ROTARIANS’ INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP TOURS OF SOUTH AFRICA (RIFT) PROJECT OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KNYSNA DISTRICT 9350

RIFT NO. 36 30 October – 17 November 2017

Tour Organiser: Rtn Louise Pannell P O Box 444, KNYSNA 6570 SOUTH AFRICA email: rotarytours@pannells.com

Tel: +27 (0)44 532 7882 Fax: +27 (0)44 532 7781

www.pannellstours.com/rotary-friendship-tours

DETAILED ITINERARY

KEY TO MEALS INCLUDED B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner

Day 1 Mon 30 Oct D

JOHANNESBURG Arrival at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport. Individual transfers to hotel. Welcome dinner to meet your tour leaders and fellow travelers at the hotel’s acclaimed Piccolo

Mondo Restaurant. Accommodation: MICHELANGELO HOTEL www.themichelangelo.co.za

Day 2 Tue 31 Oct B L

JOHANNESBURG – Visiting a city within a city, Rotary Meeting City orientation, visit to Mandela Rhodes Foundation and Soweto (South Western Townships). Soccer City Stadium. Visit Freedom Square, Hector Pieterson Memorial & Mandela House Museum. Lunch at award winning restaurant in a local home. Afternoon at leisure to explore Nelson Mandela Square or visit the adjoining Sandton City, one of Africa’s most prestigious shopping centres. This evening attend the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Sandton with an opportunity for exchanging banners.

Accommodation: MICHELANGELO HOTEL

Day 3 Wed 01 Nov B L

JOHANNESBURG – Pretoria, History - SUN CITY Drive to Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. First stop will be the Voortrekker Monument, symbol of Afrikaner struggle for freedom. Continue to Church Square, the historic heart of the city, surrounded by neo-classical buildings. The famous jacarandas lining the streets should be in full bloom. See the Union Buildings, seat of Government, fronted by terraced gardens and a giant 8m statue of Nelson Mandela. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue to Sun City, a lush, tropical fantasyland deep in the African bushveld, just a couple of hours from Johannesburg. Spend two nights here. Free for dinner to dine at one of a number of different venues.

Accommodation: PALACE OF THE LOST CITY Superior Luxury Pool Facing Room www.suninternational.com/palace

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Day 4 Thu 02 Nov B

SUN CITY Full day at leisure to enjoy the many attractions of the Lost City. Explore the lush botanical gardens, swim in the Valley of the Waves, play a round of golf on one of two world class golf courses, tennis, squash, horse riding, visit the aviary with over 300 birds, Birds of Prey Centre, Cultural Village, or try your luck in the Casino. Free for dinner.

Accommodation: PALACE OF THE LOST CITY

Day 5 Fri 03 Nov B L D

SUN CITY – BLACK RHINO PRIVATE GAME RESERVE – On Safari Transfer to the nearby Black Rhino Private Game Reserve, bordering the malaria free Pilanesberg Game Reserve for the start of your African safari. Spend 2 nights at a luxury game lodge, home to the Big 5, overlooking a busy waterhole. All meals and game drives included. Enjoy dinner under the African sky.

Accommodation: BLACK RHINO GAME LODGE www.blackrhinogamereserve.co.za

Day 6 Sat 04 Nov B L D

BLACK RHINO PRIVATE GAME RESERVE – On Safari Full day on safari to experience the magic of the African bush. The unique location of this game reserve, in a transition zone between dry Kalahari and Lowveld vegetation, results in an overlap of mammal species, birds and vegetation. Virtually every mammal of southern Africa is found here, including lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo - Africa’s Big Five. Bird watching is excellent with over 300 species recorded. Two game drives daily in open vehicles with experienced rangers. This includes a night drive to try to spot the elusive nocturnal animals so seldom seen.

Accommodation: BLACK RHINO GAME LODGE

Day 7 Sun 05 Nov B D

BLACK RHINO PRIVATE GAME RESERVE – Flight to Cape Town - STELLENBOSCH After a last morning game drive & breakfast, transfer to Lanseria Airport (2¼ hr drive) to take a direct flight to Cape Town. On arrival, board a new coach and drive to Stellenbosch in the heart of the Cape Winelands. Spend 2 nights in a small luxury boutique hotel located in the historic heart of South Africa’s second oldest town. Spend two nights here. Dinner at the hotel.

Accommodation: COOPMANHUIJS HOTEL www.coopmanhuijs.co.za

Day 8 Mon 06 Nov B L

STELLENBOSCH – Cape Winelands, Rotary Function Full day exploring the beautiful Cape Winelands. Visit the Village Museum in Stellenbosch and Paarl for a private tour of KWV’s famous Cathedral Cellar and a special tasting of new vintage releases. Picnic lunch under the oaks at the famous Boschendal Estate. Visit the Huguenot Museum in Franschhoek, where the French Huguenots first settled. This evening, join members of the Stellenbosch Rotary Club for a special function.

Accommodation: COOPMANHUIJS HOTEL

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Day 9 Tue 07 Nov B L D

STELLENBOSCH – Shipwreck Museum, Cape Agulhas - ARNISTON After breakfast, drive via Somerset West & Caledon to the little town of Napier, which will be our lunch stop. A short drive takes us to Bredasdorp to visit the Shipwreck Museum. Then on to Cape Augulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. Final stop for today is the tranquil little fishing village of Arniston where we spend the next two nights. Dinner at the hotel.

Accommodation: ARNISTON SPA HOTEL Luxury sea facing rooms. www.arnistonhotel.com

Day 10 Wed 08 Nov B D

ARNISTON Full day at leisure to enjoy the beach, unspoilt ocean and beautiful surroundings. This evening stroll across to Kassiesbaai to enjoy a home cooked meal of freshly caught fish and other dishes served by the family in one of the picturesque fisherman’s cottages.

Accommodation: ARNISTON SPA HOTEL

Day 11 Thu 09 Nov B L D

ARNISTON – MOSSEL BAY - KNYSNA Drive via the picturesque town of Swellendam, 3rd oldest settlement in South Africa, with it’s historic buildings, to Mossel Bay, where the Portuguese mariners first landed more than 500 years ago. This will be our lunch stop. Visit the Bartholomew Dias Museum Complex where you can board the life-size replica of the Dias Caravel and post a card from the famous Post Office Tree. We have now arrived in the Garden Route and our afternoon drive takes us through Great Brak River, George and the scenic Wilderness Lakes area, to Knysna, situated on a beautiful estuary protected by the famous Knysna Heads. You will be met by members of the Rotary Club of Knysna who will home host you for the next three nights. Dinner with your hosts this evening.

Accommodation: HOME HOSTED BY KNYSNA ROTARIANS www.knysnarotary.co.za

Day 12 Fri 10 Nov B

KNYSNA – Project Visits, Boat trip to Featherbed Bay, Rotary Function Knysna has a very active Rotary Club and this morning you will be able to visit some of the Club’s projects in the Township. Free time for lunch and to explore Knysna’s Waterfront. After lunch, take a 1 ½ hour cruise to the famous Knysna Heads aboard a boat steeped in history, named after a legendary pilot of a bygone era. Evening function and fellowship with members of the Rotary Club of Knysna. Exchanging of banners.

Accommodation: HOME HOSTED BY KNYSNA ROTARIANS

Day 13 Sat 11 Nov B L

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KNYSNA - Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park This morning pay a visit to the Saturday Harkerville Farmer’s Market, a local institution. Browse through the many stalls selling food, farm produce and locally produced arts & crafts. Continue via Plettenberg Bay to the Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park, the first marine coastal national park to be proclaimed in Africa, incorporating 80 km of rocky coastline with spectacular sea and landscapes and deep river gorges leading down to the sea. We take a walk on a board walk through indigenous forest to the mouth of the Storm’s River, spanned by a suspension bridge. You may want to swim off a sandy beach in a small protected bay, or just enjoy the views and a coffee in the restaurant. Enjoy a late lunch on a boutique wine estate, including a glass of award winning bubbly. Take a leisurely drive back to Knysna. Informal barbecue with your hosts and other Knysna Rotary Club members.

Accommodation: HOME HOSTED BY KNYSNA ROTARIANS

Day 14 Sun 12 Nov B L

KNYSNA – OUDTSHOORN Outeniqua Pass. Cango Caves Depart Knysna after breakfast and leave the Garden Route behind as we cross over the Outeniqua Mountain range into the Little Karoo, a semi-desert region. Visit the 20 million year-old Cango Caves, consisting of a series of dripstone caverns with towering stalagmites and stalactites. Enjoy a lunch at a local game lodge on a deck overlooking a dam where you might spot some wildlife. Check in at our overnight stop on a working farm where we spend the next two nights. Late afternoon guided olive tour through the orchards, to learn about olive growing and production. The 1 hour tour is followed by a formal tasting of the full range of products paired with a glass of Protea Rose or juice. Free to dine off the a la carte menu in the elegant Su Casa Restaurant, a member of the Chaine des Rôtisseurs.

Accommodation: SURVAL BOUTIQUE OLIVE ESTATE www.surval.co.za

Day 15 Mon 13 Nov B L

OUDTSHOORN - Olive and Ostrich Farm Tours After a leisurely breakfast, we drive to a different farm, this time to find out about ostrich farming and how a modern ostrich farm operates. Afterwards we pay a visit to a small ostrich leather factory, where 14 local workers have been trained to produce high quality ostrich leather handbags, wallets, purses and belts. There will be some free time in the town of Oudtshoorn before lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy one of several options. Cool off in the crystal clear swimming pool, kayak or row a boat on the farm dam, put on your walking shoes to explore one of the hiking trails, or just relax. Free for dinner this evening.

Accommodation: SURVAL BOUTIQUE OLIVE ESTATE

Day 16 Tue 14 Nov B L

OUDTSHOORN – CAPE TOWN - Port Wine Tasting Depart Oudtshoorn to drive along the famous Route 62 to Calitzdorp where we visit De Krans, a leading producer of port-style wines, to enjoy a tasting of award winning Cape Port. Our lunch stop will be on a wine farm near Barrydale where we will be served their renowned platter comprising produce from local farms. Continue to Montagu, Robertson and Worcester through areas of magnificent landscapes and towering cliffs, vineyards and an abundance of flora, across the Du Toitskloof Mountain. Arrive in Cape Town in the late afternoon. If the weather permits we make our way directly to Table Mountain, where we take a cable car ride to the top. (this excursion is weather dependent) Check in at our hotel situated in the heart of the vibrant Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, our home for the last three nights of the tour. Rooms have magnificent views of Table Mountain. Free for dinner to dine at our hotel or at one of the many Waterfront restaurants.

Accommodation: VICTORIA & ALFRED HOTEL Mountain Facing Rooms www.newmarkhotels.com/accommodation/hotels/victoria-alfred-hotel

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Day 17 Wed 15 Nov B L

CAPE TOWN – Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Kirstenbosch If we were unable to visit Table Mountain yesterday, we will take a cable car ride to the top. Travel along the Atlantic seaboard, past the pristine beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, with the formidable Twelve Apostle peaks to the left and sheer cliffs dropping into the icy ocean to the right. At the fishing village of Hout Bay, we take a boat trip to Duiker Island with it’s large colony of Cape Fur Seals. Continue over the spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, with its unique indigenous Cape flora and rich birdlife, where we visit Cape Point, once believed to be the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. We take the funicular to the upper lighthouse to enjoy the view from the lookout point. Lunch at the Two Oceans Restaurant with gorgeous views. Afternoon visit to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, one of the world’s great botanic gardens. Set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting. Free for dinner this evening.

Accommodation: VICTORIA & ALFRED HOTEL

Day 18 Thu 16 Nov B D

CAPE TOWN – City Walking Tour, Gems Museum, Rotary meeting, Farewell Dinner City walking tour, visiting the historic Grand Parade, City Hall, Slave Lodge, Company Gardens and Bo-Kaap with its colourful houses. Visit a unique Museum of Gems and Jewellery to learn everything about diamonds – where they are found, how they are cut and polished, the story behind the biggest diamond ever found and see goldsmiths at work.

Lunch meeting with members of the Rotary Club of Signal Hill, at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. Afternoon at leisure.

Special farewell dinner this evening. Accommodation: VICTORIA & ALFRED HOTEL

Day 19 Fri 17 Nov B

CAPE TOWN – Departure A last day to enjoy the Mother City. At leisure until time for individual transfers to Cape Town International Airport for departure.

We reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary and to substitute hotels of a similar category, should

this become necessary due to circumstances beyond our control.

ADDITIONAL NIGHTS IN JOHANNESBURG & CAPE TOWN CAN BE BOOKED ON REQUEST.

PRE & POST TOUR PACKAGES Details available on request VICTORIA FALLS and/or BOTSWANA

ROVOS RAIL (Post Tour): 2 Journeys - Cape Town to Pretoria or Victoria Falls to Pretoria SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATE FOR RIFT PARTICIPANTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ROVOS RAIL

Please address all enquiries to the Tour Organizer rotarytours@pannells.com