The Eyes on Africa Foundation

Trip Information[*]

 

Below is some information on the various places weÕll be visiting including general geographic locations as well as specific locales.  It is extremely advantageous for you to familiarize yourself with the places youÕll be visiting.  The websites below are some of our recommendations, but we encourage you to do your own research and begin to learn about the diverse culture, rich history, and unique problems facing the South Africa.

 

Activities/locations

Detail

Website

In-country orientation

The Spirit of Africa team welcomes the Eyes on Africa team to South Africa. The briefing, in the form of a PowerPoint presentation and open discussion covers: An introduction to their SA team, background & current picture of SA, their itinerary, travel tips and safety precautions.

Briefing

The in-country briefing includes an introduction to your program, the South African team, background & current picture of South Africa, travel tips and safety precautions.

CAPE TOWN and SURROUNDS

Cape Town

Cape Town, on South AfricaÕs southwest coast, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  It is tucked into the arms of a broad bay, surrounded by white-sand beaches with the magnificent table mountain rising as a backdrop to the city.  It is has a Mediterranean look and feel and attracts visitors and locals from all over who make use of the numerous outdoor and cultural activities.  It is home to South AfricaÕs parliament and is the countryÕs biggest tourist attraction.  Being the first place of settlement for many European settlers, entrepreneurs and religious refugees as well as for Indian, Madagascan and South-East Asian slaves, it reflects the wealth of South AfricaÕs history and heritage of cultures, religions, styles and flavors.

http://www.capetown.gov.za

Table Mountain

The international symbol of Cape Town.  Take the revolving aerial cable car to the summit where you can see the entire Cape Peninsula, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, beaches, harbor, city and suburbs from various stunning vantage points.

http://www.tablemountain.net/

City tour

Getting in touch with Cape Town. A tour of the historical city of Cape Town will include an a walking tour of the V & A Waterfront, Adderley Street and the Company Gardens, as well as highlighting the Castle of Good Hope, the Parliament of South Africa, the Bo-Kaap and the old district area.

no website

District 6 Museum

An impressive record and portrayal of the vibrant community that used to live on the edges of the old city.  The museum remembers the Apartheid-era forced removals campaign under the infamous Group Areas Act which changed District Six from a vibrant mixed community into a derelict, abandoned blight on the city. 

http://www.districtsix.co.za/frames.htm

Robben Island

Former political prison, now monument to the Freedom Struggle, Robben Island conveys so much about SA's past and the power of hope.  Visit Mandela's cell and be guided for 2 hours round the island by a former political detainee.

htt://www.freedom.co.za

Cape Peninsula Tour

The Cape Peninsula tour will lead you to the Table Mountain National Park, which features Cape Point, the place at which legend claims the Atlantic and Indian Oceans merge. You will also visit Simons Town, the South African navy's main port, and Boulders Beach that is home to a land-based breeding colony of the rare African penguin.

http://www.peninsulainfo.co.za

Gospel Township Tour

The opportunity to experience the triumph of human spirit when visiting the vibrant, informal, urban settlements in and around Cape Town is highlighted by the charismatic gospel service you will attend and participate in on a Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com

Green Point Stadium African Craft Market

An opportunity to shop till you drop!  A vast market of eclectic African Crafts, clothing, food and knickknacks.

http://www.uncoverthecape.co.za/shopping/markets/greenpoint-market

Winelands

Wine lover or not, the Cape Winelands is an absolute must with the breathtaking vistas, majestic mountain backdrops, rich history and culture. Rolling vineyards and quaint Cape Dutch homesteads with award-wining wine farms, offering some of the country's best wines, cannot be missed.

The winelands are divided into various different regions, each offering their own 'wine route'. The most popular and well-known are Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Wellington and Paarl.

http://www.tourismcapewinelands.co.za

Hermanus

Hermanus is built along the shores of Walker Bay near the Southern most tip of Africa. Magnificent mountains watch over the town which is home of the Southern Right Whale during breeding season. Nature lovers from all over the world visit Hermanus to view these magnificent creatures from the best land based whale watching destination in the world.

www.hermanus.co.za

Shark Cage Diving

**Optional

Daily shark diving/sighting tours (weather permitting) are done off Gansbaai, a mere stone-throw away from the most southern tip of the African Continent.  Approximately 12km offshore from Gansbaai (2hrs drive from Cape
Town) there are two islands situated next to each other.  Due to a number of geographical reasons - one being the shallow and narrow channel that runs between these two islands - Dyer Island has become known as one of only two unique areas in the world, where the chances to view the great white shark, rises exceptionally high.  Other wildlife species such as Cape Fur Seals, Cape Gannets, Cape Cormorants, Jackass penguins, whales and dolphins are also likely to be sighted.

The Great White Shark is one of the most feared predators and coming up close and personal with them is an awesome experience, even from the safety of a cage.  However one has to bear in mind that they are wild animals and no guarantees can be given that they will be sighted on a particular day.

In Gansbaai the best time of the year is in our winter season (April – September), when the sharks are particularly active in their feeding patterns (80-99%).


¥ The cage floats partially above and below the water surface.
¥ Good snorkel swimmers, or divers with regulator experience, may enter the cage holding on to its inside ring, while still out of the water, in wait for the shark to approach closer.
¥ Divers are never more than 1.5 meter below the surface.
¥ Once in the cage, divers can just either snorkel by taking and holding their breath, or they can breath through the Òhooker systemÓ; which is air supplied from the surface on an extended hose, instead of a BCD and cylinders on oneÕs back
¥ Through years of experience this is deemed to be the most well-suited method of providing the diver with the safest and most comfortable dive.

 

JOHANNESBURG AND SURROUNDS

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is currently the largest city in Southern Africa with more than six million people and urbanization at 97%.  It is a city of contrasts with wealthy suburbs and commercial centers alongside informal settlements, Indian bazaars and African muti (medicine) shops, where traditional healers dispense advice and traditional medicine.  
Johannesburg is in Gauteng Province. ÒGautengÓ is a Sotho word meaning Place of Gold. It is the smallest of the South AfricaÕs nine provinces, but is the centre for commercial business and governance. South AfricaÕs wealth is based primarily in the Golden Reef that makes up the Witwatersrand (Ridge of White Waters), of which Johannesburg is the centre. The cityÕs history dates back to 1886, when gold was discovered in this area. 

http://www.joburg.org.za/

Lesedi Cultural Village

Lesedi is a multi cultural village set amongst the pristine bushveld and rocky hills less than an hourÕs drive north of Johannesburg. Experience the vibrant and colourful traditions of the Basotho, Ndebele, Pedi, Xhosa and Zulu peoples. Be part of traditional Africa for just a short while as your guide brings the culture of each tribe alive to you.

http://www.hartbeespoortdam.com/lesedi/

Apartheid Museum

A striking and impressive multi-media experience of Apartheid South Africa.  Likened to the Holocaust Museum in D.C., this museum takes you into the beating heart of the Freedom Struggle, the grip of the National Party's Apartheid, and the giddy days of liberation.

http://www.apartheidmuseum.org/HTML_APM/shortstory.html

Soweto

The massive SOuth WEstern TOwnship (SO-WE-TO )of Johannesburg is the biggest city in South Africa, heart of the Freedom Struggle and home to a dichotomy of people's, languages, economic groups, traditions and modernity.

http://www.soweto.co.za/

Othandweni Family Care Centre

Othandweni is an orphanage supported by the state's Child Welfare program.  It is situated in Soweto, Johannesburg, and cares for orphaned and abandoned children from 0 – 18 years.  The Nursery can accommodate 30 babies at any one time from ages 0-4 years.  There are also cottages where they accommodate children from 5 to 18 yrs. There are 5 cottages each accommodating 12 children.

http://www.jhbchildwelfare.org.za/projects_services/othandweni.htm

SAFARI

Safari

Escape into the tranquility and magnificence of the African bushveld, where the only sounds are natural and the sights are of magnificent animals and the bright night sky.  Open vehicle game drives will bring you up close and personal with the Big Five and all the other inhabitants of the bush.

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/

Kruger National Park

The Kruger national Park was founded by the government in 1926, thanks to the dedication of people who, in the face of a society that was of a very different mind, believed that the eastern part of South Africa needed to be preserved in its glorious, untouched state.  Today, Kruger National Park encompasses nearly 12,000 square miles of wildlife safari country and supports more than 800 species of animals living in their natural habitats. The park, rich in biodiversity, stretches for 350 km from south to north along the Mozambican border before meeting up with the Zimbabwean border in the north. This is a paradise for the wildlife enthusiast and is a world leader in dynamic environmental management techniques and policies based on experience gained over more than a century.

 


[*] Assembled by ÒSpirit of AfricaÓ the tour group coordinating activities in South Africa