VISITORS to the Durban Botanic Gardens can now enjoy a guided tour of the gardens by a very passionate tour guide, Vishnu Moodley.
Vishnu and Natasha Dadoo, employed by Blue Dolphin Tourist Services, are giving visitors the star treatment. Natasha, a top barista serves visitors from the coffee and treats cart, while Vishnu acts as tour guide as he drives visitors around the gardens on a golf cart, sharing information on the history and background of the interesting and sometimes unseen sights in the gardens.
The tour is a fun and educational wy to take in the 15 hectare spread that is the Durban Botanic Gardens, and started as a pilot project at the beginning of October.
“The trial phase went so well, it was exceptional from day one. As soon as I parked the cart at the Visitors' Centre, before I even went for training, I had my first customer!” said Vishnu.
Vishnu was trained by the curator and horticulturists at the gardens for a week. During the second week, he did research from questions asked by visitors which he couldn't answer at the time.
“I worked for Avis for 11 years before this, but when Chris Wittenbrink from Blue Dolphin asked me to help out, I thought I would give it a go. I couldn't ask for a better office. I tried it for a month and fell in love with the job!” said Vishnu.
He said even when the weather wasn't the best, customers arrived for a tour.
The tours run every half an hour and follow a specific route through the gardens. Vishnu focuses on the interesting trees and their uses in the gardens and gives a background on the history of the gardens. The route takes in the sunken garden, the garden of the senses, the fern garden and the cycad garden, where visitors will see the Woodii cycad, which was brought to Durban via ox and cart by the first curator of the gardens, John Medley Wood. Visitors are taken to the lake area, where Berea Mail was lucky enough to see one of the three terapin turtles out of the water, and the beautiful orchid house.
Visitors can end their tour with coffee, juices, ice-cream and other delicious snacks at the coffee cart, where tables and chairs have been put out for them to sit down and relax.
Tours are R100 for 30 minutes, R200 for 60 minutes, R400 for 120 minutes and pensioners and children under 12 get a 50 per cent discount.
Contact blue-dolphin-ts@yebo.co.za or www.blue-dolphin-ts.co.za
