Dartmouth College-
Human Origins in Africa

[B- Breakfast, L- Lunch, D- Dinner]

November 26, 2023: Depart Home

Depart to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Early arrival accommodations can be arranged ($285 per double or single room per night). Please contact the Tour Operator at info@immersionjourneys.com/ (917) 686-2620 for booking assistance.

November 27: Arrive Johannesburg, South Africa

Arrive at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International and transfer to your hotel with views of the Magaliesberg Mountains, an ancient range with varied vegetation that attracted early humans. Enjoy an evening welcome dinner. Overnight: Mount Grace Country House & Spa (D)

November 28: Malapa Tour
Embark on an unforgettable journey of storytelling as you walk in the footsteps of our hominin ancestors and learn more about the story of human origins. You will visit two world-famous fossil sites where you can learn about the geological interactions that led to the Cradle of Humankind. Overnight: Mount Grace Country House & Spa (B,L)

November 29: Sterkfontein Caves | Maropeng Visitor Centre| Malapa
The fossil hominid localities of the “Cradle of Humankind” are recognized together as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Tour the Sterkfontein Caves, which have yielded more than 500 fossils and have become one of the world’s leading sources of information about early human evolution. Continue on to the Maropeng Visitor Centre, an interactive exhibition tracing the development of humans over millions of years. Overnight: Mount Grace Country House & Spa (B,L)

November 30: Fly to Hoedspruit | Kapama Game Reserve
Transfer to the airport for a group flight to Hoedspruit Airport .  Upon arrival, we will be met and transferred to Kapama Southern Camp, your gateway to Kapama Game Reserve. Combined with the Kruger National Park, this area is  one of the world’s largest protected game areas and present unique game-viewing opportunities. Enjoy afternoon tea at the camp, followed by a late afternoon game drive. Overnight: Kapama Southern Camp (B,L,D)

December 1: Kapama Game Reserve

Enjoy morning and afternoon wild life viewing, walking safaris or simply relaxing in pristine wilderness.

Overnight: Kapama Southern Camp (B,L,D)

December 2: Fly to Cape Town

Transfer to the Hoedspruit Airport and fly to Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. Sandwiched between the slopes of iconic Table Mountain and the sapphire waters of Table Bay, the exceptionally scenic city is in a class of its own. Your hotel, located just outside the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront area dotted with restaurants and bars.

Overnight: Southern Sun the Cullinan (B)

December 3: Cape Town: Robben Island & Bo-Kaap Tour

This is a day of contrasts. Take a ferry to the infamous Robben Island prison where Nobel Laureate Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for his political views. Today, this prison is a landmark which show cases the extent of which the nationalist political party practiced segregation and apartheid to suppress the majority population. Return to the mainland and after a traditional Malay lunch, take a walking tour along the cobblestone streets of Bo-Kaap (Malay Quarter), one of the city’s oldest residential areas with its colorful homes.

Overnight: Southern Sun the Cullinan (B,L)

December 4: Cape Town: City tour & Cape Peninsula

Get an overview of Cape Town in the afternoon on a guided city tour, motoring past famous landmarks such as the 17th-century Castle of Good Hope, the Edwardian City Hall, and St. George’s Cathedral. Ascend to the top of Table Mountain by revolving cable car and marvel at a bird’s-eye view of Cape Town and its beaches. Head to the south western tip of the Cape Peninsula which offers some of the most spectacular views in the world. The tour returns to Cape Town by way of Simon’s Town where you visit the penguin colony at Boulders beach and Fish Hoek fishing village. There will be a lunch stop on the tour.

Overnight: Southern Sun the Cullinan (B,L)

December 5: Blombos Museum of Archaeology | Mossel Bay

Depart the hotel this morning after breakfast, and take a scenic, 4.5-hour drive to Mossel Bay along the Garden Route and coastal highway. Stop to visit the small but significant Blombos Museum of Archaeology, dedicated to presenting the prehistory of the area and specifically the findings from Blombos Cave, inhabited by early modern humans between 100,000 and 70,000 years ago. You will be guided through the displays, which provide context for the symbolic objects (the world’s earliest) and ochre-processing “workshop” for which the cave is renowned. Continue on to Mossel Bay and check-in to our hotel in the afternoon. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Overnight: Protea Hotel Mossel Bay  (B,L)

December 6: Pinnacle Point Caves | Dias Museum, Farewell dinner

This morning explore the Pinnacle Point Caves which contain some of the earliest evidence for modern human behavior. (Please note that the only access to Cave 13B is via a series of steep wooden stairways and boardwalks, with some 200 steps in each direction.) Arrive at the hotel in Mossel Bay and, after an independent lunch, visit the nearby Dias Museum. Named after the famous Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, this museum depicts the history of the exploration and mapping of the southern African coastline and its importance in global trade as far back as the 1400s. Gather this evening for a farewell dinner.
Overnight: Protea Hotel Mossel Bay  (B,D)

December 7: Fly to Johannesburg | Fly home

After a morning at leisure you will be transferred to George Airport for a group flight to Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). Connect with independent homeward flights on continue your adventure in Southern Africa (contact Immersion Journeys for assistance) (B)