I said to everyone that would listen (and some that wouldn’t) that travelers are a special breed and sure, they would take precautions for their health and safety during these dark days, but it wouldn’t stop them traveling.
And as far as I can make out, it hasn’t.
When covid began to race through the populations of the world, countries including South Africa, hastily shut their borders in an attempt to slow down the spread of covid and protect the limited health resources from being overwhelmed. It worked.
Travel of course came to a grinding halt and my customer base, like many other guides, simply vanished. Many of us spoke about how we had seen the death of tourism in South Africa. Personally I believed it was more of a deep hibernation.
Waking the Beast
I don’t want to jinx it by speaking to hastily, but it appears as if that lumbering tourism beast is slowly starting to wake. I have had a number of tour bookings during 2021 though I should hasten to add that the total number of bookings in 2021 is less than I used to have in a single month!
But, I have had bookings and that’s the important thing. Moreover, if it weren’t for the emergence of new strains of covid, I would have had a whole lot more.
And that’s what I meant about travelers being a special breed.
Most of the visitors I’ve had on tour with me have never let a pesky issue such as malaria, yellow-fever, minor out-breaks of civil war etc stop them from exploring new corners of the globe. As a traveler you tend to take on these risks because not taking them on means a lifetime of staring at the very house or office walls day in and day out.
Ready To Travel?
We’re ready to welcome you to the sunny shores of Durban, South Africa. We offer a range of wildlife safari tours, city tours and tours to the battlefields of Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana. We offer pick up and drop off in the city of Durban and will happily assist in finding accommodation to suit your needs. Get in touch with us and begin planning your amazing vacation now.
We need to travel, we need to experience life through different shoes, different eyes, different foods; doing so encourages empathy and compassion and the growth of better human beings. It’s an all around win.
Of course traveling without taking precautions is just silly and asking for trouble. For years visitors to South Africa would be getting shots to guard against yellow-fever, or pop pills daily to prevent malaria. Many of my guests carried little bottles of sanitizer long before covid came around.
Traveling to Durban hasn’t changed much except now you need to add a covid shot (or two) to the list of precautions you need to take – oh and wear a mask in public areas. Apart from that, it’s all the same really.
Tips to Enjoying a Durban City Tour During Covid
I would like for you to enjoy your day tour of Durban with me (or any of the tours I offer for that matter). I also want both you and I to be safe, and in order to ensure we are, here’s some tips for you.
- Wear a mask. Here is South Africa it is now law to wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose when in a public area or public building. In the case of private businesses, they have the right to ask you to mask up and can deny you service if you refuse (please don’t!). There are times you can forgo the mask, for example when exercising, but otherwise, keep the mask on.
- Sanitize often. At the entrance of pretty much every single store or attraction there are sanitizing spots where you can spritz your hands. Please use them. I even carry hand sanitizer in my car at all times.
- Personal space. Try and maintain roughly 1.5m of personal space around you; I’ll be the first to admit it’s not always easy, but do your best.
- Keep an open mind. Durban probably looks nothing like your home town, but that’s the point of travel right? Sure she smells a bit nasty in the traditional markets, there’s trash lying about in the mornings and we’re a little too laid back about service, but a more real city in South Africa you will not find. Durban has the happiest citizens, the friendliest and most welcoming population and a history of struggle that gives Durban her gritty exterior. Embrace it all!
- Be ready to adapt. The one very real affect of the pandemic is that sites we would normally visit sometimes close at a moments notice thanks to reports of staff testing positive. This is to allow the sites to be decontaminated before reopening. It happens. So sometimes we have to alter tours from their planned itineraries. Sorry.
Exploring distant lands such as Durban is no different now than it was before covid sauntered on in. Sure you have to take a few extra precautions but the rewards are so worth it.