And the winner is… Durban Walking Tour’s very own Ruth Hagen!

Durban Walking Tours is proud to announce that Ruth Hagen has won the coveted Tour Guide Award at the recent Durban Tourism Business Awards.

The announcement was made at a swish function held at Durban’s ICC, where Durban Tourism paid tribute to several of the city’s resilient, robust tourism industry roleplayers across several categories.

Ruth’s success came on the back of a tough selection process. The first step saw entrants make a presentation to a panel of judges who assessed their guiding knowledge and skills, before the top 5 accompanied the judges on a short, guided walk-about.

The judges were clearly thrilled with Ruth’s knowledge and insights. Having been involved in guiding nationally for the past 18 years, Ruth’s passion for tourism, history, nature and all things outdoors clearly shone through!

Durban Walking Tours thanks our family, friends and followers for voting for Ruth and Durban Tourism for making this event possible.

For anyone who has plans to take one of Durban Walking Tours’ walks, it helps to know you’re being guided by an award-winning tour guide!

Book fast – limited space available for 3rd Durban Military History tour on 30 July

Durban Walking Tours and military history tour guide Craig Oliver have their sights set on sharing the city‘s rich military history on their third specialised tour on Saturday, 30 July.

This special interest tour will entice visitors on a trip down memory lane related to the city’s military history. This is a must-do tour for anyone with an interest in the city’s military history as well as those who served on the border.

The group will visit the second oldest regiment in the country, which was established way back in 1854, to take in the many displays, tanks and memorabilia. The guided walk includes an introduction to the Natal Mounted Rifles (NMR) and the Stamford Hill Aerodrome. From there you will drive down in your own transport to the Old Fort, to see Warriors Gate and view the chapel at Old Fort.

The famed Old Fort, which was set up when British forces and Durban inhabitants were besieged by the Boers in 1842, commemorates Dick King’s ride to Grahamstown to raise relief. The chapel, which was the site of funerals for many famous early Durban citizens, has stones embedded in the building from battlefields around the world. The M.O.T.H. displays showcase exceptional SA memorabilia from World War 1 and 2, the Rhodesian War and the South West Africa War, all set against the backdrop of the exclusive meeting room of the M.O.T.H members.

You won’t want to miss this one – book now at www.durbanwalkingtours.co.za or email info@durbanwalkingtours.co.za

Plan for weekend walk for scholars

Durban’s parents and children have kept Durban Walking Tours busy during the July school holidays.

From scheduling two initial school holiday tours that were fully booked, we added an additional 7 which were also sold out, to allow for the huge interest shown by children and their parents.

With this in mind, we’ll be advising in good time about upcoming dates for the next school holiday walking tours, but before that we’re also considering scheduling a school-goers walk on a Saturday before then – so watch this space!

Have a whale of a time during Durban’s winter!

Winter is not only a time to witness the greatest shoal on Earth, when the annual sardine run descends on our shores, it’s also when mammoth migratory whales traverse our beautiful coastline.

This is in itself a sight to behold, as calving whales swim by in small pods with their new young in tow… When at the seaside, you’ll do well to watch the sea carefully as they make their unexpected leaps into the air without warning.

From May to November, humpback whales come up from the cold waters of the Antarctic. Bypassing the KZN coastline, they head for the warm waters of Mozambique and Madagascar where they breed and give birth before heading back down past Durban.

The sight of a water spout or two, followed by the spectacular breaching as they soar into the air before landing in a huge splash, is something to behold!

Their migratory path takes them through an average of about 5000kms, making it one of the longest migratory journeys of any mammal in the world. Yet another confirmation that we live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth!