Durban is an amazing city, but it does have its issues! This was my second time in Durban and I really did not want to spend it again in the immediate area of my hotel and being bused everywhere else. After researching the options available I settled on Johhny Matthews 'Cultural Walking Tour of Durban' what a fantastic decision this was. Six of us booked a morning tour (which turned out to be a private tour) with Johnny who has 30-plus years of experience in tourism and it shows. The tour is scheduled for 4/5 hours, ours was 6 hours for which we were very grateful (if you want it shorter, tell Johnny he is very accommodating).
I am writing this review as a guide myself. Because of Johnny's background and experience in tourism, he quickly assesses what his clients are interested in. He is a local and has a wealth of information on both Durban and South Africa, he gave us a wonderful insight into the history, culture, diversity, inclusion, changes (both positive and negative), and what he believes will be the future for Durban.
We rode with locals on the local taxi service (white minibusses) which is an experience all in its own. We went to a wonderful lookout point with great views over the city, we walked through the suburbs all the time Johnny telling us interesting details about the buildings the people, and the neighborhoods. Then we headed for the markets, the majority of people will tell you "Do Not Go To The Markets" and I would agree with them, unless you go with Johnny. Before we got to the markets he told us that there would be only 6 white people in the markets that day, and that would be us! Johnny has been running this tour for 11 years and all the traders appear to know him, he will tell you the Do's & Dont's before you enter the markets. In the markets (which are huge) we were met with smiles and shouts of "Shoot Me" meaning photograph me or selfie with me. We spoke with traders and Johnny was on hand to explain the different items on sale that we might not be familiar with. But remember, it is a market and people rely on sales to live, so if you can, please support them, even a little.
After the markets, we headed to North Beach for lunch overlooking the beach and the Indian Ocean arranged by Johnny.
I know this has been a long review, but I believe it was needed to try to get across the wonderful experience we had on this tour, at no time did we feel uncomfortable or in danger. Six hours seems a lot but it flew by. Johnny Matthews is a wonderful guide and ambassador for Durban and South Africa. If you are thinking of doing a walking tour of Durban, then I highly recommend that you do this one.