July Races in Durban

It's the fabulous July Handicap horseracing in Durban on Saturday and here Llewellyn puts the finishing touches to his and my matching waistcoasts - in the theme "A Right Royal Affair" - Kings, Queens, Knaves and Knights... should be a load of fun and a Guesthouse full of guests who are able to stroll down to the racecourse just below the house.

Hong Kong

Our French guests Claude and Jerome have been living in Hong Kong for a few years - it's stiffling hot there now so they are in Durban escaping the heat. It's pretty cool here right now but the glorious winter sun is the envy of the rest of South Africa where there is a big chill and snow on the mountains.

Durban welcome

Guesthouse co-owners Dave and Llewellyn welcome guests to the guesthouse and enjoy a birthday dinner out with Ian (top left) whilst Dewald, Peter (Cologne), Shaun, Johan and Willie enjoy drinks in the guesthouse pub.

Below Llewellyn sports his new crop-top hairstyle!!!

Busy weekend

Great to see a full guesthouse the last few days. Meet Rosche from East London (middle) with Llewellyn (left) and Cody - an American living in McKay, Queensland, Australia.

We have anther Ozzie guy in the house too.. Hugo, actually originally from South Africa, but been living in Sydney for the last 10 years, as well as some delegates from the States here for the Aids Conference in Durban. So now that the weather has cleared up a bit, hope you're all enjoying the sunshine and warm winter weather (15-20 c) Durban is famous for.

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.

Easter Sunday

Duane and Pieter, Brent and Travis and Llewellyn regroup for drinks in the Guesthouse before venturing out for supper. The weather was absolutely glorious today so most of us had a hectic night and day out so I can see an early to bed evening. We're out-partied!

Happy Easter all. Hope your Easter weekend has been great.

Hot Easter Bunnies

The Guesthouse is bursting at the seams with all rooms full for the Easter break. Here are some of the hot Easter bunnies enjoying a drink out and dinner before bringing "fresh meat" to The Lounge, Durban's gay club which was already packed by 10pm tonight.

In the photos from top and left to right are guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn at Billy the Bums with Jaye, Johan and Pieter, and in the second photo Duane with Len, Ryan, and Llewellyn.

Dave takes to the skies

Dave with daughter Kate-Lynn climb into Marc's plane

Climbing into an aeroplane and lifting off into the skies is not as easy as it looks, but pretty cool.

I went for a demo flight lesson today and am considering getting my licence. No pics of me flying the plane though as I was concentrating heavily while I zoomed over Tala game reserve while clutching the flight controls.

New Airline for Durban

Durban has a new Airline - Velvet Sky promising to shake up the budget airline routes from Durban to Johannesburg and Johannesburg to Cape Town. A pity they don't have a direct link to Cape Town from here, but they started off with an introductory fare of only R200 to Joberg each way. Wow. Unfortunately the special is over and the fares seem to be similar now to the other competitors. The new airline was born and bred in Durban and our new King Shaka Airport I believe will open many more gateways to Durban nationally and internationally.

We have already booked our flights to Beirut and Damascus on Emirates which flies right out of Durban - what a relief, no more sitting around Johannesburg Airport when we are en route to an international holiday destination. We will be sure to use this route when we visit Llewellyn's dad in Los Angeles.. direct from Durban via Dubai.

10th Anniversary for Ian and Claude

Martinis and Dutch Slapper cocktails at the Guesthouse

Ian, Mark, Llewellyn, Lee and Claude

Claude and Ian

Llewellyn, Dave and Claude

Ian, Mark and Lee fool around at dinner

Guesthouse owners Llewellyn and Dave

It's a milestone (or is it a millstone ha ha) when friends celebrate their 10th anniversary. Congrats to Ian and Claude.

Celebrating at the Guesthouse and then enjoying dinner out are Ian, Claude, Mark and Lee (21 years together) and the spring-chickens in the relationship status, Llewellyn and Dave (6 1/2 years).

Rooftop abuzz with ladies and music

Wow, what a Saturday with our Ladies Weekend in Durban and Rooftop Sundowners Party. Thanks to Collette for the Bent Social and to the ladies who came, drank and conquered. It was an awesome party for us, even though Llewellyn and I were the only guys there.

For more pics of the event, click here and scroll down.