Tailor-made tours and safaris to Southern Africa

SAMPLE ITINERARY 1

The Highlights of Southern Africa

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This is a unique 16-day safari that will take us through the prime habitats of southern Africa, where we will be staying at exceptional camps. A fast, twin-engine aircraft departs from Johannesburg and will remain with us all the way throughout this safari, eliminating the delays and wasted time associated with trying to tie in with scheduled airlines and their timetables. We will experience the very best camps and areas of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as enjoying a private tour of the paleo-anthropological site at Sterkfontein Cave (the 'Cradle of Humankind') in South Africa. We will be assisted by a pilot / guide as well as professional local guides and trackers at each camp.

Day 1

You will depart from New York's Kennedy airport at 5:55pm on a South African Airways 747-400. We will already be in South Africa, making sure that all arrangements are finalized by the time you arrive.

Day 2

The flight arrives at Johannesburg in the early afternoon. We shall be waiting for you at the airport, along with two drivers and private vehicles; we will transfer directly from the airport to the five star Grace Hotel in Rosebank. We will take the afternoon to relax and recover from the flight. This evening we shall be dining at the Grace Hotel.

Day 3

After breakfast we will be collected for our full-day private tour of the 'Cradle of Humankind'. This important paleo-anthropological site is comprised of three caves which, between them, have produced a significant portion of the clues to our evolution and development as a species. Approximately one third of all the world's hominid fossils dating from between 3.3 and 1 million years ago have been discovered in these caves. Fossils from these sites finally (and posthumously) proved Charles Darwin to be correct: Africa was indeed the birthplace of mankind.

Our guide holds a Ph.D. in paleo-anthropology, with many years of practical work in the field. Our first stop is the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria, where we will enjoy a 'behind-the-scenes' tour and have the opportunity to view original fossils such as the famous Mrs. Ples. The Museum Curator will give an informative talk on human evolution and the importance of the fossils. From here we proceed into 'the field', to the Cradle of Humankind. We will again have access to areas that are out of bounds to the public, visiting the diggings at all three caves - Sterkfontein, Kromdraai, and Swartkrans. Among the many interesting features of these caves are exciting new fossil finds, and the earliest evidence of the controlled use of fire in the world. We will enjoy lunch on the tour.

This evening we will be dining at Baccarat, an excellent restaurant specializing in South African cuisine.

Day 4

We will enjoy an early breakfast at the Grace before departing in our private plane from Johannesburg airport for Windhoek in Namibia; the flying time is around 3hrs, 45min. From Windhoek it is a one hour flight south-westward to Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp in the heart of the Namib Desert.

Our daily schedule at Sossusvlei will look something like this:

5:00 Wake-up with light breakfast of tea, coffee and snacks

5:30 We're in the vehicles with our guides, heading for the amazing Sossusvlei, where we hope to watch the sun rise over the enormous dunes

10:00/10:30 Brunch under a camelthorn tree in the Sossusvlei

11:00 We depart Sossusvlei and make our way back to camp via the Sesriem Canyon

Guests at leisure in the early afternoon

4:00 Tea

4:30 Afternoon activity on the 17,000 acre private reserve

7:30 Return from activity

8:00 Dinner

Days 4 to 6

We will spend 2 nights at Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp on a fully-inclusive basis (including accommodation in luxury chalets, all meals and teas, all activities, all non-premium brand drinks, park entry fees, and the services of professional guides).

Day 6

A morning flight takes us over the dunes of the Namib and over Sossusvlei itself for an alternative view from the air, and then due westwards to Meob Bay on the shores of the southern Skeleton Coast. From Meob northwards we are treated to spectacular desert and Skeleton Coast scenery, where the dunes and the desert meet the Atlantic Ocean. The one hour flight up the coast takes us over the site of the Eduard Bolen shipwreck, past Conception Bay, the wreck of the Shaunee and around Sandwich Harbour and its famous lagoon. We land at Swakopmund airport. We are then transferred to Walvis Bay harbor by road for a boat trip (weather permitting) which will afford us the opportunity to view seals, schools of dolphins swimming alongside the boat, and perhaps even penguins. We may also see turtles, sunfish, as well as a wonderful quantity and variety of birdlife. Following a delicious seafood lunch, we return to Walvis Bay Harbour before transferring by road to Swakopmund to enjoy a tour of this charming town. In the afternoon we depart from Swakopmund for a 1hr, 20min scenic flight further up the Skeleton Coast, past the Cape Cross Seal Colony, before turning east to fly up the Huab River to Ongava Lodge.

While at Ongava and the other safari camps, our daily schedule will look something like this:

6:00 Wake-up with light breakfast of tea, coffee and snacks

6:30 Morning activity (game drive, mekoro ride, walk, boating, or canoeing, depending on the camp)

10:00/10:30 Brunch back at the lodge

11:00 Optional bush walk with our guide

Guests at leisure in the early afternoon

3:00 Tea

3:30 Afternoon activity

7:30 Return from activity

8:00 Dinner

Days 6 to 8

We will spend 2 nights at Ongava Lodge on a fully-inclusive basis (including accommodation in luxury chalets, all meals and teas, all activities, all non-premium brand drinks, park entry fees, and the services of professional guides and trackers).

Day 8

We depart Ongava for the Okavango, flying the direct route via Grootfontein and Maun to clear customs and immigration. From Maun we fly into the heart of the Okavango Delta, with its lush landscape providing a complete contrast from the Namib Desert, making for the spectacular Jao Camp (by far the most beautiful camp in the Delta). Total flying time is roughly three hours.

Days 8 to 10

We will spend 2 nights at Jao Camp on a fully-inclusive basis (including accommodation in luxury tents, all meals and teas, all activities, all non-premium brand drinks, park entry fees, laundry, and the services of professional guides and mekoro polers).

Day 10

From Jao, we make a quick 10 minute flight to Mombo Camp for the game-viewing highlight of the safari.

Days 10 to 12

We will spend 2 nights at Mombo Camp on a fully-inclusive basis (including accommodation in luxury tents, all meals and teas, all activities, all non-premium brand drinks, park entry fees, laundry, and the services of professional guides and trackers).

Day 12

After a last morning's game drive, we depart Mombo for Kasane and then onto Livingstone, the small town on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. From Livingstone it's a short road transfer and then a boat ride to The River Club. Total flying time is 1hr, 20min.

Days 12 to 14

We will spend 2 nights at The River Club on a fully-inclusive basis (including accommodation in luxury chalets, all meals and teas, all activities, all non-premium brand drinks, park entry fees, laundry, and the services of professional guides).

Day 14

We cross the famous bridge over the Zambezi River, with great views of the nearby Victoria Falls. We will enjoy a guided tour of the Falls from the Zimbabwe side, followed by the opportunity to visit a craft village, before making the one hour flight to Chikwenya Camp in the Mana Pools National Park -possibly the most scenic of all the camps on this safari.

Days 14 to 16

We will spend 2 nights at Chikwenya Camp on a fully-inclusive basis (including accommodation in luxury tents, all meals and teas, all activities, all non-premium brand drinks, park entry fees, laundry, and the services of professional guides and trackers).

Day 16

After our last game activity in the Mana Pools area, we fly to back to Johannesburg, clearing customs in Bulawayo - total flying time of 3hrs, 20min. We arrive back in Johannesburg in the afternoon. We will be happy to make arrangements for any guests who would like to stay on and visit other parts of southern Africa (examples might include the Blue Train and Cape Town). The rest of us will bid farewell to Africa, and prepare for our flight back to the USA..

Day 17

Our flight home arrives at New York JFK Airport at around 7:20am.

To find out more about this sample itinerary, or to start creating your own itinerary, call on 27-11-463-7889 or email us at info@Liyatshwa.com