South Africa Cultural Tour And Volunteering

Upon arrival at Johannesburg International Airport, you will be met by Goway's local representative and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Lodging: Overnight at Protea Fire & Ice Melrose Arch or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and then transfer overland by private coach to Kruger National Park via the Panorama Route. View the glorious vistas at the glory that is God's Window, a boundless view of forested mountains and fertile plains, visit the spectacular Blyde River Canyon, one of the natural wonders of Africa, and explore the Bourkes Luck Potholes and visit Graskop and Pilgrim’s Rest before arriving mid-afternoon. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Protea Hazyview Hotel or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and then this morning the group will transfer to Hoedspruit to visit the Endangered Species Center. The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre focuses on the conservation of rare, vulnerable or endangered animals. Cheetah Conservation is one of our core disciplines.

We are actively involved in the breeding of endangered, vulnerable or rare animal species; the education of learners, students and the general public in conservation and conservation activities; eco-tourism; the release and establishment of captive-bred cheetahs back into the wild; the treatment and rehabilitation of wild animals that are brought to the Centre.
Following an introductory presentation on the Centre, day visitors are treated to an in-depth tour of the centre. Departing on the hour, open safari vehicles with experienced guides move between the various enclosures, enabling participants to view cheetah, wild dog, lions, the black-footed cat, african wild cat, ground hornbills, sable antelope and much more.

A great treat is experiencing the feeding sessions of various rare African vultures as they swoop down into the “vulture restaurant” to feed on the remains of carcasses. This area attracts White-backed Vultures, Hooded Vultures, occasionally the Lappet-faced Vulture and Cape Griffon, the Marabou Stork and Bateleur Eagle. The bones and carcasses come from the bomas, paddocks and pens around the Centre, and once they have been picked clean they are taken to a bone miller and the proceeds are put pack into the Centre. Nothing goes to waste!

In the afternoon, group will visit the Elephant Whispers for a one hour interaction. Group will get to experience the thrill of being close to these magnificent creatures and witness their intelligence, their compassionate nature and sheer delight interacting with their human counterparts. The interaction with the elephant offers you the opportunity to touch the elephant, exchange trunk greetings and offer tasty treats. Experienced elephant handlers share their in-depth knowledge of fascinating elephant behaviors. Return to Hazyview for an overnight. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Protea Hazyview Hotel or similar

A full day 'Big Five' game viewing in Kruger National Park set off before breakfast in an open safari vehicle in search of lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard, and all manner of wondrous wildlife, birds and plant species. Savour the magic of this enormous wilderness. Open vehicle used today. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Protea Hazyview Hotel or similar

Breakfast at hotel before your onward travel to The Kingdom of Swaziland; enjoy an enchanting drive to the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland, a former British Protection Territory, now ruled by King MsWati III. Witness a Swazi cultural experience before visiting a candle factory and the Ngwenya Glass factory. We continue through the capital city, Mbabane, known for its vibrant markets packed with woven baskets, beadwork and carvings. Spend time in a cultural village for lunch on own account. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Matenga Lodge or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and then group will travel onwards to St. Lucia. The town of St. Lucia, a World Heritage Site and home to hippo, crocodile and no less than 367 bird species. This afternoon, group will take a boat cruise to see up close the protected wetlands. Overnight at hotel. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Elephant Lake Hotel or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and then group will take a morning game drive and visit the Centenary History Museum. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park is the magnificent Big Five game reserve and is not only home to 84 species of game, but it’s the oldest proclaimed reserve in Africa, world-renowned for its highly successful white rhino conservation program. A morning safari in the magical Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park doesn’t stop at the thrill of searching for the Big Five with an opportunity to see zebra, giraffe, cheetah and wild dog, but the hilly terrain offers spectacular views of the Reserve and your camera is going to love it. Visit the renowned Centenary Centre and Museum that depicts the history of live game capture and translocation of game, especially the White Rhino that would no doubt be extinct without the creation of this reserve.

This afternoon, group will visit the Veyane Cultural Village. The tour of Khula Village takes the group into the heart of a real working Zulu community where age-old tradition meets contemporary Zulu society. Take a cultural tour which will give you hands-on introduction to many fascinating aspects of traditional and modern Zulu life. Tour includes: Visit a traditional Zulu kraal, learn about the indigenous trees of the forest, find out about the natural history of the wetlands, call on traditional healers and learn about their remedies, see Zulu bead workers and weavers at work, be spellbound by the magic of zulu storytelling, entertained by talented traditional misicians and Zulu dancing on weekends and public holidays. The land where this village is situated is on the outskirts of St. Lucia known as the Khula Dukuduku settlement, which was awarded to the brave Zulu warrior Veyane Mkhwanazi in the 19th century by King Cetshhwayo in recognition of his heroism in the defeat of Chelmsfords army at the battle of Isandlwana in 1879. These cultural tours aim to offer tourists an authentic and interactive Zulu cultural experience while giving members of this community an opportunity to benefit from tourism. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Elephant Lake Hotel or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and then today travel towards Umhlanga (Durban). Travel by private coach, hugging the lush KwaZulu-Natal coastline en route to Durban/Umhlanga, watching the sugar cane fields do their own version of the Mexican wave at the urging of the wind. Check into your hotel just before lunch (own account). Explore the beachfront and its many attractions at leisure, or take an optional afternoon Durban City Tour but driver will provide an orientation tour on arrival. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Protea Umhlanga Ridge or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and then the group will travel by coach to Drakensburg Mountains via Midland Meander Route. The Drakensburg area, a vast world heritage site; Not only proclaimed such for its extreme beauty, but also for the historic 2000-year-old San – better known as bushman - paintings found in a Cave. This area is green for hiking in the stunning surroundings. Upon arrival, check into the hotel. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Drakensburg Gardens Hotel or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and then group will have a full day 4 X 4 Adventure into another world (the land of the people of the blanket) up the Sani Pass and into Lesotho, the only road link between KwaZulu-Natal and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.

Begin climbing the highest vehicle pass in Southern Africa. Starting at 1540m above sea level you will follow the deep valley incised by the Mkhomazana River to breast the summit at 2873m with almost 1000m climbed in the last 8km of your trip in our 4x4 vehicles.

The views from Sani Pass are utterly spectacular and invariably make a lasting impression on first-timers. In summer waterfalls cascade and tumble into the river below. The green slopes that sweep upward to the base of towering basalt cliffs are dotted with the colour of our great variety of flowers and the roadside is lined with flowers. Our vast floral variety, in number of species and their traditional uses, will earn this region the coveted world heritage status. Our knowledgeable and keen guides have introduced botanists and horticulturists from all over the world to this floral wealth.

In winter under a cloudless sky iced falls sparkle next to the hairpin bends. This is our dry season when the early afternoon sun burnishes the dry veld to a rich gold. And there is the ever-present promise of snow. And along the way our registered Tour Guides will tell you of the history of the SANI PASS - of the long-gone San people who lived and hunted here until they, too, were hunted out. Of the days of long trains of mules that plied this twisting track. And if names like Ground Woodpecker, Orange-breasted Rockjumper (shown here), Drakensberg Siskin, Gurney's Sugarbird, Bearded Vulture, Mountain Pipit, strike a response in you, then you will know that this is an important site for avid birdwatchers At the top is the border post between South Africa and Lesotho, thus passports are a must. Once inside Lesotho, we see a Sotho tribal village and can interact with the local people before enjoying lunch at the highest pub in Africa. Perched right near the edge of the mountain, it has few rivals in terms of pub views. After lunch, we wind our way back down the mountain for another overnight. BL

Accommodation: Overnight at Drakensburg Gardens Hotel or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and the group will then transfer back to Durban and get dropped off at the airport for their flight to Cape Town. Upon arrival in Cape Town, group will be greeted and transferred to the hotel for overnight. B

Accommodation: Overnight at Protea President Hotel or similar

Breakfast at the hotel and today enjoy a full day touring the ruggedly beautiful Cape Peninsula via the Atlantic seaboard. We stop at the fishing village of Hout Bay, where you can optional cruise (own account) to Seal Island to watch the antics of these natural performers. Then we continue to the Cape Point Nature Reserve, before stopping off to see the lovable penguins at Boulders Beach. We drive through the quaint naval village of Simon's Town on our way back to Cape Town. BLD

Accommodation: Overnight at Protea President Hotel or similar

Breakfast at hotel and today you will enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour. This tour also includes a ticket up Table Mountain (weather permitted).

The afternoon group will visit the Amy Biehl Foundation. The Amy Biehl Foundation was founded in 1997 in South Africa. Over the years the Foundation has flourished in its mission to ‘Weave a Barrier against Violence’ by emphasizing social, cultural and economic empowerment through its programs. Currently, two of the young men who were convicted of Amy’s murder and granted amnesty, work for the Foundation to make these programs a success. They are a living embodiment of the values, such as forgiveness, reconciliation and tolerance, which we strive to teach the youth of Cape Town through our work. While we must never forget Amy Biehl and the life lessons that her and her parents have taught us, our focus needs to be on helping the children of South Africa. The Foundation is not only about a tragic story, but about programs and schools, and restoring hope in disadvantaged communities so that a bright future can be had by all. B

(Tours are conducted between 2 and 5 pm Monday to Thursday during term time, and between 10 am to 1pm Monday to Thursday during school holidays) Return to hotel.

Accommodation: Overnight at Protea President Hotel or similar 

Breakfast at the hotel and in time check out of your hotel; you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight. B