From Raleigh, it is easy to travel to Durham, another part of the North Carolina triangle. Durham is the home of Duke University and the Durham Bulls baseball team. The forests around Duke are beautiful and great for walking. Additionally, a special place to visit within the Duke Forest is the Duke Lemur Center. We had a small group tour in the habitats and had lemurs come very close to use, curious to check us out. Also in Durham, there are plenty of great places to eat, including Carolina BBQ.
Another highlight during our travel to Durham was watching a Durham Bulls baseball game versus Nashville Sounds. The stadium is impressive and we got a tour from Coach Ensberg, which was very interesting. There was a huge thunderstorm right before the game, and the staff were quick to cover then uncover the field. It was a hot and humid day!
Highlights
- Duke University, walk around the campus and visit the store
- University Chapel
- Basketball museum located at the University
- Duke Forest
- Sarah P. Duke Gardens
- Duke Lemur center
- Umstead State Park for hiking
- Durham Bulls baseball stadium, the famous minor league team
- Tobacco Road area with restaurants and shops
- Golf courses, including at the Washington Duke Inn
- Museum of Life and Science
- Durham Performing Arts Center
Before you go
- Research Triangle Park (RTP) is a business area full of tech companies including IBM and Lenovo
- The triangle refers to the three universities in the area, Duke in Durham UNC Chapel Hill and NC State university
- There are limited sidewalks available along roads, so be careful when walking. Most people drive
- Weather can be cold in the winter, though not extreme. Summers are usually hot and humid, with strong sun
- Bring mosquito repellent for warmer months as there is a lot of fresh water
- North Carolina style BBQ is less thick and more vinegary than Texan
- Main supermarkets include Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Publix
Transport
- Raleigh-Durham airport (RDU) is the main airport serving the area.
- If possible, renting a car or taking a taxi/Uber is better than trying to use public transport
- Walking is okay in specific areas, but the area is too large to get around only on foot
Accommodation
- When I have visited for work, I used to stay at the beautiful Washington-Duke Inn. It’s a lovely old building with a golf course and surrounding green areas
- As usual I recommend checking reviews on Google Reviews or using AirBnB
Food
M Sushi Durham and M Tempura are related restaurants by Michael Lee. All higher end Japanese and Asian food which is fresh and delicious.
Tobacco Road Sports Cafe is a great place for a meal before or after a Durham Bulls game. In fact, you can actually see the field from the restaurant. This came in handy when we were there because we could see when they were uncovering the field after heavy rain. Then we could enter directly from the restaurant with our tickets.
Juju Asian fusion was a great place to try many different small plates with Asian dishes. We enjoyed Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Filipino foods. It is a bit pricy if you are hungry, but definitely tasty!
Right next to Juju, is Moe’s Original BBQ, a great casual restaurant for BBQ.
Mez Contemporary Mexican is a favourite of work colleagues in the area. The food is tasty and spicy, and the portions are large.
Hyderabad House Biryani Place and BLR Bar & Curry came highly recommended by my Indian Uber driver so they are places to try next time.
One place I didn’t get to try but would like to is an ice cream parlour called Simons Says Dip This. Just a great name! Next to it is another tasty-looking ice cream shop called the Parlour.
FAQs
Q: Do I need a tour guide?
A: No, you can find the places of interest easily.
Q: Do people speak English?
A: Yes, almost everyone speaks English
Q: Is it a walkable city?
A: No, it is very spread out and you probably need a car to get around. The public transport is not very convenient
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