Best of Botswana & Victoria Falls Safari
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Best of Botswana & Victoria Falls Safari SOUTH AFRICA BOTSWANA ZAMBIA 10 Days Johannesburg, South Africa | Okavango, Botswana | Okavango, Botswana | Livingstone, Zambia | Johannesburg, South Africa Best of Botswana & Victoria Falls SOUTH AFRICA BOTSWANA ZAMBIA 10 DAYS Itinerary Day 1 Saturday Johannesburg South Africa Intercon Johannesburg OR Tambo Day 2 Sunday Okavango Botswana Abu Camp Day 3 Monday Okavango Botswana Abu Camp Day 4 Tuesday Okavango Botswana Abu Camp Day 5 Wednesday Okavango Botswana Vumbura Plains Day 6 Thursday Okavango Botswana Vumbura Plains Day 7 Friday Okavango Botswana Vumbura Plains Day 8 Saturday Livingstone Zambia Toka Leya Camp Day 9 Sunday Livingstone Zambia Toka Leya Camp Day 10 Monday Johannesburg South Africa Depart From: $8,955 Per Person Availability must be finalized by one of our trip planners who will contact and confirm availability and pricing with all accommodations and operators. Rates are valid only for travel between 01 November – 19 December, 2014 and 11 January – 31 March, 2015. No single supplements charged by the safari camps/lodges mentioned in the itinerary. INCLUDED IN THE COST • All scheduled domestic air in Africa per the itinerary • All accommodations, safari activities, transfers as indicated in the itinerary • Meals as indicated in the Includes section for each accommodation below • All park entrance fees per the itinerary • Accommodation taxes, applicable tourism levies and all relevant Value Added Tax (VAT) or Government Sales Tax • Professional naturalist guides and local tour guides in each safari camp and lodge • Portage of one soft-sided bag • Total maximum per person luggage allowance of 41 lbs (one carry-on and one checked bag combined weight) on all light aircraft flights • Medical evacuation insurance NOT INCLUDED IN THE COST • Flights between the United States and Africa • Personal expenses such as souvenirs and telephone/fax charges • Excess baggage fees • Travel cancellation insurance, visa and inoculation fees • Cost of additional seat on scheduled charters to allocate camera equipment. • Activities not mentioned as included in the Includes section for each accommodation • Gratuities • Airport Departure Fees and Security Tax • Any Government taxes, levis, fuel or industry increases beyond our control • Anything else not mentioned as included Day 1 – Johannesburg Start safari O.R. Tambo International Airport Johannesburg, South Africa (Arrival Location) Johannesburg, South Africa Sofiatown. Joburg. Gold Reef City. This is the commercial capital of one of Africa's strongest economic engines, South Africa. Johannesburg was built on a gold mining town established in the 1800's, and you can still see the slag heaps within the city limits. If you are focused on a wildlife safari, your time should be kept to a minimum in Johannesburg. But if you have time to explore the city, it’s definitely worth a stay. Feel the vibe of Soweto, for example (an acronym for South West Township), then we can organize a fun bike ride that takes you through the streets of Soweto and gives you a flavor for this colorful and energetic township. Intercon Johannesburg OR Tambo With 138 rooms including 2 Presidential Suites, 26 Executive Rooms and 110 Standard Rooms, each accommodation is well-appointed and tastefully decorated with subtle influences of Africa. Spacious showers, comfortable king beds, blackout curtains and soundproofing ensure a night of relaxation. Wireless Internet and ample natural light provides executive guests a comfortable, ergonomic environment. Located on the ground floor overlooking the terrace, Quills Restaurant & Bar is open 24 hours daily and specializes in African game meats such as springbok, warthog, kudu and crocodile paired with outstanding local wines. Al fresco dining is available on the outside terrace and dress code is relaxed. Numerous activities are available, at additional cost, while in Johannesburg. Tours of Pretoria and Soweto are available as well as visits to the De Wildt Cheetah Center, the Apartheid Museum and Sterkfontein and Maropeng. Please advise if any of these activities are of interest for further descriptions, availability and pricing. Activities Apartheid Museum • Curios/Fine Art Shopping • DeWildt Cheetah Centre • Elephant Educational at Hartebeespoort Dam • Family Friendly Activities • Maropeng: Cradle of Humanity • Origins Centre • Pretoria City Tour • Scenic Helicopter Flight • Soweto Township Tour • Spa Service • Sterkfontein Caves Includes/Excludes: Rates include: accommodation, breakfast, complimentary wireless internet, complimentary access to the 24-hour hotel gym Amenities: Air Conditioning, Cell Phone Coverage, Ensuite Bathrooms, Hairdryer, Pool, Wi-Fi, Workout Room Day 2-4 – Okavango Johannesburg Maun Commercial Flight (1 hour, 45 minutes) Maun Okavango Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (45 minutes) Okavango, Botswana The Okavango Delta is a safari icon. Its landscapes are awe-inspiring: yellow grasslands, pristine papyrus filtered rivers, ivory palm trees standing tall above the savannahs, red sunset skies punctuated by fish eagle cries…and great game viewing. It is a resilient system where drainage basins in Angola capture rain water in the African summer (December to March). But because Botswana is so flat, it takes months for that water to make it down the Okavango River and flood into the Kalahari Desert. The timing is perfect - it brings water to the Kalahari during the dry season (May through October) and becomes a key attraction for wildlife at this time of year. Abu Camp The vast 450,000-acre private and exclusive Abu Concession is set within the unspoiled pristine wilderness area of the Okavango Delta. As the largest inland delta on the planet, the Okavango and surrounding areas of northern Botswana holds more elephants than any other area in Africa. Abu Camp is nestled in the shade of a magnificent grove of ancient hardwood trees on the edge of a large lagoon, ringed with a backdrop of fig and jackal-berry trees. Flowing beautifully from tiered decking, an imaginative use of canvas and poles forms the main area of camp. Creating a modern, unique blend of sweeping lines in complete harmony with the surrounding wilderness, the lounge and dining room have been designed to complement the easy flow of nature and to accentuate a feeling of lightness at Abu Camp. During your stay you are invited to immerse yourself in the elephant herd. Explore the pristine environment with the herd, and get to know the personalities of each family member, from playful babies to precocious teenagers and doting mothers, all led by the sage, experienced matriarch, Cathy. The Abu herd offers an incomparable opportunity to intimately engage and physically interact with elephants through varied activities. Shortly after arriving at camp, guests will be personally introduced to the herd. You will be offered opportunities to walk with the elephants, physically interact with the herd, participate in or just observe activities such as mud bathing, training and veterinary care, view wildlife from the back of an elephant, discuss elephant conservation and care with local researchers and gain insightful interpretation of elephant behavior. Abu Camp now offers the opportunity to sleep out under the stars, in the new Star Bed overlooking the elephant boma. On request, guests are escorted to the large double bed of the Star Bed after dinner on one night of their stay at Abu Camp. Here, raised high above the ground, they sleep beneath the incredible canopy of stars. Also on offer are game drive activities in open safari vehicles. Early morning or late afternoons provide the best opportunities to see wildlife, which tends to be more active in the cooler temperatures, often choosing to hunt, feed and drink then. Float in tranquil reflection down the quiet channels of the delta on a motorboat or mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe, navigated through the waters by a skilled poler. Activities Canoe/Mokoro • Elephant Riding/Interaction • Family Friendly Activities • Game Drive • Game Viewing by Boat • Night Drive • Off-Road Game Viewing • Photo Specialty • Scenic Helicopter Flight • Spa Service • Stargazing • Walking Safari Includes/Excludes: Rates include: accommodation, all meals, laundry, drinks (except premium imported wines, champagnes, spirits and liqueurs), twice daily scheduled camp activities: game drives (morning and afternoon), off-road game viewing, mokoro excursions, nature walks, star bed experience, elephant interaction, birding, park fees, wireless internet connection Amenities: Ensuite Bathrooms, Hairdryer, Laundry Included, Local Drinks Included, Pool, Recharge Facilities, Wi-Fi, Workout Room Day 5 - 7 – Okavango Okavango Okavango Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (15 minutes) Okavango, Botswana The Okavango Delta is a safari icon. Its landscapes are awe-inspiring: yellow grasslands, pristine papyrus filtered rivers, ivory palm trees standing tall above the savannahs, red sunset skies punctuated by fish eagle cries…and great game viewing. It is a resilient system where drainage basins in Angola capture rain water in the African summer (December to March). But because Botswana is so flat, it takes months for that water to make ite down th Okavango River and flood into the Kalahari Desert. The timing is perfect - it brings water to the Kalahari during the dry season (May through October) and becomes a key attraction for wildlife at this time of year. Vumbura Plains Vumbura Plains Camp is a premiere luxury camp situated in a private