Go Comrades Go!

 The 4am alarm got us up in time to get our Comrades runner guests down to the Start of this years 89km Durban to Pietermaritzburg run. In the top photo Zander and Richard from New York leave the Guesthouse on a crisp, clear and slightly chilly dark morning raring to go.

At right, cousins Matt and Gary also got off to the start and were ceded right up there with the top groups.

In the bottom photo, guesthouse co-owner Llwellyn was thankful he was not running to Pmb and surveys the debris after the thick column of runners had crossed the Start. Good luck guys - Durban gave you an awesome sendoff!

It's Comrades in Durban

 It's the 89km Comrades Marathon tomorrow and we have runners in the house from  New York and Johannesburg. Getting together with family and friends last night for drinks in the Guesthouse and carbo-loading out are Johannesburg runners Gary and Matt with Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn (top photo) and they are joined in the second photo by Richard and Zander from New York who have an impressive 80 marathons under their belt (or shoes..ha ha) including the Antartica Marathon and the Boston Marathon.

Eating out they are joined by Jaco, Kate and Debbie and my hand is in the last photo (left) as we chug down a shooter to wish the runners well. The Comrades Marathon is an uprun this year from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and is one of the world's few ultra-ultra marathons with an impressive field of some 20000 runners.

Calling All Queens...

"A Right Royal Affair" is the theme of this year's Durban July Horseracing and Fashion event just down the road from the Guesthouse on Sat 2 July 2011.

This means all you Queens, Kings, Court Jesters and Royalty can converge in Durban and make this an exciting weekend of racing, fashion and fashion-less 13th Race.. the naked guys' race after the last horses have thundered down the track. Check out my YouTube video clip of the hot guys making a dash down the main straight... a much-waited afair by the crowd of over 50 000. Llewellyn promised he would do it if one of our guests joined him... but they are chickened out. Anyone up for it?

Join us at the Guesthouse on Friday, meet up with our other guests, walk down to the track on Saturday... win some money, hot boys and enjoy the after-parties. It's gonna be fun!

Guesthouse bookings now open or email Llewellyn on durbanview@gmail.com

Before the July, don't forget our Comrades Weekend, this weekend 27th/28th May, and our Singles Weekend 17th/18th June - Durban is where the action is.!!

On the Battlefront

Dave and Llewellyn at the Isandlwana (Anglo-Zulu) battlesite

Dave (left) got to fly this RV12 aircraft

The Battlefields a few hours drive north-west of Durban

The African country-side in KwaZulu-Natal Province

We got up early on Saturday morning and took a drive up to our province's battlefield area just a few hours to the north, inland of Ladysmith. This was the scene of the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer wars of the 1800s.

It also gave us a chance to look at aircraft types at the Battlefields Fly-in. Dave flew the RV12 briefly and is thinking of taking up flying lessons.



Indaba Showcase

Taking a quick spin-around Indaba didn't really do justice to the magnificent displays.

It is actually quite incredible what a beautiful country we live in and amazing to see such entrepeneurship and industry to keep tourists coming to Southern Africa and happy. On display was every tourist's conceivable honeymoon destination, package deal or safari expedition. Wow!!

Congratulations to all the exhibitors from Southern Africa, as well as the invitation exhibitors from further afield in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

We are the world's playground and may your efforts to promote tourism in South Africa be richly rewarded.

Indaba breakfast

Getting breakfast going for the Indaba guests involved a joint effort between Llewellyn baking muffins and Dave making an egg soufle' at the crack of dawn before setting off to work for the day, leaving Caroline to look after the guests.

Durban ready for Saturday's Mr Gay Boy 2011

We had a lot of fun at the Guesthouse tonight in preparation for tomorrow's Mr Gay Boy 2011 @ The Lounge. The contestants mingled with the judges and were thrown questions to test their sense of humour, purpose in life and in the competition and generally help the judges gauge their personalities. The boys will also vote amongst themselves for the title Mr Personality.

You can see them all in action at The Lounge this Saturday 7 May from 10pm when the pageant gets off the ground.

Indaba Guests from Eastern Cape

Meet Guesthouse owners from the Addo Elephant Park area in the Eastern Cape, Oscar and Diedrich, seen here in Durban with Dave, co-owner of Durban View Guesthouse. The Dutch couple emigrated to South Africa 3 years ago and bought the Guesthouse Lemon 3 Lodge which is enjoying the increased tourism of the Eastern Cape. They are represented on the Addo Tourism stand at the Indaba show in Durban taking place now.

Welcome Indaba Guests

 Welcome to Indaba guests, delegates and visitors to Durban - for this vital and Africa's top travel show.

We in Durban appreciate the opportunity to host this event and to ensure that our visitors see Durban and South Africa's showcased  hospitality industry in the best possible light. 

We hope that you all achieve the success you wish for out of this short window to the world period.



As we have done over the past few years, Llewellyn and I will be visiting the show and hoping to showcase our own guesthouse as an exclusive gay destination in Durban.

Llewellyn at last year's Indaba Show

Meet Joao from Portugal, seen here with Dave (left, guesthouse co-owner) and Llewellyn (right) a vet who has been working on contract in Mocambique who came to stay with us and in the second photo Patrick and Clothilda, friends of Dave from Germany who were visiting Durban. Enjoy the glorious April/May weather in Durban - the rest of the country is rapidly getting colder... Durban is always the warmest place to be in autumn and winter.