COMPLETE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT AND PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Safari Odyssey hosts a series of southern Africa-based cultural research and field schools programmes oriented both toward academic institutions as well as cultural organizations. Proposed routes are mostly multi-destinational and follow the thread of authentic paleo-anthropological & archaeological resources throughout. The majority of the cultural sites include rock-art and stone & iron age sites.
Safari Odyssey offers an fully-inclusive logistical package including the planning, implementation and management of the field school. This encompasses the identification of routes and sites, permits and access, all travel related requirements ie. flights, transport, driver & guide, accommodation, catering and ground support. From an academic content point-of-view, we are able to assist in proposing the content and professionally trained or employed field specialists and scientists to present and lead the field-school should the interested party not have their own academic content and specialist available to present to, and accompany, the study group.
Of special interest is the Waterberg (in the Limpopo Province), a culturally rich but relatively unexplored destination which features en-route to all the Gauteng / Limpopo / Mpumulanga / Zimbabwe / Botswana / Venda and Kruger National Park routes. The extent of rock art, stone & iron ages sites in this area has resulted in The Waterberg being a complete study area on its own. As with the rest of our locations, we have carefully sourced participants in the area who have received our programmes with great enthusiasm and a willingness to include their properties and resources for access to research or special interest travel as well as in developing Cultural Resources Management plans for identified sites, which adds another component to research & survey opportunities. The Waterberg serves as both a research base and a special interest travel destination.
Based on the same “academic” programmes, but including a slightly altered – more recreational – approach to the routes and content together with added tourist attractions and activities, we also host fully-inclusive special interest cultural travel programmes. The ultimate offering to the traveller is a combination of the finest that southern Africa has to offer while keeping the focus Authentically African and cultural. Read more about our Cultural Tours & Safaris
NOTES ON ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION
It is important to note that Safari Odyssey is not an accredited academic institution, however we do collaborate with, and enjoy the endorsements of, professional and accredited institutions. The primary role of Safari Odyssey and it’s representatives is to provide complete logistical support for a proposed field school or, if need be, to manage the entire programme, including all logistics, study contents and the execution thereof if the study group does not have representation of its own. The framework may be designed as cultural field schools, visual or physical research programmes, in a single or over multiple destinations and including the entire academic programme or parts thereof depending on whether the group will be accompanied by their own “in-house” teacher or not. Safari Odyssey is able to source the relevant academic content as well as local field-specialists and leaders, all of whom are professionally trained or employed. The aim of our Cultural Academics and Field School Programmes is to provide access to South and southern African cultural sites and resources, without intervention, but under qualified supervision within the rules set out in our National Heritage Act, “Act 25 of 1999” as well as the academic requirements of the participating teaching institution. This product enables either the “student” or “tourist” to, at first hand, experience the specific cultural and historical event/s that is of interest to him or her. Our products are open to tailor-making ie. the course content, academic leaders and presenters, route structure, field of study or interest, location and services can be adjusted and collectively decided upon.
