34 Different Outings Every day

The intensive week-long Young Presidents Organization (YPO) "off-sites" university program that offered a choice of 34 outings daily was one of the biggest projects coordinated by Felix Unite Tours.

"We went to great lengths to custom-design and personalize each outing for YPO, and in every case delegates were accompanied by specialist tour guides, academics and experts in a wide variety of fields," said Felix Unite Tours director Sean Kritzinger, who worked closely with Denis and Bernice Kaye, the YPO Cape Town off-sites chaircouple. 

"Leading artists like Robert Slingsby and Cecil Skotnes showed delegates around their studios, famous yachtsmen like JJ Provoyeur were at the helm for sunset sailing, former ANC chief whip David Dalling was the host for a tour of Parliament, while David Jack, the mastermind behind the revival of the docks, led a tour around the V&A Waterfront," said Sean. Special permission was obtained to take groups by cableway to the top of Table Mountain before dawn to see the sunrise, to have tea at Parliament's historic Tuynhuis with former Robben Island prisoner Andrew Mlangeni, and to present a demonstration/ lunch of Cape Malay cooking by Cass Abrahams at Leeuwenhof, home of the Premier of the Western Cape.

Another coup was securing lunches and tastings at two prestigious wine estates, Rustenberg and Meerlust, which are normally closed to groups. A special cellar tour was arranged at the exclusive Fredericksburg Estate which is co-owned by the Rupert family and Baron Benjamin de Rothschild. YPO delegates were treated to a private wine festival at Heritage Square in the city center hosted by ten leading winemakers, among them Lars Maach of Buitenverwachting, Lowell Jooste of Klein Constantia and Anthony Hamilton-Russell. 

Other popular outings included helicopter trips to view San rock art sites with specialist guide and artist Stephen Townley Bassett at Bushman's Kloof Wilderness Reserve in the Cedarberg; visits to Nazareth House, a home for children born with AIDS, and Red Cross Children's Hospital; and an ethnic African lunch at the Africa Cafe followed by a drumming display in which delegates enthusiastically took part. "A walking tour of Mandela Park township in Hout Bay, which included visits to homes and jiving to a live band in a tavern, proved among the most popular as it opened a window on a different side of Cape Town," said Sean.

Adrenalin highs were provided by a Harley Davidson Peninsula tour with sundowners on Signal Hill, tandem paragliding, abseiling off Table Mountain, dives with great white sharks in False Bay and the ultimate jet experience which put YPOs in the pilot's seat for the ride of a lifetime.