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.

Meet Øyvind and Erlend

Meet Erlend and Øyvind from Norway, who call themselves "two dashy dudes in Kenya!" on their blog about their adventures on their 3-month student exchange.

Whilst my daughter Kate-Lynn has been visiting Norway, the Norwegians studying teacher training in Trondheim have also been posted around the world on a similar student exchange. Taking time out from Kenya,  Erlend and Øyvind are in Durban for a few days and it was great to get a chance to meet up with them. In the pics we are enjoying a braai at our guesthouse and shooters, with Gabby, Brad, Llewellyn, Ian and I.

Guests get married

Meet our guests Kobus (left) and Carl who got married last week. Congratulations guys, every day we are meeting more guys who have taken the plunge since the 2006 Civil Union Act legalised marriages and civil partnerships.

Don't forget also that guesthouse co-owner, Dave, is a notary Public, so if you are thinking of hitching up, be sure to ask Dave to register your pre-nuptial /ANC or Civil Partnership agreement before you get married or register the union.

dave email: adlawza@msn.com

It's FUNSUNZI in Durban

Our local radio station, East Coast Radio, or ECR as we all know it, has a great campaign going to promote Durban as the FUN, SUN, SEA, destination of South Africa, or FUNSUNZI as they have dubbed the campaign.

What a great idea, especially as we head towards winter, knowing that Durban is the only place on the warm east coast where you can have it all, all seasons of the year, whilst the rest of the country goes into hibernation.

Llewellyn's elephant

Llewellyn puts the finishing touches to his towel-fold elephant in the Premier room in anticipation of our guest arriving today.

Isn't he so cute!!

South Africa's 2nd Mr Gay World !! Well done Francois

The new Mr Gay World 2011 chosen tonight in Manila, Philipines, is South Africa's Francois Nel seen right above with Mr Gay South Africa organiser Coenie Kukkuk.

This makes it second in a row for South Africa as Charl van den Berg (left in picture right) handed over his reign as Mr Gay World 2010 to Francois. Charl is pictured in Durban with Durban View Gay Guesthouse co-owner Dave Mc Naught.

We are so proud of both you guys holding up the flag for South Africa at such a prestigeous competition.

Dave revamps Gay Directory

The Facebook group Gay Directory South Africa is the largest gay Facebook group with over 4 200 members and has just been re-vamped. Created by Dave Mc Naught of Durban View Guesthouse the directory has been steadily growing and gives an easy link to nationwide gay interest groups, accommodation in the various provinces and more...

Check out the Gay Directory South Africa here.

Big South Africa

Our guests from Paris Fabien and Ugo did not realise how big South Africa is and that distances to drive between our major cities are great. So if you're wanting to visit the Kruger National Park and the St Lucia Wetlands Park, don't give yourself only 1 day to stay over in Durban. Firstly our Guesthouse is one of the few exclusively gay guesthouses in South Africa, we we are worth a few days visit in itself. Also Durban is the warmest city on the east coast of South Africa and our beaches and Indian Ocean are legendary. So be sure to include a few days to visit us here.

Bent coming for the ladies

Dave of Durban View Guesthouse and Colette of Bent Promotions are working to bring some fun to the Guesthouse for our Ladies Weekend in April and the Rooftop Sundowners on Sat 9 April.

Accommodation bookings for the April weekend are open and we hope to have a good number of local ladies for the Sundowner event. Colette has created a Facebook event and details of the Ladies Weekend are also on our blog here and on our Facebook Ladies Event page.

Bookings may be made online on our website http://www.durbanview.co.za/ or email durbanview@gmail.com

Durban View: Dave's First Notarial Deed

Durban View: Dave's First Notarial Deed: "Dave puts the seal on the first Notarial Deed he has executed as a Notary Public. It was a Notarial Deed of Encroachment - some buildings o..."

Wecome Vince

I love learning about places I have never been to and Mexico is one of them. Meet Vince, a Mexican who is living in Texas, but working while studying and presently on assignment in Limpopo Province and here in Durban for a quick visit. Vince only came out to his family in December and is still on his journey of discovery. Great to have you with us in Durban.

Ladies Weekend in Durban Fri 8th - Sun 10th April

We've often been asked if Durban View Guesthouse is men-only or if we welcome all gay and lesbian guests.

First Lesbian wedding at the Guesthouse

Our most famous guest is Melanie Lowe who has both performed and stayed at the Guesthouse. We were also delighted to meet Gaye whom Melanie has just married. In addition we hosted one of Durban's first Lesbian Weddings with the brides coming down from Johannesburg to get married at the Guesthouse.



Melanie Lowe with Durban View Guesthouse partners
Llewellyn and Dave



So ladies it is a pleasure always to have you with us. The weekend planned for the weekend Fri 8th - Sun 10th April should be a great one for the girls. There will be a Sanctuary Party on Friday night at Origin Club in Durban and on Saturday we are having an informal social on the Guesthouse Rooftop to which the local ladies are all invited. The social will be a free entry event and accommodation for the weekend should be booked early. The rates are R450 pp sharing a double room, R550 single or for the under 25s who are more daring R295 pp sharing the Bunk room. The rates include breakfast each morning.

Bookings may be made online on our website at http://www.durbanview.co.za/ or you can email Llewellyn on durbanview@gmail.com Tel: Dave 083-7033329.

We're also created a Facebook event, so if you're local and would like to attend the Saturday social, please click on the link and let us know you are coming.

Bent Ladies Rooftop Sundowners

The Saturday evening of our Ladies Weekend will feature a Bent Social on the Guesthouse rooftop.

Thanks to Colette of Bent Promotions for helping put together what should be a fun afternoon on the rooftop with it's sweeping views of the City as the sun goes down. Click on the Bent Facebook event to let them know you are coming. There's no cover charge and there will be cash bar facilities.

Russian in the house

It is not too often we have Russians in the house, but Lee's parents are from Latvia, a little country which used to form part of the USSR and is now independent.

Co-incidentally my daughter flew into Riga, the capital of Latvia last week en-route from Oslo to Rome. Lee, an industrial psychologist, now works in Johannesburg and is fluent in Russian.

Upgrade to Premier

Discerning guests wanting a little more pamper can now book our Premier room which offers you and you partner a little extra.. our Premier collection of soaps and bath pampering, a Welcome basket with fresh fruits and snacks and a bottle of Sparkling Wine... so treat him to a little pampering, because he is so special. The rates for the Premier room with it's spectacular views of the city centre are R600pp double and R750 per night single.

Bookings online off our website or email us at durbanview@gmail.com

Making Improvements

Making some changes and improvements to the Guesthouse, Llewellyn and Dave have just put new flatscreen TVs in each room, shelving to take individual decoders and DVD players, a new desk for the Pool room and a photo collage of the World Cup Football with a magnificent photo Dave took of Llewellyn in front of the Moses Mabhida Stadium shortly before the Brazil vs Portugal game here in Durban.

The Guesthouse Lounge

Exciting line-up of Events

We've got an exciting line-up of events planned for the Guesthouse this year. Now that we are able to edit our website more easily, we have added a Specials tab which takes you to our calendar of events and specials during the year. We plan to hold at least one event each month and several themed events such as the Leather and Kinx weekend.

Fri will be spent at the Guesthouse where welcome drinks will start the weekend and a Friday braai. Saturday will be our Leather/Kinx/Army/Jocks party to which Durban locals will also be invited. So book early, either a double room or if single book a sharing spot and come have some fun. The R980 price is per person and includes 2 nights accommodation and the Friday braai. Bring your own goodies and gear!! Bookings to durbanview@gmail.com

Comrades in Durban 29 May

The annual Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg is an uprun this year and we will be going down at the crack of dawn to watch the start. So if you're running, come stay with us and the other runners at the Guesthouse and we will get you to the start, or come see you off.

We also have an accommodation special "running" for entrants, so if you'd like to come stay and pay for 2 nights, we will give you a third night free. This will give you a chance to acclimatise in Durban and also wind down and relax after the big event. We can even arrange a massage for those weary muscles.

Bookings are now open for the weekend Fri 27 to Sun 29 May by email on durbanview@gmail.com   

We going up

So DSTV were giving us some trouble about not being registered as a guesthouse subscriber so they could charge us a hotel package instead of the residential TV package we were on, so we have switched to TopTV in some of the rooms. The service was refreshingly good and we got connected within a day, although for one of the rooms the technician has to come back next week.

Now each room has it's own decoder, the rooms all have new flatscreen TVs as part of our upgrade and the Studio will now have TV for the first time. We have taken the Variety package for the rooms, except for the Premier City Lights room and the Studio which has the DSTV hotel package including the movie chanels.