South Africa, home to the San, the Zulu, Afrikaners and many more, is now also home to one of the most adrenaline-packed adventures Rustic Pathways has to offer. If you are looking to test your nerves on a daily basis, learn a few new skills, and immerse yourself in the dynamic culture of southern Africa, this trip is for you.
Because the winter holidays fall at the end of this month and because we want you to go home and visit your family, this is only a 20-day trip. But don’t worry; we have packed this non-stop adventure with as many adrenaline-pumping activities as possible!
The trip begins with four action-packed days in beautiful Cape Town –tucked between the vast Atlantic Ocean and the formidable Table Mountain. On your first day you’ll hike up Table Mountain to take in the spectacular views and than rappel your way right back down to Cape Town.
The next couple of days will be crash courses in two great sports. First you’ll head out with a surfboard in search of South Africa’s best waves. You’ll spend the day with private instructors, honing your surfing skills and taking advantage of the country’s great breaks.On day four you’ll trade in your surfboard for a sand boardand head out to the dunes.
Our last day of Cape Town should be epic!! You will climb in a cage surrounded by one of southern Africa’s fiercest predators – the great white shark! Then it will be off toOudtshoorn, in the Western Cape, for an encounter with another great African predator. Grab your bathing suit again because you’ll climb in another cage today, only this time you’ll be face to face with man-eating Nile crocodiles!
Did you know South Africa is home to the Bloukrans Bridge? Who cares you ask? What could that possibly have to do with our trip? Care to jump off it? This bridge claims to be the highest bungee in the world! Have fun; it’s one of two world-record holders you will take on during this trip!
Nextyou’re off to the small, beautiful country of Lesotho. Completely surrounded by South Africa, this land of mountains is truly stunning. Here you’ll head out on a three-day, two-night pony trek through the small rural villages of the inner highlands.
Now that you’ve rested on your pony’s back, you’ll push the adrenaline levels up again as the trip winds down. You’ll head from Lesotho to Johannesburg, where you’ll spend a day touring Soweto and learning about the history of race relations in southern Africa. From J’berg, you’ll bag your second world-record. Measuring in at over a mile long and reaching speeds of over 100 mph, the world’s fastest zip line is here, and you’ll have the opportunity to try it out. Wrapping it up in a truly epic manner, you’ll spend the last four days of your trip on safari in Kruger National Park. Here you’ll spend days looking for South Africa’s famous Big Five: lions, elephants, leopards, cape buffalo, and black rhino. With some luck you’llalso catch a glimpse of hippos, cheetahs and much more.Sign up if you are up for it; we’d love for you to join us on this once-in-a-lifetime trip!
If you have any questions about this or any of our other Gap Year programs, please contact us at gap@rusticpathways.com.
Special Note: Scheduled Gap Year programs generally include all breakfasts and about half of the lunches and dinners during the program. Students are responsible for getting to the starting point for their Gap Year program. Internal transportation, all accommodation, and included tours, activities, admissions, and fees are included as stipulated in the itinerary. If you have any questions about any of our Gap Year programs, please e-mail us.
Days 1 Cape Town
Welcome to South Africa! Today we’ll get settled into our hotel, get over our jetlag, grab some dinner and prepare for the days to come.
Day 2 – Cape Town
After breakfast we’ll hike up to the top of Table Mountain, that beautiful, giant mesa behind Cape Town. At the top you’ll get spectacular views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. Rest, have a snack and get ready to rappel of the side!
Day 3 – Cape Town
How about a day at the beach? South Africa is known for world-class waves, yes waves! Today you will spend a full day at the beach with a private instructor learning to hang 10!
Day 4 – Cape Town
We hope you had a good night’s sleep! If surfing wasn’t enough the day before, today we head out to some giant sand dunes for a full day of sandboarding lessons!
Day 5 – Cape Town
Ok ladies and gents, how tough are you feeling today? Rappelling wasn’t so bad? The first of true test of your nerves happens today. Pack a towel and bathing suit and a waterproof camera. You are about to jump into a cage surrounded by great white sharks!
Day 6 – Oudtshoorn
Feeling like sharks were easy enough? Good, because today we up the ante on the close encounters with man-eating animals. We’ll head up into the Western Cape to Cango Wildlife Ranch. The ranch is home to many of the big cats, but we are looking for something new. Get ready to jump into another cage. This time though you will be face to face with Nile Crocodiles!
Day 7 – Bloukrans Bridge
Did you know South Africa is home to the Bloukrans Bridge? Who cares you ask? Care to jump off it on the end of a rubber band? This bridge claims to be the highest bungee in the world! Have fun!
Day 8 – Travel Day, Cape Town – Malealea
We have to have travel days from time to time. Chasing adrenaline means constantly moving. Today we hop on a plane to Bloemfontein, and then we cross the border into Lesotho. Confused, try Google Earth.
Day 9 – 11 Lesotho
Welcome to truly remote southern Africa. For three days and two nights you will be pony trekking through some truly incredible landscape. We’ll be staying with local hosts, living as they would. Bring a camera!
Day 12 – Travel Day, return to Johannesburg
Day 13 – Johannesburg
We’ll spend the day touring through one of South Africa’s most famous neighborhoods, Soweto! You’ll have the opportunity to develop a personal understanding of race relations in South Africa.
Day 14 – Sun City
Have fun on the world’s largest bungee jump? Good! Get ready for another world record holder. Strap in to over a mile long 100 mph, yes that is miles per hour, zip line.
Day 15 – Return to J’berg prep for Kruger
Day 16 - 19Kruger National Park
Why not finish this trip in an epic manner? How about 4 days in the most famous National Park in the county! We’ll spend days looking for South Africa’s famous Big Five; lions, elephants, leopard, Cape buffalo, and Black Rhino. With some luck you can throw in hippos, cheetahs and much more.
Day 20 – Farewell Friends!
We truly hope it was a once in a lifetime experience!
An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
Remember, YOUR ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT
In your camera bag:
• Extra batteries, memory cards and film. If you are shooting with a digital camera, consider the size of the file you shoot, i.e. Jpeg or Raw, and plan accordingly, we’d suggest at least 4 gigabytes. Film shooters should estimate their daily usage.
• Lenses – only those that your will use and want to carry!
• A small cleaning kit.
• Portable hard drive – if you will be shooting with a digital camera, I’d recommend a 100 gig drive. Rustic used to burn DVD’s as backup but have found that they are too easily damaged and cumbersome.
• Your camera’s manual.
• A couple of small plastic bags and a small roll of duct tape - good for everything!
• Skylight filters for each lense – every lense should have one of these as extra protection against dirt.
• A small notepad and pens.
• Small, lightweight tripod – if you are interested in long exposure shots.
• Power adapter.
• A tripod and flash if you would like to work with them.
• Extension rings are a great, lightweight substitute for carrying extra lenses.
TAKE THE PLUNGE as you rappel and bungee
jump from stomach-churning heights.
LEARN to ride the waves at world-famous surf breaks.
EXPERIENCE close encounters with predators as
you cage dive with sharks and crocodiles.
SAFARI in Kruger National Park for four amazing days.
PONY trek into the remote hills of Lesotho with local
guides, visit a rural Zulu village, and learn about the
fascinating Zulu history and culture.
ZIP LINE from one tree to the next through
breathtaking scenery and over cascading waterfalls.
South Africa, home to the San, the Zulu, Afrikaners and many more, is now also home to one of the most adrenaline-packed adventures Rustic Pathways has to offer. If you are looking to test your nerves on a daily basis, learn a few new skills, and immerse yourself in the dynamic culture of southern Africa, this trip is for you.
Because the winter holidays fall at the end of this month and because we want you to go home and visit your family, this is only a 20-day trip. But don’t worry; we have packed this non-stop adventure with as many adrenaline-pumping activities as possible! 
f southern Africa’s fiercest predators – the great white shark! Then it will be off toOudtshoorn, in the Western Cape, for an encounter with another great African predator. Grab your bathing suit again because you’ll climb in another cage today, only this time you’ll be face to face with man-eating Nile crocodiles!
Did you know South Africa is home to the Bloukrans Bridge? Who cares you ask? What could that possibly have to do with our trip? Care to jump off it? This bridge claims to be the highest bungee in the world! Have fun; it’s one of two world-record holders you will take on during this trip! 
