This page has the trip detailed itinerary. |
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January 23, 2013 -- overnight flight to London January 24 London -- Sheraton Heathrow Hotel overnight January 25 -- Fly London to Nairobi, Kenya January 26 -- Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi Serena Hotel (B,L,D) Your safari begins after breakfast on January 26 (Diane's Birthday), you’ll have a morning safari briefing at the hotel, before departing to visit an elephant orphanage and giraffe center, followed by lunch at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden. Then continue to the Karen Blixen Museum, where you’ll see how the author of Out of Africa lived. We end the day with a visit to a local craft shop, then return to the hotel for a full safari briefing followed by a Welcome Dinner at the hotel. January 27 -- Amboseli National Park, KenyaAmboseli Serena Safari Lodge (2B,2L,2D) After breakfast, transfer to Amboseli National Park, riding into unspoiled savannahs and past rocky thorn bush. On clear days you can see the snowcapped summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. After lunch at the lodge, fashioned after Masai Manyatta architecture, set out on a game drive. You might spot elephants, impalas, or giraffes. Dinner is at the lodge. You’ll find yourself falling into the daily rhythm of Africa. On most safari days, enjoy both morning and late-afternoon game drives, with rest time midday. Specially outfitted safari vehicles ensure you a window seat, and the pop-up roof makes for excellent viewing and photography. Your sharp-eyed driver guides will help you spot even the most elusive wildlife. More than 50 large mammals call Amboseli home, and over 400 bird species.
January 29, 30 -- Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania After breakfast, depart Amboseli for Lake Manyara National Park. Learning Discovery: Stop at Shanga Riverhouse for a tour of the community project where you will enjoy a traditional hosted lunch. En route, pause in Namanga for border formalities, then visit the famous Tanzanite Experience for a showcasing of this highly unusual precious stone. Dinner is at your lodge, overlooking the stunning Rift Valley. Learning Discovery Day, you’ll visit Mto Wa Mbu village for a full-day tour to interact with local people and to visit homes, a school, and banana plantations. After your tour, have lunch back at the lodge and take a short game drive at Lake Manyara National Park. Dinner is also included at the lodge.
January 31 - February 01 -- Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania Our destination today is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ngorongoro Crater, created when a massive volcano exploded more than two million years ago. Learning Discovery: You’ll eat lunch at renowned Gibbs Farm and enjoy a tour of the coffee plantations. Then transfer to your lodgings right on the rim of the crater. Unlike other tour companies that place groups outside of the park, Vantage has arranged for you to stay at the crater’s edge so you can spend less time driving and more time viewing the diverse array of wildlife. Relax at the lodge in the afternoon, or join our optional Masai Village Experience. Set off early to experience one of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife sanctuaries on a six-hour tour. You’ll descend 2,000 feet into the crater, then spend the morning exploring the 102-square-mile floor, perhaps viewing zebras, wildebeests, lions — or even the rare black rhino. In all, more than 25,000 animals call the crater home.
February 02 -- Serengeti National Park, Tanzania To the Masai people, Serengeti means “endless plain.” To the rest of the world Serengeti is synonymous with unspoiled Africa, teeming with flora and fauna. Learning Discovery: En route to our lodge, we’ll stop to view wildlife and visit Olduvai Gorge, the “Cradle of Humankind,” where Dr. Louis and Mary Leakey discovered hominid fossils over 2.5 million years old. We'll take in beautiful vistas and experience the densest concentration of plains mammals in the world. Then, enjoy morning and afternoon game drives.
February 03 - 04 -- Western Serengeti, Tanzania Prepare for an unforgettable experience as we depart for a night at a luxury tented camp that will transport you to the continent’s grand safari days. Situated high on a ridge with sweeping views of rolling terrain and volcanic outcroppings, the camp features large individual safari tents with private bathrooms and a verandah for views over the Serengeti. Tonight, after a delicious dinner in the open-air dining room, you’ll be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the African nights and awaken in the morning to the sound of bird calls.
February 05 - 06 -- Serengeti / Masai Mara National Park, Kenya After breakfast today, cross the border to Kenya and Masai Mara National Park, and have a packed lunch. Learning Discovery: Visit a local fishing village at Lake Victoria with views of the world’s largest tropical lake and the source of the White Nile. The lakeshore habitats support some of Africa’s most vivid bird species. After arrival, relax and enjoy dinner at the lodge restaurant, which overlooks a waterhole where animals come to drink. Today we explore the park on morning and afternoon game drives. The Masai Mara terrain features grazing animals and predators, as well as a profusion of birds, amphibians, and reptiles. It’s not unheard of to spot all of the “Big Five” in a single morning — the lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, and leopard. In the evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner at the lodge. February 07 -- Nariobi We transfer to Nairobi with a boxed lunch on the way. Early this evening, you'll savor dinner at Nairobi’s famed Panari restaurant, where various meats are roasted for your selection. Then, transfer to Marylin's secret lodging for the night.
February 08 -- Flight to Johannesburg
February 09 -- Johannesburg After breakfast, enjoy a tour of laid-back Pretoria, featuring Church Street - the heart of the city - and the grand sandstone Union buildings and gardens. Then you're off on a tour showcasing the changes taking place in the developing area of Soweto. Once known only for its shantytowns, the area is now home to many successful business people and boasts upscale neighborhoods. Learning Discovery: Enjoy a traditional lunch as part of our tour. Highlights include the home where Nelson Mandela lived before he was arrested, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, which commemorates the student uprisings of 1976. This evening you'll enjoy both an orientation meeting and a Welcome Dinner at your hotel.
February 10 - 11
Chobe National Park, Botswana This morning you'll fly to Victoria Falls, then motorcoach to Chobe National Park in Botswana. After checking into your riverside safari lodge, enjoy refreshing chilled towels, a welcome drink, and a buffet lunch with time to relax. Later, embark on a sunset wildlife cruise on the Chobe River before dinner at the lodge. Learning Discovery: Day is taking a boat across the Chobe River to a village in neighboring Namibia, where you'll meet villagers and the chief. Back in Chobe National Park, an afternoon game drive searches out the park's elephant herds. Dinner this evening is included on the lodge terrace, overlooking the river. February 12 - 14
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe After breakfast at the hotel, transfer via motorcoach to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided visit to Victoria Falls National Park, including a walk through the sub-tropical forest. Explore the town at your leisure today. Learning Discovery: Later, visit a local craft market. Learning Discovery: This evening, you'll meet a local family for an included home-hosted dinner. Today begins with the 'Elephant, Cheetah & Local Village Experience' tour". You may also want to try an optional ride on an elephant through the bush. Learning Discovery: This afternoon, you'll visit a local school. Later, you'll join the 'Trails of David Livingstone' cruise on the Zambezi River. Learning Discovery: This evening, you'll take a drive into Victoria Falls National Park and enjoy a bush dinner accompanied by African dancing and entertainment (weather permitting).
February 15 - 17 Kruger National Park, South Africa Just ahead lies Kruger National Park, South Africa's richest wildlife refuge. Fly to Nelspruit then motorcoach to the park, where you'll stay at the lodge nearest to the park gate. Dinner is included tonight. Today you'll embark on dawn-to-dusk wildlife viewing (with breaks), including the Skukuza Triangle. Your driver-guides will help you seek out "The Big Five" - lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos. Lunch is included within the park. Head out on an early-morning game drive today, returning to the lodge for lunch. You'll have the midday free, then you can enjoy a final safari drive. Dinner is included tonight.
February 18 - 19 Cape Winelands A morning flight brings you to Cape Town, where you transfer to the Spier Hotel in Cape Winelands, home to picturesque vineyards and world-class wellness centers and spas. Enjoy a Memorable Journeys "Where to Next" reception this evening, and dinner at the hotel. Today provides an opportunity to explore the lovely Winelands region. In picturesque Stellenbosch, you'll see why the oldest European settlement in the province is called the "City of Oaks." Enjoy an included lunch and wine tasting in Franschhoek, South Africa's wine capital. You'll also visit the Huguenot Museum and have time to browse the wine shops. Back in Spier, you'll savor another wine tasting.
February 20 - 23 Cape Town A short transfer brings you to Cape Town, where you'll spend the morning exploring the stunning wonders of Cape Town - beginning with a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain for the magnificent view (weather permitting). Afterward, a city tour includes the House of Parliament, City Hall, and views of the Castle of Good Hope. Your final stop this morning is for a presentation on South African gold and diamonds, including a shopping opportunity. The rest of your day is at leisure, and dinner at your hotel tonight is included. Today you'll depart by boat to Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the grim island prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 17 years. Your guide will be a former inmate who provides a firsthand account of life behind bars. Later, you may choose to explore on your own or take an optional "Cape Town Cultural Township Tour," which focuses on the tragic history of the townships and the creative outpouring that has lifted the spirits and shaped the lives of the residents. You'll begin today with a scenic trip through Cape Point via Hout Bay. You'll visit the famous Cape Point Ostrich Farm, where you can buy local ostrich leather products, then take a thrilling funicular ride up Cape Point, where you can look down on the meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. You'll have free time for lunch on your own at Simons Town, followed by avisit to the Penguin Reserve at Boulders Beach. The evening is yours to enjoy at leisure. Today you join the 'Traditional and Modern Medicine of South Africa' tour. This evening, you'll gather for a Farewell Dinner at the hotel. February 24 - 25
Cape Town / Johannesburg / Overnight Flight |
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