MAY 17 SAT – USA / LONDON
Depart from the USA today and fly to London, where you will connect to our flight to Johannesburg.
MAY 18 SUN – LONDON / JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Return to the airport for our South African Airways flight bound for Johannesburg this morning.
MAY 19 MON – JOHANNESBURG / MPUMULANGA
Arrive in Johannesburg today and connect to your flight to Mpumulanga. Upon arrival, you are transferred to your reserved accommodations for the night. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax and refresh before a delicious dinner tonight.
CASA DO SOL HOTEL (D)
MAY 20 TUE – MPUMULANGA / TIMBAVATI / NGALA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
After breakfast depart by road through the scenic countryside to the Cheetah Research Center near Hoedspruit. After a visit there, you are transferred to your safari accommodations at Ngala Lodge in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. Situated at the junction of Mopane forests and the Timbavati flood plain, you will discover a paradise in the African wilderness.
Ngala Game Reserve is the only private lodge within the Krueger National Park. Ngala, meaning “lion” in Shangaan, is renowned for its breeding herds of elephant and great pride of lion. Ngala also boasts leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, and a proliferation of general game and bird life.
Arrive and relax before setting out on an afternoon game drive. Return to camp for dinner and overnight. NGALA LODGE (B,D)
MAY 21 WED & MAY 22 THUR – TIMBAVATI NATURE RESERVE
Enjoy morning and afternoon game viewing in this spectacular wildlife kingdom. You will have the opportunity to spot lion, elephant, giraffe, rhino, leopard, hippo, wildebeest, warthog, hyena, and the elusive cheetah – to name just a few!
NGALA LODGE (B,L,D)
MAY 23 FRI – TIMBAVATI RESERVE / HOEDSPRUIT / JOHANNESBURG
After an early morning wake-up call, you head into the bush on the morning safari in search of animals not seen the day before. Return to camp for a hearty breakfast. Relax and spot game enroute to the airport for your flight to Johannesburg. You are met and transferred by hotel shuttle to your hotel for overnight.
EMPEROR HOTEL at Caesars Gauteng (B)
MAY 24 SAT – JOHANNESBURG / LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Livingstone. You are met on arrival and transferred to your hotel.
Later in the afternoon, you are transferred to the Zambezi River above the falls for the “sundowner” cruise. Livingstone first wrote about this “Crimson Heart of Africa bleeding over the Kandahar Rapids,” and sunset on the Zambezi has captivated travelers since. To add to your enjoyment, refreshments are provided onboard for that famous African “sundowner.”
ROYAL LIVINGSTONE HOTEL (B)
MAY 25 SUN – LIVINGSTONE / VICTORIA FALLS
During your sightseeing excursion this morning, you will have time for some shopping for local crafts, and artifacts, before continuing on a conducted tour of Victoria Falls. Your guide will lead you through the natural rain forest to selected vantage points from which you will see the main cataracts that comprise the falls.
Join your excursion this afternoon, to Makuni Village, home of the Leya people. This is a unique opportunity to see how local people live in a working village, not one built for tourists. Approximately 6,000 people live here, and a visit provides a fascinating insight into their lifestyle. A member of the village shows you around so you can see how traditional huts are built and decorated, take a look inside, meet the residents, and see the locals at work. Curios made in the village are for sale so take some local currency.
ROYAL LIVINGSTONE HOTEL (B)
MAY 26 MON THROUGH MAY 31 SAT – LIVINGSTONE / KASANE, BOTSWANA
Your safari adventure continues today as you transfer by boat and road to Kasane. After clearing Customs, meet with your pilot and board the aircraft for the flight to your first safari camp.
You will spend seven days game viewing in the beautiful and incomparable wilderness and surrounding areas of the Okavango Delta.
Four-wheel drive open vehicles, which take a maximum of six people, are used for game viewing. Canoe excursions and guided walks are available in several camps. You will be afforded a look at the minutiae of nature and be presented with the most unbelievable big game photographic opportunities. The guides will maneuver the vehicles into the best possible position for you to take that “close-up” photograph that you will treasure the for rest of your life.
The impressions formed here will stay with you forever – driving through the bush into a herd of elephants, the sound of lions roaring in the distance, a family of baboons squabbling across the river, the “lullaby” of nesting birds as you sit, contemplating the day’s activities.
All staff are skilled in their own particular function, whether it is pouring cocktails, teaching you to identify the spoor of an eland, or interpreting the warning call of the Grey Lourie – the “Go Away” bird. The comfort of the camps and the friendliness of the staff all contribute to an unforgettable experience. Most of all, you will feel the special relaxation that freedom “away from it all” brings and will benefit from being part of the wilderness and touching the wild.
Your safari in Botswana will be six nights, staying at three different Safari Camps. Transfers between camps are by light aircraft.
2 NIGHTS AT SAVUTE ELEPHANT CAMP (B,L,D)
2 NIGHTS AT EAGLE ISLAND CAMP AT XAXABA (B,L,D)
2 NIGHTS AT KHWAI RIVER LODGE (B,L,D)
JUNE 01 SUN – BOTSWANA / JOHANNESBURG / USA (via London)
After a morning of game viewing, reluctantly bid farewell to your newfound “bush friends” as you board the flight to Maun and connect to your flight to Johannesburg. Continue on via your British Airways flight to the USA via London. (B)
JUNE 02 MON – USA
Arrive home with memories to last a lifetime!
$9,495.00 per person double occupancy with airfare from Los Angeles
$7,995.00 per person double occupancy without international airfare
ACCOMMODATIONS
CASA DO SOL HOTEL
This 5-star hotel is a private, owner-run hotel set in a 500-hectare nature reserve in the Sabi Valley near Hazyview. Only 15 minutes from the Kruger National Park, Casa do Sol is an ideal base from which to tour the scenic areas of lowveld.
Each of the charming guest rooms has all the amenities of home including, air -conditioning, private bathrooms, radio, and TV.
Additional amenities of the hotel include a-la-carte restaurant serving international cuisine, a lounge and bar, and swimming pool. For those who might like to explore the area, horseback riding and hiking trails through its own nature reserve are offered. Bird watching, bass fishing, and tennis are free to all guests.
NGALA LODGE
The Ngala Lodge has a quality seldom found in the African bush of unashamed luxury, beauty, and sophistication. Breakfast and lunch are served in the wonderfully spacious central lounge and dining facility where cool green slate floors combine with high thatch. Flowering shrubs decorate the banks of the swimming pool and water from the pool cascades over natural rock into a waterhole where Africa’s big game frequently come down to drink. Dinner is served in the romantic candle-lit courtyard, a unique bush setting under the stars, and a lacy canopy of indigenous trees. Experienced game rangers and skilled Shangann trackers conduct game drives and walks.
EMPEROR HOTEL at Caesars Gauteng
The five-star Emperor Hotel embraces grand luxury on an intimate scale. Surrounded by palatial buildings and set in a display of gardens, fountains, and statues, the experience is breathtaking, while the art of personal service is practiced with efficiency and aplomb. Pamper yourself at Octavia’s Sensorium Health & Beauty Spa, enjoy a game of tennis, relax on the pool deck, or stroll through the Gardens of Vespasian. Whether it is business or pleasure, the Emperor is undoubtedly Africa’s premier hotel destination.
The deluxe Emperor Hotel features 196 beautifully appointed rooms and suites that provide the optimum in convenience and regal comfort. All rooms include 24-hour room service, fully adjustable air-conditioning, an interactive PAY-TV with Internet access, SABC TV, M-Net, e-TV, and selected DSTV channels, radio, personal keypad safe, mini-bar fridge, hairdryer, bathroom telephones, laundry service, and valet services.
Relish the spectacular African sunset while enjoying a cocktail at Neptune’s Pool Bar, listening to the magnificent Roman fountain spilling into the heated swimming pool.
ROYAL LIVINGSTONE HOTEL
The magnificent new Sun International resort in Zambia is situated on the banks of the Zambezi River, close to the spectacular Cataract of the mighty Victoria Falls. The area encompasses approximately 46 hectares and is located in the southeastern corner of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, within the Victoria Falls World Heritage Sites.
Every detail has been lovingly crafted to create the impression of being in another place in time, a time of romance and adventure. The bedrooms are two-story clusters, inspired by the grand estate houses of a bygone era. Each room offers en-suite air- conditioning, and private balconies and terraces that offer spectacular views of the great river and beyond.
SAVUTE ELEPHANT CAMP
Spacious, state-of-the-art luxury tents are fitted with en-suite bathrooms with double-hand basin, roomy shower, toilet, and dressing area with two full-length mirrors, overhead fans and mosquito nets for summer, and heater and down quilts for winter. The tents are perched on their own wooden platforms, cantilevered over the Savute Channel. This raised aspect enhances the vista, and excellent game viewing is possible from the camp environs. The furniture has been built in Zimbabwe, made exclusively of the local kiaat (mukwa) timber.
Hairdryer, shaving, and video-charger plugs have been installed in each tent, and the 32 and 220-bilt system provides more than sufficient lighting 24 hours a day, if required. Gas has replaced wood for heating water, which makes Sauté an environment leader in Botswana.
EAGLE ISLAND CAMP AT XAXABA
An island paradise on the edge of a tranquil lagoon, this exclusive lodge accommodates a maximum of 24 guests. The 12 twin-bedded tents (canvas walls and thatched roof) with en-suite facilities are built on teak platforms. Shaded by tall trees, the lodge includes the Fish Eagle Bar built over the Xaxaba Lagoon, laundry service, swimming pool, curio shop, VHS video & monitor, and book and video library and provides gourmet cuisine.
Eagle Island Camp at Xaxaba offers prolific bird life on the island and surrounding delta.
All you hear is the “swish” of the paddle and the “plop” of the fish eagle as you take a tranquil mokor (dugout canoe) trip through the delta. Over 1100 species exist in the varied ecosystem that comprises the Okavango Delta. Wise use of natural resources is the watchword here, and the area is a treasure house to satisfy even the most ardent enthusiast.
KHWAI RIVER LODGE
Khwai is situated on the shady banks of the Khwai River, a tributary of the Okavango on the northern boundary of the Moremi Reserve. The Okavango’s unpredictable waterways find their way over the thirstlands of northwestern Botswana, creating a lush delta of tree-fringed islands and secret channels. From these lush waterways are formed the wetlands and riverine forests of the Moremi.
Whether exploring the region in an open safari vehicle or on foot, you will be witness to the private lives of the ostrich, antelope, crocodile, and hippo. Some of the spectacular bird life includes ground hornbills, giant eagle owls, and lilac breasted rollers. The adjoining mopane woodlands are home to elephants, giraffes, impala, buffalo, and an assortment of predators, including lions, leopards, cheetah, hyena, and wild dog.
Accommodations are in twin-bedded thatched luxury tents, each with a shaded deck facing magnificent views of the Khwai River and its abundant wildlife. Each tent is fitted with all the modern conveniences, including en-suite facilities, air-conditioning, and 24-hour DC lighting.
The public areas feature some 1500 indigenous tress and plants, a heated swimming pool, inside and outside fireplaces, and a secluded viewing hide just off the public area.
Daily activities include excellent bird watching and game drives in open Land Rovers. For those so inclined, a swimming pool looks inviting for a swim, or you may choose to spend time at the secluded “blind” watching the elephants, hippo, and other wildlife that come to drink at the riverbank. Your lodge site affords a front-row seat for the parade of African wildlife taking place around you.
Trip Notes
The order of hotels, camps, and lodges on this itinerary is subject to change and
the right is reserved to substitute camps, hotels, and lodges, when necessary.
For travel to South Africa, please ensure that your passport has a minimum of two blank
pages to enable entry visas to be issued.
Hard sided and/or overweight luggage cannot be accepted.
Southern African Odyssey
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