Itinerary Details
Swain Destinations: Classic Southern Africa
Day 1 Welcome to Cape Town, South Africa
Arrive in Johannesburg for your connecting flight to spectacular Cape Town, You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The afternoon is at leisure to soak up the atmosphere of Cape Town and the waterfront area.
South Africa’s “Mother City” is indescribably beautiful, steeped in fascinating history and pulsating to a heady African rhythm. Indeed, few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the mountainous Cape Peninsula spine, which slides into the Atlantic Ocean. A ride in a cable car to the top of Table Mountain, a ferry journey to Robben Island, or a meandering tour through the Winelands will leave you in no doubt that this place is an absolute highlight on any vacation to Africa. South Africa boasts incredibly good weather, gorgeous scenery and fantastic beaches and is one of the most diverse and enchanting countries in the world. Exotic combinations of landscapes, people, history and culture offer visitors a unique and inspiring experience.
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel
Meals: B
Day 2 Cape Town City Tour
Come with us on the ultimate 'Mother City' experience, designed to orientate and give you a full-color insight into the extraordinary magic of Cape Town. We've chosen iconic buildings, snatches of its history, and experiences unique to this City. First up, it's the cable car to the summit of the legendary Table Mountain - weather permitting - and from there, you'll be able to see to the end of our world, including the City and surrounding layout of this southernmost tip of Africa (own account). We visit the country's oldest building, The Castle (closed Sundays), and a short distance away, the Company Gardens, both historically fascinating and well conserved. Our drive continues past Parliament Buildings, City Hall and the Slave Lodge, and you'll sense the depth of history via their distinctive architecture. Colonial then changes to colorful, as we move up the cobblestoned hills to the Malay Quarter, and marvel at the ice-cream colors of the quaint Bo-Kaap homes. Our day ends on a sparkling note, as we trace the moves of a professional diamond cutter, as he creates every girl's dream stone.
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel
Meals: B
Day 3 Cape Peninsula Tour
Proceed to the Cape Point Nature Reserve, where you are able to ride the Funicular (for your own account) to the viewpoint where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. The Cape Peninsula is the thin finger of land in the southwestern most corner of Africa with the city of Cape Town at its head. As you travel south towards Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, the land gets narrower until the great Indian and Atlantic Oceans combine into one vast southern ocean, with nothing beyond except Antarctica. In 1578 Sir Francis Drake described it as 'The fairest cape in the whole circumference of the globe,' and it still is.
The Peninsula can be divided into the Atlantic coast on the west (including the City of Cape Town) and the False Bay coast on the east. With nothing but water all around the peninsula, the weather can be a little unpredictable and the wind can whip itself up into a fury. Luckily when it is howling on one side it is normally quiet on the other, so you can always find a sheltered spot.
On leaving the Nature Reserve, proceed to Simonstown, where you stop for lunch (for your own account), as well as a short stop at Boulders Beach. Nestled in historic Simon's Town in South Africa, Boulders Penguin Colony is part of the Cape Peninsula National Park. Almost 3000 African (jackass) penguins, so called because their call resembles the bray of a donkey, reign supreme amidst rounded rocks and fish-filled False Bay. These endangered, flightless birds are free to roam the seas and return to their private haven - Foxy Beach at Boulders.
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel
Meals: B
Day 4 Cape Town to Okavango Delta, Botswana
Depart Cape Town this morning by flight for Botswana which is home to the largest inland delta in the world.
The Okavango Delta in Botswana is the largest freshwater wetland in Africa; in Botswana's arid and unforgiving bush it's an oasis where you'll find one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa – and the beauty is that it is basically a year-round destination for safaris. It is one of the last remaining unspoiled wilderness areas of Africa. The Delta is fed by the floodwaters of Central Africa and covers an area of some 16000 square kilometres. These waters fan out into the Okavango Delta forming a wetland system of beautiful palm-fringed channels, lagoons and islands that support a wealth of fauna and flora alike.
The Camp is located on Pom Pom Island in a private concession situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta and on the head waters of the Xudum river system. The area lies on the western boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve and offers superb Okavango scenery and a true Okavango wilderness experience.
Camp Okavango
Meals: B, D
Day 5 Game Drives in the Okavango Delta
Game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, both in the morning and late afternoons, offer frequent sightings of lion, leopard and cheetah as well as wild dog. Pom Pom is one of the camps in the Okavango Delta that is able to offer game drives within our private concession area. Morning and evening game drives in the company of our qualified guides will give you the opportunity to view all the big game and night life of this environment.
Camp Okavango
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6 Okavango Delta to Chobe National Park
This vast area in the far north of Greater Chobe National Park is revered for its huge and thundering herds of elephants. The diversity of seasonal floodplains and grasslands on offer means you can enjoy a game drive in the morning and a river cruise in the afternoon. One of Africa’s world famous big game areas, the Savuti Channel is famous for its lion & hyena populations, and just northwest of Savuti is Linyanti, yet another outstanding game viewing area boasting a range of activities.
Chobe Safari Lodge offers tranquil and secluded accommodation in an area with a rich and diverse wildlife. The lodge borders Chobe National Park, which is famous for its large elephant and buffalo herds. The area offers unique beauty, with the Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe river system forming lakes, islands and floodplains.
Chobe Game Lodge
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7 Game Drives in Chobe National Park
Activities are centered around game drives throughout the Linyanti / Chobe area in open 4x4 safari vehicles.
Chobe Game Lodge
Meals: B, L, D
Day 8 Chobe National Park to Livingstone, Zambia
Transfer by road from Chobe National Park to Livingstone in Zambia. Zambia is well known for the Victoria Falls; locals call this phenomenon “Mosi-oa-tunya”, “The smoke that thunders”.
Livingstone offers an ample array of activities, so why not take a microlight over this stunning region, canoe above the falls, or whitewater raft below them? Of course, you could also make time for the second highest bungee jump in the world from Victoria Falls Bridge. For an adventurous but adrenaline free alternative explore the Mukuni and Maramba cultural villages which provide a fascinating opportunity to observe traditional daily life.
The River Club
Meals: B, L, D
Day 9 Activities in Livingstone
Activities include a tour of the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, game drives within Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, river cruises, fishing excursions and guided nature walks. Tours of Livingstone town and museum and visits to Mkuni Market and Simonga Village are all outstanding ways of learning about the people and culture of this part of Zambia. Other activities on offer in the area include sunset cruises, helicopter flights, micro-lighting, canoeing, jet boating, and white water rafting.
The River Club
Meals: B, L, D
Day 10 Depart Livingstone
Transfer to Livingstone Airport for your international flight to Johannesburg and then onward home.
Meals: B
