Encounter some of humankind’s closest relatives: Borneo’s orangutans and the rare mountain gorillas of East Africa. The world's wonders are watching and waiting. Search for birds that swim and fish that fly in the Amazon rain forest… and Bengal tigers and one-horned rhinos in Nepal’s high grasslands. Get close to rare Mekong fish and mammals… and vast colonies of Cape fur seals and flamingos along Namibia’s wild coastline. Madagascar is home to more than 30 lemur species, including the white ruffed and the Coquerel's sifaka. It also harbors geckos, glass frogs, and flocks of birds. That's just one stop. Multiply by nine.

Private Jet Travel is Safe, Comfortable and Convenient

Our private Boeing 757 offers unmatched safety, long-range capabilities, access to smaller airports, and an interior customized for maximum comfort. Not limited by regular commercial routes or schedules, we fly direct, bypass busy airports and avoid layovers, crisscrossing continents and countries with ease. We enjoy special privileges, including expedited boarding, luggage handling, and Customs and Immigration formalities. Because we set our own schedules, we fly during the day, arriving refreshed and ready to explore.

NEW, Spacious Leather Seats Fit Like a Glove
We have reconfigured our Boeing 757 jetliner to accommodate just 74 guests in new VIP leather seats. Made with a patented, dense foam core, the seats automatically adjust to a wide range of body types and provide heightened comfort, flexibility and improved circulation. Each seat has an individual power source for laptops, digital cameras and other equipment. The cabin has 24 flat-screen monitors.

We Control the Quality and Safety of Our Transportation
The Boeing 757 is unsurpassed among today's jetliners for safety and has a 99 percent reliability rate for operating without mechanical delays. Our private jet is operated and maintained by First Choice Airways, founded in the United Kingdom in 1987. Carrying more than seven million passengers on more than 30,000 flights a year, First Choice Airways is one of the U.K.’s largest airlines and is consistently recognized for its high level of safety, performance and service.

First Choice Airways monitors access to the jet and baggage at all times. Every piece of luggage is screened and identified with a security tag and remains under the watchful eyes of our staff and security officers. Find out more about our safety and security program.

An Expedition Physician Travels With Us
An experienced expedition physician accompanies each journey and is on-call to passengers 24 hours a day.

An International Crew and Fine Create a First-Class Expedition Experience
Accompanying our journey is an experienced, international crew, including eight cabin attendants, three pilots, two engineers, an airport liaison officer, and two chefs. The flight crew remains with us throughout the trip. Experienced expedition leaders also accompany the group.

In-flight meals are graciously served on china and linen. Carefully chosen menus and wine lists accommodate a range of tastes. Dishes are prepared with the freshest ingredients and special emphasis is placed on food safety by our chef and catering assistant.

Seminars in the Sky Prepare Us for Adventures on Land
Our lecturers deliver in-flight presentations, using a public address system and conveniently placed overhead monitors. An on-board library of books and publications relating to each destination is available during flight.

Travel with superb lecturers and leaders.
Expert lecturers help create a rich context for your journey, increasing your awareness and knowledge of areas like art, history, geography and politics.

Professional expedition leaders take care of every detail, leaving you free to immerse yourself in every amazing destination.

World Heritage Sites
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cooperation with World Wildlife Fund 2009

UNESCO World Heritage sites are places of extraordinary and universal cultural and/or natural value that have been chosen for special protection from damage and destruction. When a site is selected by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, it is inscribed onto the official World Heritage Site List and receives ongoing aid and technical support from the World Heritage Fund.

Accommodations
Hotels featured on Around the World in Cooperation with World Wildlife Fund 2009

United States
Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, Orlando
Each guest room in this lavish new resort features a spacious and elegant bathroom, hand painted Italian furniture, flat-screen Web TV and a five-foot private balcony with panoramic views of lakes, pool and gardens. Public areas are richly treated in marble, antiques, fresh flowers and plush fabrics. The grounds include a 40,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, and an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course.

Brazil
Tiwa Amazonas Ecoresort, Manaus
This new eco-resort is located on the banks of the Rio Negro, surrounded by surrounded by tropical rainforest and built around a beautiful natural lake. Wooden guest bungalows are built on stilts over the water, and include a loft bedroom, private bath, and large wooden deck. The resort includes a swimming pool, restaurant, water sport center, and amphitheatre. Colorful macaws and monkeys are regular visitors to the grounds.

OR

Tropical Hotel, Manaus
The largest luxury hotel in Brazil is located on the banks of the Rio Negro. Brazilian woods are used extensively throughout the property, and guests can enjoy a regular pool, wave pool, sports complex, jogging track, volleyball court, tennis courts, game room, and colonial shopping court. Guest rooms are large, decorated in modern or colonial style, and have relaxing views.

Chile
Hanga Roa Hotel, Easter Island
The Hanga Roa enjoys an enviable seaside location, and its tiled bungalow rooms are the best-appointed on Easter Island. The dining room serves mostly fish fresh from the ocean beyond its window-walls. The grounds include a pool on the hotel lawn.

OR

Taha Tai Hotel, Easter Island
This modern, comfortable hotel opened in 2000. The guest rooms offer basic amenities and terraces. The Taha Tai, which features a pool and seafood restaurant with sweeping ocean views, is conveniently located within walking distance of the museum and handicrafts market.

Samoa
Aggie Grey's Lagoon Beach Resort & Spa, Apia
This beachside resort with its own turquoise lagoon is nestled amid 50 acres of tropical gardens. Bordered by an 18-hole championship golf course, the resort also offers an extensive water sports center, infinity pool, and spa utilizing ancient Polynesian treatments. The resort’s architecture and décor are open and airy, making a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor.

Malaysia
Sabah Hotel, Sandakan, Borneo
This modern and clean rainforest hotel features large guest rooms with basic furnishings. There are several dining options and extensive recreational facilities including health club, tennis and squash courts, jogging track, spa, steam room, sauna, and free-form pool. The staff is eager to please.

Laos
Pansea Phou Vao Hotel, Luang Prabang
Sitting imposingly atop Phou Vao (Kite Hill), this luxurious French-managed hotel is surrounded by gardens and has stunning views of the city below. The huge guest rooms are finished in spare, modern, Asian style and feature four-poster beds, large baths, day beds and shaded balconies.

AND

Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane
The tallest building in town, the luxurious Lao Plaza is decorated in local style and offers complete modern facilities. It is used for the most important guests of the Lao Government, official state visits and social events. Located near the Lao National History Museum, it was renovated in 2003, when a new fitness club and spa were added.

Nepal
Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu
This city resort hotel is set on 37 acres overlooking Bodhnath Stupa, the most holy of Tibetan Buddhist shrines outside Tibet. The courtyard lobby features replicas of nine 11th-century shrines. Hotel amenities include floodlit tennis courts, a high-tech fitness center with jogging track and a complete spa with Ayurvedic massage.

AND

Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, Royal Chitwan National Park
The public areas of this famed outpost have thatched roofs, rustic beams and historic photographs. Wildlife treks depart on foot, in canoes or Land Rovers, or on the backs of elephants. The simple tree house or bungalow guest rooms are constructed from natural materials and feature ceiling fans and simple baths with solar-heated showers.

Madagascar
Antananarivo: Carlton Hotel
One of the finest hotel properties in the city, this hotel overlooks Lake Anosy. Guest rooms are air-conditioned and feature warm colors with Malagasy accents. Each room has a view of Lake Anosy or the outdoor pool – Tana’s largest. Leisure facilities also include tennis and a fitness club with whirlpool, sauna, massage and Turkish bath.

AND

Anjajavy-l’Hôtel
Built on a peninsula over a wide bay and backed by more than 1,000 acres of nature reserve, this resort blends into its beautiful surroundings. Each of the solid rosewood, palm-roofed villas has a large patio overlooking the sea. The Oasis, a garden designed by a famous Parisian landscaper, features a wide variety of Malagasy plants and animals.

OR

Vakona Forest Lodge, Périnet
Accommodations at the Vakona Lodge consist of comfortable bungalows with mini bar and en suite bathroom with hot water. The lounge/game and open restaurant are built around a fireplace. Board games, snooker table, swimming pool, horse riding and table tennis are available.

Namibia
Swakopmund Hotel, Swakopmund
This German-colonial-style hotel is built around a renovated 1907 railroad station and features a rustic German-theme tavern, cinema, small shopping arcade, and casino. The courtyard comes complete with a pair of dolphin fountains. Colorful guest rooms are decorated with blond woods, wicker, and blue and yellow accents.

Uganda/Rwanda
Serena Hotel, Kampala (Uganda)
Each of the Serena’s guest rooms, individually re-styled in 2005, features a unique blend of colors, décor and artifacts. Serene public areas showcase the skills of Uganda’s celebrated wood-carvers with the inspiration of her weavers. A state-of-the-art health spa offers a wide range of relaxation options.

AND

Mweya Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)
Mweya Lodge commands beautiful views of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Ruwenzori Mountains. The lodge has been completely renovated with spacious air-conditioned guest rooms with balconies, as well as a restaurant and bar area. From the infinity pool, guests can watch buffalo, antelope, and elephant drinking from the channel.  

OR

Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda)
Blending seamlessly into the natural surroundings, this luxury tented camp perches on a mountainside in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Guests are accommodated in platform tents, with beds carved by Ugandan artists, spacious wooden decks, and baths that overlook the forest. A bar and dining cottage overlooking the rain forest, and a raised natural platform hosts open-air dining. Guests can sit around the campfire at night and watch the stars.

OR

Virunga Lodge , Parc National des Volcans (Rwanda)
The Virunga Lodge, opened in 2004, is set on the tallest hill overlooking Bulera Lake, the Virunga volcanoes and terraced farmlands. Guests stay in comfortable bandas with modern amenties. The lodge offers gorilla tracking in the park where Dian Fossey conducted her research.

OR

Gorillas Nest Lodge, Ruhengeri (Rwanda)
Gorillas Nest Lodge, nestled in a clearing of eucalyptus trees in the green hills of northern Rwanda, is just a few kilometers from a rare mountain gorilla park. The rustic but well constructed lodge has Rwandan grass thatched roofs. Comfortable guest rooms are set amid gardens, and feature original artwork and en-suite bathrooms. The grounds include a volcano-view golf course and clubhouse.

United Kingdom
The Dorchester, London
With views across Hyde Park, this grand 1931 hotel blends old-world style with 21st-century comforts. Guest rooms are richly furnished and accented with paneling, thick carpeting, and polished woods. Immense marbled baths include deep tubs and walk-in showers. The elaborate health club offers an excellent gym, health and beauty treatments, saunas, tanning beds, and whirlpools.

Price of the Expedition Includes

• All hotel accommodations, meals, group transportation, excursions and other group activities from arrival in Orlando on April 6, 2009, through departure from London following breakfast on April 30, 2009
  
• Airport transfers at beginning and end of trip
• Transportation by private jet (or other conveyance) according to the itinerary, including meals, beverages, wine, beer and liquor on board our private jet
• Complete program of special events and activities
• Enrichment program of lectures and presentations by a team of experts
• Professional expedition staff and physician to assist you throughout the trip
• Bottled water throughout the expedition
• Baggage handling abroad
• All gratuities
• Amenities package
• Comprehensive medical evacuation insurance.

Price of the Expedition Does Not Include

• Airfare and taxes from home cities to Orlando and return from London (see airfare section below)
• Passport fees and visa charges
• Accident/baggage/cancellation insurance
• Personal expenses such as immunizations, laundry, telephone, fax charges, taxis
• Liquor except as noted above.

AIRFARE
Because travelers originate from a variety of home cities, airfares will vary. We are happy to reserve flights in the class of service you prefer, and to arrange for your airport transfers and pre- or post-trip hotel accommodations.

Expectation of Travelers
We consider this a fast-paced, strenuous program. Walking and climbing stairs are required to board and disembark the jet at most airports, to get around in hotels and to participate in many excursions. Riding in four-wheel-drive vehicles on rough terrain or unpaved paths can aggravate back conditions.

All members of the trip are expected to be in good mental and physical health.