Why? Durban certainly isn't the prettiest town in the world, but my trip there in September 1994 was the first time I'd been to Africa. My background's Nigerian, but I was bred over here, so the whole thing was quite emotional for me. South Africa itself is a very peculiar country. The big towns seem so first world that I didn't feel like I was in Africa at all.Then you notice the light, so strong and bright that it seems like you've never seen a proper day before.

What's the best thing? There's a bar there called Jam & Co where I met someone who really made Durban a special place. It's a big Zulu hangout, full of the most amazing characters. I was drinking the local brew, milk stout, and I looked over to the pool table and saw a woman in a long trenchcoat and a big soft leather hat. She was shooting pool fiercely, taking on all the men and beating them. Her name was Bushy, which means blessed monkey. She was half-Sotho, half-Swazi. I hooked up with her and she came to be a great friend.

My perfect day: After a late rise, I'd take a gentle wander down to the beachfront and sit out on the sand to enjoy a good cook-out lunch. Later, I'd drag my friends down to Jam & Co for a big, long pool session and several milk stouts. After that, we'd go to a club and watch the local kids dancing and body-popping till late.

My advice: Find a good local person and befriend them. If you've got a good heart and show that you're really interested in the people and the place, good people will come to you. Oh, and if you're reading this, Bushy, I'll give you a call soon...

Getting there: South African Airways (020-7312 5000, www.saa.co.za) offers return flights from London to Durban for around £653.

• My Once Upon a Time, by Diran Adebayo, is published by Abacus at £6.99.