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Southern Africa Insights.Pages Southern African Insights Sunday 17th June to Friday 13th July 2018 A 27-day journey through the compelling and varied landscapes of the southern African countries of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, this tour will leave you with unforgettable memories and valuable insights into the rich cultures and complex history of Southern Africa. Relax in the comfort and safety of this fully escorted and guided tour. Experience the desert grandeur of Namibia by train, the rich diversity and raw history of South Africa and Zimbabwe’s culture and history. Get up close and personal with the iconic wildlife of Africa, from the salt pans and deserts of the west, to the incredible lushness of Botswana’s delta. Coast to coast, from the dramatic beauty of Cape Town to the exquisite Indian Ocean idyll of Mozambique’s Vilankulo region, let Insights Tours introduce you to the best of Southern Africa. Touring Programme Day 1 Sunday 17th June Sydney to Cape Town, South Africa Depart Sydney. Flight to Johannesburg via Perth. Please contact us for details about departing from other locations. Day 2 Monday 18th June Cape Town Early morning arrival in Johannesburg with opportunity to shower, refresh and breakfast courtesy of the included airline lounge access. Domestic flight to Cape Town, arriving late morning. Enjoy lunch at the Three Boutique Hotel in Central Cape Town. This charming manor dating from the 1770s was carefully restored to its original beauty in 2009 by its current owners. Located on Flower Street, the building was also home to a vast garden where its original owner, Dutch commander General Robert J Gordon, cultivated and exported African floral species to Europe and Asia. After lunch we take the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway to the summit. From the top of Table Mountain – Hoerikwaggo ‘mountain in the sea’ in the local Khoikhoi language – take in the spectacular views over Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. Table Mountain is recognised by UNESCO as a biodiversity hotspot and part of the highly significant fynbos bioregion. Dinner at our hotel. Three nights’ accommodation at The Three Boutique Hotel, Cape Town. V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain cable car (South Africa Tourism) Day 3 Tuesday 19th June Cape Town and Robben Island Start the day with a city tour of Cape Town before visiting the Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden at the base of Table Mountain. After years of neglect and being overrun by exotic species, the garden was developed to showcase and preserve South Africa’s exceptional wealth of plant life. In particular, the garden showcases the distinctive and densely rich fynbos plant kingdom – you may recognise at least one of its most famous members, the proteas. We also visit the Slave Lodge, a fascinating museum dedicated to the history of slavery in South Africa, and part of the Iziko Museums of Cape Town which house various historical, archaeological and ethnographic collections. After lunch, a memorable afternoon visiting Robben Island. Robben Island has a long and multi- layered history and is also an important natural conservation site, home to seabirds, marine and wildlife. From the 1400s to 1991 it was used as a prison, throughout the periods of Dutch and English colonial rule, and later, infamously, for political opponents of apartheid. Our guides through the Robben Island Museum were political prisoners there, and they relate their own poignant experiences and the remarkable story of Nelson Mandela’s 18-year imprisonment there. Returning to the mainland, we wander the Victoria and Alfred Port precinct before dining out in the precinct. Day 4 Wednesday 20th June Simonstown and Stellenbosch Guided day tour by chartered coach to Simonstown and Stellenbosch. A pretty coastal drive down the eastern side of Cape Peninsula to Simonstown, a naval city on the shores of False Bay. From Simonstown we depart on the local electric metro for the short trip to Valsbaai (False Bay) – the train runs right by the bay, with stunning views of the coast and seaside townships along the way. Boulders Beach, Simonstown (South Africa Tourism) At Valsbaai, we rejoin the coach for Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum where we take a guided tour and township walk. Uniquely, the museum was was the initiative of residents, who wanted to sustain the memory of the apartheid labour system and its impacts on the lives of black South Africans. Lunch at a local restaurant before departing for the university town of Stellenbosch, to the east of Cape Town. Stellensbosch was established in 1679 and from the 1690s the fertile valleys around it were established as wine producing region. After a tour of the city, we tour the Delaire Graff Estate and taste their highly-regarded wines. Return late afternoon for Cape Town. Dinner at our hotel. Delaire Graff Estate Day 5 Thursday 21st June Cape Town to Walvis Bay, Namibia Morning departure by direct flight to Walvis Bay, Namibia, where we overnight before beginning our Dune Express rail journey. Walvis Bay is a natural harbour on the edge of the desert, and a growing cruising destination. Onshore, it plays host to a striking sight, one of the largest flocks of flamingos in Southern Africa. In contrast to the desert dunes, the waters are home to abundant marine life such as seals, birds and whales. In the afternoon, we tour Walvis Bay and nearby Swakopmund, a seaside town, which is noted for its German colonial architecture, nestled between sea and desert. Accommodation overnight at Flamingo Villa Boutique Hotel, Walvis Bay. Day 6 Friday 22nd June Walvis Bay to Otjiwarongo Today we start our unforgettable 12-day Dune Express Tour aboard the Shongololo Express. Accommodation on board is in Gold Class cabins, stylish and comfortable, with air-conditioning and ensuite bathroom. The tour includes several off-train tours, to provide a comprehensive experience. With Pretoria, South Africa as our ultimate destination, the 3,330 km journey leaves the coast after Swakopmund for the northern interior of Namibia. Accommodation overnight onboard train at Otjiwarongo. Shongololo Dune Train route, Double bed room, Dining car, Lounge car (Shongololo) Day 7 Saturday 23rd June Otjiwarongo to Etosha This morning we transfer to a lodge adjacent to Etosha National Park, where we stay tonight. We have two days to be immersed in the stark and compelling beauty of the salt pans and dusty lunar landscape of Etosha (estosha ‘dusty place’ in San). Animals and birds in their tens of thousands are drawn to the perennial waterholes surrounding the salt pans, and we visit at the perfect time of year to see a vast array of birdlife and iconic African animals – zebra, giraffe, springbok, wildebeest, black rhino, warthog, elephants and lions to name a few, perhaps even cheetah and leopards. Ample and accessible guided game-viewing opportunities both today and tomorrow. Overnight lodge accommodation at Etosha National Park. Etosha National Park wildlife (Namibia Tourism) Day 8 Sunday 24th June Etosha to Kranzberg Enjoy a final game drive and lunch before returning to the train for a mid-afternoon departure travelling through the evocative savannah landscape to Kranzberg, near the circular granite massif of the Erongo mountain range. Accommodation overnight onboard train at Kranzberg. Day 9 Monday 25th June Kranzberg to Mariental Travel to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Situated in the Central Plateau at 1680 m above sea level and surrounded by the Auas and Eros mountains, Windhoek is an attractive city with a complex past. On our afternoon tour of the city, we gain an insight into its fascinating history and role in the colonial past and contemporary independence, visiting the TransNamib Transport Museum, the National Museum at the Alte Feste Fort, Christuskirche Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Namibia Craft Centre in the old Breweries Building. Return to the train for travel to the village of Mariental, on the banks of the Fish River, and between the Kalahari and Namib deserts. Despite the arid climate, Mariental is irrigated by the nearby Hardap Dam and is surrounded by food cropping and game farms. Christuskirche Windhoek (Namibia Tourism) Accommodation overnight onboard train at Mariental. Day 10 Tuesday 26th June Mariental to Sossusvlei From Mariental, transfer to Sossusvlei, surrounded by the dramatic dunes of the Namib-Naukluft Park. From our base at Sossusvlei, we explore the Sesriem Canyon, carved out over millions of years by the Tsauchab River and take an afternoon game drive. Overnight lodge accommodation at Sossusvlei. Day 11 Wednesday 27th June Sossusvlei to Keetmanshoop See the sunrise from Dune 45, reputedly one of the most photographed dunes in the world. This is one of the best times of the days to photograph the 170 m high dune on the road between Sossusvlei and Sesriem gate into the Namib-Naukluft Park. The ancient red dunes of the Namib Desert were formed over millions of years from iron-oxide sands and are known as star dunes – not because of their superstar photogenic nature, but from the wind-shaped star formations they take. Brunch back at the lodge. Later, we take a scenic drive through the Namib-Naukluft Park. Late afternoon departure by train for Keetmanshoop in the Kalahari Desert. Overnight accommodation onboard train at Keetmanshoop. Sossusvlei dunes, Giants Playground, Quiver Tree Forest. (Namibia Tourism) Day 12 Thursday 28th June Keetmanshoop to Aus Morning tour of Keetmanshoop and surrounds, including Quiver Tree Forest and Giant’s Playground. The quiver tree is a large species of aloe, which is only found in the Karoo and the Western Escarpment of Namibia, and was used by the San people to make quivers for hunting. The Giant’s Playground is a maze of volcanic rock formations that look just like some enormous hands have been playing with blocks! Train departs at midday for Aus, with lunch served onboard.
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