Welcome to Durban Day Tours

Battlegrounds to Sani Pass - 4 days of blissful history - Don is a walking talking living encyclopaedia. His knowledge of the Battlegrounds in particular, but also the history of South Africa is immense. He is incredibly personable and a delight... read more to spend time with over the long distance drives. Don regales one with stories that bring the past alive and tailors his tales to suit the interest of the traveller. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Excellent 4 day Battlefield tour  - My husband and I booked a four day three night trip from Durban to the KZN Battlefields. Our guide was Don Botterill from Daytours KZN. When there is only two... read more of you, you hope that you are going to get on with the guide. Well Don was the best company. Such a pleasant gentleman, so professional in his guiding and a font of historical knowledge. After ascertaining our preferences he tweaked our itinerary and fitted in other sites we’d never heard of. On top of this Don is a skilled driver over some challenging tracks and his vehicle is lovely and well maintained. Don is good.

 - Don was a great companion and guide. He never let up in conveying his vast knowledge of the Zulu people and their society. And he is absolute well... read more versed in the nuances of the British failure at Isandelwana. My son and I totally enjoyed the experience and the immersion into current Zulu society. Well done! John and Cullen Timmons, Athens GA. USA

Outstanding!  - We are just back from a three day Battlefields tour with Don and we cannot recommend him highly enough! Don was a fantastic host, guide, historian and story teller, really... read more bringing to life and adding that extra detail to the history of the Zulus and the battles fought in Zululand: Ishandlwana and Rorke's Drift being the most well known. He went over and above and out of his way to include an extra couple of sites that my 85 year old Dad was keen to see that weren't on the itinerary, and they weren't just down the road!
The accommodation at Elandsview was excellent, we were lucky to be the only guests staying in the six room guest house and the host Taron and owner Philip were very welcoming. The home-cooked food, accommodation and bits were all top quality.
If you are thinking about going on a trip like this, go with Don (he is Day Tours KZN) you'll have an unforgettable trip.

Outstanding Shore Excursions  - Requiring a Shore Excursion for the Port of Durban, I contacted Don to see if he was available and able to assist. Don is a most affable person to deal... read more with and his communication is excellent. Don suggested an itinerary which was perfect, he met us at the port and looked after us well for the entire day. We saw a lot and learnt a lot from Don who is so knowledgeable about his country.
During preliminary communications, I inquired if Don had any recommendations for our next port of call which was Richard's Bay. Don graciously offered to come and meet us there! We had another wonderful day visiting St Lucia, embarking on a Hippo Cruise (lots of hippos!) and afterwards driving through the UNESCO Wetlands of iSimangaliso to Cape Vidal - a simply lovely drive spotting much wildlife. We ended the day with our sad goodbyes, Don had made us feel like part of the family and we had enjoyed seeing this part of South Africa.
We highly recommend Don. His communication is impeccable, you will learn a lot and leave with a piece of Africa in your heart.

A truly memorable experience.  - A wonderful 2 days visiting various battlefields and sites of historical note. His friendly approach and genuine expertise created a truly memorable experience and deepened our understanding of South African... read more history and its developing culture. Of particular note was Don’s flexibility in rescheduling one days tour at very short notice when the San cave pictures became unavailable to view for reasons beyond his control. The alternative tour was as good as anticipated.

I would thoroughly recommend Don for any tours you are considering.

We had a brilliant few days with Don.
I had lots of contact and advice from Don prior to our trip; he responded to emails very quickly and provided... read more information on lots of different itinerary options as we were undecided at first what we would like to do most.
Don met us at arrivals at the airport and transferred us in his comfortable car to our destination. He gave us lots of information along the way.
4 days later Don picked us up to start our 3 day tour which Don had organised, taking in the Battlefields primarily but also the Mandela capture site. Don was a great guide, so enthusiastic and knowledgeable..really bringing the battles to life. We learned so much and took so much away. Don also arranged accommodation for us at a place out in the countryside with the most beautiful view and friendly hosts.
We absolutely recommend Don as a guide and would love to return to see the Drakensberg's with him

Super reliable and friendly! - Don is super reliable, replied to the many email questions we had within hours and was a pleasure to deal with.
Thanks for shuttling us up to the Berg and... read more then collecting us a few weeks later from a different region.
We would highly recommend Don’s services. We had a great time with him in the car.lots of laughter and interesting conversation.
Thanks again!

Don is an excellent guide and great company and I would go again in a heartbeat. - Don tailored a wonderful 3 days’ trip to the battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, taking in a number of other places of interest along the way. He was clearly... read more very knowledgeable and a wonderful historian and we learnt a lot from him. We stayed at a wonderful B&B called Elands View for 2 nights - an absolute delight at a very reasonable price.

Don was happy to adjust his plans to accommodate our changes. He was a good driver and we always felt safe even though the roads and traffic were at times horrendous.

I would happily book another tour with Don, he is a real gentleman - trustworthy, likeable and it was a real pleasure to be in his company.

I wish I could give this 10 stars instead of only 5 - I wish I could give this 10 stars instead of only 5. We had the time of our lives on a 7 day tour. Don is honest, trustworthy... read more and fun to be with. Look over his website. He has so much to offer. Just contact Don. Tell him what you want to do and he will set the whole thing up. All you have to do is show up at the Durban airport and he does the rest. He will meet you at the airport and take you to a very nice hotel that he has rented for you.

He booked us 4 nights in Durban in addition to a 7 day tour. We did a combination safari, military historical tour and a trip through Sani Pass into Lesotho. Four people is the most he can handle. It’s just you and Don. He is friendly, incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating to all of your wishes. There is no roughing it but he has found such fun and quirky places to stay; a thatched hut, a rondovel, a B&B with an enchanting garden run by charming ladies that prepare huge meals.

We saw hippos on a river cruise. The safari in the Hlushluwi Game Reserve was absolutely delightful. We saw so many animals every day. Many were right next to the car. He was an expert on the battlefield tour. He makes you feel like you were right there when it happened. The trip through Sani Pass is beautiful.

We have already booked another tour with him.

Great tours - Spent 2 great days with Don in Jan 2023 while on a cruise. Don is a native citizen of Durbin and very knowledgeable about the history of South... read more Africa. We laughed as the first day we dubbed the "pot hole tour".. not Don's fault! The roads we had to take to see the cave art was quite the road.
The second day we went on a boat trip to see the hippos. Great trip.
Don is a gentleman every step of the way. Great communication with him through the booking process.
Highly recommend him!

Two Great Days - Our party of 4 contacted Don for shore excursions for our cruise stop in Durban and Richards Bay. In Durban Don gave us a great (although pothole filled) tour to... read more Giant’s Castle, Mandela’s Capture Site and around a bit of Durban, the town he grew up in. The second day he meet us down the coast in Richards Bay. We drove through St Lucia and the surrounding wetlands, including a pontoon ride looking for hippos and other wildlife. Don was great in sharing insight on the current troubles in SA and history.

So glad that I found Don's name on a cruise review website where previous cruisers had used him for stops in Richards Bay/Durban. He put together a great day tour... read more from Richards Bay for us to the St Lucia wetlands. We had a great trip with a boat ride firstly to see Hippos, eagles and crocodiles. We then drove around the wetlands for 3-4 hours with stops at various points along the way including Vidal beach where we attempted to go swimming (a bit rough though!) Nothing was too much trouble for Don and he went out of his way to make the trip the best it could be. We saw lots of animals including zebra, kudo, warthogs with the highlight being a rhino right at the end of the tour. Our tour overran by quite a bit but this didn't seem to bother Don even though he had a 2 hour trip back to Durban afterwards. Highly recommended.

Don is an excellent guide and someone you can absolutely trust! - Working with Don over the course of 3 years (2 trips had to cancel due to Covid) he almost became a “pen pal”. During those years of booking/canceling it... read more became obvious to me that Don was a man I could trust. He was responsive and articulate and clearly very knowledgeable. Finally, after 3 years, we were able to fly from the US to South Africa and spend two fabulous days with Don in January 2023. A highlight of our trip! Don showed up on time and exactly in the place where he said he would meet us. He tailored each day to precisely what we wanted and was very willing to make stops and switch plans as the day went on. He drove safely and made our day so comfortable. Don was a wonderful historian and knew the things that would appeal to us. We saw Durban and the St. Lucia estuary & national park. Don took us to hidden walkways and places only a local would know. I also really appreciated the fact that Don did not require any upfront payments until we were physically on the ground in South Africa and with him. Very different than some tour operators! He trusted us and we trusted him. Quite frankly by the end of our two days Don felt like a cherished friend and it felt rather sad to say good-bye to him.

Do not think twice about booking with Don. You will be so very pleased and satisfied.

Highly recommend - Don is a true superstar - we travelled from the UK and were nervous about driving ourselves and Don was very responsive via email when we originally made contact with... read more him. He arranged to meet us on 3 separate days and take us to where we needed to be. On each of these days, he was where he said he would be when he was meant to be there. He was friendly and professional and we felt like we were in good, safe hands. He interacted with our children (9 and 11) very well and it was plain to see how passionate and knowledgeable he is about his country. We would highly recommend booking with Don.

Drakensberg Highlights - Don and his associates gave us, a retired couple, a 4 night trip to the Drakensberg after a long flight from Europe. This was prior to a family event... read more in Durban and intended to allow us to acclimatise - Don fulfilled our intentions completely. The overnights were like staying with long lost family. We caught up on our sleep after the flight in a very peaceful and stunning place in Kloof. We rode with Don into the Drakensberg and experienced the Sani Pass in bad weather, which made it even more exciting than usual we learnt. Don drove us to Giants Castle where we saw the Bushman's Cave and the paintings there. While driving we were given private lessons on the history of SA by Don. His associates filled us in on their own specialities, all excellent. To summarise - you're in good hands with Don!

Our bucket list trip to the battlefields in the best hands - Our trip to the battlefields was absolutely enthralling thanks to Don’s superb knowledge and passion for the subject. Don made our venture into Zululand safe and comfortable in every way.... read more He’s an absolute gentleman and knows the area and people very well. Thanks Don, for a trip of a lifetime. Our bucket list adventure couldn’t have been in better hands.

Great service and company - Don transported me from Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park to King Shaka Airport in Durban. He happily accommodated me despite the trip being last minute and was great company - we chatted almost... read more the entire 3 hours! He really loves what he does and made me feel very comfortable. I highly recommend him!

Brilliant day spent with Don learnt so much regarding the history and seeing our beautiful country. Being at the battlefields and experiencing our history really does make you so grateful.

Trip from Durban to Drakensberg - I hired the services of this company for a car trip from Durban to the Drakensberg. What can I say about Don? Helpful, patient, generous and a very good driver.... read more I definitely reccomend his company.

Definitely go with Don! - Don was incredibly reliable! I would absolutely recommend him for any sort of transfer/transport needs.

If you're planning to go on the anglo-boer tour: Get Don! He goes the extra mile to make sure you have a great trip! - If you're out to see the battlefields of the anglo-boer war, I say this: Get Don!

He's an amazing tour guide and knows his history. And knows how... read more to tell it in way, that keeps it interesting, even for 12 hours! He was always happy to stop and tell us a bit more about every single thing we asked about.

The overall knowledge he has was greatly appreciated, and he deliveres an all-round layout of the story (as to say its not featured to any sides benefits) of the anglo-boer wars.
And the tour hes has planned, was very professional and chronologically put together, and even though our tour was supposed to be over at 17:30 we arrived back almost 19:20, that only goes to show that if you get Don, he goes the extra mile to make sure you have a good trip and get to see all the sites. And he's familiar with a lot of the people who works at the sites, so they give you an extra smile and even keept the one site open for an extra half hour for us, even though they didn't have to, and we were the only ones there!

As a foreigner, I was truly amazed with how much knowledge of my heritage, I got out of this tour, due to his great insights into the different people that had to do with the anglo-boer war.

All around a 5 star trip, from Don's smooth driving to his fantastic presence in the story telling.

Ps.
He even stops and let you look at animals if they are there, I had never seen vultures before in my life and he very professionally spotted them and pulled over so we could get a good look and take pictures.

Pps.
I purpose fully didn't put my fotos of the sites in, since I think you should go see them on the tour!

Should have lingered with Don longer - Don Botterill, DaytoursKzn (May 2022)

My husband and I spent a wonderful day with Don Boterill, exploring Durban and environs. Clearly, we underutilized his expertise and talents; and were... read more we to return to the area, we would call upon Don for more in-depth and/or far-flung touring. We were sorry to see our day together end. While we wanted to visit specific locations – the Gandhi Phoenix Settlement and several art galleries not easily accessible – Don also gave us a great overview of the city itself and then wisely recommended we stop at the Hillside AIDS Center. The Hillside complex -- which is run by volunteers and includes craft atelier, little shops, a garden cafe, and hospital -- was a terrific idea, and we would never have known about it without Don's suggestion. We spent a fair amount of time there browsing and enjoying lunch. Our conversations were far-ranging, candid, and informative. DaytoursKzn is also a family affair. When Don was delayed returning to Durban for our later drive to the airport, his delightful wife, Jill, took over – an added benefit, for sure. Highly recommend Don Botterill. PS: Great alternative to cruise ship tours at Durban.
Sandra Molyneaux, Valencia, Spain

Battlefields tour - Great two day tour of Isandlwana, Rourke’s Drift and Spioenkop. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend.