Tourism Vibes

Bethelsdorp Khoi Experience – Tiqua God of the Khoi The experience takes you on an experience of yesteryear, in the company of the Khoi, to a journey of the past in a trip around Bethelsdorp, a village founded by Van Der Kemp in the 1800s. Thereafter to a nature trail of discoveries of biomes of a rare kind and an array of interesting existence of both fauna and flora. You will meet a local Khoi Chief and learn more about this ancient South African Culture, thereafter, a traditional meal is served with a presentation of the history of the area. 
The Khoisan had roamed freely over the southern regions of the African continent millennia before the arrival of either the Bantu advancing from the north or the whites settling in the south. From the mountains to the coastline, the early Khoisan inhabitants utilized the diverse ecological niches and the rich resources of the wilderness including game, fish and shellfish.  Through a process of commingling marked by trade, intermarriage and warfare, the Khoisan also profoundly influenced the Xhosa, traces of which remain in the Xhosa language itself and certain shared techniques, ritual observances, and cultural traits. In later years the Khoisan disappear as a distinct group becoming part of the emerging coloured population of South Africa and Nelson Mandela Bay. 
The walking tour includes a visit to Bethelsdorp which was established in 1803 by Dr Johannes Theodosuis Van Der Kemp and was the first organised settlement in the Algoa Bay area, bar the military command post at Fort Frederick. He was sent by the London Missionary Society and arrived in the area in 1801. He built a permanent settlement to fulfil his missionary work. The history of the settlement is both interesting and historically valuable.