This is a fun market to visit – shopkeepers and assistants are really friendly and only a couple were pushy. There is a lot of beautiful Zulu and Xhosa beaded jewelry here and if you’re around for a few days, you can also commission pieces. You don’t have to haggle if it makes you uncomfortable – prices are comparable to other markets (just have an idea of how much things should cost before you go). Others have commented on the safety of the surrounding neighborhood. It’s crowded but safe. As long as you aren’t flashing your money and phone around, you’ll be fine. I waked to the market from the eastern part of Durban Central and felt perfectly comfortable. The neighborhood has a lot of interesting fabric and clothing shops as well as street vendors selling all sorts of things. It’s worth having a look around if you’re already in the area.
The city of Durban (eThekwini) is home to one of the largest populations of Indians outside of India, and the Victoria Street Market is a reflection of the city’s historical ties with India.
While the current Victoria Street Market was built at the beginning of the 1980s, it replaced the famous Indian Market which dated back to 1910, but was destroyed by fire in 1973.
The new, modern building has two storeys featuring underground parking and purple Indian minarets that make the market resemble a Maharajah’s palace.
A Julia nos leva para conhecer um mercado tradicional de Durban, na África do Sul: o Victoria Street Market, onde você pode encontrar desde roupas, artesanato, especiarias e comidas típicas, até ervas e animais que as curandeiras zulus usam para feitiçarias!
The Victoria Street Market is known as the Vic to its vendors.
Browse over 170 stalls and you will find a uniquely South African eclectic mix of African and Indian products. The ground floor has a fish and seafood market, fresh meat, fruit, vegetables and spices.
The top floor is popular with international visitors, offering more conventional shopping for souvenirs, crafts, jewellery and fabrics. And if bargaining is your thing, at the Victoria Street Market not only is it fun, it is expected.
For lunch our most fun excursion was to Little Gujarat which serves maybe not the best Indian food in Durban but it was fantastic to sit among locals as we shared a thali and fried banana leaf between rotis. They also serve bunnychows which is the most famous food to come of Durban. It’s a hollowed out loaf of white bread stuffed with your choice of curry and whilst I have yet to try it I will say that it looks delicious.
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