ULTIMATE SOUTHERN AFRICA EXPLORER
FOR THE LB TOURS GROUP
September, 2013 September 13, 2013 Depart New York or Washington DC on your overnight international flight to Johannesburg.
September 14, 2013 On arrival in Johannesburg you will clear customs and connect on your scheduled flight to Cape Town. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel located in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
The Commodore Hotel is a 4-star hotel situated in the heart of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town’s center of activity, with a variety of stores, restaurants and bars. The Commodore has a full range of facilities to offer guests comfort and convenience. Our choice of sumptuous restaurants, cocktail bar and lounge and 24-hour room service mean you will never be short of delicious refreshment and nourishment. Our service ethic is one of utmost efficiency, allowing you to leave everything to us so that you can find time to enjoy the beautiful 'Mother City'. The Commodore offers 236 elegantly furnished standard rooms and suites. Situated on Floors 1 through 4, all standard rooms have individual air-conditioning units, personalised safes, hairdryers, mini bars and colour TVs with pay-to-view options. For your convenience, all rooms have en-suite bathroom facilities with electrical razor sockets. Elevated for even more stunning views of the Mother City, our Business Class rooms are situated on the 5th and 6th Floors of the hotel with views of either Table Mountain or the sparkling Atlantic Ocean and Robben Island. Each room has a balcony for you to enjoy the sea air Accommodation: The Commodore Hotel (B)
September 15, 2013 This morning you will be collected for your private full day Cape Peninsula tour with visit to Table Mountain. You will begin the day with a cable car ride atop Table Mountain. You will then continue along the Atlantic seaboard past Camps Bay, then over Chapman’s Peak Drive, one of the world’s most awe-inspiring passes. Pass through the local coastal villages of Kommetjie and Scarborough, with a chance to see Southern Right whales 9 usually found between June and November).
After lunch at a popular coastal restaurant, enter the Cape of Good Hope National Park for an off-road drive to Olifants Bay and a chance to see a herd of Bontebok antelope as well as Cape Mountain Zebra, ostrich, and baboon. Then continue to the tip of the Cape Peninsula and Africa’s southwestern most point for a walk (or funicular ride) to the Cape Point Lighthouse with its panoramic views of False Bay.
Return along the False Bay coast to Boulders Beach, for a close-up with a colony of African penguins, before heading home through the naval village of Simonstown. Accommodation: The Commodore Hotel (B)
September 16, 2013 Morning at leisure.
This afternoon you will be collected by your private guide and depart the city and head towards the Boland area – home of the celebrated Cape Winelands, with a first stop at the Zevenwachat Wine Estate to enjoy a cheese and wine tasting. Continue on along the picturesque Polkadraai road, with its many farms and estates set amidst breathtaking views of the Simonsberg, Stellenboschberg and Helderberg Mountains.
The area is rightly famous for high quality dry white and red wines from the noble grape varieties. Award-winning wines are produced at many historic estates in the area, some of which have homesteads dating back to the 17/18th centuries. You will visit some of the farms to taste their wines. You will also visit the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second oldest town, with a chance to explore the beautiful Cape Dutch architecture, its university, shops and galleries. Accommodation: The Commodore Hotel (B)
September 17, 2013 This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Hoedspruit. On arrival to Hoedspruit you will be met and transferred by road to your lodge. This afternoon you will have your first game viewing activity.
Please Note: A Park Enty Fee for Timbavati Game Reserve of ZAR100 (about US$15) per person is payable on arrival at the airport.
Ngala Safari Lodge is set on the banks of the Mapone riverbed and features antique-filled interiors and a timeless, unhurried atmosphere. There are 20 luxury-thatched cottages with verandahs and elegant cream décor. The impressive guest areas overlook a busy waterhole and are are shaded by Mopane Trees, providing a gracious retreat. All feature air conditioning, intimate verandah and green slate en suite bath and shower. The focal point of each room is the inviting bed. During winter nights, the air conditioner becomes a heater, turning the cottages into cozy retreats. Bed heaters add a warm feeling of luxury. A decanter of sherry in the room is also a welcome touch. The Safari Suite is the height of luxury with a butler service, large deck and private swimming pool.
Ngala has one of Africa's most innovative conservation partnership agreements. Under this partnership, a percentage of all profits from Ngala flow into the National Parks Trust to promote conservation projects. Accommodation: Ngala Safari Lodge (Full Board)
September 18, 2013 Full day of game viewing activities. Accommodation: Ngala Safari Lodge (Full Board)
September 19, 2013 After a morning game viewing activity you will return to your lodge for breakfast before being transferred to the Hoedspruit airport for your flight to Johannesburg. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Forming an integral part of Renaissance styled Sandton Square, the 5-star Michelangelo Hotel reflects the architecture and design of the square. A majestic dome in glass and steel tops the entrance lobby atrium rising eight stories. Scenic elevators overlook the atrium with its arches, columns, and decorative balustrades. Marble and sandstone finishes add to the elegance. Rooms and suites have all been tastefully decorated to reflect the elegant Renaissance-style that has been
carried throughout the rest of the hotel. Walk from the hotel to the adjoining shopping mall or Sandton Mandela Square for fantastic shopping and dining. Accommodation: Michelangelo Hotel (B)
September 20, 2013 This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your scheduled flight to Victoria Falls. After clearing customs you will be met and transferred to your lodge. This afternoon you will have a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River.
Situated on a plateau, which forms a natural boundary to the 80,000-hectare Zambezi National Park, the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge enjoys uninterrupted views and spectacular sunsets. Victoria Falls Safari Lodge offers discerning guests the opportunity to experience an ideal combination of regular game sightings in a bush environment and the grandeur of the mighty Victoria Falls, a five-minute drive away. Thatch, rustic finishes, vibrant fabrics, clay tiles and an extensive use of local hardwoods are key elements in the creation of a distinctly African ambience. Each of the sixty-six bedrooms and six luxury suites has a view of the surrounding bush. The bedrooms are en-suite with corner bath, separate shower and have a hairdryer, telephone and safety deposit box. During the day light meals and drinks are served around the pool. At sundown enjoy a cocktail whilst watching game congregate at the waterhole. For dinner, move upstairs to the candlelit Makuwa-Kuwa Restaurant or experience the traditional food and atmosphere of the outdoor Boma Restaurant. Accommodation: Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (B)
September 21, 2013 This morning you will have a tour of the Falls and local markets before being transferred to Hwange National Park. This drives is approximately 3 ½ hours and takes you through some of the scenic countryside of western Zimbabwe. On arrival to the Hwange Park gate you will have a short game drive to our camp located in the southeastern region of Hwange National Park.
Situated on the eastern boundary of Hwange National Park, The Hide is one of the few camps in the park itself. It also benefits from providing walking and night-driving in its private, six square km concession area, which has superb wildlife, especially during the dry season. The tents are large tents under thatch, all overlooking the main waterhole. The spacious bedroom areas are each individually furnished with solid Zimbabwe teak furniture, and there are now two fabulous deluxe suites with an extra twin bedded room alongside. There will soon be a spa to complement the pool and teak decking area. Meals are served either communally or at private tables, according to your whim, and breakfast is served al fresco, under the Acacia trees.
Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park, accounting for an area of 14,651 sq. km. Formerly occupied by the San bushmen, the Nhanzwa, and latterly the royal hunting ground for Matabele king, Mzilikazi, the area was finally gazetted for wildlife conservation in 1928. The wildlife did not escape the attentions of the white hunters who also had their opportunity to bag a few trophies in the late 1800s and early 1900s before the park came into being. Hwange is quite different now. A haven for over 100 mammal and 400 bird species, the park protects populations of all of
Zimbabwe’s endangered species, elephants numbering in excess of 20,000 (up from around 4,000 when the park was proclaimed), and what is thought to be one of the largest populations of African wild dog left in the world. Large prides of lion and buffalo are frequently seen here and you have a good chance of spotting leopard and rhino in addition to cheetah and spotted hyena. The wild and woolly brown hyena also occurs here and is something of a rarity. Accommodation: The Hide (Full Board)
September 22 & 23, 2013 Two full days of game viewing activities. Accommodation: The Hide (Full Board)
September 24, 2013 After an abbreviated morning game drive you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled flight to Victoria Falls where you will continue by road to Kasane, Botswana (approx.
1 hour). You will clear customs and then connect on your scheduled charter flight to you camp located in the Okavango Delta. You will arrive in time for an afternoon game viewing activity.
Accommodation at Nxabega Okavango Safari Camp is in an East African safari tent with ensuite bathroom with shower, and a private game-viewing deck. The camp is located on the edge of the world-famous Okavango Delta in a 7 000-hectare/17 300-acre exclusive wildlife concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve. Meaning “Place of the Giraffe”, Nxabega is ideally positioned to explore the magnificence of the Okavango – the largest inland delta in the world. The camp nestles under a dense stand of African Ebony and Strangler Fig trees. The camp has a gift shop and interpretive centre, as well as a beautiful swimming pool set on an expansive deck. Your stay is on a fully inclusive basis and includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wine, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, scheduled safari activities, national park entrance fees, refreshments on game drives and laundry.
The Okavango Delta is a wetland wilderness of looping channels, islands forested with palms and wide grassy floodplains. It is home to a magnificent array of wild animals and exceptional birdlife.
Nxabega offers guests a wide range of wildlife related activities and water-based adventures. The camp’s experienced rangers and trackers will lead you on exhilarating game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles, and exciting spotlight night game-drives may reveal hunting prides of lion or the elusive leopard and other nocturnal creatures.
Explore the Okavango Delta on interpretive wilderness walks with a professional guide steeped in knowledge of the local fauna and flora. Few memories can equal being poled through the channels of the delta in a mokoro or on a boat excursion. These activities are best from June to September. Nxabega offers abundant bird-watching opportunities with 349 species recorded here. Accommodation: Nxabega Safari Camp (Full Board)
September 25, 2013 Full day to explore the Delta. Accommodation: Nxabega Safari Camp (Full Board)
September 26, 2013 After a morning activity you will return to camp for breakfast and then will take your quick charter flight to Maun, Botswana where you will connect on your scheduled flight to Johannesburg. On arrival to Johannesburg you will clear customs and then will be met and transferred to your hotel. Evening at leisure. Accommodation: Michelangelo Hotel (B)
September 27, 2013 Morning at leisure. Later this afternoon you will be transferred to the Johannesburg airport for your onward flight back to the US.
September 28, 2013 Welcome Home!
2013 LAND ARRANGEMENTS: $8,332 per person sharing (based on 10 passengers) (at the moment we have 8 confirmed who have paid a deposit)
Single Supplement:
On request
2012 International AIR ARRANGEMENTS:
$2,550 plus $313 in taxes per person**
(*Fare subject to change until time of booking)
If only booking internal flights: not confirmed until paid)
$1,375 per person** (fare went down from $1600 pp but is
Cape Town/Hoedspruit/Johannesburg/Victoria Falls – Maun/Johannesburg (***fare subject to change at time of booking and non-commissionable)
INCLUDES: International Airfare New York to Johannesburg and return Charter Air flights Regional flights as specified All services as specified. Meals as states Game drives as specified in itinerary Transportation in luxury air-conditioned vehicles including qualified drivers Entrance fees for sightseeing as indicated above Intrepid Expeditions Representative Meet and Greet upon arrival Porterage for 2 reasonable size bags per person
EXCLUDES: Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, etc All other services not mentioned above Gratuities/Tips for game rangers, tour guides, and drivers Cost of obtaining Passports or Visa Trip cancellation insurance
PLEASE NOTE: •
United States of America passport holders do not require a visa for South Africa or Botswana for a visit of less than 90 days. Your visa for Zimbabwe will be obtained on arrival. Cost for this visa fluctuates periodically. The current cost for US passport holders is $30 per person for single entry.
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We strongly advise you to take Anti-Malaria medication prior to the commencement of your holiday. Please contact your physician or travel clinic for advice as to which prophylactic is recommended.
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All Non-South African passport holders are required to have at least TWO, entirely blank (unstamped) visa pages (i.e. one side of such a page not front and back thereof) in their passport, each time entry is sought into South Africa. These pages are in addition to the endorsement/amendment pages at the back of the passport. South African government regulations prohibit airlines from boarding passengers without the required blank visa pages. Botswana and Zimbabwe will require another full page for entry. You should have at least FOUR full blank visa pages.
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Passports must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after intended date of departure.
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For the charters you will be using on safari - luggage allowance is restricted to one item of luggage with a maximum weight of 20kgs/44lbs in soft luggage. Hard suitcases cannot be transported as they physically cannot fit into the aircraft. The allowance includes camera equipment and hand luggage. Maximum dimensions of soft bags are 25cm (10 in) wide x 30cm (12 in) high and 62cm (25 in) long.
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There is a luggage-storage depot on the upper level of the underground parkade, near the main lift lobby in International Arrivals at Johannesburg Airport. You may leave any baggage at a cost of R50.00 per item for the first day and R40.00 per item every day thereafter. Mastercard and Visa accepted. Open 24 hours 7 days a week. Tel (+27) 11-
390-2064. You will be able to store luggage before you fly to Botswana should you choose to do so. •
Transfer and flight times have been indicated on the itinerary. Note, transfer times from the properties to airstrips will depend on what time the charter flights are on those days and those times are only confirmed by the property the morning of the charter.
US EMBASSY CONTACT INFORMATION United States Embassy (South Africa) PO Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria Tel: 012-431-4000 (within South Africa) Tel: 011-27-12-431-4000 (from North America)
United States Embassy (Botswana) Embassy Enclave (off Khama Crescent) Gaborone Tel: 353-982 (within Botswana) Tel: 011-267-353-982 (from North America)
United States Embassy (Zimbabwe) 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue Harare Tel: 4-250593/4 (from Victoria Falls) Tel: 011-263-4-250593/4 (from North America) After Hours 4-250595 (from Victoria Falls) After Hours 011-263-4-250595 (from North America)