Description

South Africa is a land of wonders, brimming with wilderness and history, opportunities for adventure, and the chance to make a difference through community service efforts. Our goal will be to get in touch with the heart of this amazing place by combining days of meaningful service with journeys through the countrys major cities and mind-blowing game parks.

DAY 1: WASHINGTON D.C. (FOR THOSE WHO OPT TO TAKE THE GROUP FLIGHT)
As the group flight takes off, the trip officially begins!

DAYS 2 - 5: CAPETOWN
Our journey begins in the coastal city of Cape Town, where we will get to know South African life. Well tour the city, hike to the top of Table Mountain for a panoramic view, spend an evening on the V&A Waterfront, and visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 29 years. It is here that well first come to know the long history and lingering effects of South Africa's Apartheid past, which well carry with us throughout our travels. Well visit a local nature reserve and get up close with African Penguins and Cape Seals, and will get familiar with the food of the region as we chow down in authentic South African restaurants.

DAYS 5 - 11: EAST LONDON
From Cape Town, we will fly to East London and transfer to our base along the Wild Coast where we will begin our service work. For the next seven days and eight nights, we will spend our time volunteering at three local elementary schools to build new playgrounds and spend time with the local children. Our work will provide oxygen for the village, as we breathe new life into this welcoming community. Well be welcomed into the homes of those who live here, and enjoy lessons in cooking and dance, getting insight into the everyday life of the region. Well also make time for activities outside of work, spending our time surfing, horseback riding, and visiting a local game preserve where well have the chance to interact with young lion cubs. Once our service work is done, well feel the satisfaction of having made a real contribution to peoples lives, as we say goodbye to the Wild Coast and head to Kruger National Park

DAYS 11 - 15: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, FLIGHT HOME FROM JOHANESBERG
It is here at Kruger that youll have the chance to see the Big 5 in the wild. We will fly from East London to Nelspruit which will be our base for a couple of days of game drives and wild life safaris. Without doubt, you will be awed by the beauty of this place, as we are led by guides who take care of our safety while still bringing us close to the many animals who call the park home. With our heads full of the many images of amazing scenery and wildlife, we will fly back to Johannesburg for a last days visit to the Apartheid Museum and the Cradle of Humankind, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. As you board the place home, we will bid you Hamba Gashle Umgani Go well, our friends, till we meet again.

Highlights

Travel for Teens has many other trips. If you combine 2 trips (25 days), you receive 15% off the 2nd trip of equal or lesser value. You can also combine 3 trips for only 10,500 USD (37 days).

- Volunteer for a week on Africa's Wild Coast helping improve playgrounds and schools in the townships (35 hrs community service credit)
- Spot the "Big 5" in South Africa's largest game reserve, Kruger National Park
- Get up close and personal with the biggest land and sea mammals
- Walk with the 'king of the jungle' and learn about helping orphaned cubs be reintroduced into the wild
- Try surfing in the gorgeous beaches of the Wild Coast
- Visit the Apartheid Museum and Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was locked up for 29 years

Where We Go:
* Cape Town
* Robben Island
* The Wild Coast
* Kruger National Park
* Nelspruit

Travel for Teens is the only teen travel company featured on the Travel Channel! It was also recently featured on the Forbes Traveler website! For more information on these programs, please contact Travel for Teens through the contact link at the top or at the bottom of this page.

Type of Programs

• Cultural Exploration
• Community Service / Volunteerism
• Adventure Travel

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

4,285 plus airfare

This Program is open to

American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel

in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Physical Exam/Health Records

Typically The Application Process Time is

1 week

Travel For Teens's Mission Statement

Travel for Teens believes that teen travel should be both fun and enriching. Our programs feature choice in what you do, see, and experience, a dynamic that sets us apart from superficial tours that herd large groups from one site to another. We visit the best of the mainstream attractions while offering the opportunity to explore the culture from a less touristy perspective. We interact with our host cultures, taking cooking and dance lessons, performing valuable service work to help local communities, and conversing with the people who have spent their lives living in the places we journey to. We have crafted our unique programs to engender love for travel, hunger for learning, curiosity about differences, appreciation of similarities across cultures, and an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen.

Year Founded

2003