Qolweni Township Tours

Ocean Blue Adventures and the Qolweni Community Development Trust offer guests a unique experience through the heart of the Qolweni Community settlement surrounded by breathtaking views of the Tsitsikamma Mountains.

Experience an African way of life by exploring the everyday life of a real African; with a guided tour you are able to explore interesting facts about the Xhosa history and Tribal culture. Meet the local children at the crèche and be entertained by their beautiful voices in song, See where the locals buy their everyday essentials.

Our Township tours offer close and personal interaction with the local community. Ocean Blue Adventures is investing in environmentally correct measures, such as the Program of Community Vegetable Gardens. This project, with relatively small contribution of resources, can benefit and reach a great number of people living in Qoweni with only 20% of this community working.

Guests meet at the Ocean Blue Shop, where they are met with their guide and depart for the memory bridge (Bridge over the national road leading into Qolweni). On crossing over the bridge we take a walk to the Siyakula Pre School where Teachers welcome guests with the children. Guest participates in a full tour of the school and ending with the children in choir. From the school guest move towards the local backpackers where they will be introduced to the woman of the community, they will be taken to the spaza shop and shabeen before meeting the local at their homes. After which guest will end the tour at the siyakhula nursery school before departing back to the Bridge.

How does the community benefit?

The funds raised through the township tours and a percentage of Ocean Blue Adventures turnovers get utilized to pay Teachers Salaries and towards the maintenance of the Qolweni crèche to allow all children the opportunity for education they deserve. This allows their moms to seek employment knowing their children are well looked after and fed. The trust also creates jobs by employing teachers for the crèche, currently the crèche has a principal and 7 teachers looking after 240 children. Ocean Blue is now in the process of building another classroom to accommodate more children, bringing our number of class rooms to 5.

Ocean Blue understands that Community Development and Upliftment is a very important aspect of implementing our ideals. That being, Realistic and Marine Mammal conservation. Therefore we chose to work to gather with the most disadvantaged sector of our community through the formation of the Qolweni community Development Trust