A Luxury Safari & Tour - The Ultimate Safari - 2013

Itinerary

Day 1, Cape Town, South Africa
Upon arriving in Cape Town, South Africa's "Mother City," you’ll be warmly welcomed and whisked away to your luxurious hotel. The rest of your day is at your leisure to begin exploring one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA

Day 2, Cape Town
Meet your personal driver and guide for the next two days and embark on a spectacular day of pristine ocean vistas and quaint villages as you explore "The Fairest Cape," where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Drive along the exquisite coastline to the charming working harbor of Hout Bay. Photograph away as you pass rocky seascapes and spot zebra and baboon upon entering the Cape of Good Hope. Visit the endearing penguin colony at Boulder's Beach before returning to Cape Town.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA, (B)

Day 3, Cape Town
Today's sojourn celebrates the beautiful winelands. Your private tour begins with a visit to the historical Taal Monument near Paarl where you’ll be swept away by the breathtaking views. Learn all about the region's history and the process of winemaking when you stop for a cellar tour and tasting. Tuck into a café for lunch in charming Franschhoek, first settled by the French Huguenots fleeing persecution in Europe. Continue on for more wine tasting in the lively university town of Stellenbosch.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA, (BL)

Day 4, Cape Town
Shop, explore or relax with a full day on your own. Don't miss a ride on the cable car to the top of iconic Table Mountain for sweeping city and ocean views. Browse the bustling Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and explore the colorful Malay Quarter. Tonight, enjoy authentic South African cuisine and gracious hospitality as you dine at the home of a Capetonian couple with their special guests who reveal their fascinating insights into the country's culture and history.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA, (BD)

Day 5, Kruger Private Reserve
Take flight for a thrilling safari to Singita Private Game Reserve in the heart of Big Five country near Kruger National Park. Your luxurious lodge is designed to reflect the epitome of elegant comfort with a colonial feel. Meet your expert ranger for your first game drive and begin tracking and learning about the distinct behaviors of the Big Five as well as the wealth of endemic wildlife. As the sun sets, sip a cold sundowner as you take in the sweeping vistas of the bushveld and beyond. Savor a sumptuous dinner on the moonlit deck.
SINGITA: EBONY or BOULDERS LODGE, (BLD)

Day 6, Kruger Private Reserve
Rise early when the animals are most lively for this morning's game drive. This is lion country, and the formidable lion prides here are some of the biggest in the world. Be alert to capture panoramic shots of herds of elephant and the menagerie of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, waterbuck and kudu grazing. Return to your camp for lunch and relaxation before setting out on an evening game drive spotlighting the nocturnal animals as they come out to forage and hunt.
SINGITA: EBONY or BOULDERS LODGE, (BLD)

Day 7, Kruger Private Reserve
Enjoy early morning and afternoon game drives. Perhaps join a bushwalk to learn about the plants used to make traditional medicines or visit a neighboring village to meet the people and learn more about their proud culture. Tonight, savor fine dining beneath the grand canopy of the African skies.
SINGITA: EBONY or BOULDERS LODGE, (BLD)

Day 8, Livingstone, Zambia
After a final game drive, fly off to Livingstone. Your luxurious safari-style lodging overlooks the Zambezi River and is the ideal locale for discovering the spectacular Victoria Falls, the world's largest curtain of falling water and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Start exploring when you board a small boat for a "sundowner" river cruise along the Zambezi River. Have your binoculars ready to zero in on the elephants coming down to drink as well as the lurking crocodiles, noisy hippos and a myriad of bird species.
THE RIVER CLUB, (BLD)

Day 9, Livingstone
Immerse yourself in the magnificence of Victoria Falls, hailed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Walk the misty rain forest trails along the various lookouts to soak up what the great missionary explorer David Livingstone described as "a scene so lovely that it must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." Upon returning to your lodge, recline on your deck overlooking the river and be swept away by the sights and sounds - and magic - of Africa.
THE RIVER CLUB, (BLD)

Day 10, Chobe River Cruise, Namibia
Yet another incredible experience awaits as you embark on the Zambezi Queen for a superb houseboat getaway into remote areas of the Chobe River. Settle into your beautiful suite and enjoy the views from your private balcony or try your hand at some catch-and-release fishing. After a delicious gourmet dinner, ascend to the top deck's telescope and view the twinkling Southern Cross accompanied by the nighttime sounds of the crickets chirping, the lions roaring and the tinkling bell frogs across the bush.
ZAMBEZI QUEEN, (BLD)

Day 11, Chobe River Cruise
Meet your expert ranger for this morning's game drive into Chobe National Park; or, board a tender boat to view the wildlife up close from the placid waterways. Float quietly past pods of hippo and massive crocodiles and count off the myriad species of birdlife. Return to your boat and cruise down the Chobe River, where you'll visit the local village and mingle with the friendly residents. Later, dine on savory specialties beneath the shade of a riverside boma.
ZAMBEZI QUEEN, (BLD)

Day 12, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Leave your floating hotel and fly off to your next safari destination - the pristine wildlife oasis of Botswana's Okavango Delta, the world's largest inland delta. You'll be treated to the ultimate luxury experience at your intimate camp, boasting plenty of game viewing and birding opportunities all year round. Meet your expert ranger for an afternoon orientation to the delta's varying ecosystems, ranging from lush grasslands to dense mopane bushveld. Depending on the water levels, you'll safari by open-top vehicles, by motorboat, or in a mokoro (canoe) poled by your ranger along the vast waterways.
VUMBURA PLAINS, (BLD)

Day 13, Okavango Delta
As dawn breaks and the animals begin to stir, gather your camera gear and join your ranger to begin exploring the annually flooded grasslands surrounding your plains camp, and beyond into the drier plains. Listen for the trumpeting of a large herd of elephants passing through or the lion's threatening roar as it guards its resident pride. Count the giraffes, impalas, sable antelopes, kudus, zebras, reedbuck, wildebeest and Cape buffalo, and spot the red lechwe, an antelope that inhabits the fringes of the delta. After the day cools down, venture out again to look for endangered wild dogs lazing with their pack, and any leopards, cheetah and African wildcat prowling the shadows.
VUMBURA PLAINS, (BLD)

Day 14, Okavango Delta
Venture by motorboat or canoe to explore the prolific waterways today, watching out for the bellowing hippos and lazing crocodiles. Bring your binoculars to zoom in on the Pel's fishing owl, the wattled crane or chirping cisticola, among the exceptional bird life. Relax until your evening safari where your ranger will spotlight the nocturnal animals. After dinner, gather ‘round the campfire to share your favorite adventures with your safari companions and gaze upon the starlit vistas of the Okavango Delta floodplains.
VUMBURA PLAINS, (BLD)

Day 15, Johannesburg, South Africa
Wrap up your ultimate safari as you flightsee on your way to Maun to connect with your flight to Johannesburg. Enjoy the rest of the day at your boutique hotel and spa as you please.
FAIRLAWNS BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND SPA, (B)

Day 16, Johannesburg
Today is at your leisure until your transfer to Johannesburg airport for your onward arrangements.
, (B)