1
|
USA - Johannesburg
|
Today we will depart the US for Johannesburg, South Africa.
|
Overnight flight
|
2
|
Johannesburg
|
After landing in Johannesburg, we'll be taken to our hotel to settle in. After some rest, there will be an orientation meeting in the evening to discuss our adventure in the coming days.
|
Brown Sugar Backpackers
|
3
|
Johannesburg
|
After breakfast, we will visit the Apartheid Museum – a reminder of just how live was like for many South Africans in the relatively recent past, and just how far the country has come since those dark times. Afterward, we will head further south to visit Soweto, once home to Nelson Mandela and other South African icons. We'll have lunch here, then visit some important landmarks relevant to Apartheid. In the afternoon, we the Kliptown Youth Project, a local organization which aims to improve the lives and livelihoods of local residents.
|
Brown Sugar Backpackers
|
4
|
Johannesburg
|
In the morning, we will head out to the Cradle of Human Kind and the Sterkfontein Caves. This World Heritage Site is about an hour and a half outside of Johannesburg and is the place where anthropologists, archaeologists and historians suggest that modern man has lived for more than 3 million years. We will spend the afternoon revisiting the Kliptown Youth Project, helping out with some the project’s community initiatives.
|
Brown Sugar Backpackers
|
5
|
Johannesburg - Pilanesberg
|
After breakfast, we will spend the morning with the Kliptown Youth Project. In the evening, we will depart for the Pilansberg Nature reserve for a bit of time in the bush observing South African wildlife. The afternoon will be spent on some reflection on our time at the Kliptown Youth Project and discussions around social issues that still exist in many societies.
|
Manyane Resort
|
6
|
Pilanesberg
|
It's safari time, so get out our binoculars and cameras! You never know what animal is hiding around the next corner. We'll have the opportunity to see rhinoceours, giraffe, elephant, zebra, water buffalo, and dozens of other recognizable (and unrecognizable) species. A naturalist guide will help identify the wildlife we see, and tell us fascinating stories about what it is like to work in a wildlife reserve. In the afternoon, we will have another reflection session, talking about social and environmental issues that face South Africa today.
|
Manyane Resort
|
7
|
Pilanesberg - Johannesburg
|
After breakfast, we will depart the reserve back to Johannesburg. We will spend the day with the Kliptown Youth Project who will join us at the Lion Park. We will be able to interact with the lions and hear about some of the conservation efforts in place to protect Africa’s most iconic cat.
|
Brown Sugar Backpackers
|
8
|
Johannesburg - Cape Town
|
After breakfast we will fly to Cape Town, locally known as the Mother City to the residents of this beautiful city. After dropping our luggage off at your accommodation we will head out on a township tour to see how Apartheid Spatial Planning worked. We may visit a few local charities to see some of the ways people are improving their lives and the lives of others in low-income areas. In the afternoon, there will be a reflection session to discuss the differences between township life in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and we will try all the delicious tastes Cape Town has to offer.
|
Ashanti
|
9
|
Cape Town - Kleinbaai
|
After breakfast the bus transfers us to Kleinbaai, some 2 hours outside of Cape Town, where we will meet the Dyer Island Conservation Trust team. After settling in to our accommodations we will receive an orientation and project overview. The afternoon will be spent snorkelling where you can see some of the marine plants and animals growing in the cooler parts of the Indian Ocean. The group will get a chance to learn about rocky-shore ecology and possibly collect shark eggs for the research and rehabilitation projects. Dinner will be a beach braai (barbecue) under the stars.
|
Gansbay Backpackers
|
10
|
Kleinbaai
|
After breakfast we will depart on a beach hike where we can spot some of the biodiversity living along the coast. From seagulls to sharks, keep your eyes peeled and we will see plenty of exciting stuff along the way. Along the way, we will undertake a beach clean-up where we will ensure that less litter enters the marine environment. In the afternoon, we will visit a penguin sanctuary where you can come face to face with the endangered African Penguin – the only penguin species to be found on the African continent. A lively round of beach soccer will round off the day.
|
Gansbay Backpackers
|
11
|
Kleinbaai - Cape Town
|
We will head back to Cape Town in the morning, where we will take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. Here, we will have a birds-eye view of the whole of the city and the peninsula. We will also get to explore the world-famous Two Oceans Aquarium and finish up the day shopping for souvenirs and gifts at the V&A Waterfront.
|
Ashanti
|
12
|
Cape Town - USA
|
Depending on flight times today, we may take a final stroll through some of the open areas in Cape Town. We will then depart for the US, to make our way across the vast African continent and Atlantic Ocean!
|
Overnight flight
|
13
|
USA
|
Today, we'll arrive back in the US with countless stories to tell.
|
Your own bed, eventually!
|
