Private Excavation at Drimolen Hominin Fossil Site with Dr. Colin Menter

The Cradle of Humankind in South Africa is a treasure trove of fossil sites that have produced more than a third of the World’s information on our early human ancestors, the hominins. A mere fifty minute drive from Johannesburg, this area has yielded more than 1,000 actual hominin fossils that have afforded scientists a window into our own past. The fossil hominins from South Africa were discovered in 1924 at the fossil site of Taung, while the earliest discovery in the Cradle was in 1936. It was these fossil finds that showed Africa as being the Cradle of Humankind. South Africa is home to five fossil hominin species, three of which are unique to South Africa while two are in common with those of East Africa.

Passage to Africa - in association with the Centre for Language and Culture at the University of Johannesburg - is proud to offer the unique opportunity to stay at the Cradle of Humankind, for the express purpose of actually excavating at the World famous Drimolen hominin fossil site. Drimolen has so far yielded in excess of 100 hominin fossils at dates of between 2.0 to 1.5 million years. The opportunity to excavate at Drimolen for private groups with the actual scientist in charge is unique and this week long, private excavation, will be conducted by Dr. Colin Menter. For the excavation, no experience is required and as the group size is kept to a minimum, everyone will be afforded the chance to excavate in the fossiliferous deposits at the site. Along with excavations, the group will also tour the other famous fossil sites of the area. In addition, there will be tours to visit some of the actual hominin fossils that have been found at the Cradle.

Colin Menter was born in South Africa. He has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in Tucson and a Doctorate in Palaeo-anthropology from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. His main research project is the excavation of the Drimolen Fossil Hominin Site that he has worked at since 1997. He has been the principal investigator of the site since 2005.

Culinary Safari with
Chef Bruce Robertson

South African cuisine is an extraordinary recipe of African, European and Asian flavours and travelers with Passage to Africa can now experience a completely new type of safari with Chef Bruce Robertson.

This is a spectacular ten-day culinary journey through the Cape, ending up with a magnificent safari in the Greater Kruger. From how it grows, to how to prepare it and most importantly, enjoying it, this is a gastronomic extravaganza, the like of which has never been seen before in South Africa.

Visit the Kirstenbosch Gardens, one of the finest indigenous gardens in Africa. Tour the ruggedly beautiful Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, followed by a seaside picnic of fresh seafood ‘potjie’, prepared by Chef Bruce. Meet Cass Abrahams, the authority on Cape Malay cuisine and learn how to make your own ‘Malay Spice Blend’. Enjoy a private wine tasting with Hannes Myburgh, seventh-generation owner of the Meerlust Estate as well as a food and wine pairing at Rust en Vrede with Jean Engelbrecht and Chef David Higgs. Tour golf great Ernie Els's trophy room and private wine cellar and finally, finish with a superb dinner at the legendary ‘Tasting Room’ in Franschhoek.

Rounding it off will be a safari on a private game reserve. Morning, afternoon and evening game drives with highly experienced naturalists, luxury accommodation and the opportunity to learn from Chef Bruce about the local cuisine and the challenges of cooking up gourmet meals in the bush.

Chef Bruce Robertson trained under Sir Giles Thompson at the London Ritz, Gordon Ramsey and Marcus Weiring at Petrus and finally as a senior chef with Anton Mossiman O.B.E. On returning to South Africa he was head chef at Singita Boulders and then Executive Head Chef at the Cape Grace, where he opened ‘One waterfront” as well as his own eateries, ‘The Showroom’,  ‘The Showroom Café’ and ‘The Quarter’.

Chef Bruce carries with him a strong desire to elevate local South African cuisine and create an awareness and respect for meals that are served in the larger traditional communities of South Africa. He is strongly in favour of organic agriculture and sustainability of resources, particularly in rural communities. His ‘joie de vivre’ makes him a well-known, well-liked and admired personality on the South African culinary scene.

Pilates Safari with Kristi Cooper White

For those of you who like a bit of nature with your workout, Passage To Africa has teamed up with Kristi Cooper White of BASI pilates to create a unique vacation experience; an unforgettable Pilates safari in the wildlife paradise of Botswana, November 14th – 22nd 2011.

Called ‘Nature in Balance’, the safari is an eight-day adventure in the breathtaking Okavango Delta. It combines the visceral power of the animal kingdom with spectacular vistas, luxury accommodation, gourmet food and an invigorating daily workout with Kristi Cooper White, a principal member of the BASI teaching faculty.

This promises to be the most extraordinary Pilates workshop ever seen. The mixture of Kristi’s highly intuitive Pilates instruction with some of the finest game viewing in southern Africa will be unforgettable. On this safari participants will travel by light aircraft, four-wheel drive vehicles, dugout canoes and on foot through the heart of the Okavango Delta, surrounded by palm-fringed islands, crystal clear waterways and lily filled lagoons. The diversity of the Okavango is staggering, lions, elephants, zebra, giraffe, hippos and crocodiles; it’s all there!

Leading the safari will be Richard Coke, an experienced naturalist guide and wildlife photographer, who has been guiding visitors in Botswana for over twelve years. Among Richard’s diverse interests are elephants, birds, the tracking of predators and the interpretation of animal behavior and ecology.

Kristi Cooper White has eighteen years of experience teaching the Pilates method. She has had the privilege of working closely with Rael Isacowitz (the founder of BASI pilates), as a teacher in his studio, in the Rael Pilates DVD series and as one of three principle instructors for BASI Pilates. She has taught the BASI curriculum in China, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Chicago, and on both coasts of the United States.

Kristi introduced Oprah Winfrey to Pilates in 2004 and had the pleasure of working with her over the course of the next several years. Kristi was featured in a February 2005 episode of the Oprah Winfrey show, in which Ms. Winfrey highlighted some of the benefits she received while doing Pilates with Kristi. In January 2010 Kristi and two partners launched Pilates Anytime.com, an online Pilates studio that provides high quality Pilates instruction at an affordable price.