Tim Brown Tours

Tim Brown Tours is an owner-run, Durban-based tour company that specialises in day trips and short overnight tours from the city into the wider KwaZulu-Natal region. It has more than ten years' experience, uses hand-picked and trained guides, and picks up and drops off guests at their accommodation in Durban, which takes the stress out of long drives on unfamiliar roads. The company has won the Lilizela Tourism Award for best provincial tour operator in KwaZulu-Natal.

The most popular trips are safaris. A day or overnight tour to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, the province's best-known Big Five reserve, gives visitors staying in Durban the chance to look for rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard without moving hotels. Tours to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park include a boat cruise, and some itineraries add a visit to the Emdoneni cat rehabilitation centre. Inland, the company runs trips to the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains, including a 4x4 day tour up the Sani Pass and overnight hiking and sightseeing packages, and to the battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift, scenes of the Anglo-Zulu War.

Tours suit couples, families and small groups who want an organised, guided experience, as well as cruise passengers and business travellers with only a day or two to spare. Many itineraries can be tailor-made, and some overnight options add stargazing or a campfire. Vehicles are described as comfortable, luxury and air-conditioned.

Safari day trips start very early, because the reserves are several hours' drive north of Durban, and they return in the evening, so be ready for a long day. Book in advance, particularly in the December and Easter holidays, and discuss any dietary needs, mobility issues or children's ages when you book. Bring a hat, sunscreen, binoculars and layers, as mornings in open vehicles can be cool even in summer.

The company has received TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence for five consecutive years. Booking is by phone or through the website, and the team can advise on which trip suits the time you have. If you can spare two days, an overnight safari is more relaxed than a long single-day round trip, and it gives you a better chance of seeing animals at dawn and dusk.