Johannesburg/Cape Town

Upon arrival at the Johannesburg International Airport you will connect with your flight to Cape Town, South Africa’s “Mother City”. Upon arrival, you will be met and escorted to your hotel. The provincial capital, Cape Town, is a sophisticated city with plenty to see and do, particularly around the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area, where delightful buildings of the Cape Dutch and Victorian-era architecture have been restored as shops, restaurants, museums and pubs, while the busy water traffic of the docks goes on unabated. Overnight in Cape Town. (Meals Aloft)

Cape Town/Cape Peninsula

We take a breathtaking coastal drive to the Cape of Good Hope, surrounded by spectacular mountains, rugged shorelines, and the blue sea below. See Devil's Peak, Lion's Head, Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles. Pass quaint seaside towns as you continue to Cape Point where the stormy waters of the Atlantic meet up with the calm waters of the Indian Ocean. At Cape Point, climb the steps or ride a funicular to the top where you can explore a lighthouse, enjoy the views or even indulge in a bit of shopping. You will have the chance to explore the Cape Point Nature Reserve which is host to approximately half of the 2,700 species of indigenous plants contained in the Cape Peninsula, as well as 250 species of birds and a wide variety of mammal species.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, and we continue to Boulders Beach where the African (Jackass) Penguins can be seen, also known as the Black-footed Penguins. These flightless seabirds are found only on the coast of Southern Africa and the only penguins found on this continent. Enjoy a delightful walk on a specially-built platform onto the little sheltered beach where they nest among the rocks, and "waddle" up and down into and out of the sea. Since the penguins are accustomed to human presence you can safely get within a few feet of them as you stand on the platform. Return to Cape Town in the evening. (Breakfast / Lunch)

Cape Town: Cape Malay/ Township Tour

Your first stop for the day is Cape Malay Quarter, or 'Bo-Kaap,' which sprawls along the slopes of Signal Hill, bordering Cape Town, presenting a scenario of enduring historic and cultural significance. Bo-Kaap's attractive, brightly colored, flat-roofed houses, decorative mosques and the sound of the muezzin calling over the city streets have remained relatively undisturbed for all this time. The major threat facing this attractive area is now not forced removals, but gentrification. Here, you will have a hands-on, practical lesson on how to cook like a real Cape Malay Auntie! A local woman will host you at her home, where you will learn secret cooking techniques and get an insight into daily life in the Bo-Kaap. The workshop ends with lunch.
Your day ends with a tour of District Six at Cape Flats with a township guide, and Langa, the oldest formal black township in Cape Town. Witness the living accommodations created at the height of the apartheid era as a dormitory area for the working class. Today residents continue to face challenges of HIV/AIDS and poverty in post-apartheid South Africa. Your tour will include a visit to the District Six Museum, named for the black South African residents displaced from the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town in 1901. On February 11, 1966 it was declared a white area, and by 1982, more than 60,000 people were forcibly removed to barren outlying areas aptly known as the Cape Flats, and their houses in District Six were flattened by bulldozers. The District Six Museum, established in December 1994, tells their story. (Breakfast / Lunch)

Cape Town: Table Mountain/Winelands

Get a feel of what Cape Town is all about by taking the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, the signature sight of this city, easily one of the most recognizable mountains in the world. This tour is very dependent on the wind factor, as well as the clouds. Many times clouds cover this flat-topped mountain, which rises to 3,563 feet above sea level and the locals affectionately say it’s a white tablecloth. For nature lovers, the birding is awesome, and more than 1400 species of flowering plants have been recorded on the mountain which makes it a spectacular sight in the spring. Cute guinea pig-like creatures known as rock dassies, or hyraxes, (genetically, the closest living relatives to elephants) scuttle everywhere.

Continue to the winelands region situated below the spectacular Boland Mountains only 50 minutes from the city. Discover the internationally acclaimed vineyards of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franshhoek on the Western Cape, along a most scenic route. This afternoon explore the university town of Stellenbosch, the oldest town in South Africa after Cape Town, undoubtedly the most scenic and historically-preserved town in Southern Africa. Oak-lined streets next to water furrows compliment the many fine examples of elegant Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian architecture - all part of this unique "Town of Oaks". (Breakfast / Lunch)

Cape Town/Johannesburg

This morning is devoted to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and consisting of landscaped gardens of indigenous plants and trees, watered by the Liesbeek River, as well as natural forest that extends up to the lower slopes. It is a living display featuring 9,000 of the estimated 20,000 species of indigenous South African flora, and close to 50% of the peninsula’s floral wealth. Birds of all sorts can be seen here as well. Later today, we transfer to the Cape Town Airport for our flight to Johannesburg to meet up with the main tour group arriving this evening. (Breakfast)

Arrive in Johannesburg

Upon arrival at the Johannesburg International Airport this afternoon, you will be met and escorted to your hotel. Often called Jo’burg, Johannesburg is the country's largest city and financial center with ultra-modern skyscrapers and a bustling way of life. It is the city of gold, as its claim to fame is the gold that was discovered close-by. Our hotel, D'Oreale Grande, is situated near Johannesburg International Airport, boasting luxurious accommodations with palatial buildings set in a display of gardens, fountains and statues. Richly cloaked surroundings such as marble floors, plush carpets, magnificent stained glass domes, highly decorated murals and frescos, sculptures, intricate mosaics and Roman columns and arches contribute to an atmosphere of intimacy, classical elegance and lavish opulence. (No meals included)

Maun / Makgadikgadi Pan National Park

We check out of our hotel and drive back to the airport for our morning flight to Maun, Botswana’s tourism capital. From there, we connect with our flight to Leroo La Tau at the edge of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, named for ancient Lake Makgadikadi that disappeared thousands of years ago. What remains is a collection of salt pans that cover approximately 6,200 square miles due south of the Okavango. The Makgadikgadi is the largest expanse of 'nothingness' on earth, an area the size of Switzerland clearly visible from outer-space, devoid of anything but salt and shimmering horizon. With the coming of the rains, life-giving water seeps into the pans, transforming it into one of Africa's most fecund ecosystems. Unbelievable numbers of migratory birds flock to the pans and the grasslands swarm with a living mantle of zebra and wildebeest, participants in the second biggest animal migration on the African continent. The dry season also brings desert wildlife such as gemsbok and springbok into view.

Our lodge, Leroo La Tau, is built on the cliffs above the Boteti River which allows guests a raised vantage point resulting in spectacular wildlife sightings. The Boteti River which dried up for 28 years is now flowing again. This life line of water is a magnet for wildlife to congregate and herds of zebra and wildebeest migrate here for this precious resource. The river’s return has transformed the region and supports a good volume of wildlife all year round with sightings of all the common antelopes, including healthy populations of kudu as well as giraffe. Huge elephant bulls are based along the river all year round and make for great sightings splashing in the river, and lion are very active in the region. The river draws thousands of zebras galloping up and down the dusty river banks for quite possibly one of the best zebra viewing experiences in Africa! (All Meals)

Nxai Pans National Park

On your second day here, enjoy a full day excursion to Nxai Pans National Park and the famous Baobab tree forest known as Baines. Here one can witness the typical Kalahari Plains wildlife characteristic of the desert regions. Large herds of springbok, oryx (gemsbok) and eland all year round and during the summer season (green season) zebra and wildebeest can be seen massing as the migration takes them to the open pans of water and sweet grasses. Departure from Leroo La Tau is in the early morning and the full day is spent exploring the region before returning to the lodge at sunset. (All Meals)

Rhino Relocation Project / Khumaga Village

Rhino populations are steadily growing in Botswana and there’s a huge relocation of rhino into the country from neighboring South Africa. Our safari company is very proactively involved in Botswana’s Rhino Relocation and Reintroduction Project with the Department of Wildlife in Botswana and have safely been introducing rhino to the region. The rhino population has established itself in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park for the first time in over 200 years. Rhinos are well protected and quite shy but there’s always the chance you might see them on your game runs. A portion of revenue from each of the guests that stay at Leroo La Tau goes directly towards the Rhino Relocation and Reintroduction Project and facilitates the costly process of fitting tracking devices and monitoring the health and breeding of this highly endangered species.

Leroo La Tau works very closely with the community of Khumaga Village, which is located near the lodge. There are numerous projects which the lodge gets involved in and in turn, guests can see and understand rural local life here. A visit to the village and the local school will be included in your stay at Leroo La Tau. Activities during your three-night stay at Leroo are varied and take in most of the area. These include game drives, night drives and boat cruises on the Boteti River. (All Meals)

Moremi Game Reserve

Fly to Camp Moremi, situated in the eastern extremity of the Okavango Delta, within the Moremi Game Reserve. Shaded from the African sun by a forest of ancient ebony trees, Camp Moremi is an elegant thatch and timber lodge consisting of an elevated main lounge, wildlife reference library, dining room and cocktail bar. Accommodation is in 12 East African styled en-suite tents. Each is exquisitely furnished with a Rhodesian teak wardrobe, luggage rack, dressing table, bedside pedestals and traditional director’s chairs, colorful woven rugs, designer linen and matching interior blinds.

Second Day in Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi Game Reserve supports the most diverse habitat and animal populations in Botswana, with possible sightings of wild dog, cheetah and leopard being highlights. Resident species include lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe, hyena, zebra, kudu, lechwe, tsessebe, Sable and Roan antelope. The rare Sitatunga antelope lives in the papyrus banks of the waterways. Bird watching is excellent throughout the year, with powerboat visits to the heronries on Gadikwe. The reserve is home to over 400 species of birds and a vast variety of mammal, insect, plant, fish and reptile species have successfully adapted to the swamp conditions. Moremi Game Reserve is a wilderness paradise, with great game viewing throughout the year. (All Meals)

Okavango Delta

Today’s flight takes you to one of the world’s most distinctive regions, the Okavango Delta – earth’s largest inland water system. Its headwaters start in Angola’s western highlands, with numerous tributaries joining to form the Cubango River, which then flows through Namibia (called the Kavango) and finally enters Botswana, where it is then called the Okavango. Millions of years ago the Okavango River flowed into a large inland lake called Lake Makgadikgadi (now Makgadikgadi Pans). Tectonic activity and faulting interrupted the flow of the river causing it to back up and form what is now the Okavango Delta. This has created a unique system of waterways that now supports a vast array of animal and plant life that would have otherwise been a dry Kalahari savannah.

Camp Okavango is situated on remote Nxaragha Island in the very heartland of the Okavango Delta. The camp comprises 12 two-bedded East African style tents featuring private sundecks and en-suite hot shower and waterborne toilets, and each tent is exquisitely furnished. Camp Okavango's unashamed luxury blends with the Africa of yore in the elegant thatch and lethaka main lodge buildings. Meals are silver service at dining tables romantically lit by candelabra. The dining-room leads onto an expansive open-air patio for evenings around a blazing camp fire. Other lodge facilities include a cocktail bar, lounge, wildlife reference library, a secluded bird-viewing hide, shaded hammocks, reading benches and a delightful sun-deck and plunge pool for relaxation during the hot midday hours.(All Meals)

Okavango Delta Second Day

Your activities at Camp Okavango for your two days here will center around mokoro (dugout canoe) rides, boat excursions and walking safaris. See the delta from water level and relax as you glide through quiet reed-lined channels. Birding is excellent, with more than 600 species residing within the 7,000 square miles of islands, marshes, flood plains, and channels of which the Okavango is comprised. Enjoy a walking safari and take a boat through the reeds to spot some of the larger species such as elephant, red lechwe, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, baboon, monkey, warthog, and buffalo, along with major predators such as lion, leopard, and hyena. If you are lucky, spot the elusive sitatunga antelope which have been known to sleep in the water, with only their nostrils resting above the water’s surface. (All Meals)

Last Morning Game Drive / Return to Johannesburg

Kasane/Chobe Game Lodge

Today, bid farewell to the rest of the group returning home tonight, and connect with your flight to Kasane. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to Chobe National Park where you will spend the next two days enjoying wildlife viewing and boat activities. It is the second largest park in Botswana, and the first declared national park. The park covers a wide variety of country - riverine forest, floodplain, periodic marsh, mopane and miombo woodland and a few rocky outcrops. Such a diversity of habitats implies a wide variety of wildlife, which ranges from water animals such as hippo, crocodile, otter and fish, to forest and dry land species such as elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and eland, and over 400 different species of bird. In all areas, predators abound with lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena being plentiful.

A major feature of Chobe National Park is its overabundance of elephants, often seen at the riverfront bathing in the water. Vast numbers of elephants come down to drink in the late afternoons and it is possible to see as many as 1,000 of these magnificent animals in a two-hour wildlife drive. Botswana’s elephant population is currently estimated at around 120,000, which has built up steadily from a few thousand in the early 1900s and has escaped the massive illegal decimation of other populations in the 1970s and 1980s. The elephants in this area have the distinction of being the largest in body size of all living elephants, although the ivory is brittle so you will not see many huge tuskers among these gentle giants. (All Meals)

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Head to the mighty Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. At more than twice the size of Niagara Falls it is no surprise that Victoria Falls are among the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders), derived from the towering column of spray when the Zambezi River runs high, is the name that Zimbabwe's local people have given to this awesome natural phenomenon. Five separate falls make up this incredible spectacle that plunges more than 300 feet into a sheer-sided chasm which separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. The awe-inspiring abyss is spanned by a 1905 Edwardian bridge which links the two countries and many adventurers now use to bungee jump. The masses of water plunging down the falls and into the gorge below originate from the mighty Zambezi River that meanders through more than 1,677 miles of African countryside.

Your two-day visit will include a tour of the falls on the Zimbabwe side. An afternoon sundowner cruise on a private boat will be a highlight as you glide along the Zambezi River, watching hippos snort, elephants drink on the riverbank, monkeys jump from branch to branch, birds fly overhead or pose for a photograph on the branches, and much more. Enjoy your gin and tonic, cool beer, or drink of choice, and see a panoramic sunset as the sun dips below the horizon, painting the whole area in unbelievable colors of brilliant reds, yellows, purples and mauves. (All Meals)

Victoria Falls/Johannesburg/En Route

You have one last chance to photograph the incredible falls this morning before we transfer to the airport for our late morning flight to Johannesburg. Here you will connect with your overnight international flight back home. (Breakfast & Meals Aloft)