WINGS OVER BOTSWANA - WOMEN ONLY
DEPARTURE ITINERARY:
TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 04-05
- USA/Johannesburg, South Africa
Depart by overnight flight to Johannesburg. After clearing
South African Customs and Immigration formalities you are met by
a representative of Abercrombie & Kent and transferred to The
Grace Hotel. Located in the heart of Rosebank, The Grace is a
stone's throw from exclusive boutiques, shopping malls, cinemas
and a comprehensive range of fine restaurants offering
indigenous and international cuisine. You have time at leisure
to relax or explore Johannesburg at your own pace. Once a mining
camp, it is now the largest city and commercial capital of the
country. An expert photographer shares his tips for
photographing wildlife. Meet your fellow travellers during this
evening's Abercrombie & Kent-hosted welcome dinner. The
Grace D
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 06 -
Johannesburg/Maun, Botswana/Okavango Delta
After breakfast, board a flight to Maun. On arrival,
transfer to one of the nearby villages of the Sixaxa community,
where you meet its residents and learn about their daily lives
and traditions. The villagers invite you into their homes,
demonstrate food preparation and show you typical tools,
clothing, musical instruments, medicine and handicrafts. After
your informative visit, continue to Stanley's Camp, set in an
amphitheatre of ebony and sausage trees on the southern tip of
Chief's Island in the Moremi Game Reserve. This private
concession is located in seasonal delta and is home to elephant,
buffalo, giraffe, hippo, lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog.
The accommodations at Stanley's consist of classic styled safari
tents raised on wooden decking with a private verandah.
Activities include day and night game drives, bush walks and
water safaris by mokoro (dug-out canoe). Dine tonight in the
bush, followed by a marshmallow roast around the campfire.
Stanley's Camp B, L, D
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 07 - Okavango Delta
You have a full day to engage in the numerous wildlife
viewing opportunities the Okavango Delta has to offer. Bird
watching is also excellent in this area. Local guides paddle you
past reed beds tangled with bulrushes and water lilies where you
may glimpse lechwe and the high-flying eagle. Go on early
morning and late afternoon game drives in customized 4x4
vehicles; explore on foot in the company of skilled, armed
professional guides; or look for game on a mokoro (dug-out
canoe) safari (subject to water levels and weather conditions).
Stanley's offers a unique interactive educational experience
with a group of semi-habituated African elephant. Sit down to a
leisurely picnic lunch under the shade of the sausage trees that
overlook the lagoon while elephant playfully bathe among the
water lilies. While at Stanley's you may choose to soar over the
bush in a helicopter. (Note: the helicopter flight is an
optional excursion not included in your tour cost. Please also
note that this excursion must be booked while in camp and is
subject to weather and other seasonal conditions. Please also
note that the helicopter excursion is also available during your
time at Chief's Camp, the next stop on your journey).
Stanley's Camp B, L, D
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 08 - Okavango Delta
Fly to the Moremi Game Reserve and Chief's Camp, located on the
previous hunting grounds of the Batawana Tribe on Chief's
Island. You are deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta,
overlooking the seasonal Piajio Channel. Chief's main lodge was
built under a canopy of mature jackalberry, sausage and rain
trees. Each of the camp's 12 luxury permanent tents has a
splendid view of the channel. Watch game from the lounges in the
main lodge or from the comfort of your room. Go for a swim in
the pool or take part in a variety of activities that include
game drives and mokoro water safaris (subject to water levels).
Chief's Camp B, L, D
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 09 - Okavango Delta
Game viewing in the Mombo area is nothing short of
spectacular at any given time. This area is renowned for its
large concentrations of elephant, buffalo, red lechwe, giraffe
and impala. Ostrich, antelope, crocodile, wildebeest, kudu and
hippo are all also common here, as are the predators that have
earned the area the title of "predator capital" of Africa. Game
drives are conducted in customized, open vehicles that offer an
ideal viewing vantage point. (Note: The helicopter excursion
available at Stanley's Camp is also available during your stay
at Chief's Camp, subject to the same conditions). Chief's
Camp B, L, D
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10 - Okavango Delta/Kasane/Chobe National
Park
Fly east to Chobe National Park and the luxurious Chobe
Chilwero, positioned high above the Chobe River with
unparalleled panoramic views across the islands and floodplains,
stretching as far as Namibia. Each of the 15 luxury thatched
rooms is individually decorated in an African motif. All have
air-conditioning, ceiling fans, closets and en suite bathroom
facilities that include a shower opening to a private garden. Go
out on your private sala (balcony), perfect for a sundowner or
quiet dinner for two.
Chobe Chilwero B, L, D
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 - Chobe National Park
A full day of activities begins with a game drive shortly
after sunrise. Wildlife viewing is unsurpassed in Chobe National
Park, with diverse landscapes ranging from riverine forests to
floodplains and periodic marshlands. The area is home to one of
the largest concentration of elephant in Africa - a population
estimated at a staggering 60,000. Other residents include
hippopotamus, buffalo, impala, puku and a large variety of bird
species. View game in 4x4 vehicles or on a sundowner cruise on
the Chobe River.
Chobe Chilwero B, L, D
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - Chobe/Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Depart Chobe and travel overland, crossing the border into
Zimbabwe en route to breathtaking Victoria Falls and the
world-famous Victoria Falls Hotel. For nearly 100 years the
hotel has hosted visiting members of royal families,
international and local statesmen, and celebrities worldwide.
Late this afternoon glide lazily down the river on a sundowner
cruise as you look for hippo, elephant or buffalo coming to
drink at the water's edge. Sunset brings the day to a close -
sometimes in a fiery departure and sometimes in a myriad of
blended colors. This evening, join your fellow travellers for a
special farewell dinner held in the famous Livingstone Room.
(Note: The Victoria Falls Hotel has relaxed its long standing
dress code for dining in the Livingstone Room, and smart casual
wear is now considered the standard.)
Victoria Falls Hotel B, L, D
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 - Victoria
Falls/Johannesburg, South Africa/Depart
Join your guide for a walking tour through the
rainforest to Victoria Falls, one of the great natural wonders
of the world. (Note: We recommend that you wear comfortable
clothing and shoes for the walk and bring waterproof protection
for your camera equipment). Keep a look out for the abundant
bird life, bushbuck, monkey, baboon and mongoose that you are
likely to spot along the way. It is the breathtaking falls that
should prove to be the highlight of your day. Permanent rainbows
crisscross the gorge during sunlight - and even during bright
moonlight - producing images that are more like paintings than
reality. Later, board a flight to Johannesburg, where you are
assisted in collecting any stored luggage. The Premier Lounge is
available for your use and offers a quiet place for relaxation
in preparation for your international flight.
B
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 - Arrival USA
Arrive in the United States.
OPTIONAL CAPE TOWN EXTENSION
Featuring a visit to the Amy Biehl Foundation
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 - Victoria Falls/Johannesburg/Cape Town
Fly to Cape Town via Johannesburg; on arrival, you are met
and transferred to your hotel on the Victoria & Alfred
Waterfront. Warmed by the African sun, Cape Town is dominated by
a flat, towering mountain (Table Mountain) set on a peninsula of
soaring, rocky heights and lush valleys. Cape Grace
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 - Cape Town/Cape Point/Cape Town
Depart on a full-day tour of Cape Point. Drive along the
Atlantic coast road, past the "bikini beaches" of Clifton and
Camps Bay, beautifully located at the base of the towering
Twelve Apostles Mountain Range. Travel over the famous Chapman's
Peak Drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve at the end of
the Cape Peninsula. Covering 22,000 acres of land, the reserve
is located at Cape Point, a great pinnacle of rock at the
convergence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Climb the steps
or ride a funicular railway to the top to see southern right
whale, dolphin and a variety of seabirds. Watch for the resident
bontebok, eland and cape mountain zebra. Stop for refreshments
at the Diaz Monument, a gift from the Portuguese Government in
1967 honoring the intrepid explorer Bartholomeu Diaz, who first
saw the promontory in 1488 that became known as the Cape of Good
Hope. Visit Boulders Beach to see its colony of endangered
jackass penguin. Pass through Simon's Town, the former main base
of the Royal Navy, en route to the quaint fishing hamlet of Kalk
Bay. On the way back to Cape Town travel through Constantia, the
cradle of the South African wine industry, and stop in
Kirstenbosch to visit the world-renowned National Botanical
Garden, recently voted one of the Top Ten Gardens in the World
by the curators of Kew Gardens in London. Return to your hotel
in the late afternoon. The rest of the day and evening are at
leisure. Cape Grace B, L
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 - Cape Town
Drive to the famous Cape Winelands, set below the dramatic
Hottentots Holland Mountains. Whitewashed homesteads nestling
under avenues of oaks, rolling green hills covered with wild
flowers, fertile valleys alive with the sounds of surging
streams and restaurants with French names and Dutch flavors
typify the area. Stroll through Stellenbosch, South Africa's
famous university town, founded in 1679. Your specialized guide
discusses the town's historical significance and its place in
the contemporary wine world. See examples of Cape Dutch,
Georgian and Victorian architecture. Your walking tour concludes
at the Village Museum, which chronicles the town's past. Then
tour a privately owned winery and sample some of the varietals.
Continue to the Huguenot village of Franschhoek ("French
Corner") for lunch. Afterward, visit the Huguenot Museum and
Memorial that pays tribute to the early Huguenots settlers. Stop
at another estate to sample local wine and cheese. Return to
your hotel with leisure time to spare. Cape Grace B, L
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 - Cape Town/Depart
Begin today's activities at the offices of the Amy Biehl
Foundation. Amy Biehl was a young American Fulbright Scholar who
was stoned to death in 1993 in South Africa where she had gone
to help in the struggle against apartheid. Her family
established the foundation to continue Amy's work. After an
orientation tour of Cape Town, visit the District Six Museum for
insight into the state-sanctioned oppression of the apartheid
area. District Six was established in 1867 as a mixed community
of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, laborers and immigrants
and a vibrant center with close links to the city and the port.
Then, if weather conditions permit, take a cable car ride to the
summit of Table Mountain for a panoramic view of the city and
sea below. Stop in Langa Township, the first area demarcated for
black Africans in Cape Town, for lunch. Continue to Guguletu,
one of the townships where Amy worked to help register voters
for the multi-racial elections, and where she was ultimately the
victim of mob violence. Spend the afternoon visiting the sites
of Amy's legacy: schools teaching foundation programs (music and
reading) and the Buthisizwe Training Centre. Later, return to
your hotel where a dayroom is provided until you transfer to the
airport for your homebound flight. Cape Grace (dayroom) B, L
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