A Magical African Journey
with Ruth Underwood and Jane Bell
30th March – 14th April 2014
12 days with 4 days pre-tour
This South African journey is designed to give you an opportunity to experience the diverse landscape, culture and wildlife that makes it such a spectacular country. The optional extra of travelling to Cape Town first will open you to the beauty of an urban and natural landscape where nature determines the way a city forms. It is beautiful and vibrant and a preparation for your journey into the bushveld further north.
Once we are at Boondocks and Kruger you’ll sink in to the expansiveness that Mother Africa provides. The southern end of the Nilotic meridian is very primal, and the land is imbued with the oneness of nature. Once we let go of our urban lives we are reminded of our purpose as stewards of this Mother Earth and her animal and plant kingdom.
Itinerary:
Cape Town pre-tour (30th March – 2nd April 2014)
Plan to arrive in Cape Town by midday on the 30th March 2014.
Transfer to hotel on arrival, settle in and dinner at hotel.
Four days in and around Cape Town, including a tour of the Peninsular, a visit up Table Mountain, exploring the Pathways of the Sun and Kirstenbosch Gardens.
Departure for Johannesburg on the morning of the 3rd April 2014.
Johannesburg & Mpumalanga (3rd – 14th April 2014)
Johannesburg is a multi-cultural city where we will visit Soweto Township and get a taste for the history of South Africa. Dinner at an African style restaurant and an option to visit the Origins Centre which explores the Origins of Mankind are included, before we head for the province of Mpumalanga.
In Mpumalanga, we first visit Adams Calendar and have a two night stay at Boondocks, a beautiful retreat centre, “off the grid” in the sacred forests. We will have time to rest and relax and do ceremony at the forest Labyrinth. We then make our way to the famous Kruger National Park for two days, arriving in the afternoon at our Lodge, where we will have time to relax, meditate and experience the variety of wildlife on private game drives – the ultimate way to experience the primal energy of the African bush. Our next stop is a private two-day visit with the White Lions of Timbavati at Tsau, also known as the Children of the Sun God. Here we will have time to do ceremony and meditate with these sacred animals, as well as find out more about the White Lion project.
On leaving the White Lions, we head for the Blyde Canyon, the world’s third deepest canyon and a part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. We spend two nights at the Blyde River Canyon Lodge, situated at the foot of Modimolay, a pyramid mountain at the mouth of the Canyon. From here we will explore the sites in the area, visit a nearby wild animal rehabilitation centre as well as local villages, schools and a women’s weaving project.
An early morning departure to travel over the escarpment of the Blyde Canyon is next. We stop for breathtaking views at God’s Window and the Three Rondavels, have lunch in the small town of Graskop, a short stop in Pilgrims Rest, and then to the quaint village of Dullstroom where we spend our final night. Our final morning will be at leisure in Dullstroom, before heading back to Johannesburg for your flight home in the evening.
Cost of this tour:
Fee Includes: accommodation, most meals, transport with driver, entrances, game drives, boat ride, ceremonies and meditation facilitation, most gratuities and flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg, if taking the Cape Town tour.
Fee Excludes: international flights to and from Johannesburg (or Cape Town), personal extras and some gratuities
Please email Ruth on ruth@mysticalplaces.org
