South Africa Heritage, Culture & Wildlife Group Journey

Upon arriving at Cape Town International Airport, the group was met by a VIP agent, who was ready to escort them through immigration, assist with baggage collection and connect them with their driver for a road transfer to their hotel at the V&A Waterfront.

With the morning to spend at their leisure, the group’s official programme began a visit to Table Mountain via cable car before heading to the Waterfront from a delicious dinner. Day three saw the group hop onto a coach first thing in the morning, with a guide who told the story of Cape Town – not shying away from the complexities, difficult questions or the past pain – stopping at The Cape Town Castle, the National Gallery, Bo Kaap, Slave Lodge, the Company Gardens and the District Six Museum. The fourth day of their visit featured a visit to a local school to get students’ take on South Africa, its past, present and future, followed by a stop at the Israel Centre and the Jewish Museum and Cemetery.

No visit to Cape Town is complete without a tour of the Winelands, with the group focusing on Stellenbosch and Franshhoek on day five. Day six was dedicated to a ‘touristy’ day with visits to the Old Biscuit Mill, Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak Drive and Kalk Bay, topped off with a stroll through Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The group’s second-last day day in Cape Town was spent on a curated tour of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art, followed by a ferry to Robben Island with an ex-political-prisoner from the Apartheid era. Day eight offered a visit to the South African Parliament for a meeting with a member of Parliament, then a journey to the Ikamva Labantu in Khayelitsha township. With a lunch at Babel Restaurant, the group departed for wine tasting at Waterford Wine Estate before returning to Cape Town for Shabbat services and dinner with the congregation.

With their Cape Town visit at a close, the travelling companions checked out of their hotel and transferred to Cape Town International Airport for their flight to Hoedspruit, where they were met and transferred by road to Motswari Camp at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. Their two-night stay featured lots of Big 5 game drives and bush walks accompanied by a ranger.

Day 12 of the tour led the group back to Hoedspruit Airport for their flight to Johannesburg where they were met and transferred by coach to their hotel and dinner at a local restaurant. The final day of their travels, day 13 featured a visit to Soweto’s Chancellor House, the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pietersen Memorial and Nelson Mandela’s house. After a Sowetan lunch and local music, the last part of the day included a dinner with some of the developing leadership of the South African Jewish community and a farewell dinner.

After a good breakfast, the group checked out and took in the Constitutional Court, the Maboneng Precinct and lunch before heading back to OR Tambo Airport for their return flight home.