs? Whatever you decide on, remember to be #SaferThanSafe on the roads these holidays and visit your nearest Dunlop Zone. Alternatively, check out Dunlop\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dunloptyres.co.za\/Promotions\/red-hot-rubber-sale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Red Hot Rubber Deal<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dunloptyres.co.za\/request-a-quote\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Request a Quote Online<\/a>\u00a0easily and quickly. You may be glad you did!<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dunloptyres.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-131901 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/albertonrecord.dev.sites.caxton.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/11\/Dunlop-Logo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"96\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Durban is bursting with colourful and rare wildlife, and travelling to the region is always worthwhile. Why not visit this stunning city over the holidays and ready your family for a fantastic #Daycation?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7971,"featured_media":75680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"Caxton Central","cxt_disable_google_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[9379,9343,9345,9346,9347],"class_list":["post-75679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news-headlines","tag-daycation","tag-daycation-in-durban","tag-dunlop-tyres","tag-places-to-visit-in-durban","tag-red-hot-rubber-deal"],"category_labels":{"Category":"News","SubCategory":"Local news"},"tag_labels":["#Daycation","#Daycation in Durban","Dunlop Tyres","places to visit in Durban","red hot rubber deal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7971"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75679"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75679\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}