Cowies Hill stands 10km (6 miles) west of the beaches of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal Province. Now a suburb of industrial Pinetown, upmarket Cowies Hill was originally a farm owned by the mayor. In addition to being near Pinetown's industrial hubs, Cowies Hill is close to the office parks of neighbouring Westville. The comfortable B&B guesthouses of Cowies Hill are therefore popular with visiting business executives. Some of the lodges also offer self-catering units. Although a sedate suburb, Cowies Hill has become something of a household name to fans of the world-famous Comrades Marathon as it is a key section of the race. For the health-conscious, Virgin Active Gym is a stone's throw away. Not much further is the extensive Pavilion Mall which is next-door to the highly respected Westville Hospital. Foodies will be delighted with the abundance of excellent restaurants and pubs in the vicinity. A word of caution - if you want to stay in Cowies Hill during the Comrades Marathon, book well ahead!
Durban Accommodation - Cowies Hill Bed and Breakfast, KwaZulu Natal
wheretostay.co.za/africanqueen
I'd never heard of Cowies Hill, so we were a bit skeptical about the African-Queen Bed & Breakfast in Westville / Cowies Hill, but much to our delight, we discovered that Cowies Hill accommodation isn't off the beaten track as we thought, but right next door to Westville, Pinetown, and literally 15 minutes away from almost anywhere: i.e. the airport, Durban beaches, Umhlanga Rocks and the Valley of a Thousand Hills.
Our hosts Val and Dave were terrific, and their Cowies Hill bed & breakfast accommodation is stunning. Set in the lush green Cowies Hill suburb, we had our own downstairs suite right next to the pool, where we also enjoyed evenings in the jacuzzi.
Apparently there's also some nice self catering accommodation in Cowies Hill, but we enjoyed the personal pampering at African-Queen Bed & Breakfast.
Westville accommodation is also worth a look if you can't find a suitable bed and breakfast in Cowies Hill
Brenda and Dave Cannely