NATIONAL TOURS FOR CAPE TOWN SCHOOLS  GR 4 – 10 (9 – 16 year olds)

Aim: to expose our school children to different parts of their own country to learn about their multicultural heritage, the diverse fauna and flora, the need for conservation and preservation of natural resources, respect and responsibility for the environment and lastly management of themselves on tour as part of a group.

The suggestion is:

Grade 4 : keep the tours local, close to home for children who can’t sleep over, but can still join for the day’s activities, 2 nights away to let them experience managing themselves and their belongings away from the home, accommodation at resorts separate from the general public

Grade 5 : further from home so that the child gets to experience 2 nights away where they need to manage themselves as well as a longer bus ride to endure, accommodation at resorts separate from the general public

Grade 6 : a reasonably long bus journey away from school and 3 nights away for the children to experience long distance travel, managing yourself in a bus’s confined space, experience a totally different region either culturally or by biome, accommodation separate from the general public

Grade 7 : 3 – 4 nights away to experience either a totally different region or province. It either involves a long bus ride or flight. How to manage yourself with travel, being in the public eye and away from what is familiar and following safety procedures, accommodation separate from the general public as far as possible otherwise will be with strict security in place

Grade 8 :  4  nights away and the need for great responsibility to manage oneself in the public eye, using transport from boats, to buses, to flights, to safari vehicles, adventure activities following safety protocols and managing oneself eating in restaurants and accommodation might have general public as well, but strict security in place

Grade 9 : 4 nights away, managing flights and other modes of travel, either a neighbouring country of a different province of SA, eating in restaurants and partaking in adventure activities, accommodation might have general public as well with security in place

Grade 10 : 4 nights away, more endurance and perseverance needed with more challenging adventure activities, following safety protocols, being in the public eye, eating in restaurants, manage oneself, more freedom given for self-management, accommodation might have general public as well with security in place.

 

Grade 4: CT the Southern Peninsula (Simon’s Town)

Day 1: Simons Town, a naval town

Pick up at school at 08:00 and travel to the Simon’s Town Museum for a slide show on the history of Just Nuisance, in only dog in the world to enlist into the navy
Naval Museum – trace the naval history of the area, with uniforms, artillery, vessels
Boat cruise – visit the sites around Simon’s Bay
Accommodation in chalets near Simon’s Town

Day 2: Activities around Simons Town

Scratch Patch Mineral World – discover the gemstones of Southern Africa, a guided factory tour followed by scratch and collect your own gems stones
Boulders Beach – learn about the endangered African Penguin followed by swimming at Boulders Beach

Day 3: Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve – learn about the shipwrecks along the coastline, visit Cape of Good Hope, the most SW tip of the African continent, next head to Cape Point to walk to the top lighthouse with spectacular views of the peninsula and False Bay and information on why Cape Point has 2 light houses
Ostrich Farm – education on ostrich behaviour, anatomy and ostrich farming in SA,lunch an opportunity to taste ostrich meat
Return to school late afternoon

Grade 5: Overberg (Gansbaai)

Day 1: Hermanus

Pick up at school 08:00 and travel into the Overberg Hermanus Abalone Farm for abalone education, poaching challenges, tour of the farm and wave power station that generates the farm’s electricity
Hermanus Old Harbour traces the history of Hermanus, fishing and whaling
Travel to Gansbaai for our accommodation in chalets and dorms

Day 2: Danger Point

Danger Point Lighthouse – visit the lighthouse and learn about the Birkenhead shipwreck and how it changed maritime history
Visit a Crocodile Farm for live crocodile education followed by lunch in the restaurant
Late afternoon recreation and games back at the accommodation

Day 3: Kleinbaai

Eco Marine Tour boat cruise to learn about sharks, whales, seals, penguins and dolphins and sea birds
Lunch at a local restaurant
Visit a sea bird sanctuary for bird rehabilitation, effects of pollution on marine life
Return to school late afternoon

Grade 6: Breede River Valley (Swellendam and Montague)

Day 1: Breede River

Travel to Swellendam to our accommodation in dorms along the Breede River survival skills are taught through games and physical challenges
Educational on alien vegetation followed by a team challenge
Overnight in Swellendam

Day 2: River Rafting

River rafting on the Breede River with qualified river guides, helmets and life jackets
This is followed by a low ropes course and a supervised climbing wall testing agility and strength
Late afternoon games of soccer and volley ball

Day 3: Montague Springs

Morning co-operative games before travelling to Montagu to our backpacker type accommodation
Afternoon enjoy the heated pools at Avalon Springs Resort
Education on the geology of the area and the Cape Fold Mountains

Day 4: Donkeys and Cheetahs

Morning visit a donkey sanctuary in the area for education on the work of donkeys and why animal sanctuaries are needed. Lunch included at the sanctuary
Cheetah Outreach to learn about the plight of cheetahs in the wild and other of the medium sized cats
Back at school late afternoon

Grade 7: Little Karoo (Oudtshoorn) and Garden Route (Knysna)

Day 1: Ostrich Farming

Travel to Oudtshoorn, the capital of the Klein Karoo region
Visit a working ostrich farm – history of Oudtshoorn, ostrich farming in SA and, ostrich products
Supper with an opportunity to taste ostrich meat
Overnight in chalets in the area

Day 2: Cango Caves and Canoeing

Cango Caves – 1h tour – early man in the area, education on cave formations – stalactites, stalagmites and flow stone columns
Travel to Wilderness – canoeing with qualified river guides, helmets and life jackets on the Touw River
Travel to Knysna for our accommodation in dorms

Day 3: Tsitsikamma

Monkeyland and Birds of Eden – largest primate sanctuary and free flight aviary in the Southern Hemisphere, primate education
Lunch at a restaurant in Storms River Village
Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour – explore the temperate forest, hardwood trees through 10 ziplines
Plettenberg Bay beach for an opportunity to feel the warm Agulhas Current of the Indian Ocean

Day 4: Featherbed and Garden of Eden

Featherbed Nature Reserve eco tour – ferry ride across the Knysna Estuary, 4×4 tractor ride up the Western Head and 1,5km coastal fynbos hike
Knysna Waterfront and an opportunity to taste an oyster
Garden of Eden – Temperate Afromontane Rain Forest hike
Forest obstacle course – to learn about the flora of the forest followed by a Tjembe drumming workshop
SA braai in the forest for supper followed by a night activity – to learn about the nocturnal animals of the forest

Day 5: Mossel Bay

Visit the Dias Museum Complex visit to trace early European explorers around the Cape
Lunch followed by the journey back to CT

Grade 8 : West Coast (Cederberg)

Day 1: Camping in the Cederberg

Pick up at school with an overland company. Drive to Cederberg mountains and set  up camp on an organic farm next to a river nestled between the Cederberg  Mountains
Afternoon river hike with views of the mountains and campsite
Late afternoon recreation at the campsite river pools, enjoy the foofy slide into the river pool
Supper – good ole SA braai
Star gazing – without light pollution amazing sights of the Milky Way, see Orion, Southern Cross and 7 Sisters’ constellations

Day 2: Lamberts Bay

Visit Lamberts Bay’s Bird Island – home to thousands of Cape Gannets, education onthis species as well as the marine life in the area (birds mainly resident late Sept – end Mar)
Lunch of fish and chips at a local restaurant
Cederberg to home to Rooibos, world famous herbal tea – visit a Rooibos tea farm for a tour and tasting

Day 3: Organic Farming

Morning tractor ride around a local organic farm to learn about the term ‘organic’and what can be farmed in the area
Look at farm management – setting up solar farms, suppling drinking water, connectivity, safety and other logistics
Paintball adventure

Day 4: Stadsaal Caves and San Art

Morning to pack up camp and move further into the Cederberg Mountains.
Set up camp at Sanddrif
Stadsaal Caves – learn about early man in the area, visit some famous rock art sights and the caves

Day 5: Wolfberg Cracks Hike

Wake up bright and early for the challenging Wolfberg Cracks Hike – the most spectacular rock formations and views (3h hike) done with a qualified mountain guide
Return to campsite to pack up
Lunch before departure via Ceres

Grade 9 : Mpumalanga and Johannesburg

Day 1: Sudwala Caves

Fly to OR Tambo Airport
Visit Sudwala Caves, one of the oldest caves in the world, to learn about early man living in caves and other cave structures
Transfer to Hazyview to the accommodation in chalets at a holiday resort

Day 2: Graskop and adventure

Graskop lift company and forest experience – a glass elevator descends 51m down into a temperate rain forest for a boardwalk experience to study the plants &  animals of the forest
Afternoon adventure – either geckoing down the Sabie River or Skyway zipline trail or quad biking in the area

Day 3: Kruger National Park

Kruger Park morning game drive in our bus with a knowledgeable guide, search for the ‘Big 5” and other savanna bushveld mammals
Kruger Park lesson with SANparks, insight into the management of this flagship game reserve and the challenges faced with rhino and elephant poaching

Day 4: Chimp Eden

Chimp Eden, a Jane Goodall Institute visit for education on chimpanzees as well as to hear the stories of some of the rescued chimps
Book into hotel accommodation in Rosebank, Johannesburg
Local restaurant for supper

Day 5: Johannesburg and Apartheid

Ride the Hop On Hop Off City Sight Seeing bus for commentary on the City Tour of Johannesburg tracing the start of the ‘City of Gold’ through Apartheid – Sharpville and Soweto Riots – to the new Democratic Republic of South Africa
Stop at the Apartheid Museum to learn more about the pre and post Apartheid history of South Africa
Transfer to OR Tambo for flight back to Cape Town

Grade 10: Vic Falls Zimbabwe

Day 1: Zambezi River Cruise

Morning flight to Victoria Falls
Transfer to accommodation for lunch
Swimming at accommodation pools
Late afternoon sunset cruise on the Zambezi River – history, animal life, the falls

Day 2: Day at Victoria Falls

2,5h tour of Victoria Falls and the rain forest, history of David Livingstone
2h bridge tour – history of the area and the bridge
zipline from Zimbabwe to Zambia

Day 3: Culture Day

Batoka Gorge Hike above the Zambezi River
Brunch at Ndebele headman’s home
Local Village Tour – interaction with a local tribe for a cross cultural experience

Day 4: Chobe Day

Morning 3h game viewing boat cruise on the Chobe River
Lunch at a hotel
Afternoon 3h game drive in Chobe to see the mammals of this biome

Day 5: Elephant Sanctuary

Morning elephant interaction at an elephant sanctuary and orphanage – education on elephants and hear their individual stories
Transfer to airport for flight back to Johannesburg and connecting flight to CT

Grade 10 : Port Elizabeth and Garden Route Adrenaline Adventure

Day 1: Addo

Fly to Port Elizabeth / Gqeberha
Check into Addo Main Camp into the forest cabins
Informative lesson at the SANparks informative centre
Addo game drive – in an open Safari vehicle with a trained nature guide
Dinner at Cattle Barons restaurant

Day 2: Storms River Village

Morning game drive in our bus
Brunch and ready to depart by 12:00
Pop into Jeffery’s Bay to visit the Billabong Factory shop
Head to Storms River Village and check into a funky backpackers sharing in dorms and chalets
Late afternoon to explore the village
Chicken Potjie for dinner

Day 3: Black Water Tubing

Black water tubing in the morning with an adventure company and qualified river guides – a 6 hour adrenaline experience and not for the faint hearted nor weak swimmers
Early afternoon to explore Storms River mouth and the suspension bridge hike
Afternoon Segway forest and village tour
Braai for dinner

Day 4: Plettenberg Bay and Knysna

Robberg Nature Reserve 5,5km hike – see the Cape Fur Seal colony, African Penguins, Cape Gannets, terns, White Breasted Cormorants
Ocean Safari in high speed boat from Central Beach Plett – sight whales, many dolphin species, seals, penguins
Seafood restaurant for dinner at the Knysna Waterfront

Day 5: Safari in Mossel Bay

Travel to a private game reserve near Mossel Bay for a guided game drive in an open safari vehicle. An opportunity to compare a national park and a private game reserve.
Lunch at the restaurant boma before departing by bus back to Cape Town