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South Africa Voluntourism Itinerary

Days 8-10 - South Africa - KWANDWE - Gardening.jpg

Day 1:       Cape Town

Fly into Cape Town Airport and have a private road transfer to a beautiful Cape Town boutique hotel, set on the lower slopes of Table Mountain, for a four night stay.

This glorious hotel successfully combines European style with a dash of African flair. This is a very quiet and leafy region and for those trying to escape the hustle and bustle of busier areas, it offers the perfect combination of quietness but also within decent proximity (walking distance) to Cape Town’s bustling Kloof street, where trendy locals gather at a variety of superb restaurants and delis.

The eight stylishly furnished rooms each have their own private terrace and unique features. Room service caters for your every whim, while a peaceful private garden and secluded pool offer a quiet place to relax.

The hotel is ideally situated as there are so many things to do and places to see in Cape Town, one could spend two weeks alone here. Cape Point is always a must for your first visit, as is the waterfront, the beaches, the Winelands, shopping and of course the legendary Table Mountain, which sits proudly behind this divine gem of a hotel.

Days 2 - 3 :       Volunteering - Cape Town Townships

Spend days 2 and 3 volunteering with a wonderful foundation which we support.

One of the best charity projects in Africa is Uthando. You can spend a morning, afternoon or full day volunteering at a range of projects that are of most interest to you – this can be tailor made for your family depending on your own interests. Uthando is a non-profit and Fair Trade in Tourism Company and they raise funds and other forms of assistance for community development projects in South Africa. Uthando above all else is authentic, uplifting, fun, inspirational, interactive and meaningful. Examples of projects you can volunteer at include:

  • Various projects that support under privileged children and adults that are being given a second chance, and the opportunity to develop and look after themselves in a sustainable environment.

  • The Planters of the Home assists with improving sustainable food production and environmental greening amongst the poor in Cape Town.

  • The Better Choice Dance Project, which trains children in Gumboots dancing and Tsonga dancing and also teaches life skills. Youngsters are mentored and helped with their academic problems and this removes them from the potential to the alternative street life and possible future crime.

  • The Cart Horse Protection Association looks after the animal rights and protection, and also provides clinic, patrol, and call out response, veterinary, and rehabilitation services to all working cart horses and donkeys on the Cape Flats, as well as support, education and training to cart horse owners and drivers.

  • The Children’s AIDS Art Programme is the mission to provide art therapy to orphans with HIV/AIDS in the Western Cape of South Africa plus educational and enriching weekend outings that build the orphans’ self-esteem and sense of happiness.

  • A Cooking and Catering School – located in the heart of Langa Township just 15kms from the centre of Cape Town, addresses the unemployment that strikes the township communities by providing youngsters with cooking skills so that they might be able to find employment and create their own businesses in the future.

  • A project that creates safe spaces for girls, and everyone, in Cape Town. This partners with artists to create symbolic safe spaces in the form of public benches and art.

Day 4:       Cape Town

Day 4 at leisure in Cape Town, or if you would like to get more involved with volunteering, we highly recommend a visit to one of Uthando’s senior citizens centres, where you could perhaps fund a day out for the residents, or arrange for a special cake and coffee day for them and spend time with them.

Two such projects include:

  • Masibathande Seniors Project – Around 120 senior citizens attend two days a week, and partake in activities such as morning exercises, health monitoring, workshops that are related to their daily challenges, handcrafts for them to generate an income, fundraising concerts and vegetable gardening.

  • Neighbourhood Old Age Homes (NOAH) provides housing and services for the poorest older people of the Western Cape. Each year, NOAH reaches out to over 700 older people – helping them to feel secure and happy, stay connected to their communities, retain their dignity and independence and remain healthy and active for as long as possible.

Days 5 - 7 :       Volunteering - Cape South Coast

Private road transfer to a beautiful lodge in the Hermanus area along the Cape South Coast. Spend 3 nights here, where you can volunteer at the lodge's Charitable Foundation. You can volunteer to coach sports or lend other skills you may have.

Set in the picturesque mountain and sea landscape of the Hermanus area along the Cape South Coast, this lodge is set in a private 2,500 hectare reserve. Embedded in a 1,500 year old Milkwood Forest, the lodge offers spectacular sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.

From the beginning, they have been committed to the conservation of the region’s biodiversity; as well as developing sustainable livelihoods through ecotourism, enterprise development, sports development and education. In 2013, their Foundation was formed with a focus on 3 umbrella programmes:

  • Green Futures – which focuses on conservation

  • Football Foundation – which focuses on utilising sport for development

  • Siyakhula – which focuses on the creation of sustainable livelihoods through enterprise development

You can join a ‘Living the Future Tour’ to visit the projects and meet the inspiring people behind the scenes. You can also volunteer by lending your skills such as sports coaching.

Winning worldwide acclaim for its conservation and social responsibility programs, they employ specialist guides with a passion for the outdoors and sharing their knowledge. Land based whale watching, archaeological cave excursions, beach picnics, flower safaris, birding expeditions and horse riding are all included in your stay.

Days 8 - 10:       Volunteering - Private Reserve in the Eastern Cape

Transfer by road to a luxury lodge in a malaria-free Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape region. You have the opportunity to volunteer at the lodge’s charitable foundation which invests in the development of nine rural communities.

Located in a malaria free 22,000 hectare private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape is this luxurious Lodge. Perched along the steep banks of a river, this elevated lodge is designed to make the most of views over the vast beautiful landscape.

Established in 2002, the Ubunye Foundation is an independent, non-profit, charitable trust that currently invests in the development of nine rural communities, two of which are located within the reserve.

Instead of following the traditional but outdated approach of focusing on a community’s needs and problems, the Foundation focuses on facilitating an asset-based approach to development, in which community participation holds the key to lasting change. It’s all about harnessing people’s potential rather than focusing on what they lack.

Guests here have the unique opportunity to participate in volunteering towards the Ubunye Foundation by donating items, getting involved in activities and/or making financial donations. Volunteering activities include gardening, maintenance, teaching school classes, computer skills training and arts and crafts activities – all between 2 hours and half/ full days.  

Optional addition: Volunteering – Rhino Conservation Safari - Eastern Cape

You have the rare opportunity to spend one of your mornings at the Private Reserve participating in an exciting rhino conservation programme.

Under the supervision of experts, you will assist in darting a rhino, implant a microchip into the horn and perform ear-notching for identification, as well as assisting in DNA sampling. You also will help to monitor the rhino whilst under sedation. Once the procedure is complete you will have the opportunity to take a short aerial exploration of the reserve by helicopter.

The implantation of a chip is a vital part of conservation efforts to make the rhino less valuable to poachers and contributes to the Reserve's efforts to conserve this endangered animal. The reserve has been successful since 2000 at supporting a healthy and growing population of both black and white rhino.

There is a set cost per group of up to 8 guests, and is available only to guests aged 16 or over. The best time for this is May – September. The procedure is always subject to the availability of the wildlife management team and of a rhino that needs to be notched and chipped.

Day 11: Return Home

After breakfast, you will have a private road transfer to the Airport ready for your flight home.

Prices from GBP £3980 or USD $5180 per person.

(Excluding rhino conservation safari. Based on double occupancy.)

Rhino conservation safari addition from GBP £2200 or USD $2870 per group of 8.

(Prices subject to currency exchange rates and excludes flights.)

Images courtesy of Uthando Foundation and Kwandwe Private Game Reserve


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As a guide, the cost of our extraordinary and utterly bespoke journeys tends to start from $1200 per person per day excluding international flights.

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