Spend your 10-day South African holiday supporting local communities.
Go2Africa has designed this tour for those who are sensitive to the ramifications that the travel industry can have on a country. Every accommodation in this tour was chosen because of its fair-trade policies and practices.
Having a conscience does not mean you need to sacrifice style and comfort - quite the contrary. Experience the beauty of South Africa with the same high standard synonymous with Go2Africa.
Days 1-2: Discover Cape Town
Arrive at Cape Town International Airport and collect your rental vehicle. Alternatively, Go2Africa can arrange to transfer you to the Cape Grace, and deliver your vehicle to you there.
Located at the V&A Waterfront, the Cape Grace is in an ideal location for those visiting Cape Town. Take a drive to Camps Bay beach and catch a tan, or do some souvenir shopping at Greenmarket Square.
The Cape Grace is a certified member of Fair Trade in Tourism, South Africa. In addition to valuing their staff as individuals and key assets to the hotel, the Cape Grace is also home to The Cape Grace Bar and Waitron Training School, which helps in providing high school students with hotel industry experience.
Accommodation included in tour cost:
- Cape Grace
Days 3-4: See Cheetah at Spier
Drive through the Cape Winelands to the Village at Spier in Stellenbosch. This wine estate does so much more than merely make delicious wine, although there is plenty of opportunity to go to a wine tasting.
Spier believes in the triple bottom-line accountability policy which dictates that success is evaluated from a financial, environmental, and socially equitable perspective.
Visit the Cheetah Outreach Programme and get the chance to step inside the enclosure, getting up close to this magnificent mammal. This educational facility intends to raise global awareness regarding the plight of the cheetah.
Spier has a huge amount of respect for the people who lived on the land many years ago, and strives to keep its historical culture preserved in Slangklip Nature Reserve, on Spiers property.
Accommodation included in tour cost:
- The Spier Hotel
Days 5-6: Commune with Nature at Grootbos
Drive to the Whale Coast and spend the next 2 days at Grootbos Nature Reserve, surrounded by nature. Go on nature drives, or walks, and if you are more adventurous, ride a horse around the reserve. An expert guide can tell you all about the fynbos as you meander through seemingly endless fascinating wild flowers.
Visit the Green Futures College where unemployed learners are equipped with knowledge and practical skills regarding conservation, fynbos landscaping, horticulture and eco-tourism. This gives them potential to support themselves and preserve the surrounding plant life at the same time.
There is a fynbos landscaping business and indigenous plant nursery that generates an income to sustain the Green Futures College.
Alternative Accommodation:
- Grootbos Forest Lodge
- Grootbos Garden Lodge
Day 7: Go on Exciting Eco-Adventure Activities
Drive up the beautiful Garden Route to Hog Hollow and settle in for your stay.
Before Hog Hollow was built, the fynbos in the area was rapidly disappearing as a result of the invasion of alien vegetation. In 1993 Andy Fermor decided to use his knowledge and skills to create an environmental haven for fynbos. See the rejuvenated local wildlife as you live in comfort at Hog Hollow.
There is plenty to keep you busy at Hog Hollow- laze around the pool, or take a hike along one of the many walking paths.
- Hog Hollow Country Lodge
Day 8: Watch Whales and Visit Qolweni
Venture into Qolweni on the Qolweni Township Experience tour and meet the people who live there. An experienced guide will give you insight into their everyday lives and the proceeds of this tour go directly into the Qolweni Development Trust which helps to develop the infrastructure of the township.
Today, you also go on the Marine Encounters Tour, which gives you the chance to see whales up close in Plettenberg Bay. Meet at Central Beach and head out into the bay with an experienced guide. See a variety of marine life, including whales, dolphins and fur seals. This tour is conducted strictly according to current regulations and conservation guidelines, which help in keeping the wildlife of the area safe.
- Hog Hollow Country Lodge
Day 9: Swing Between Trees in Tsitsikamma
Experience the Tsitsikamma Forest from above in the unforgettable Canopy Tour. After being harnessed into your gear, swing from tree to tree with an experienced guide telling you interesting facts between swings. The tour is perfectly safe and environmentally friendly. No trees were damaged during the construction of the platforms.
Stormsriver Adventures has a strong commitment to the company Ethos Statement and 84% of the 80 employees are from local surrounding areas.
Then make your way to Jan Harmsgat Country House where you spend the next few days.
- Jan Harmsgat Country House
Day 10: Sample Wine at Jan Harmsgat
Relax with a delicious glass of wine in this 4-star guest house. Take the time to relax and enjoy the fresh air. Explore the surrounding wildlife, with the opportunity to see black wildebeest, springbok, and ostriches.
Take a drive out to the Robertson Wine Valley or visit some of the museums and world heritage sites in the nearby town of Swellendam, where the owners have set up a project to turn an old jail into a coffee shop. Women from disadvantaged communities were fully trained, equipping them with the skills needed, and given a stake in the cafe, providing them with an income.
- Jan Harmsgat Country House
Days 11-12: Unwind at Bartholomeus Klip
See the pride of Bartholomeus Klip - their 4000ha fynbos nature reserve. Cycle through the extensive fynbos on a mountain bike, or head down to the dam and go canoeing, windsurfing, or kayaking.
The farm is also home to an impressive herd of disease-free buffalo. Most buffalo born in the wild, are infected with corridor and foot-and-mouth diseases, making the buffalo born at Bartholomeus Klip in high demand for game ranches. Another of Bartholomeus Klip's projects is the breeding of the extinct quagga (a breed of zebra with no stripes on the back half of its body).
The formation of the Eco-schools Club allows children from local schools to come on regular visits and also hold leadership camps in the reserve.
- Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse
Day 13: Begin a New Adventure
Returning to Cape Town need not be the end of your journey. Ask your Go2Africa consultant for advice on community based initiatives and tours, such as the Cape Malay Cooking Experience or a trip to Robben Island.
| 
