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12 DAY ITINERARY FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
DAY 1:
Collect students from the airport & proceed to Gold Reef City for a Heritage Tour which includes a brief video of the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, a tour down a mine, & watch a bar of molten GOLD been poured. A 4D movie plus a few adrenalin rides can also be enjoyed before lunch. After which we drive to the Sterkfontein Caves situated in the Cradle of Mankind - A guided tour of the caves reveal early hominoids dating back 3.3 million years.
Dinner will be at a local pizza restaurant
OVERNIGHT: The Ritz Backpackers DB&B
DAY 2:
Depart early to visit the Pretoria City Centre & then The Transvaal Museum -
Transvaal Museum of Natural History is housed in a magnificent sandstone building, its entrance dominated by dinosaur skeletons, filled with cavernous display halls. Exhibits include hominid fossils from the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and associated fauna, including Mrs Ples one of the country’s top celebs and the nickname attributed to a fossil skull believed to represent a distant relative of all humankind; fossils of amphibians, fish, reptiles and plants from the Karoo.
Continue North to Mapungubwe National Park where you will be staying in Leokwe Maincamp.
OVERNIGHT: Leokwe main camp DB&B
DAY 3:
After breakfast you depart for the Heritage Site. The Mapungubwe Landscape was declared a World Heritage Site on 3 July 2003. The ancient Kingdom of Mapungubwe, SA’s first kingdom, existed in the 13th century. This is where gold artefacts, including the Golden Rhino, were discovered, thus revealing a sophisticated civilization that was capable of working gold , and also traded with the Indian Ocean trade network, Arabia, China, Indonesia and India. Mapungubwe was the forerunner of the Great Zimbabwe civilization and it is estimated that up to 5000 people lived here.
After this you travel to Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park.
OVERNIGHT: Punda Maria Rest Camp DB&B
 DAY 4:
Today you visit Thulamela. At Thulamela, a Venda word meaning place of birth. Small gold beads, golden wire and a potsherd with traces of molten gold were discovered by Sidney Miller in the ash heap during routine excavation. A calibrated C14 date of 1240 AD to 1630 AD was also obtained. Almost three years after starting on the site, a skeleton was discovered. Realizing the possible importance of this skeleton in the interpretation of the site as a whole, he called in the Department of Anatomy from the University of Pretoria. That department specializes in the excavation of skeletons, especially rescue excavations where time combined with maximal information retrieval is extremely important.
Continue to Letaba Rest Camp
OVERNIGHT: Letaba Rest Camp DB&B
DAY 5:
 An early morning drive, breakfast, have a look at the Letaba Elephant Museum. The museum covers elephant evolution, biology, behaviour, ecology and research. It also showcases the ivory of eight of Kruger's greatest tuskers (including six of the Magnificent Seven). This site introduces you to these, and some of Kruger's other big tuskers – a very informative museum. Travel out of the Park looking for those elusive animals. Arrive at your overnight accommodation in time for refreshments and a game drive.
OVERNIGHT: Moholoholo Private Game Lodge DB&B
DAY 6:
 After coffee and rusks, take an early morning bush walk, followed by breakfast. Visit the Moholoholo Wildlife Centre and learn about its rehabilitation programme. Lunch at your leisure. Enjoy an evening game drive in search of Africa's unique wildlife, followed by dinner under the stars.
OVERNIGHT: Moholoholo Private Game Lodge LDB&B
DAY 7:
 Drive along the panorama route to Graskop stopping at the Three Rondawels and Bourke’s Luck Potholes.
Experience the adrenaline of a 68 metre freefall in less than 3 seconds on one of the world’s highest cable gorge swings or fly across the gorge on a 131 m highwire “foefie slide”, 80 m above ground zero and witness the breathtaking Graskop falls as never seen before. To compliment this activity, “THE EDGE BAR”, the multi tiered deck on the opposite side of the gorge allows you to sit back and enjoy a drink while watching the jumpers.
OVERNIGHT: Graskop DB&B
DAY 8/9:
Today we head for St. Lucia, either via Swaziland or Piet Retief.
This will be decided upon on the day.
The Humpbacks migrate past this stretch of coastline between the months of mid-May to the end of November to breed and calf. You may be fortunate enough to witness a mother feeding her newborn calf or a male breaching.
 The Humpback whale can weigh in at up to 40 tons. One may also see a variety of pelagic bird life, dolphin, sea turtles in season, shark, marlin and other interesting sea mammals. (The pelagic zone is the part of the open sea or ocean that is not near the coast or sea floor.)
An exciting cruise awaits you at 9.30am on board the “Advantage Cruiser”. This will offer close-ups of hippos, crocodiles, fish eagles and other water birds and also a view of the largest vegetated dunes in the world.
Return to the Lodge for the rest of the day at leisure.
OVERNIGHT: St Lucia Bibs DB&B
DAY 10/11:
Once breakfast has been devoured by the ravenous, we head west and to the foot hills of the Drakensberg mountain range where we stay at the Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge.
 Ideally situated to explore the area’s diverse natural environments & engage in the wide variety of activities. From the adrenaline rush of the most awesome rock-climbing to fascinating cultural experiences, there is something for everyone.
Experience pony trekking in Lesotho on one of the days!!
OVERNIGHT: Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge DB&B
DAY 12:
Drive back to Johannesburg via Golden Gate National Park & enjoy lunch in the beautiful village of Clarens.
Fly back to Germany in the evening!!
INCLUDES:
All accommodation in backpackers, rest camps and one private camp.
All meals
3 x cool drinks per day
Transport
Professional guides
Entrance fees to Gold Reef City
Conservation fees KNP
Sterkfontein Caves
Transvaal Museum
Swadini Dam
Rehab Centre
Boat ride in St Lucia
Hiking in Drakensberg
EXCLUDES:
Big Swing
Tulamela (Kruger Park fees)
Heritage site Mapungupwe
Personal insurance
Gratuities
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