Welcome Netherlands boys

From Amsterdam for a wedding are Rick (second from left) and AJ (right) having a welcome drink at the Guesthouse Pub with Llewellyn (left) and their Durban friend Catherine. Sorry your stay in Durban was so short guys.

Now for 2009

Here's our chance to thank everyone who has come to stay and made new friends during 2008. It has been a wonderful year and we have met so many amazing people from all over South Africa and the world.

There are so many places we would like to visit too - thank you for sharing some of the best kept secrets about the hot spots around the globe. So much to do and see, so little time!

Let's hope you have an awesome New Year and 2009 and hopefully we will catch up with you again soon.

Dave and Llewellyn

Relaxing in the Jacuzzi

Relaxing in the roof-top jacuzzi at the Guesthouse in the run-up to New Year are Martin and Marius (South Africans living in Uganda), Dirk from Johannesburg and guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn.

Gay Christmas in the Hay

Christmas is upon us and this is our opportunity of wishing all of our visitors to Durban and the Guesthouse a Merry Christmas, a "hot" festive season and much fun in the hay!

Guests go on Safari

Isn't this a stunning picture taken by our guests Pierre and Florian who visited the guesthouse this week and then went up to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve 2 hours away from Durban up our North Coast. They saw a huge range of animals including lions and these and many more giraffe, rhino and elephants. This was their first visit to South Africa and leave today for Cape Town, the garden route and then Johannesburg before heading back to Paris.

Paris in Durban

Visiting Durban and South Africa for the first time are guests from Paris with Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn (left), Pierre (2nd left) and far right Florian with another Johannesburg guest and friend Eddy (second from right). Pierre and Florian will be travelling to the Game Parks, Hluhluwe and Mkuze not far to the North of Durban, and will then be flying to Cape Town and spending some time on the Garden Route to Knysna before heading back to Paris where they work as Space Engineers in the French Space Programme.

Annual Santa run

Our good friend and guest Richard has some wonderful photos of his travels around the world. Capturing the action in his home town, Boston, here are some of the pics of the annual Santa run part of his slide-show collection.

December boys

In Durban for the weekend are Gerhard (left) and Juanne-Pierre (right) seen with Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn. The weather has been playing up, but the sun is shining again and the pool and sea are glorious.

BeanBag's 14th Birthday

It's BeanBagBohemia's 14th Birthday bash and you aarrrr all invited. Join us for the 80's Pirate party - Get those neon s out and combine them with a dessert Island Pirate look and get onto the dancefloor - RSVP to admin@beanbagbohemia.co.za to join us for the biggest Neon on the High Seas.....AHOY there 80's.

BeanBag is Durban's highly acclaimed gay-friendly/owned restaurant and stree cafe and is just down the road from the Guesthouse.

FREE vouchers for Guests

Thanks to restauranteur Theuns Smuts from Moyo restaurant and beach pub in Durban, and our gay club The Lounge, we are now able to offer Guests incredible free vouchers. A R50 gift card from Moyo entitles you to this value off you meal there at the stunning seaside restaurant at uShaka Marine World and Pier. Moyo has a sophisticated African theme with fabulous meals and cocktails... a must-see experience in Durban inside the uShaka complex, another must-see attraction in Durban.

And thanks to The Lounge we can now also offer our guests free entry tickets to The Lounge - both awesome offers making a Durban visit a celebration of everything gay and working together to make you stay-gay experience memorable.

Elvis in Durban

Here's Elvis in person in Durban... guest Rick is set for an evening out!!

It's party time... 330 style

It's 330 party time again here in Durban at our gay Club, The Lounge .

330 is a famous Club that closed a few years back and has reunion parties at venues in Durban. It is most successful when teamed up with Durban's only gay bar and brings the venue to live for a massive jol.

So join us at the Guesthouse for the party weekend.

Melbourne welcome

Welcoming an "old" exchange student friend from 20+ years ago - Melanie from Melbourne has been staying at the Guesthouse for a few days with Llewellyn, harking back to the days in Johannesburg so long ago...lol. A lot has changed in South Africa in the intervening years and Melanie has been fact-finding as she explores the city of Durban, mainly on foot. Melanie found Llewellyn on Facebook and decided to do some catching up..

About the town..

Llewellyn and I have been having some fun out and about the town trying the different flavours of Durban. We have also extended an invitation to other gay guys from the Gay Durban Facebook group to join us. Our second little excursion was to Moyo Restaurant and beach pub at the uShaka Marine World complex near the harbour entrance on Sunday. The fusion/Afro decorated restaurant offers African and unique flavours drawn from many cultures and is a hit with the tourists. Above is a chicken platter we shared.

Lamp shades resembling jellly-fish fit in with the marine theme of the beachfront Acquarium where the restaurant is situated.

Face-painting and blankets if the sea breeze gets cool are just some of the quaint touches the restaurant offers.

Networking to grow together

Dave has been hard at work creating a new Gay Directory South Africa on Facebook.. the online site which is taking the world by storm. The biggest challenge which is so exciting is being able to integrate our blogs with Facebook and vice verse. This creates a huge online networking opportunity and sees the gay groups, individual personalities and websites in South Africa all interlinking.

Canary Crap

Guesthouse co-owner Dave (right) welcomes guests Steven and Rudi from Centurion with the guesthouse special Shooter - a Canary Crap. The guys were in Durban for the cruise to Mocambique aboard the MS Rhapsody.

Dinner at Harveys

Andrew Draper has turned on the magic with his new Restaurant Harvey's which opened in Durban recently. Our Facebook group Gay Durban organised a dinner there this week and the 9 of us were each overawed by the taste extravaganza and mouthwatering creations.

The dishes come in portions of 4, so it's best to go in a group and share the spread - in the photos from top are Lee and Mark, Wayne, and myself (Dave) and Llewellyn. Well done Andrew, we will be back!!

You will find Harvey's in Innes Road, at the top end of Florida Road and bookings can be made on tel: 031- 3125706.

Pink Mynah Festival 2008

The first ever Gay and Lesbian festival in KwaZulu-Natal, to be held in Pietermaritzburg, will feature a parade, picnics, film screenings, workshops and parties.
The Gay and Lesbian Network will be hosting the festival from 29 November to 6 December 2008. The event encompasses World Aids Day and as such many workshops will be held on that topic.
However, it's not just all serious business - the festival kicks off on Saturday, 29 November with a carnival-style street parade through the Capital, and includes such events as nightly film screenings (courtesy of Out In Africa G&L Film Festival), workshops on various topics, an exhibition, and so on...
The grand finale of the festival is the Mr. and Miss Gay KZN pageant.
For more information, pageant application forms, to register as a volunteer or to sponsor, please contact:
Ponie on 033 342 6165Anthony on 072 536 2978Emma on 072 024 4899

Overview of The Queer Zulu Natal Festival Program
Saturday, 29th November - Festival Opening at 8.30am: Press and Public Welcome, Street Parade, entertainers, expo, After Party
Sunday, 30th November - 1 - 5 pm: Community Picnic - Various entertainment sports & games
Monday 1 December - World Aids Day Partner with Department of Health on World Aids Day campaign with workspops and Film screenings
Tuesday, 2nd December - 10.30am: Workshops, Pink Tuesday at Café Vacca Matta and film screenings
Wednesday, 3rd December - 10:30: Workshops & Film screeningse (lesbian film)
Thursday, 4th December - 11am Workshops
Friday, 5th December - 8pm: Kismet Hotel Christmas Party
Saturday, 6th December - 5pm: Mr and Miss KwaZulu Natal Pageant

So lets support this "family" event. Come stay with us at Durban View Gay Guest House and drive through for the day to attend the events of your choice.

Directions to Durban View Gay Guesthouse

Oh dear, oh dear!! The name-changing savages at the local Council have been doing damage in Durban, changing the names of some over 100-year old road names in the municipality. Many of these affect us near the Guesthouse and here are some new directions, lest any guest should get lost....

Directions from the Airport (south of Durban):

Take the N2 freeway north, then at the N3 interchange take N3 to Durban, take the 3rd off-ramp later under the main bridge overlooking the city to go down Berea Road, 400m down at the first traffic lights take a left turn into Essenwood Road - now Steven Dlamini Road - see photo top. Travel along Steven Dlamini Road past the Musgrave Shopping Centre for 2kms until you get to the intersection pictured above of Steven Dlamini and Gladys Mazibuko Road - formerly Marriott Road. Turn right down Gladys Mazibuko and go for 600m crossing over Musgrave and Currie Roads. Take the 4th left from the top into Holstead Gardens. Beware that the road forks to the left as it shares the start to the road with Catterick Ave. Do not take the left fork but continue down the straight narrow section which is Holstead to the Guesthouse at number 16. And the you have it... lost no more, and Llewellyn and I will be there to meet you. Dave

Cru Wine Bar opens

Cru Wine Bar and Deli in Hillcrest, just a short drive west of Durban, opened recently to much acclaim. The Wine Bar is owned by Riaan and Willem and is a new concept to Durban - boutique and carefully selected wines are sold by the glass from self-service cooler machines accessed by a smart card which has a pre-loaded value. As the card value diminishes, it can be topped up to a value of your choice. In this way you can afford to have a tester amount, a half glass or full glass of expensive wines you may not wish to ever buy by the bottle. There are over 40 wines to choose from as well as a selection of fine whisky and cognac.

In the photos are from top Llewellyn, Willem, Riaan and Dave toasting the opening of Cru, Dave and Llewellyn enjoying the Blues and Jazz evening held there from 4 - 7pm on Sundays, and Callan, the excellent singer who provided the entertainment.

Their events programme is as follows:

Friday 7pm till late: live music with Dominic Holmes

Sat Sharks Rugby on the screen - Open sandwich with ice cold beer: R35

Sunday: Continental Champagne breakfast - from R79pp; then 4pm - 7pm jazz and blues with Callan Maloney