CULTURAL IMMERSION
Cape Town & The Wild Coast
Explore the vast contrast of urban and rural South Africa through the Western & Eastern Cape provinces. Experience South African resilience and its compassionate spirit, step into the unique ecosystem of local communities and their daily lives. Embark on an immersive cultural encounter, travel with purpose and discover the day to day running of an urban community upliftment project as well as a rural incubator. Witness the unmeasurable value of passionate leadership and the generosity of the community volunteers with the opportunity to lend a hand.
- 11 days
- Cape Town International Airport
- 10 – 16 guests
- Cultural
- Solidarity Action
- Moderate Active
5 nights Cape Town,
vibrant cultural cityscape
- Insights to Cape Town culture, understanding the historical, political, social context and make up.
- An introduction to the Cape Malay community, the slave history and their contribution to the development of South African cuisine.
- Meet the community of Langa, the oldest township of Cape Town. Engage with local entrepreneurs & street vendors. Try a fun isiXhosa language lesson.
- Spend time with an inspirational local community leader and his youth upliftment project. Work side by side with community volunteers and make meaningful impact.
- Meet the urban farmers of the townships.
- Experience the warm hospitality of a home-hosted BBQ dinner by a traditional music artist and participate to a musical workshop.
- Fall in love with the natural beauty of Cape Town! Iconic Table Mountain and the dramatic Cape Peninsula coastline. Travel like a local, enjoy lesser known locations, a refreshing plunge in a tidal pool and a beach picnic.
4 nights Wild Coast,
immerse in rural village life
- Step deeper into Xhosa culture, live the local village life.
- Authentic village accommodation and traditional meals.
- Forest walk with a local herbalist to discover useful plants and their medicinal use.
- Guided coastal hike to hidden caves and a secret beach.
- Sunrise pancakes on the beach.
- Visit a local community incubator and learn about its various programmes for poverty alleviation and working towards prosperous, healthy village life.
- Interact with the local children at the village crèche.
1 night Cape Winelands towering mountains, vineyards and vines
- Farewell dinner and overnight in the picturesque Franschhoek wine valley.
- Discover the Stellenbosch wine region, try the famous South African wine.
FAQ's
For those seeking authentic contact with locals, passage to traditions and lesser-known locations. For the curious traveller who wants to connect with South African culture, its people and everyday life.
The deeper you dive beyond the destination’s surface, the more your travel dollars spread and enhances the ability to make a real difference in community eco-systems outside of the mass tourism arena. With this trip you will be making a monetary contribution to the running of an urban community youth upliftment project, as well as lend a hand working side by side the community volunteers for 2 days. You will also support a rural 100% community owned and managed eco-lodge, it’s restaurant and the various micro-entrepreneurs who offer authentic community tours and experiences on the Wild Coast.
Small acts of kindness have a wonderful ripple effect. We encourage our visitors to pack 2 or 3 items of second hand clothing (adult/children/baby). Every year several informal housing settlements are destroyed by fires, leaving families at great loss of their personal belongings. Partnering with the Together Trust, contributions from our guests are taken to community distribution centres who in turn distribute the items to families in need. We are also on a quest of alleviating Period Poverty. Any contributions in female sanitary products would be greatly appreciated and distributed through the Together Trust.
Good mobility is required with no particular fitness level.
This immersive experience is appropriate for guests 16 years and older. There is no maximum age restriction, but it requires good mobility.
The price is calculated on a TWIN sharing basis. If you are travelling solo and looking to travel economically by sharing a room, we will try to match you with another solo traveller where possible. If we are unable to match you with a sharing roommate, the single supplement will apply for occupying your own room.
Your accommodation is based on private rooms at charming 3-star establishments, ranging from holiday apartments, hybrid co-living backpacker hotels and a community eco-lodge. Room types do differ, and most of the time they are not uniform in such smaller accommodation establishments.
Although you may not be placed in exactly the same room type, they are of similar standard, and we will ensure that everyone enjoys great comfort and a lovely room.
The tour starts and departs from Cape Town. You should book your flights to Cape Town International Airport.
A valid passport with at least one blank page, valid for at least 6 months after date of departure from South Africa.
A valid visa, if required – see the visa exempted list here https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/exempt-countries
Sufficient funds for your stay, a return onward flight ticket.
Yellow fever certificate only if you are travelling from or if your journey passes through the yellow fever belt.