Community and Cultural Group Tour in South Africa, Port Elizabeth
Seasonal Information
With this tour your group will get a chance to immerse themselves into the culture and beauty that South Africa has to offer while supporting a local community. The activities can be tailor made to your groups skills and interests including options such as teaching English, arts and crafts or drama to primary school children or pre-schoolers. Other popular community activities include small building projects, health projects or community vegetable garden development.
- Comfortable accommodation close to top beaches, restaurants and bars
- Rewarding community experience focused on your chosen area of impact
- Experience South African wildlife
- Enjoy adventure activities such as dune boarding, surfing or ziplining
We require a minimum of 8 people to join this tour.
This trip is ideal for school, college or university groups of any size from 8 to 80 people. Each trip can be tailor made to the specific areas of interest of the group. The trip is designed to allow touring groups to get the maximum experience by offering a variety of cultural activities, community development activities and of course the amazing tourism opportunities that South Africa has to offer.
Each group trip offers a balance of time between the main areas of interest to ensure that your group will have a chance to learn, play and give back to ensure the ultimate rewarding experience.
You will stay in group accommodation close to the beach front in the historic coastal city of Port Elizabeth in Nelson Mandela Bay. After receiving a hearty welcome with a full safety induction followed by a traditional South Africa braai (BBQ) you will continue the trip with a community orientation and township tour, with a chance to learn about the communities where you will work.
During the week you will spend several days participating in your chosen community development activity, which may include teaching in a primary school or pre-school, participating in a small community building project or helping to develop health projects or community vegetable gardens.
Interspersed with your community days will be day trips to popular tourism destinations such as Jeffreys Bay, home of the global Billabong Surf Festival where you can participate in sand boarding and surfing activities. Also a visit to Storms River where you can enjoy adventure activities such as bungee jumping or tree-top canopy tours and Kragga Kamma game park where you can enjoy local South African wildlife such as lion, cheetah, giraffe and rhino.
There will also be some free time in the evenings and on weekends where you will be able to enjoy the wonderful 135km of uninterrupted coastline and blue flag beaches that make up Nelson Mandela Bay along with a whole host of other cultural and adventure opportunities to explore at your own leisure.
This trip is the perfect balance to get the most out of your groups trip to South Africa and with the flexibility of options available with both the community aspect and the tourism activities, we can ensure the trip is fitted to meet your groups outcomes.
Criminal Records Check
We require you to complete a criminal records check in order to take part in this experience. We can accept those that have been done in the last two years if you have the certificate. In the UK it can be done through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), in the USA further details can be found on Travel.State.Gov, otherwise please search for your local service provider. We may also request a reference from a reliable source. You must supply these to us before departure and also take a copy with you to present to the in-country team.
Why do we require a criminal background check?
1) Ensuring a safe environment is conducive to learning, productivity and overall positive experiences for everyone involved.
2) We implement thorough screening processes and we are committed to safety and integrity, fostering trust among participants and the local community.
3) Conducting background checks serves as a preventive measure, deterring individuals with questionable backgrounds from attempting to participate in our programme.
4) Safeguards vulnerable people from potential harm within the programme.
This itinerary is an example to show you some of the activities that are possible. Please contact a member of our team to tailor a tour to your specifications.
Arrive in Port Elizabeth, where you will be met by a member of our team at the airport. Your group will then be taken back to the accommodation where you will receive an induction with a detailed itinerary of cultural activities and more information about the community projects and charity you will be working with. In the evening your group will be treated to a traditional welcome Braai (BBQ).
Your group will start the day with a guided tour of Port Elizabeth including the local township communities where your community projects will take place.
The afternoon will see your group travelling to the Kragga Kamma Game Reserve for a 3–4 hour safari tour, soaking up all things wild.
This will be your first day on your community placement activity. Whether you are teaching in a school, working in a creche, or doing some building work you are bound to meet enthusiastic township kids from 09:00 – 16:00.
The evening will be a social evening in the accommodation where games and activities will be arranged for your group.
Your second day working in the communities will allow you to build on the relationships and work that you started on the previous day and delve deeper into the community and cultural activities of this experience.
The evening will be your chance to relax and unwind watching the sun go down close to the beach.
Beach Day – Today your group will travel to Jeffrey’s Bay, the world famous surf capital of South Africa and home of the Billabong Pro Surf Festival . There are lots of amazing activities to get involved in, including dune boarding, surf lessons and horse riding. For those who enjoy shopping there is also the Billabong Factory Shop, with the best prices of Billabong gear in the world!
After having a chance to relax and unwind the previous day, today you will be back working in the township communities to pick up where you left off from day 4 with a chance to really focus on what you came here to do.
Continuing the positive work you have been doing in the townships as we take you back to the projects where by now you will have created a close connection and begun making a real difference. There are always opportunities to add on to your project or find additional work.
Previous groups have developed a community vegetable garden or painted a shipping container that was converted into a community kitchen. This session will be from 09:00 to 14:00.
After a tiring day you will head back to the accommodation for a Braai (BBQ) and various games and activities arranged for the group.
Free Day – This could be used to explore some of Port Elizabeth’s attractions, such as the Red Location museum to learn more about South Africa’s rich history and the harsh conditions many South African’s lived through during the apartheid years. You could also take a trip to the shops to pick up some souvenirs for family and friends back home.
The evening will be a social evening in the accommodation.
In the morning your group will be taken to one of Port Elizabeth’s local street markets, to pick up any souvenirs and bargains that you were not able to do on Day 8.
The afternoon will include a chance to head to the beach and relax or if you are feeling more adventurous perhaps get involved in some of the water sports on offer such as scuba diving, kite surfing or sailing.
After a fun-filled, relaxing weekend it’s time to get back to your community project and pick up your work with the children of the townships. No doubt you will see some excited faces who have missed you already.
If you are on a 10 day tour, this will be your last night and you will be taken to the airport the following morning for departure.
The morning will include a trip to Seaview Lion Park, known for their rare breed of White Lions, where getting up close to the wildlife is a must. For those more brave and adventurous types, the group will have a chance to hold a lion cub and learn important messages about local habitats and nature conservation.
The afternoon will include a trip to a Port Elizabeth beach (some of the best in South Africa) and the Boardwalk Shopping and Entertainment Centre where you will have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the sunshine.
By now you will have become an ever present fixture in the communities where you have been working and will have created strong bonds with the community members you are working with. As your penultimate day in the community, this is a good chance to start finalizing your project to bring it to a natural closure whether it’s putting on a dance or drama performance with the kids you have worked with or finishing off a building project or creating an art display there are a number of creative ways to finish your programme with a bang.
This will be your last day that you will go out to the townships and run your development sessions with the kids so it is bound to be an emotional one.
The evening will follow with a meal under the stars at the renowned outdoor restaurant The Bouma! Here you will experience some exquisite, traditional South African food, cooked on an open fire. You’ll also have a chance to reflect on your trip as you sit around the camp fire.
Your final day of activities will include a day-long cruise down the stunning Sundays River. This is a fantastic opportunity to soak up the natural beauty of South Africa and relax after two weeks of hard and energetic fun.
Your final evening will include an outdoor Braai with entertainment provided by traditional African dancers and drumming helping see you off in style.
On saying your farewells to our South African team and packing up your newly acquired souvenirs, you will be taken to the airport ready to get your flight home.
Tour dates are flexible between January and November and will need to fit around school term dates if activities are based in schools. Please contact us to discuss possible dates for your tour.
Visa
British Nationals only require a visa to enter South Africa if they intend on staying over 90 days. We recommend you research this yourself depending on what Nationality you are.
Accommodation
Dorm room style with between 4 and 6 in a room (unless special request for private rooms)
Food
Three meals a day (cereals and toast for breakfast, a packed lunch to take on placement and a cooked evening meal)
All Tour Itinerary Transport
Including transfers to and from the airport, transport to and from placement activities and tourist activities
Group Excursions
A number of free group excursions or tourist activities (dependent on agreed itinerary)
Support
24 hour in country support – our local team of knowledgeable staff to look after you and guide you during placements and available 24 hours a day
Flights (we can build this in for you if you would like); Travel Insurance; Spending money; Laundry service; Extra activities not on itinerary; Airport transfers in UK or your home country.
Please note that airlines release flights 11 months ahead of departure.
Duration
This is a 7, 10 or 14 day tour.
Timetable
Daily activities starting from 9:00am.
Experience or Pre-Requisites
No pre-requisites for this tour, only that group members have a reasonable level of fitness and health.
People travelling under the age of 18 will need to take their birth certificate with them and a letter from their parents supporting the trip. Please contact us for more information.
Ideal For
Ideal for groups who want a combination of community work and tourism experiences.
Suitable for ages 12 to 65
Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a teacher or responsible adult