South Africa

Welkom. Wamkelekile. Amohelehile.

Photo of participants in South Africa.

Known as "the world in one country," South Africa is a land of extraordinary beauty, mystery, and adventure. Experience South Africa’s incredibly diverse cultures, languages, landscapes, and religions as you examine the contrasts between first-world development and third-world struggles. Become part of a oncedivided country, now standing arm in arm. Spend five weeks immersed in the vibrant arts, stunning lands, and welcoming communities of the Rainbow Nation.

Orientation in Cape Town

South African coast

Spend your first few days in the "Gateway to Africa," learning about South Africa’s cultural diversity, its struggle against apartheid, and its transformation to democracy. Journey to Cape Point, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, visit parliament and the old castle, and travel to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. You and your group will also participate in number of hands-on workshops focusing on dance, music, and drumming.

Grahamstown Youth Arts Festival

Friends

Travel to the historic city of Grahamstown to experience the pulsing energy of a worldrenowned dance, music, and theater festival. Attend a number of performances and take part in the citywide arts festival.

Homestay and Community Service

Facepainting in S. Africa.

Discover South African life as you live with a host family and experience their daily routine and culture. Spend a week working alongside local villagers on a community development or public health project. Then travel to the Eastern Cape, Mandela’s birthplace, to explore a rural Xhosa community.

Sample service projects: Work with local care workers on a public health project; build benches at an AIDS memorial in a public garden; plant trees and engage in village beautification projects; participate in an important sustainable development project to bring water and sanitation to a rural community.

Travel: An African Adventure and Safari

Elephant

After the homestay, travel northwards through the stunning Karoo Desert region and along the dramatic Drakensberg Mountain range. Spend the next three days on safari in the Kruger National Park witnessing elephants, giraffe, hippos, lions, and an enormous diversity of wildlife in their natural surroundings. The final leg of the journey takes you through the stunning Mpumalanga region, with visits to God’s Window, Mac Mac Falls, the ancient weathered rock formations of Bourke’s Luck, picturesque villages, and the Blyde River Canyon. Complete your adventure visiting Pretoria, the country’s capital, and conclude your exploration of the "freedom trail" from apartheid to modern-day South Africa.

 

"Having been on a typical European teen tour, I yearned for a more fulfilling and personal experience. The Experiment provided ample opportunities for this type of interaction. I truly loved my host family. Whether it was playing soccer in the streets with my 14-year-old brother, hide-and-seek with my adorable 3-year-old host sister, or just talking casually about life with my mother and father, I loved every minute and can’t wait to see my 'family' again."

--John Kohorst, Harlan, Iowa

Code: ZASD (5 Weeks)
Features: Arts, Community Service, Travel
Depart/Return: New York

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Features
Arts, Community Service, Travel

Depart/Return
New York

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