BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE TRIP ITINERARY The ultimate tour to South Africa – an entire world in one country. This tour will give the traveller breath-taking views of pristine, natural scenery; provide insight into the unique combinations of diverse cultures and heritage as well as first-hand encounters with a world- renowned “BIG 5” safari experience. This tour will also emphasise the Jewish history, culture & lifestyle in South Africa; including visits to Jewish museums, symbolic landmarks & iconic synagogues. DAY 1 – CAPE TOWN Travelers will arrive to Cape Town via flights from the US and will meet the Hebrew & English speaking National tour guide on arrival. After being transferred to the hotel and having a brief rest, the group will get their first taste of Cape Town with a stop at Signal Hill to get a spectacular view of Table Mountain, the ocean and the city in between. We then will drive to the bustling Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront - the famous harbour, bringing in over 23 million tourists annually. With an abundance of shops, restaurants and cultural attractions, the Waterfront will provide the traveller a true feel of Cape Town’s prime social hub (for both locals and tourists). We will then return to the hotel for dinner. Attractions: Signal Hill viewpoint, V&A Waterfront Meals: Dinner Accommodation: 3 or 4-star hotel in Cape Town DAY 2 – CAPE TOWN (PENINSULA TOUR) [140KM] We will start the morning with a cable car ride up to the top of Table Mountain, the mountain that gives Cape Town its unique personality. Table Mountain was named one of the New Wonders of the World in 2011. We will soak in the amazing views of the city and its surroundings before riding the cable car down to proceed with our tour of the peninsula. The next stop will be the upmarket Camps Bay, the Riviera of Cape Town, to get the best views of the 12 Apostles and the Atlantic coastline and to get a taste of one of Cape Town’s wealthiest suburbs. We will continue on to Hout Bay and stop at the harbour, one of the Western Cape’s busiest, to walk around and then take a boat trip to Seal Island. Seal Island, or Duiker Island, is the habitat for hundreds of Cape fur seals. Upon returning we will drive along the panoramic Chapman’s Peak drive towards Cape Point. BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE TRIP ITINERARY Cape Point, at the Southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula is the place where hundreds of ships met their demise during explorers’ long sea journeys from Europe to the far East. Cape Point is the meeting place of the two ocean currents - the cold Benguela (Antarctic) current and the warm Agulhas current from Mozambique. At Cape Point we will catch the “Flying Dutchman” funicular to see the old lighthouse and spectacular views of cliff faces. There will also be an optional short trail. Our journey will continue to Simon’s Town, a previously British Naval town and now housing SA’s naval base. We will visit the famous African penguin colony at Boulders Beach and stop over for lunch in town thereafter. Kalk Bay, the bohemian fishing village, will be en-route to our next stop at Muizenberg. Muizenberg was a vibrant Jewish community and holiday resort and, to this day, has an active Shul that once used to be the centre of the Jewish life. We will tour the town and the colourful Muizenberg waterfront, extremely popular amongst surfers. After returning to the hotel, travellers will enjoy the evening at leisure, with an option to visit the V&A Waterfront once more. Attractions: Table Mountain, Camps Bay viewpoint, Seal Island boat ride, Chapman’s Peak drive, Cape Point with optional walk, Penguin colony in Simon’s Town, Muizenberg tour & Shul Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: 3 or 4-star hotel in Cape Town BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE TRIP ITINERARY DAY 3 – CAPE TOWN This day will be spent seeing the beautiful city centre and its surroundings. The first stop will be the world- famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, set on the Eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Time permitting, we will visit the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research at the University of Cape Town before making our way into town for a tour by bus and by foot. The tour will start at the bright & colourful Bo-Kaap, a centre of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town. We will then proceed to the Company's Gardens (Dutch East India Company), the cradle of life in the 17th century, filled with museums, trees and squirrels. We will visit the South African Jewish museum, set in the first Shul of Cape Town, to get a perspective of the Jewish community and life in South Africa. The Hebrew congregation of Cape Town was established in 1841 and is the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere. The first Shul was built in 1863 and the big synagogue in 1905. We will also visit the Cape Town Holocaust Centre, a permanent exhibition in the city. The tour by foot will stop at Greenmarket Square - where many African traders thrive and surrounded by historic buildings. We will continue through the famous Church and Long Streets before seeing the remaining city highlights by bus. In the evening we will go to Chabad for dinner and Kabbalat Shabbat. Attractions: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Centre for Jewish Studies, Cape Town City Tour – Bo-Kaap, Company’s Gardens, Greenmarket Square, Jewish Museum, Holocaust Centre, Company’s Gardens Shul, Chabad Shabbat dinner Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Accommodation: 3 or 4-star hotel in Cape Town DAY 4 – CAPE TOWN – FRANSCHHOEK - HERMANUS [250KM] We will depart Cape Town towards the Cape Winelands and head for Franschhoek and Stellenbosch - the two most acclaimed wine routes (out of 17 in the Western Cape). The viticulture was established in the 17th Century by French Huguenot refugees (protestants) and the Cape Winelands offer arguably some of the world’s best wines. BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE TRIP ITINERARY On the way to Franschhoek we will visit the Mandela statue, located in Drakenstein Correctional Centre, where Mandela was released from prison. At Franschhoek we will explore the quaint French-heritage town and visit the Huguenot monument. We will also experiment with Kosher wine-tasting. We will then continue to the university town of Stellenbosch (2nd oldest city in South Africa) for a historical city tour by bus and to see the old Shul. We will then proceed by driving along the ocean towards Hermanus (the popular whale watching town), with a stop by Kleinmond harbour en-route. We will take a short drive around the town before having dinner in and transfer to the hotel. Attractions: Mandela statue, Huguenot Monument, Kosher wine-tasting, Stellenbosch tour & Shul, Kleinmond Harbour Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Accommodation: 3 or 4-star hotel in Hermanus DAY 5 – HERMANUS – BARRYDALE - OUDTSHOORN [370KM] Hermanus is considered by many to be the whale capital of the world and every year between June and October these mammals arrive for mating, which brings an influx of visitors and led to the creation of an annual “whale festival”. When out of whale season we will do a city tour of Hermanus and visit the beautiful old Shul in town. We will leave the town via the Hermanus wine route, well- known for its white wines and acclaimed wine farms, and head towards the small town “Dorpie” of Barrydale via the scenic Tradouw Pass. Upon arrival we will drive along the famous “Route 62” and stop over for lunch and refreshments. Our drive will continue past the Ladismith Shul and towards Oudtshoorn, previously considered the “Jerusalem of South Africa” due to its Jewish heritage. Oudtshoorn is well-known as the ostrich capital of the world and in 19th Century went through an economic boom due to the rising popularity of Ostrich feathers, bringing in an influx of Jews from Eastern Europe. Two synagogues were built in Oudtshoorn, one remains intact and the other was moved entirely to the CP Nel Museum. In the evening guide will give the group a lecture about the history of the Jewish community in the area of the “Klein BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE TRIP ITINERARY Karoo” during the 19th and 20th Century. The remainder of the evening will be at leisure in Oudtshoorn. Attractions: Hermanus city walking tour, Hermanus Shul, Hermanus winelands, Ladismith Shul, Tradouw Pass, Barrydale, Lecture on Jewish life in Karoo Meals: Lunch in Barrydale Accommodation: 3 or 4-star hotel in Oudtshoorn DAY 6 – OUDTSHOORN - KNYSNA [190 KM] We will start the morning with a visit to the CP Nel museum - which is one of the few secular museums in the world that house a Shul. The Shul is occasionally still used for services. We will then continue to the Cango Wildlife Ranch where we will see endangered animal such as leopards and tigers. Our next stop will be the Cango Caves, a 20- million-year-old caving network that consists of a series of hidden chambers, cut deep into limestone rock layers on the foot of the Swartberg mountains. We will then proceed to the 5- generation Jewish-owned Safari Ostrich farm, where a local guide will explain more about the fascinating birds and the brave (and light) will have an opportunity to sit on them. We will then leave Oudtshoorn and continue towards Knysna via the Outeniqua Pass - part of the world-famous Garden Route. The route is stretched between mountains and the Indian Ocean and brings in tourists from all over the world.