African Market Experience

OVERVIEW

Browse the eclectic shops and stalls in several Durban markets and come away with a greater appreciation for the diversity of merchandise and people. The Victoria Street Market is the city's oldest and has grown to include more than 200 vendors. The exotic sights and sounds will be entrancing as you meander through stores selling everything from handcrafted jewelry to aromatic spices. The scale and variety of the Herb Market is just as impressive. It is a pharmacy of sorts where customers describe their ailments to traditional healers, who in turn supply them with the appropriate herbal remedies, which are pounded and ground on the spot with iron hammers. The aromas of these freshly processed herbs can be quite enticing. You will also visit a third venue, which could be one that sells colorful beads to adorn jewelry, handbags and clothing. If the bead market is closed, another market will be chosen.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Enhance your understanding of the local culture by browsing three traditional markets.
• Meander through hundreds of open-air shops selling every sort of merchandise imaginable.
• Watch herb grinders prepare natural remedies for their awaiting customers.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.