Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is also the third largest city in South Africa after Johannesburg and Cape Town. The city is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa and the city’s warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches.

When you visit Durban then make sure that you visit the most beautiful stadium of South Africa, the Moses Mabhida stadium. The Moses Mabhida stadium was one of the host stadiums for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and hosted teams such as the Dutch, German, Brazilian and Spanish national teams. Nowadays the stadium is still a busy hub with a multi-use function.

Explore the story of football in the Moses Mabhida stadium on one of the guided stadium tours. Walk on the pitch, visit the dressing rooms and see where the teams get ready before getting on to the pitch through the tunnel. Experience the stadium in the footsteps of a football player.

Not only is the stadium home to South African football club AmaZulu but it also offers visitors several exciting activities amongst the restaurants and shops. One of the things not to be missed is to get yourself a ticket for the Skycar. The Skycar will bring you to the top of the arch of the stadium. From where you have the most amazing views of Durban. A trip up with the Skycar will cost you only ZAR 55 per person.

In the weekend (at 10am, 1pm and 4pm) you can alternatively join on a more adventurous way of reaching the top of the stadium by taking the, guided, 550 steps to the top. This will cost you, at the moment of writing, ZAR 90 per person.

If you are a real adventure seeker then the ‘Big Rush, Big Swing’ might be something for you. With this big swing you will take a ‘swing’ in to the stadium by plunging off the 106 metre fourth platform of the arch. This, currently, costs ZAR 595 per person and is totally at your own responsibility.

How to go about it:
For more information on visiting the magnificent Moses Mabhida Stadium and the activities they offer have a look on their website. For more information on other travel tips in South Africa have a look at our Travel Tips page.

*For latest rates visit the Moses Mabhida Stadium website

Whenever you have a long weekend available and you wish to escape for a couple of days, I recommend you to visit Johannesburg. Jo’burg – which is a commonly used abbreviation – is an interesting city, and especially when you are coming from Cape Town. The difference between Jo’burg and Cape Town is enormous; Johannesburg is truly African while Cape Town is more western.
I stayed in Jo’burg for two nights, which is enough to see the main sights. On my first day I went to Soweto, which is the largest township in the world, located next to Johannesburg. There are a few popular sights to be found in Soweto, which you can explore by bike with Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers cycling tours. With Lebo Backpackers there are many options for Soweto tours: 2 hour cycling tour, half-day cycling tour, full-day cycling tour, tuk tuk tours or walking tours. For more information about the sights which will be visited during the cycling tour, you can take a look at Ariam’s Travel Tip.

The next day I took the hop-on hop-off buses to go to all the sights in Johannesburg. The red buses are an easy and safe way to explore the city. The bus takes you to the most important areas of Johannesburg. Whenever you arrive at a stop, you can decide to get off the bus or to stay seated for the next stop. The stops I visited were Ghandi square, Carlton centre where you can find the “Top of Africa” building, Gold Reef City which is the Las Vegas of Johannesburg, Apartheid Museum, the vibrant neighbourhood Braamfontein and the former prison Constitutional Hill.
The Apartheid Museum and Top of Africa were the most interesting places for me to visit. The Apartheid Museum gives you a tour through the time of apartheid and the top of Africa is the highest building in Africa which gives an amazing 360˚ view of Johannesburg. It depends on how much time you would like to spend at each attraction, but it is doable to view all those attractions on one day. The red bus tours are a great way to view all the important sights of Johannesburg in an easy way and within a short amount of time.

There are many hotels or backpackers where you can stay while you are enjoying your short get-away in Johannesburg. Depending on your budget you can choose your accommodation. Lebo’s Backpackers is a great hostel with a good vibe in the middle of Soweto. I myself stayed in the area of Fairmount, which is a quiet neighbourhood with easy access to the centre of Johannesburg and the airport.

How to go about it;
Abang Africa Travel can book your complete get-away to Jo’burg including accommodation, tickets for tours, flight tickets etc. for you to travel care free. Contact us to arrange your trip to Johannesburg.

Feel free to have a look on our travel tips page for more advice that my colleagues would like to share with you.

I have just returned from a long weekend off to the province of Mpumalanga with as main purpose to visit one of Africa’s largest game reserves: Kruger National Park. This park is an excellent place to spot (most of) the Big Five. It is home to thousands of lions as well as endangered animals such as the African Wild Dog, Cheetahs, and even the Black Rhino. Also bird lovers will find Kruger National Park a perfect base for spotting over 500 species of birds!

I visited the park for three days and two nights where I slept in a typical African rondavel in the bush in the middle of Kruger National Park. During the night I could hear the lions roaring and I spotted 9 elephants, including a baby, from the bar area of the camp. As the camp was not fenced, meaning that any animal except large elephants could enter the camp. During the day I spotted ignalas eating plants just in front of my hut. The experience was truly amazing, and it will be a memorable one. I enjoyed every minute of my stay in the bush and spotting hundreds of animals. I think that staying in a bush camp is the ultimate way to experience the nature and wildlife of Kruger National Park to its utmost!

How to go about it:
If you are planning to go to Kruger National Park as well, I would recommend staying in in a camp as well. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information on our preferred suppliers.

Don’t forget to have a look at our travel tips page for the tips my colleagues would like to share with you

Can you manage to understand what Kobus says in the video? Kobus is a local entrepreneur who works in Camps Bay. Find out exactly what he says and send the correct subtitles in a private message to us. When you are the first one to figure out, you will win R50 discount for you and your friend for the Cultural Overnight Township Tour of coming weekend!

The Cultural Overnight Township Tours is a great way to experience the true life of the residents of Gugulethu. Interact and play with the locals. Visit a local church and create traditional bracelets. Learn how to make pap, socialise around the braai and end this amazing tour at Mzoli’s!

Make sure to send the subtitles before Wednesday the 8th of May. The winner will be announced on Wednesday the 8th of May after 4 p.m.
The prize is not exchangeable for money.

Cycling through the Soweto township was one of the best experiences I have had. In this part of South Africa I had a great time and enjoyed unique experiences by staying at the Fair trade Tourism in South Africa certified Lebo’s Backpackers.

The tour started with a township lingo lesson (Tsotsi Taal) at a hill with a beautiful view of the stadium and the Orlando Towers. We learned how people from Soweto greet each other and other useful phrases. For instance we learned the common “Love, Peace and Happiness” handshake that I used many times already here in South Africa.

After learning about Soweto’s history and culture we continued to the former hostel settlements where you can find a “shebeen” (informal bar shack). Inside the shebeen we had some traditional and odd tasting “Joburg beer”, which is a sorghum beer brewed by a loose collective of South African breweries using maize, wheat, water and yeast. Coming from the beer nation – Germany, I probably had different expectations of beer, but the more I drank the better it got. After the drinking we put on some traditional Zulu jewellery and started dancing and singing.
The next stop on the tour was the Hector Pieterson Memorial, named after a 13 years old boy. When the guide explained what happened on this square the group became silent. The story of the little boy, who was shot in this street during the Soweto uprising on June 16^th, 1976, touched us all with many goose bumps on our body. The 16^th of June nowadays is a holiday in South Africa in memory of Hector and the other 200 students that were killed. Till this day the area still reflects the struggle from the past and is branded by this vibrant vibe. Touched and mindful, the group continued biking down to the famous Vilakazi Street to see where the two Nobel Prize winners lived – Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Lebo’s Backpackers is the perfect accommodation for an authentic Soweto experience. Lebo’s home is very friendly and makes you feel at home.  Even though no meals are included at Lebo’s Backpackers, there is the possibility to request breakfast, lunch and dinner, which are freshly prepared every day and with love. Furthermore, Lebo’s offers many activities, such as the FTT certified bicycle tour through Soweto.

How to go about it;

Contact us for more information on things to do in South Africa. We create a your tailor made holiday into a unique experience.

Don’t forget to have a look on our travel tips page for more advice that my colleagues would like to share with you.

The first weekend after I arrived in Cape Town, I drove along Chapman’s Peak, which is affectionately known as “Chappies”, with my colleague Bas. It is one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world of 9 km long with 114 curves.
The drive offers you gorgeous 180° views and there are many possibilities along the route to park your car in order to take some pictures of the surrounding and to have a pick-nick.

You can choose to do Chapman’s Peak by car, motorcycle, bicycle or by foot. Along the way you can also drive towards Simon’s Town, where you will find penguins on the beach.
I would recommend you to go there in the afternoon, so you could also stop to see a beautiful sunset when you are on your way back to Cape Town.

How to go about it;

Contact us for more information on things to do in Cape Town and South Africa. We create unique experiences on your tailor made holidays.

Don’t forget to have a look on our travel tips page for the tips my colleagues would like to share with you.

The group consisted of eight people and the guide called Mvuyisi. Everyone met each other at the Cape Town train station, where we made our way towards Gugulethu, which means “our pride”. After half an hour train ride we arrived at the township and walked to Mama Noks’ house, who was going to welcome us as part of her family for one day.. Minutes after we had arrived the kids started jumping on us and wanted to play with us. It was amazing to see how much those kids loved it that we were there.

After we finished playing with the kids, we bought some drinks at a local store. Then Mama Noks started cooking and explained to some of the girls how to make pap, while the boys were outside at the braai. When dinner was ready, we all enjoyed a true African meal which was very tasty. In the evening we had some more drinks and chatted with each other until we went to bed.

We all woke up early in the morning to enjoy a very nice breakfast and to start the beading workshop. Instead of creating bracelets yourself, there was also the possibility to buy accessories from Mama Noks’ daughter.

At ten o’clock, we all went to the church to attend a service. It was so beautiful to see how committed these people were; everybody was singing and dancing. They appreciated the fact that we visited their church and wanted us to introduce ourselves, so we would feel more involved.

After the service we went on a walking tour through Gugulethu. The area where Mama Noks lives still is quite a wealthy part of Gugulethu. During the walking tour we saw some poorer parts, which a real eye-opener for everyone. The people live there in a small shack with their entire family.

We walked around Gugulethu for a while until we arrived at Mzoli’s, which a very popular place to braai. We continued walking back to Mama Noks’ house where we collected our stuff and said goodbye to the kids, Mama Noks’, Papa Noks and Mvuyisi. Afterwards, we got picked up by a minivan and drove back to Cape Town.

It was an amazing experience and a wonderful weekend. By spending the night there and having to buy drinks or arts and crafts at local stores or market stands, you will truly benefit towards the residents of Gugulethu. Besides this the image of the townships changes because in general everyone thinks that being in a township is dangerous, while it is not more dangerous than any other place. The residents are very friendly and would do no harm.This excursion is a great way to truly experience what life is like in a township and to change your perception.

Even though our group consisted solely of students it is also possible to do this excursion as a couple or family. For more information please contact one of our travel specialists.

Meet the Great White Sharks for a day!

A couple of weeks ago after I had arrived in Cape Town I went on a shark cage diving excursion. We got picked up at 4.30 in the morning and took a bus towards Gansbaai, which is located next to Hermanus. While you are sailing towards the diving spot, you will get a short briefing about what to do, and more importantly what not to do.
Being in the cage gives you the opportunity to experience the greatest and yet most misunderstood predatory force of the seas from up close. You are in a cage with a maximum of five people, whilst the sharks are being attracted by death fish. This does not only attract the great whites, but as well thousands of smaller fish. This gives you a beautiful view of the diverse marine life that South Africa has to offer. It is an amazing experience which seems more terrifying than it actually is.

How to go about it;
You have the possibility to arrange a cage diving excursion via Share Africa Travel. If you wish to take the cage diving a step further, you could also choose to join one of our projects, which is a white shark volunteering program. Don’t hesitate but contact us now for more information.

Don’t forget to have a look at our travel tips page for the tips my colleagues would like to share with you.

Your Role as Volunteer

As a volunteer, you play a vital role in our Greening project by helping us plant trees, map and monitor trees, and involving the local community in the conservation of their environment.

As a result of South Africa’s divided past, there is huge disparity between the leafy ‘privileged’ suburbs and the barren ‘underprivileged’ areas. South Africa has one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.

Lack of green spaces in communities is known to contribute to social problems. The Kuo & Sullivan Report, 2001, states: Degradation of neighbourhoods exacerbates poor social cohesion, crime, drug abuse and environmental downfall. Urban greening has been closely linked to reductions in these social ills. On top of this, one in five South African children suffer from chronic malnutrition. Hunger and lack of good nutrition negatively affect concentration, ability to learn and school attendance. Children cannot reap the benefits of education if they are hungry. Planting fruit trees at schools is a good step towards improving this issue. Very few schools in disadvantaged communities, if any, have fruit tree orchids.

During your time at the Greening project you will at least one day be planting trees at schools, community centres, and crèches in under-greened areas around Cape Town. The planting is always done as a team effort together with the children or other community members.

An essential part of this is education. As a volunteer, you will be involved in educating children on the importance of their natural environment, and on how they can play an active role in preserving it. This is an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in the South African cultures, to learn from this unique cultural exchange, and to give local children some vital knowledge about sustainable living.

For one or two days in a week, you will be part of a monitoring team that goes out into local communities to check on trees that have already been planted. You will help assess the trees, record information, and communicate with the teachers or community leaders about the progress.

If time allows in the planning than on one of the other days you will be part of a team that goes out to explore new planting opportunities around Cape Town, learn about different techniques, network with relevant people, and spread the message of the incredible social and environmental benefits of trees.

Your mission will be greening and educating children and adults while also learning a lot yourself.

Project Information

The Greening projects mission is to green under-greened areas and combat deforestation in Southern Africa. We plant trees on behalf of companies, groups, travellers and individuals wanting to invest in a greener future and improve the lives of communities in areas affected by lack of resources. On top of planting trees, we strive to make eco-consciousness accessible, fun and popular so that a greener movement is inspired. The initiative started in September 2010 and has since planted almost 10000 trees in over 140 beneficiary schools, crèches, orphanages, community centres, old-age homes as well as deforested areas.

Orientation

Upon arrival, you will be given a project orientation that covers the following:

• Explanation of surrounding area and living facilities
• Introduction to the project team
• Detailed introduction to the project and your tasks
• An introduction to tree types
• Run-down of your daily itinerary
• Responsible tourism tips

Accommodation and Transfer

You will be staying at a comfortable guesthouse at walking distance from our Greening project office. You will share an en-suite dorm room with up to five people. (Upgrades to private rooms are available.) You will be close to most of Cape Town’s historic areas, trendy neighborhoods, museums, and markets, so it will be easy to explore the city during your stay. The guesthouse offers a communal self-catering kitchen, a lounge area with satellite TV, wireless internet, and a laundry service.

One of our representatives will pick you up at the airport and at the end of your stay we´ll drop you off.

Guidance and Supervision

Throughout your placement at the Greening project you will have the support and guidance of our experienced Greening project coordinators. Our Greenpop team will be available for any questions, advice etc. You will also have a designated coordinator who will be with you everyday and assist with everything you mightneed on the project.

A typical week at the Greening Project …

Although day to day activities vary on the project. During the week you´ll plant or monitoring trees or explore Cape Town and the sorroundings or new planting opportunities.

A typical day in the life of a volunteer might be:

This is an example of a day on the project. Please note that this is just a guideline, and that schedules are subject to change. The project is need driven so the beneficiaries can only get confirmed in a later stage.

Weekends are time off, which gives you an opportunity to explore the beautiful city you’ll be staying in.

Costs & Inclusive / Exclusive

2 weeks             ZAR 9,090

3 weeks             ZAR 11,460

4 weeks             ZAR 13,820

5 weeks             ZAR 16,380

6 weeks             ZAR 18,540

7 weeks             ZAR 20,630

8 weeks             ZAR 21,620

Contact one of our travel specialists now for the costs of additional weeks.

Inclusive

• Accommodation at a guesthouse in an en-suite dorm room with about 5 beds
• Breakfast (all week) and lunch (Monday to Friday)
• Airport transfers
• Comprehensive introduction to Greenpop and your role upon arrival
• Support from the Greenpop team during your stay
• All project tools and materials

Exclusive

• Flights to and from Cape Town International Airport
• Travel insurance
• Lunch during weekends
• Dinner

NOTE: Where possible, Share Africa Travel can assist volunteers to arrange extra/optional activities/trips during free time on their projects and expeditions. Please remember that on such occasions, should you decide to take accommodation other than that provided at the project/expedition site, you will be responsible for the costs thereby incurred.

Arrival dates

The Greening project starts on the 1^st and 3^rd Monday every month. Volunteering at this project starts from a minimum of 2 weeks.

Please read our terms and conditions to inform yourself about our booking procedures.
Kindly note that the prices and accommodation are subject to change based on date, availability and special requests.

Your role as Volunteer

Your role as a volunteer will be to assist with the daily tasks of maintaining the sanctuary including hands on care for the animals. You will be involved in the preservation, breeding, feeding and caring of the birds and primates at the park, as well as educational based activities and research into the different species. You will initially work with a park ranger who will explain your role, and over time you will take on greater responsibilities for working at the center. Longer stay volunteers may participate in active roles in the animal hospital, or hosting educational groups around the park.Your role as Volunteer
There are many other activities that you as a volunteer might like to get involved in, including: sports (start a small sport program with kids), art projects, music and singing songs (bring an instrument and teach some kids to play), and various other community initiatives (e.g. recycling, craft development). Wherever you feel your strengths lie is where you should get involved – use your own creativity and work together with your project leader and the caregivers at the care points.

Project Information

The volunteer placement involves working with a number of birds, primates and small to medium sized animals in a local wildlife park. You will be based in Hout Bay, Cape Town at the biggest bird park in Africa which is a haven for wounded, sick or tame birds and mammals. You will be helping to clean out enclosures, set up displays, feed and stimulate the animals, attend to sick animals, maintain enclosures, etc. and will gain hands-on experience while working in a successful African wildlife sanctuary. The park is underfunded and understaffed and the facilities are in need of work and attention– this project aims to care and tend to the needs of the animals at the park, and help with the day to day tasks of keeping the center effectively playing its role plus, where suitable, to assist with research into many areas of interest.

Orientation

Your orientation will start with a presentation by the project co-ordinator to prepare you for your project. You will then be shown around Hout Bay, Cape Town and go on a Township tour through Imizamo Yethu.

A typical week at the project

Although day to day activities vary on the project, a typical day in the life of a volunteer might be:

07:30 – Wake up and have breakfast.

08.00 – Walk over to your project.

08:30 –Work starts.

13.00 – Lunch (come back to volunteer house for lunch or take a packed lunch).

14:00 – You will help with activities at your project or you can help on an afternoon project.

15:30 – Work generally ends around 3.30pm but this is flexible and can sometimes be earlier and sometimes later.

You will be off in the weekends which leaves you with plenty of time to explore South Africa further.

Costs & Inclusive / Exclusive

2 weeks           ZAR 14,155,-

3 weeks           ZAR 16,275,-

4 weeks           ZAR 18,175.-

6 weeks           ZAR 22,310.-

8 weeks           ZAR 25,792,-

10 weeks         ZAR 29,767.-

Contact us now for the costs of additional weeks.

Inclusive

• All accommodation throughout your programme
• All meals
• Orientation upon arrival
• Airport transfer on set arrival and departure days
• Full support and daily guidance from the project coordinator/tour guide
• Project equipment/materials
• Backup support from All Out Africa’s head office and administrative staff

Exclusive

• Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement
• All flights
• Airport transfers not on set arrival and departure days
• Local transport costs to and from project placements
• All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
• Telephone, internet, extra food and drinks, weekend activities
• Visas
• Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary

NOTE: Where possible, Share Africa Travel can assist volunteers to arrange extra/optional activities/trips during free time on their projects and expeditions. Please remember that on such occasions, should you decide to take accommodation other than that provided at the project/expedition site, you will be responsible for the costs thereby incurred.

Arrival dates

The standard arrival dates (first Monday of the month) for the project is:
2013: 7-Jan, 4-Feb, 4-Mar, 1- Apr,6-May, 3-Jun, 1-Jul,5-Aug, 2-Sep, 7-Oct, 4-Nov

Volunteering at this project starts from a minimum of 2 weeks.
lease read our terms and conditions to inform yourself about our booking procedures.

Kindly note that the prices and accommodation are subject to change based on date, availability and special requests.