A holiday season in the warm, sun-dappled beauty of South Africa! That is the backdrop to this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Escape from your winter and join us in the southern hemisphere summer for an exploration of history, culture, food and natural beauty that will astound and educate, inspire and amaze. This expedition has something for everyone in the family!

South Africa and Nelson Mandela. Inextricably linked. One of the most diverse and beautiful countries on the planet. One of the great leaders of this or any generation. But it wasn’t always so for what we now call “the Rainbow Nation” and its iconic former President.

This expedition to South Africa will examine the legacy of four hundred years of European contact and settlement. We will use the life and career of Nelson Mandela as a vehicle for this exploration. Born while the Great War raged in Europe, Asia and Africa, and seeing 95 summers, Mandela’s life offers an unparalleled opportunity to see South Africa’s history, culture, tragedies and triumphs over the great length of the 20^th century.

We will begin the journey in Johannesburg at our beautiful hotel in the upscale Melrose Arch district. We will explore Soweto, including Mandela’s house and the past and present of this city-within-a-city; visit the acclaimed and extremely moving Apartheid Museum which will set the stage for the remainder of our visits and discussions throughout the country; and tour with a local guide to examine two periods of Madiba’s life in the region. First, as a revolutionary and lawyer in the 1940s-1964, locations include Soweto, where black Africans have long lived in the shadow of their oppressors and where today middle-class neighborhoods stand beside shantytowns. The center of the African consciousness and rebellion stemmed from Soweto. Mandela’s house, and those of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and others, still remain in this vibrant township. And second, we will visit the government buildings where Mandela fought for human rights, and where he served as the President of a newly united Republic and as a respected senior statesman. Liliesleaf farm and the Rivonia Trials, Pretoria and the governmental center, Constitution Hill and the Cradle of Humankind round out our Johannesburg visit. Our local guide will add to our understanding of Mandela’s impact as we follow in his footsteps as well as describe life in current day South Africa.

From Johannesburg/Pretoria, we will fly across the country to the Western Cape Province. A short drive from Cape Town will bring us into South Africa’s famed winelands, where we will spend two evenings in the charming colonial and university town of Stellenbosch. Tours of the vineyards will provide a welcome break in this amazing adventure.

The magnificent Western Cape province provides backdrop to our further discussions of Mandela and South Africa’s challenges and opportunities. Here we will visit the sites of two of Mandela’s prisons where he spent 26 consecutive years behind bars – on the infamous Robben Island (where a former political prisoner will provide our private guided talk and walk) and the Victor Verster maximum security prison where he lived in the years prior to his 1990 release. We will also visit the famed Table Mountain and drive the Cape of Good Hope route through the incredible Chapman’s Peak Drive and back along False Bay. A visit to Cape Town University, one of the Top 100 in the world and Africa’s finest, will include a discussion of the legacy of Cecil Rhodes and others, along with a view toward the future.

Throughout this journey we will work with local South African guides to facilitate extensive discussions on South African culture and history, its challenges and opportunities. The country’s rich military history, so fundamental to the shaping of the nation from its Cape roots on through the Great Trek of the 1830s and then its later wars between Zulu, British and Afrikaaners, will provide numerous points along the way to examine the nation at that point in time.

We will enjoy amazing food and drink, in spectacularly beautiful settings. We will interact with locals of all persuasions. If possible, we will modify an evening dinner to attend a match – rugby, football or cricket – in this sports-mad country.

South Africa and Nelson Mandela. Christmas and New Year’s in the warm embrace of the South African summer. A trip of a lifetime to learn of the peoples and the places that shape the future of the continent.

This trip is a wonderful holiday for friends and family!

Many Americans travel to South Africa on their own to experience the wildlife parks, natural beauty and big cities. However, Essential History Expeditions is for the traveler who wants to come away from a wonderful vacation with a deep understanding of the complicated history that shaped South Africa into the country it is today. What sets Essential History Expeditions and Dr. Brian DeToy apart is his unique experience with 14 years as a university professor including teaching history and strategic studies at West Point, 28 years as a US Army officer with combat experience, and 27 years of leading tours.

“Just returned from South Africa, where Brian and Sheryl led a phenomenal trip following in the steps of Nelson Mandela. This was my second excursion with EHE; my husband and I did the WWI battlefields tour last summer. Both trips were beyond fabulous!!

Stated very simply, there is no better way to learn about history and actually experience it than on a trip with EHE. Brian’s in-depth knowledge of historical events, why they mattered, and how they shaped and influenced current times is really astounding. He is an engaging and charismatic storyteller, funny and passionate, conveying both details and the bigger picture of the sweep of history. Sheryl ensures that every logistical detail of the trips is flawlessly attended to; she is warm and open and treats every traveler like a family friend. Show up and Sheryl takes care of the rest!! In South Africa, we also experienced other cultural highlights, including the Cape of Good Hope and the magnificent wine country in Stellenbosch, as well as an optional two-day safari in Sabi Sands.

EHE is a real treasure; take a trip and you will kick yourself for waiting so long to do it. I am already signed up for additional trips with Brian and Sheryl in 2020 and 2021, and wish I could do more. Really wonderful!!”

–Retired Army JAG Colonel

“Essential History Expeditions is the real deal if you care about history. With Brian DeToy and Sheryl Shafer, you get it all: a guide who is a superb teacher — Brian makes it all vitally interesting and relevant — and a tour manager in Sheryl who is quietly and graciously capable of handling any problem or concern. You will have no worries with them. All you’ll be required to do is to love every minute of your tour.”

— Former Chief of Staff to two US Senators

“My husband and I just returned from an EHE excursion to South Africa, and I can’t say enough about our experience. We thoroughly enjoyed the safari, where we were able to get close to animals we have only ever seen in captivity — leopards, elephants, kudu, hippos, giraffes, and many, many impalas, just to name a few. Watching these animals in their natural habitat was extraordinary. The main part of the tour focused on Nelson Mandela and his incredible “Long Walk to Freedom.” We were able to visit sites that were important in the apartheid struggle, including Mandela’s house in Soweto, Liliesleaf farm, the Palace of Justice in Pretoria, and several of the prisons where Mandela spent his 27 years in captivity. Along the way, we developed relationships with the local guides and people, who enriched the experience with their first-hand knowledge of the culture and history of South Africa. Brian has an astounding wealth of knowledge about the history of the country and was able to make insightful and meaningful connections from the past to the present. I feel like we should have received college credit for everything we learned on this trip! Sheryl ensured that every possible logistical detail was attended to, which allowed us to fully relax and enjoy the whole trip. Along the way, we indulged in the local food and wines, which were outstanding in every way. This was an incredible learning experience and a wonderful, memorable vacation all in one. It will stay with us forever. Thank you, Brian and Sheryl, for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!”

— Executive Director of Education for a top-rated K-12 charter school

“South Africa…Safari and history tour!  Over a two week period we couldn’t decide on what was the best part….it was all so awesome.  The guides, facilitation and education by Brian on past and present day S. Africa was amazing and to be able to draw parallels for what was happening in the U.S. at the time brought a whole new twist to understanding an evolving world.  It just doesn’t get better than this…exciting, fun, educational, stunning venue’s, outstanding accommodations and a foodies delight!  We will be repeat travelers for sure!”

— Corporate CEO, Manhattan