GUIDED CULTURAL TRAIL

Khoisan is a collective name given to the Khoi-khoi and the San tribes - the oldest known inhabitants of South Africa. For thousands of years these hunter-gatherers wandered through the arid plains of the Klein Karoo region, taking shelter in caves and subsisting on whatever nature had to offer. They lived in total harmony with nature, posing no threat to wildlife and vegetation by over-hunting or gathering and followed a carefully planned annual route governed by the changing seasons and the movement of game.

Colonialism destroyed the Bushmen's nomadic way of life. No longer were they allowed to roam freely and trophy hunters destroyed the vast herds of game that formed their principal supply of food. Enslavement and sometimes mass destruction of Bushmen communities, by both White and Black farmers, followed. Many became farm labourers and some joined Black groups and inter-married with them, which added to the destruction of the social identity of the San people. This has lead to the total population of the Bushmen dropping to less than 100 000 throughout southern Africa. The Bushmen have a rich folklore, are skilled in drawing and are famous for their beautiful cave paintings. Their culture places great emphasis on spiritual healing and elaborate dancing rituals, in which traditional healers contact ancestor spirits to drive out bad blood in the community are carried out regularly.

The remaining shamans (spiritual healers) are still well known for their extensive knowledge and use of medicinal plants. However, most of their ancestral knowledge remained undocumented and only survived by means of tell-tales. Chandelier invented this guided 'Khoi San Cultural Trail' to share our knowledge of these magnificent people with you and thus help preserving their unique culture for generations to come. This easy walk with our well trained guides will give you a closer look into the historic lives and cultural uses of this once magnificent tribe, as it is our strive to respect and live in harmony with nature just the way the Khoi San did.