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THE LIYATSHWA SAFARI

This is a unique and exclusive 16-day safari where eight guests will accompany Marco and a second member through the prime habitats of southern Africa, staying at the region's most exceptional camps and experiencing its incredible diversity. A fast, twin-engine, pressurized aircraft departs from Johannesburg and will remain with us all the way through 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 enjoy a private tour of the paleo-anthropological sites comprising the 'Cradle of Humankind.' We will be assisted by a pilot/guide as well as professional local guides and trackers at each camp. The Classic Safari takes place two or three times per year, please inquire about the next departure if you think you might like to join us.

Day 1

This evening we will depart the United States on our South African Airways flight bound for South Africa.

Day 2

Upon arrival, we will be met and transferred by private car to the 5 star Grace Hotel in Rosebank, where we will spend the next two nights. We will relax and enjoy dinner at the Grace this evening.

Day 3

After breakfast at the Grace, 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, among 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. We will enjoy a picnic lunch on the tour. This evening we will be dining at Baccarat, an excellent restaurant specializing in South African cuisine.

Days 4 and 5

This morning, after breakfast, we will be collected from the Grace and transferred to Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg. There, we will meet our two pilots and fly to Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp in the heart of the Namib Desert (clearing customs en route), where we spend two comfortable nights in this magical desert environment.

Activities at Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp comprise early morning excursions in 4x4 vehicles to the magnificent Sossusvlei dunes (the highest in the world), vleis and canyons. Afterwards, a desert brunch is served under camel-thorn acacias surrounded by the dunes. Afternoon activities are enjoyed on the Sossusvlei Wilderness Camp's private property, where guests can spend time experiencing the desert scenery and its unique fauna and flora by open Landrover or on foot.

Days 6 and 7

A special morning flight takes us over the dunes of the Namib and over Sossusvlei itself for an alternative view from the air. We are treated to spectacular scenery, where the dunes and desert meet the icy Atlantic Ocean. We land at Swakopmund airport, and will enjoy a boat trip in Walvis Bay (weather permitting), affording us the opportunity to view seals, schools of dolphins swimming alongside the boat, and perhaps even penguins. Following a delicious seafood lunch, we are driven to Swakopmund to enjoy a tour of this charming "Bavarian" town.

In the afternoon we depart from Swakopmund for a scenic flight further up the Skeleton Coast, past the Cape Cross Seal Colony, before turning east to fly up the Huab River to Ongava Game Lodge for two nights' stay.

This impressive stone and thatch lodge is situated along the southern boundary of Etosha National Park in the 68,000 Acre, privately owned Ongava Game Reserve. Activities include game drives in open Landrovers into the Okaukuejo area of Etosha where Lion, Elephant, Cheetah, Gemsbok, Springbok, and Hartebeest can be seen. In addition, night drives, hides and walks with armed guides are enjoyed on the private reserve. Ongava boasts resident White and Black Rhino, affording guests wonderful opportunities to see both species at close quarters, and perhaps track them on foot.

Days 8 and 9

Today we depart Ongava, clear customs en route, and fly into the heart of the Okavango Delta, its lush landscape providing a complete contrast from the Namib Desert.

We will spend 2 nights at the spectacular Jao Camp, located in a remote area of the Delta on a large island, with glorious views over palm-fringed flood plains and savanna. The activities at Jao include game viewing from Mekoros and motorized boats, day and night game drives in open Landrovers, and guided walks. Jao's broad range of activities, its spectacular location, and wonderful style and ambience make this arguably the Okavango Delta's most special water-based camp.

Days 10 and 11

From Jao, we fly to Mombo Camp for the game-viewing highlight of the safari. Mombo is situated on Mombo Island, adjoining the northern tip of Chief's Island, within the Moremi Game Reserve in northern Botswana.

The camp offers complete exclusivity and privacy in the central Okavango, coupled with abundant big game, arguably the best game-viewing in Botswana. Activities at Mombo include morning and afternoon game drives in open Land Rovers. The game viewing in the area is excellent, and guests could see Lion, Leopard, large herds of Buffalo, Cheetah, Wild Dog, Elephant, Hyena, Giraffe, Wildebeest and Zebra as well as all the plains game.

Days 12 and 13

After a last morning's game drive, we depart Mombo for Livingstone, a 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, where we will spend two nights.

Set in indigenous bush and forest, right on the banks of the Zambezi River upstream from the Victoria Falls, The River Club offers a tranquil and romantic retreat from which to experience the full magic of 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' ('the smoke that thunders') and the mighty Zambezi River. We will enjoy personally guided tours of the Falls on the Zambian side, and will also be offered a host of activities on the quiet stretch of river on which the Lodge is located - fishing for Tiger Fish, enjoying sundowner cruises on the river, and a visit to a nearby Lozi village are among the main highlights.

Days 14 and 15

Today we cross the famous bridge over the Zambezi River to view the Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side. We will enjoy a guided tour of the Falls from this perspective (and perhaps a drink at the grand old Victoria Falls Hotel) before flying on to Mana Pools, where we will be staying at Chikwenya Camp.

Chikwenya, on the eastern boundary of the Mana Pools National Park, is possibly the scenic highlight of this safari. The focal point is the magical Zambezi River, and the surrounding flood plains and forests. The area is a photographer's paradise, as tall albida trees dot the open flood plains, with the mountains of the Rift Valley providing the backdrop. Mana Pools is renowned for its large numbers of Hippo, Crocodile, Elephant, and Buffalo, that concentrate along the river when the inland waterholes dry up. Activities are varied and wildlife viewing is enjoyed from open Landrovers, motorized pontoons, on foot, in hides, and in canoes.

Day 16

After our last game activity in the Mana Pools area, we fly to back to Johannesburg. From there, guests will connect with their onward arrangements, which could include Cape Town and the Winelands, one of South Africa's famous luxury trains, or any number of enchanting destinations which we would be pleased to discuss with you.

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To find out more about the Classic Safari, or to make a reservation, call on

27-11-463-7889 or email us.

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