2 Way Travel was started in 2005 by Michael Gathercole – a passionate South African with a strong social conscience. Mike learnt the travel trade while working as a freelance tourguide and has previous experience in marketing, banking and customer services.
Mike’s vision was to find a way to bring international visitors to Southern Africa and to show them as much as possible of this vibrant continent while also making a positive contribution for the people already living here.
His first trip involved taking 22 American students to Botswana and Victoria Falls on an overland camping safari – a far cry from their time at UCT in the cosmopolitan environment of Cape Town! The overland camping safaris were extraordinarily popular.
2 Way Travel specializes now in short term community service and volunteer trips for international groups. We’ve had university, school and church groups visit us to enjoy a mix of volunteering with local charities and ngo’s, learning about local culture and enjoying the popular tourism highlights of Cape Town. Interaction with local communities ensures our guests get an insider’s view of South Africa and its people while also bringing much appreciated help to those who need it.
Mike expanded the community element of the service by creating a homestay business. International guests spend time in the homes of local families, gaining firsthand experience of how thousands of South Africans live. For this business 2 Way Travel works with 10 previously unemployed ladies, providing them with an income and offering them a chance to meet people from different cultures in their own homes.
To date, 2 Way Travel has successfully taken over 1400 international students on tours to Botswana and Victoria Falls. We have also hosted over 25 inbound groups from America from universities such as Boston College, Indiana Wesleyian, St Bens and St Johns and Pittsburgh University. We have also hosted several groups from Middlesex as well as trips from Pomfret, Belmont and Park Tudor High School to name but a few.