Global Citizenship & Environmental Justice in South Africa – 10 Days

You’ll depart on your flight.

Once your flight arrives in Cape Town, you’ll be met by your tour manager.

Your bus will pick you up and you’ll continue your trip.

You will have an orientation meeting where you will talk about the journey ahead, safety, guidelines for cultural immersion as well as the educational objectives of the trip.

You will check into your dorm rooms at the group lodging in Cape Town.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

Take in the sights and sounds as you navigate the streets and learn more of the history and culture of South Africa’s “Mother City”. We’ll take you past the Castle of Good Hope and City Hall; through the Company Gardens to see St. George’s Cathedral, the Slave Tree, and the Houses of Parliament; wind our way through the curio stalls at Greenmarket Square and the colourful houses of the Bo Kaap; and more!

Your next walking tour begins at the District Six Museum which is located on Buitenkant Street in Cape Town City Center. The District Six Site Tour takes participants on a walk through the streets of the suburb from which residents were forcibly removed during the Group Areas Act of the apartheid era. The tour is led by a former resident and includes a visit to the museum.

You will have lunch.

You will see the Company’s Gardens, a haven of trees and botanical garden set in the heart of Cape Town, home to a rose garden, a Japanese garden, a fish pond and an aviary. On the edge of the Company Gardens you will see the President’s official residence when in the mother city.

You will then explore Green Market Square, one of Cape Town’s oldest markets. Set on a cobble stone square between Short and Long Market Streets, this is where Capetonians have been buying their clothing, jewelry, sandals, crafts and knickknacks for decades.

Take a walk through the colouful and vibrant suburbs of Bo Kaap, home to people of Cape Malay heritage, many of whom are descendants of the people who were enslaved in the Cape and who were displaced from their homes during the Apartheid era. It has a long history of resilience, the breaking of chains and a cultural and religious identity.

You’ll be invited into the kitchen of a local Cape Malayan residing in Bo Kaap! They will guide you through a step-by-step process of making traditional Cape Malay dishes that are loved by locals in the community. Try your hand at mixing the right amount of spices and perfectly folding a samosa. At the end, you’ll sit down and enjoy a 3-course home-cooked meal together.

You’ll have breakfast.

Today you will take a ferry to the historic Robben Island. After serving as a place of isolation and imprisonment for hundreds of years, Robben Island is a World Heritage Site today. Many renowned men and women, including South Africa’s first democratic President, Nelson Mandela, were imprisoned here on the island.

Lionel Davis is a former political prisoner who served several years at Robben Island. This interactive discussion allows students to listen and engage with a rare insider’s look at life in the prison. Lionel shares about his life as a person of color in South Africa, interactions with other political prisoners who served time for their involvement in anti-apartheid government efforts, and his journey of hope and reconciliation since leaving the island.

You will have lunch.

Located on Table Mountain’s eastern slopes is the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. On a walk through the beautiful botanical garden, students will learn about the sheer diversity of plant life within the Cape and why certain species and biomes are under threat of extinction.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

The Beach Co-op began when a group of volunteers started to collect marine debris at Surfers Corner in Muizenberg. The Beach Co-op is a not-for-profit company with a mission to eliminate, reuse, redesign and recycle single-use plastic, which often lands up in our oceans and on our beaches. Students participate in a Dirty Dozen clean-up, which uses the methodology of documenting and analyzing the 12 most common and hazardous types of marine litter that has been collected.

You will have lunch.

Learn to Surf is situated at Muizenberg Beach, a Blue Flag Beach, in Cape Town South Africa. Muizenberg Beach is considered one of the world’s safest and best beaches to learn to surf. Professional surfing instructors will introduce students to the sport of surfing in a 90min introductory practical lesson. All equipment necessary in the lesson will be provided.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

Muizenberg High School seeks to provide balanced value-based education in a stimulating environment so as to inspire disciplined learners towards realizing their full potential and contributing meaningfully to society. Muizenberg High School offers an interactive cultural exchange program for visiting student groups. A typical day involves a combination of class time where visiting students are paired up with local learners, and group time with interactive cultural experiences and discussions. Shortly thereafter, visiting students, together with local learners, will enjoy a local meal prepared by hospitality learners at the school. An after-school sports program can also be developed for interested groups.

You will have lunch.

The Princess Vlei – a natural wetland in what was formerly designated a “colored location” – was rescued from becoming a shopping by members of the local community. Since then, the Princess Vlei has undergone a large amount of restoration. Denisha Anand sees her role at Princess Vlei Forum as biocultural: serving to restore ecosystems, speak to justice for the land, and to reconnect people of color to green spaces. This excursion focuses on the significance of reclaiming spaces, and the creation of community identity and custodianship through the protection of green spaces.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

Table Mountain is an iconic flat-topped mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town. The mountain has been named one of the official New 7 Wonders of Nature because of the incredible diversity of indigenous flora found on the mountain. Students have the option of riding the cable car or hiking to the top of the mountain, experiencing panoramic views as they ascend to the summit.

You will have lunch.

The 18 Gangster Museum is an innovative living museum that aims to help South African youth better understand the treacherous path into gang life by offering a positive alternative. Facilitators at the museum will guide participants on a walk through the bustling streets of Khayelitsha, sharing their knowledge and lived experiences of life in the community. Khayelitsha community experiences are customized and may include a walking tour around the community of Makhaya, conversations with a reformed gangster, Espinaca (an innovative local healthy food enterprise), Lookout Hill, lunch at a local barbeque joint, and more. Students will learn about the history, daily life and customs from residents, and may also engage with artists, families, and business owners. Participants are encouraged to be curious, to explore and to interact with locals in order to increase their knowledge of different cultures and develop their intercultural communication skills.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll get the chance to visit Cape Point Nature Reserve at the extreme southwestern tip of Africa. As you admire the expansive views and keep an eye out for zebras and baboons, you can imagine the conditions early explorers had to contend with while navigating ships around this point.

The Cape Point Ostrich Farm was established in 1996 and turned into an ostrich breeding farm by the Coelles. Dr. Coelle and his wife Angelika had a vision and within the year they had turned dormant land into a natural landscape breeding farm.

You will have lunch.

In the afternoon you’ll be off to see the penguins. Yes, penguins in Africa! Boulders Beach is home to a growing colony of the African Penguins. Walkways allow visitors to view the penguins in their natural habitat, and the penguins are often delighted to show off their antics. After you’ve fallen in love with the penguins, you’ll head to the secluded Boulders Beach and take a swim in the warm waters of the False Bay.

Tonight you’ll have dinner at GOLD Restaurant, an eclectic Pan-African experience in the heart of Cape Town. A typical evening at GOLD starts with an interactive drum circle, teaching participants how to play the djembe to the rhythms and sounds of Africa. After a traditional hand washing ceremony, participants are led on a culinary adventure through Africa.

You’ll have breakfast.

Aquila has embarked on an exciting exercise to reduce its carbon footprint. This program consists of a number of eco synergy systems that co-exist – amongst others, a waste management program that includes worm farms and bio gas plants – resulting in community vegetable and herb gardens and an aquaponics system.

You will have lunch.

See how many of South Africa’s Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard) you can spot as you learn about them and other wildlife on a game drive. Afternoon game drives run from late afternoon and offer a spectacular sundown experience in the African bush. Morning game drives run before sunrise and are the most invigorating start to any day!

You will arrive at the Aquila Game Park and check into your rooms.

You will have dinner.

You’ll have breakfast.

You’ll head out early in the morning for another game drive and a chance to see the amazing wildlife.