From what I have read, the central and 'tourist' areas of Durban are fairly safe and violent crime is rare. Fact is many people explore the city on foot without any drama and you can as well. So give us a call! Personally I have never been pick pocketed in Durban, or any city in South Africa (that dubious honor remains set in London) but there are reports. Travel Smarter! Use some big city precautions to counter it such as money belt attached to clothing, and taking out only as much cash as you can afford to lose. Remember to always ask permission if you’re planning to photograph an individual and don’t be surprised if said individual asks for a coke in return (ie, payment). So here goes. Do not leave your drink around unattended. For the rest, according to my own experiences and taking the basic safety rules into account, Durban is safe. But the pragmatist in me says “hang on a second”. You may need a little bit of cash especially if visiting a market but on the whole, keep the cash to a minimum. This will dash the hopes and dreams of the opportunistic criminal. Cape Town is by far the most beautiful and cleanest of the three, and it is a wonderful city for tourists. There is some vehicle specific advice though you should be aware of. Keep the mobile phone hidden. Durban Central has recorded over 13,000 crimes in 2020. In fact, according to CrimeStats SA, Durban is the safest place to be out of the big 3 (Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban). ... Durban - News that water in the eThekwini Municipality was contaminated was classified as a hoax by city officials on Tuesday. Awareness of surroundings is your number 1 weapon against this scourge. Strap on a pair of walking shoes and by all means explore until your heart is content. It’s better if you can get smaller denominations, such as R100 notes, when you make your money exchange. [citation needed Now, of the crimes listed above, international visitors really only have to worry about 2 or 3 simply because they wont be affected by the others. It goes without saying that this is just our opinion and you should definitely keep up to date with travel advisories and most importantly, use Captain Common Sense. There are the odd opportunists out and about, but largely the tourist areas of Durban are perfectly safe, just use common sense and you will be fine. 9. Delight in safe swimming environments, surf in regularly powerful waves and wonder in the capturing coastal sights coming from waterfront café… They are there, the naughty little blighters (I for some reasons always equate pickpockets with Oliver Twist) just waiting for an innocent victim to stroll by. Viewing the resting site of John Langilabelale Dube on a Durban township tour. The short answer to your question is: All cities have dangerous places. My go to is…. This mean while you’re checking your messages or your map at the lights, a criminal will start to walk past and then suddenly reach into your vehicle and snatch whatever belongings they can grab. Therefore, it is a priority for the government to ensure that citizens and tourists served with safe drinking water. Durban North is sometimes misspelt Durbannorth, Dirban north or D”urban North. I am a Durban born lad. So it kinda goes without saying that I may not not be the most impartial individual when it comes to matters pertaining Durban – but I am going to do my best to tell it like it is. When you’re in a car, always keep your doors locked and don’t leave valuables in view. One of the most popular places to run is on the beachfront itself. That’s not too say you can walk about in a haze of blissful unawareness, this is still a metropolitan city and Africa after all, but it’s not as bad as many make out. Get hold of a paper map. If you’re hiring a car, ask for their hotline number – write it down! The type of crime that is common in Durban is…. Durban is located on the east coast of South Africa in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and in the municipality of eThekwini. The only time you're pretty much guaranteed safety is within the walls of one of the secure housing estates, and the only time you're guaranteed trouble is when rolling through Verulam or Sydenham alone at night with your phone out. I would also write the numbers down on paper in case the worst happens, you leave you phone on a restaurant table (horrors!). There are the odd opportunists out and about, but largely the tourist areas of Durban are perfectly safe, just use common sense and you will be fine. Also, don’t carry your wallet in your back pocket, just makes it too easy. So before I get to telling you how wonderful Durban is, a quick disclaimer. Durban is a safe city, like any big city in the world - wih a population of +/- 4 million people, there are certain areas which are not safe, which we don't recommend. See? But my friends, I am here to tell you that it’s just not true. We not only offer city tour, but we offer wildlife safaris to the Hluhlwue Imfolozi Game Reserve, St Lucia and Tala Game Reserve. Tell someone where you going and what time you think you’ll be back. If you are in the more affluent areas like Umhlanga then I would recommend moving as it has an excellent lifestyle, and is relatively safe. Durban is 89.3% safe! Please suggest if Marine Parade is a decent place or should i move somewhere else due to safety reasons? Durban is not different in that regard. Or shoplifting for that matter? Did You Know . Always be aware of who is standing nearby the ATM. This is actually quite a difficult question to answer. They only way to deal with this, keep your windows up and be vigilant. Definitely! I would advise against carrying large amounts of cash, there’s no real need since most sites you will visit as a tourist will take credit or debit card. Driving around the city is safe. We’ve been guiding tourists around the city if Durban for around 10 years now and we’ve not lost anyone! Country and Coastal Touring are registered tour guides and operators based in the city of Durban, South Africa. Hard I know, but please don’t. I now hear from my mother in law that it is no longer safe. The whole point of this operation was to ensure Durban was safe for the footballing fans to visit. It is the third largest city in South Africa and the busiest port in Africa. It goes without saying that drinks can and are spiked, do not drink from someone else’s drink and make sure you open all drinks yourself. Yes Durban is safe. Keep any belongings out of site when parked. When parking, ensure that your car’s immobilizer and locking system actually locked. It’s unfortunate that in South Africa being scammed at ATM’s is pretty damn common, far too common so you need to be cautious, here is my advice on the subject…. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. Durban Tourism Durban Accommodation Durban Bed and Breakfast Durban Holiday Rentals Durban Holiday Packages Please visit our website www.tourism.to We are tour/safari operators in Africa and I … Alot of places to visit which will make your stay pleasant. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. Dursban, also known as chlorpyrifos, is an extremely toxic pesticide that was once widely used in the U.S. Use Uber or a registered metered taxi to get to and from the clubs. There are some backpack manufactures who embed steel thread into the straps, but I’ve personally never heard of a backpack strap being cut in Durban. Durban. Umhlanga is perfectly safe. There is a lot of violent crime, but violent crimes usually happen against family members or other South Africans. Come find out The charming city of Durban is South Africa’s largest port city, and is a  melting pot of African, Indian, and British cultures. A popular scam right now is for an individual to “help” you draw cash, people get flustered when approached in the moment when you’re distracted, your card gets swapped. It’s perfectly fine to go out for a run, people do it all the time. So this does mean that whether you are on the beachfront enjoying a stroll, or exploring the city, there is a pretty good chance someone is going to ask you for some change. You may of course feel extremely sorry for these individuals but it’s best not to give change directly. In 2010 the city of Durban went on this major spending spree – the city had a little excess cash and the world cup was looming so they decide to spruce the place up. Yes, perfectly safe. So, is durban.jp safe? Fast forward a couple of years and the situation remains the same. The next Read more…, Recently we wrote a blog post on how to spend 3 days in Durban. In Durban, call 10111 for emergencies. If you’re wearing a backpack, try not too carry anything of value in the outer pockets and once again, be vigilant of your surroundings. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Use ATM’s that have a security guard nearby, or are placed inside a store or mall. Even so, many small merchants have trouble making change for that size of note. Numbeo According to the Numbeo water drinkability and accessibility index, tap water has a score of 72 / 100 (100 being best). So come and enjoy your holiday. As part of this spring clean, extra Metro police were employed and security staff were contracted in. 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