Cultural South Africa

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Pretoria

Arrive in Pretoria and make your way to our hotel in Pretoria. A pre departure group meeting will be scheduled for the evening with your tour leader.

Day 2 Middelburg (B,D)

Approximate distance: 130 kmEstimated Travel Time: 1.5 hrsEnjoy breakfast at the hotel before we depart on a short city tour of Pretoria, including stops like the Voortrekker Monument & Museum, Union Buildings and a drive through Church Square. After the tour we will depart for Middelburg, where we'll partake in a guided tour through the historical Village at Botshabelo Historical Village and Reserve.The village, located on the banks of the Olifants river, 7km from Middleburg, will give you the opportunity to travel back to a lifestyle of a bygone era of blacksmiths, wagon makers, and handcraft artisans. Established in the 1860s, when two missionaries set up a mission station. With 115 residents (85 adults and 30 children), the station was made up of several missionary houses, two schools, a few trading centres, and a blacksmith's shop. Originally a church town, today, Middelburg is a large farming and industrial town, located between two towns Pretoria and Lydenburg. It was formally known as Nasareth, which means “root from dry land”, and was established on the farm Sterkfontein in 1866, and owes the large extend of the town and the townlands to a mathematical error.From the 1950s to the 70s, the town saw an influx of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Europe, who were running from the economic slow down of their respective countries, and the need by the factories in Middelburg for industrial expertise. Today, the town faces many challenges from it's cultural diversity, the town is made up of Afrikaans speaking families, expats from Europe and the UK, and from an original African population; to the fact that many residents are now leaving the small town for the larger cities as they look for greater economic opportunities.

Day 3 Manyeleti Area (B,D)

Approximate distance: 370 kmEstimated Travel Time: 4.5 hrsEnjoy breakfast at your accommodation before we depart to Fort Merensky, 13 km north of Middleburg on R 35. The origins of the fort go back to 1865, when Alexander Merensky settled here, charged by the Berlin Missionary Society to establish Botshabelo mission station. The name Botshabelo means 'place of refuge'. The fort was built by Sotho workmen and shows an interesting mix of African and European ideas. The fort, along with other mission buildings and a Ndebele village, is now an open-air museum.We then depart for Nyani Tribal Village, which has been reconstructed to resemble an authentic Shangaan Village of some 50 plus years ago. We arrive in the afternoon in time for a village tour and enjoy a traditional Shangaan Dinner and Dancing.Hoedspruit, Limpopo, South Africa borders on the Kruger National park and is located in an area known as the 'Valley of the Olifants'. Hoedspruit used to be a small and comparatively unspoilt tourism and agriculturally orientated town in the center of the lowveld but now has a big tourism centre, 'Kamogelo'. This has turned Hoedspruit into a tourist hotspot. Hoedspruit, South Africa, lies in the heart of the central Lowveld and has a wonderful all year round climate.Enter the reserve and check into the accommodation. Sleep tight in the rustic huts and listen to the haunting sounds of the African night.The name Manyeleti, means 'Place of the Stars' in the local Shangaan language and guests have the opportunity to watch the magnificent Southern Constellation. Manyeleti is situated away from the mainstream tourist areas and guests can experience the tranquility of the African Bush in absolute seclusion.Manyeleti Game Reserve is situated between the Timbavati Private Reserve, the Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sands Game Reserve and is home to the big five and many other species of wildlife.

Day 4-5 Tzaneen/Duiwelskloof Area (2B,2D)

Approximate distance: 170 kmEstimated Travel Time: 2 hrsAfter breakfast we depart for Tzaneen, where we'll visit the Tzaneen Museum. The Tzaneen Museum features weapons, pottery, beadwork, pole carvings, royal drums from the Rain Queen, cared drums and general utensils. After the visit, depart for the Modjadi Cycad Reserve (boasting of some of the oldest and largest cycad specimens on earth). A network of trails to be explored together with a picnic lunch then afterwards we visit the Royal Queen’s Village including a visit to her house and some of the huts.The next day, we visit the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve including Tsonga Open Air Museum (which represents the building styles & cultural products of the North Tsonga including guided tours).This is an attractive garden town with colorful flowers and subtropical vegetation. Nuts, avocados and other vegetables, fruits (especially citrus, mangoes, lychees and bananas) tea, cotton and coffee grows in abundance to the high rainfall and the warmth of the Lowveld. Tzaneen the name has three possible origins: 1) “Tzaneng” which means the happy land. 2) Chief Makgoba quoted this interpretation: The name of the local African Tribe. 3) “Tsana” – this is a round reed basket and a circle of hills surrounds the town like a basket. You can use Tzaneen as a base to explore the region. Tzaneen has several Nature Reserves within easy reach and the Kruger National Park is approximately an hour’s drive away.The Hans Merensky Nature Reserve is situated west of the Kruger National Park on the banks of the Great Letaba River. The Reserve was named after the famous mining magnate who donated a fully equipped borehole to the reserve. Small mopane and combretun trees and a wide variety of game and bird species are seen in the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve. In Winter time it is the best time for game viewing, the bush dies back and animals gather at the waterholes.

Day 6 Thohoyandou (B)

Approximate distance: 200 kmEstimated Travel Time: 2.5 hrsAfter breakfast we'll head north to visit Lake Fundudzi area. The lake is a sacred site as legend has it was created by the great lake that covered the earth before land was created. The lake is said to be the home of Python God, Dituwane. Close to the lake is the Thathe-Vondo Forest, also know as the Holy Forest. The Thathe Vondo Forest is said to be one of the most beautiful forests in the Limpopo region. Sections of the forest are the ancient burial grounds of the local chiefs. Legend has it that the forest is protected by a half-man, half-lion creature, named Nethane. After our visit to the forest, we can stop at some local craft’s markets, where you can buy some local craft’s if you like before Thohoyandou. The town of Thohoyandou was the former capital of the homeland of the VhaVenda people. Today, it is one of the fastest growing town in Limpopo, an is a major commercial and administrative centre. The town is located in the southern region of Venda, is the lush agricultural centre with tea and coffee plantations in the highlands, and banana and tobacco plantations in the lowlands. In thsiVenda, Thohoyandou means "head of the elephant" and is placed upon the leader of Venda people. Elephants have always been a symbol of strength and leadership in African mythology. Today, many times important people will be greeted with the term "nda ndou" or "good day elephant."

Day 7 Kruger National Park (B,D)

Approximate distance: 75km (excluding game driving in park)Estimated Travel Time: 1 hr (excluding time on game drive)Welcome to big game country! The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Spot lion, elephant, rhino and many other animals in one of Africa’s greatest wildlife areas. Enjoy the morning and afternoon game drives where you will have a chance to search out some incredible wildlife. After exploring the northern portion of the park, we circle to the Punda Maria Camp. The camp is situated in sandveld, and area with sandy soil meaning that the area is well drained and several natural springs occur. Kudu, nyala, buffalo and Sharpe’s grysbok thrive in this habitat.Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld (low-lying bush land), this national park of nearly 2 million hectares. Kruger National Park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. Notably as well is its mixed biological, historical and archaeological significance.The Kruger National Park is truly the flagship of the South African National Parks, and it is home to a huge array of plants and animals. With over 145 species of mammals, it is possible to see all the classical African big game, including elephant, black and white rhino, hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog and many antelope species. Large carnivores include lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena. There are also many smaller mammals equally enticing species.Some of the bird life here cannot be found elsewhere is South Africa, as 507 species reside in the park. Hornbills, Starlings, Vultures, Rollers, Bee-eaters and Shrikes typify the ubiquitous avi-fauna, and birders can look forward to pursuing the big 6 (Saddle-billed Stork, Kori Bustard, Martial Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture, Pel’s Fishing Owl and Ground Hornbill). Eagles are common: Bateleur, Martial, Black-breasted Snake, Brown Snake, African Hawk, African Fish and Tawny are all regularly seen, and in summer: Wahlberg’s, Steppe, Lesser Spotted. The Park’s numerous water points make for excellent birding, while the rest camps and picnic sites are exceptionally rewarding for birders.The interaction between man and bush is evident in the Kruger National Park, from the bushman rock paintings to the majestic archaeological sites like Thulamela and Masorini. This is also regarded and preserved as a treasure, as they represent the cultures, people, and events that played a big role in the history of the Kruger National Park.With Kruger being so vast it naturally has a tremendous botanic diversity. Simplistically the park can be divided into 16 macro eco-zones. The northern half of the park, north of the Olifants River is predominantly mopane veld, while south of the Olifants the ecozones are thornveld. There are 336 tree species in the park.On 26 March, 1898, South African President Paul Kruger signed a proclamation for the founding of a government game park in the Eastern Transvaal, between Crocodile and the Sabie Rivers. As a large animal habitat, this area was at the time an extensive hunting grounds, but mosquito and Tsetse fly populations however, prevented human settlement in the area. The area stayed untouched until after the Anglo-Boer, when the new British administration accepted the idea of a game sanctuary and appointed a warden for what was called Sabie Game reserve. They appointed Major James Stevenson-Hamilton, who was the first to raise the idea that the area should be opened for animal viewing by the public, instead of the proposed plan of opening it for hunting.The first road in the newly named Kruger National Park was laid down from Sabie bridge to the Olifants River, the second from Sabie Bridge to Pretoriuskop and the third from Sabie bridge to Crocodile bridge. The first three tourist cars entered the park in 1927, using the entrance at Pretoriuskop. Among the passengers was a seven-year old, Douglas Jackaman, who was so impressed by what he saw that he later became a camp manager in the park.No accommodation was provided for the visitor, they made their own camps in thorn-bush enclosures. Visitors also carried weapons for their protection. In 1944 a cordon system was introduced between the park and local farms to decrease the impact of foot and mouth disease on the parks wildlife. Stevenson-Hamilton retired through the years of the Second World War, through which time the park was closed. The park was again opened to the public in 1946 under new control.

Day 8 Makuya Park (B,D)

Approximate distance: Estimated Travel Time: 2 hrsToday, you'll have an early morning wake up (6am), so we can do an early morning game drive (about 2 hrs) and continue our search for the Big "5" before arriving at the Thulamela Archaeological site. Along the way to the site, we'll take a moment for a packed breakfast that your tour leader will have prepared for you. After the site visit, we will drive to the Park entrance/exit at Pafuri Gate, en route we'll stop along the way to have lunch in the park (not included), on our way to Makuya Park for a guided village tour of the Vhavenda People. Located just outside of Kruger National Park (at the Pafuri Gate), the Makuya Nature Reserve shares an unfenced border with it's more well known cousin. The reserve is located on a mountain top that offers a spectacular view of the permanent Levuvhu river and a baobab forest, where elephants, hippos and crocodiles roam freely. Open in 1996, the Thulamela Archaeological site is the first to be thoroughly explored in the post-apartheid era. Initially started as a project in 1993, the site has unearthed several artifacts of an African civilization which were found in an ancient citadel. Many of the artifacts (pottery, metal hoes, and spear blades) found date back to 1250 and 1700 AD. The find of tools, particularly the metal hoes, have archaeologists believing that Africans were extracting mineral riches before the Europeans arrived.

Day 9 Polokwane (B)

Approximate distance: 345 kmEstimated Travel Time: 4.5 hrsWake up to the wonderful smell of breakfast that is being prepared by your tour leader. After breakfast, we'll head out for Polokwane, the capital of Limpopo, with wide streets, jacaranda and coral trees and a city of art and culture. Along the way, we'll stop in the town of Louis Trichardt for a visit to a cultural village. Originally settled in 1836, at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain range, in Limpopo, it wasn't until the 1900s that the town of Louis Trichardt was finally founded when the Transvaal Republic regained control of Louis Trichardt from the local Bavenda tribes. In 2003, the town was renamed as Makhado, the name belonging to a Venda king who ruled the region in the 1800s. However, in 2007, the Supreme Court Appeal returned the name back to Louis Trichardt, after a local group known as the Chairpersons' Association appealed the original name change. Founded in 1886 as Pietersberg, in honour of the Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert, the name was changed to Polokwane in 2003. The name Polokwane means “place of safety” or also as the “place of peace”. There are many historic buildings in the city for example the Irish House, which houses the Polokwane Museum and is a beautiful example of Victorian-style architecture. The Roman Catholic Church dates back to 1934 and is considered one of the finest pieces of architecture.

Day 10 Pretoria (B,L)

Approximate distance: 255 kmEstimated Travel Time: 3 hrsAfter breakfast we head to Johannesburg, where you'll have a sobering visit to Soweto, South Africa's largest township. We will explore the bustling neighborhood life of the township and visit two Noble Prize winners’ previous homes. Explore the Historical Hector Petersen Memorial and enjoy a tour through Nelson Mandela’s Home. Spend your final evening of the trip back in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa.Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulus in the famous Battle of Blood River. It became the capital of the South African Republic (ZAR) on 1 May 1860. The Boer Republics of the ZAR and the Orange Free State were united with the Cape Colony and Natal Colony in 1910 to become the Union of South Africa. Pretoria then became the administrative capital of the whole of South Africa, with Cape Town the legislative capital. Between 1860 and 1994, the city was also the capital of the province of Transvaal, superseding Potchefstroom in that role. On 14 October 1931, Pretoria achieved official city status. When South Africa became a republic in 1961, Pretoria remained its administrative capital. After the creation of new municipal structures across South Africa in 2000, the name Tshwane was adopted for the Metropolitan Municipality that includes Pretoria and surrounding towns.Pretoria previously had a negative image as "the capital of Apartheid South Africa". However, Pretoria's political reputation was redeemed with the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the country's first black President at the Union Buildings in the same city. However, the name Pretoria still has a negative connotation to some black South Africans, and therefore a change of name to Tshwane has been proposed. This proposed change is controversial to the many inhabitants of the city, especially the Afrikaner community, to whom the name Pretoria has an important historical relevance.

Day 11 Depart Pretoria (B)

Tour ends at approximately 8:00am.

Trip Details

Accommodation	Hotel (2 nts), Lodge/chalet/bungalow (3 nts), Shangaan hut (1 nt), Permenant Tented Camp (2 nts), Guest house (2 nts)
Group Size	Max 18, Avg. 10
Included Highlights	- City Tour of Pretoria - Botshabelo Historical Village tour- Kruger National Park entrance with game drive- Traditional Shangaan Dinner and Dance show in Hoedspruit- Tzaneen Museum visit- Modjadji Cycad Reserve entrance- Guided tour of the Holy Forest- Hans Merensky Nature Reserve with Tsonga Open Air Museum visit- Guided village tour of the Vhavenda People- Soweto Afternoon Tour & Lunch
Local Payment	USD400
Meals Included	10 breakfasts, 1 lunches, 6 dinners
StartFinish	ex Pretoria
Transport	Air-conditioned tour vehicle, walking
Brochure Intro	With a fine blend of culture, history, and wildlife, this journey through the Limpopo Province of South Africa is a rare experience to dive deep into a fascinating country. Visit a number of traditional villages, learn the sobering history of the region, and search down some phenomenal wildlife in the world famous Kruger National Park.

When can I go?

Start Date	Finish Date	Places Available
2008-10-23	2008-11-02	7+
2008-11-20	2008-11-30	7+
2008-12-18	2008-12-28	7+

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