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Wings Over Botswana: Journeys for Women (November 24 to December 4, 2008)
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Fly deep into the wilderness of Botswana's remote Okavango Delta, an oasis in an otherwise water-starved land, on Wings Over Botswana. Continue your adventure with an optional extension to Cape Town and the winelands, including a unique and rewarding visit to the Amy Biehl Foundation.
Your A&K Specialist Guide in Botswana
Ali Tiego
Ali Tiego has worked in the tourism industry in Botswana as a professional field guide for nearly nine years. His avid interest evolved during his youth in the small village of Phuduhudu in the Makgadikgadi/Nxai Pans National Parks area. Ali spent 10 years in Gabarone honing his commerce and marketing skills and obtained his professional guide's license. Abercrombie & Kent noticed his multiple skills and was quick to hire him as a safari manager, professional guide and manager at various Sanctuary Lodges.
The A&K Advantage
- Photographic tips from a professional photographer
- Cultural tour in Maun that includes an interactive visit with members of a traditional village
- Game viewing at Chief's Camp in the Mombo Concession of the Moremi Game Reserve, known as the "predator capital" of Botswana
- Unique opportunity to learn about the behavior of the African elephant when you touch, feel and walk with a trio of semi-habituated elephant
- Specially designed extension to Cape Town, including a complimentary massage at your hotel and tour of the Amy Biehl Foundation
- Services of a private A&K specialist guide throughout Botswana safari
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| Call (800) 710-1008 for more information or to book today! Mention code 6997142 | | Abercrombie & Kent | | Offer valid through 11/24/2008 | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | 1-2 | Johannesburg | Monday - Tuesday, November 24-25
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
| | 3 | Okavango Delta | Wednesday, November 26
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
| | 4 | Okavango Delta | Thursday, November 27
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
| | 5 | Okavango Delta | Friday, November 28
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
| | 6 | Okavango Delta | Saturday, November 29
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
| | 7 | Chobe National Park | Sunday, November 30
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
| | 8 | Chobe National Park | Monday, December 1
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
| | 9 | Victoria Falls | Tuesday, December 2
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
| | 10 | Johannesburg | Wednesday, December 3
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.
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| | 11 | USA | Thursday, December 4
Arrival USA
Arrive in the United States.
| | 12-15 | Cape Town | Optional Cape Town Extension
Featuring a visit to the Amy Biehl Foundation Friday, December 5
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 Saturday, December 6
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 Sunday, December 7
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 Monday, December 8
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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| | | | The price shown is in USD. Price is per person, based on double occupancy.
Price Per person
Double occupancy..... $6,995
Single supplement..... $350
Internal air..... $1,310
* Holiday surcharge will apply. Call for Time Out For Myself details.
Departure dates, prices and availability may change at any time.
Prices and departures may vary from what is displayed on this web site. Please call us at 800-710-1008 to confirm the latest pricing and departure information. |
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