Itinerary

DAY 1

Arrive in Cape Town

On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, your representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. The transfer time is approximately 30 to 40 minutes, subject to traffic conditions.

The gracious Table Bay Hotel, situated at the heart of Cape Town's bustling Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, combines Victorian elegance with contemporary charm. All 329 exclusively designed rooms represent the epitome of luxury and supreme comfort. The Hotel has views of Table Mountain and across the harbour to Robben Island. The Hotel offers exemplary service, a sophisticated ambience, meticulous attention to detail, and fine a-la-carte dining.

The Atlantic Restaurant overlooks Table Mountain and the harbour, and specializes in South African and Asian cuisine. The Conservatory offers intimate dining. There is also a gym, a boutique, and the Camelot Spa and beauty clinic. Expert staff and personal trainers monitor a complete range of holistic treatments and graded exercise.

Overnight: The Table Bay Hotel

Meal Plan: B

DAY 2

Depart For A full day Cape Point Tour

Please meet your representative in the reception area of the hotel and depart on a full day tour to Cape Point. Lunch is included in your tour. Hugging the Atlantic coast road we journey past the "bikini beaches" of Clifton and Camps Bay, beautifully located at the base of the towering Twelve Apostles Mountains. We travel over the Suikerbossie ("Sugar Bush") Pass and descend into the bucolic Hout Bay valley, with its bustling fishing harbour and white sand beach. From here we travel over the famous Chapman's Peak Drive (subject to road conditions)  to join the sea again at the town of Noordhoek. This historic road, high on the mountainside overlooking the sea, was once considered "impossible to build", but Charl Marais (mining surveyor) rose to the challenge and made it happen at an estimated cost of £20,000 using 700 convict labourers.

Our journey continues to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve at the end of the Cape Peninsula. The reserve, which covers 22,000 acres of land, converges in the south at Cape Point, a great pinnacle of rock. You can climb the steps or ride a funicular railway - the "Flying Dutchman" - to the top from where you may see southern right whales in spring and early summer, dolphins and a variety of seabirds.

En route to lunch we visit Boulders, a lovely beach sheltered from the wind and famous for its colony of endangered Jackass Penguins on the coast of False Bay near Simon's Town. We continue to Kalk Bay, a quaint fishing hamlet on the False Bay coast with a protected little harbour housing brightly painted wooden boats. At around 1pm the fishermen offload their catch and it is possible to buy your supper straight from the boat.

Travel back towards Cape Town passing through the attractive, up-market suburb of Constantia, the cradle of the South African wine industry boasting famous estates such as Klein Constantia. At Kirstenbosch, 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, a private local guide ensures that you learn about some of the more fascinating aspects of the gardens and get as much as possible out of the visit. We return to the hotel passing interesting sites such as the University of Cape Town, Rhodes Memorial and Mostert's Mill, a Dutch windmill dating back to 1797.

Overnight: The Table Bay Hotel

Meal Plan: B,L

DAY 3

Arrive In Stellenbosch

Please meet your representative in the reception area of the hotel and depart on your full day tour of the Cape Winelands.

Leave Cape Town this morning and head towards the famous Cape Winelands set below the dramatic range of mountains known as the "Hottentots Holland". In Stellenbosch, our famous university town, founded in 1679 by Governor Simon van der Stel, you will have the chance to explore the town with a specialist guide who has expert local knowledge. Walk through the town while learning about its historic significance and renowned contemporary wine industry. You will see areas of great architectural heritage including examples of Cape Dutch.

Your walk finishes at the fascinating Village Museum, which chronicles the town's past and incorporates the oldest existing house, which dates back to 1709. Stellenbosch is also the centre of the local wine industry.

After visiting the town we visit a privately owned winery, the picturesque Rustenberg Estate, owned by the Barlow family for generations and renowned for its award winning wines, attractive location and famous herd of Jersey cows. We then journey up over a breathtaking mountain pass called the Hels Hoogte ("Precipitous Heights").

The quaint Huguenot village of Franschhoek ("French Corner") is our setting for lunch. The area was originally known as Olifants Hoek ("Elephant's Corner"). The museum next to the monument depicts the rich heritage and history as well as the development of the Franschhoek Valley, including its fynbos flora, fauna and early inhabitants. Then we head for our final wine tasting and cellar tour of the day at the beautiful Plaisir de Merle estate near the village of Simondium. Blessed through the ages by the hands of many excellent wine making families, the Plaisir de Merle story carries a proud legacy of exceptional people who have created an unsurpassed viticultural and vinicultural tradition. The new cellar was opened on 1st December 1993 to commemorate the signing of the original land grant by Simon van der Stel 300 years ago.

We then travel across country to the historic town of Paarl ("Pearl") passing the Victor Verster Prison from where former President Nelson Mandela was released in 1990. Surrounded by fruit and wine farms, Paarl nestles in the Berg River Valley beneath the imposing granite rocks of Paarl Mountain. We will drive up a mountain road to visit the unique Taal Monument, the only monument ever built to immortalise a language (the Afrikaans language). Standing proudly on top of Paarl Mountain the vistas over town, vineyards and mountains are magnificent. From here we will return to Cape Town and our hotel.

The Village at Spier is a large hotel on an estate just outside of Stellenbosch, in the heart of the Cape winelands. It is 15 minutes from the beaches of Gordon's Bay and the Strand and a quick 30 minute drive from Cape Town's city centre.

Holidaymakers can combine the ultimate winelands holiday with the fun of a beach holiday. Shoppers who want to remain in the winelands can visit the nearby Somerset Mall or visit the picturesque Stellenbosch. The Village at Spier comprises thirty two double-storey buildings, grouped around six private courtyards, each with its own pool and entertainment area. It offers guests 155 spacious rooms, including four suites and nine villa rooms. All rooms are decorated in a simple but elegant country style. The Village at Spier has conference facilities and special packages for out-of-towners that include flights, accommodation and car hire.

Franschhoek is famed for its array of gastronomic delights. To top off lunch we therefore head for a fine cheese tasting, accompanied of course by a glass of wine at the local "Fromagerie" (or similar).

Overnight: Spier Hotel & Conferencing

Meal Plan: B,L

DAY 4

Arrive in Vctoria Falls

Please meet your representative in the reception area of the hotel for your transfer to Cape Town International Airport for your onward flight to Victoria Falls. The transfer time is approximately 40 minutes. {Please note that the flight from Cape Town to Victoria Falls is not included in the costing.}

On arrival at Victoria Falls Airport, an Abercrombie & Kent representative will meet and transfer you to Victoria Falls Town. The transfer time is approximately 25 minutes. As you will be entering Zimbabwe, a single entry visa will be required and is obtainable at the point of entry at a cost and payable in cash. The visa fee is subject to change at the discretion of the Zimbabwean Government. Please note that in Zimbabwe Master Card's, Diners Cards and American Express Cards are no longer accepted. However, Visa Cards are currently being accepted. Though we prefer to recommend that clients rather take cash with them. With the big difference between the official exchange rate and the parallel market, hotels are increasing their prices in line with inflation, thus affecting payments made by credit cards.

The Victoria Falls Hotel combines the charm of the old with the comfort and convenience of today. lt has 18 suites, 90 standard rooms and 79 deluxe rooms, and is one hotel that can truly claim to be unique. The elegant lounges offer serenity and seclusion. The corridors reflect all the past glories of the Empire. The suites and rooms are superbly furnished in Edwardian style, all air-conditioned and with every modern amenity.

You will then meet your representative in the reception area of the hotel for your transfer to the jetty from where you depart on an afternoon sunset cruise. The area of the Zambezi that we conduct our cruises on is one of outstanding natural, scenic beauty with a wide diversity of game and bird life. Large animals such as elephants, hippo and crocodiles are frequent sightings as this area lies within Zambezi National Park. The Ra-Ikane is a small luxury cruise boat that is furnished to suggest, in exquisite detail, an ambiance of a bygone era.

Paying tribute to Ra-Ikane, one of the guides who first led David Livingstone to the Victoria Falls, this cruise boat is exclusive and personalized. Period decor, historic memorabilia, fine cuisine and refreshments characterize a level of comfort and grace unsurpassed on the Zambezi. Game can often be spotted from the water too. Enjoy dinner and dancing in the magnificent Livingstone Room with a classic à-la-carte menu. Traditional high tea is served every afternoon on the terrace, with spectacular views over the Victoria Falls Bridge and the Victoria Falls themselves.

There is also the Jungle Junction Restaurant for informal sumptuous buffets under the stars. A range of sports are available nearby, including an 18 hole championship golf course, white water rafting, bungy jumping, canoeing, micro-lighting, game walks and drives, elephant back safaris, helicopter flights over the Victoria Falls and cruises on the Zambezi River.

Overnight: Victoria Falls Hotel

Meal Plan: B

DAY 5

Arrive in Kasane

Please meet your representative in the reception area of the hotel for your transfer to Kasane Airport, clearing customs and immigration formalities en-route. The transfer time is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will then be collected from the Kasane Airport by a Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero representative for your road transfer to the camp.

Deep in the heart of Botswana, in the Linyanti Forest Reserve lies the Chobe Chilwero Lodge, 15km from the Kasane International Airport. Guests can enjoy thrilling guided game drives in open-sided 4X4 vehicles that bring them to the heart of Africa's largest concentration of elephants, hippos, buffaloes, antelope and lions. Guests can also join acclaimed guides on water safaris with specially adapted motorboats. Sundowner cruises are particularly spectacular on the Chobe River, and fishing excursions are also available.

The Lodge has a swimming pool and sumptuous meals are lovingly prepared by the expert culinary staff. Guests can expect an eclectic fusion of African cuisine and Western delicacies

Overnight: Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero

Meal Plan: B,L,D

DAY 6

Chobe National Park

Enjoy the day at leisure taking advantage of the activities on offer.

Overnight: Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero

Meal Plan: B,L,D

DAY 7

Arrive at Moremi Game Reserve

Depart Kasane Airport by Mack Air shared light aircraft transfer to Chief's Camp. The estimated flying time to Chief's Camp is approximately 1 hour 20 minutes. Kindly note, however, that all inter-camp flights are subject to multiple pick ups and drop offs en route to your destination which could affect the flying time.

Chief's Camp is a luxury bush lodge situated on Chief's Island in the exclusive Mombo concession of the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana.

The twelve secluded, permanent luxury bush pavilions are designed for ultimate privacy and comfort. They offer guests a front-row seat in a rich and rewarding African adventure. Each pavilion has a thatched roof, a spacious seating area, an en-suite bathroom and a private game-viewing deck with a hammock and deck chairs.

There's an exquisite swimming pool and a range of spa treatments offered by the resident beauty therapist in a poolside treatment room. Game-viewing opportunities include daily excursions in open safari vehicles and quiet mokoro trips along narrow delta channels during the flood season. Expert guides are always on hand to offer guests a wealth of wildlife knowledge.

Overnight: Sanctuary Chief's Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

DAY 8

Moremi Game Reserve

Enjoy the day at leisure taking advantage of the activities on offer.

Meal Plan: B,L,D

DAY 9

Arrive in Johannesburg

Depart Chief's Camp by Mack Air shared light aircraft transfer to Maun Airport. Estimated flying time to Maun Airport is approximately 25 minutes. Kindly note, however, that all inter-camp flights are subject to multiple pick ups and drop offs en route to your destination which could affect the flying time. You will then connect onto your scheduled flight from Maun International Airport to OR Tambo International Airport. {Please note that the flight from Maun to OR Tambo is not included in the costing.}

On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, your representative will meet and transfer you to your hotel. The transfer time is approximately 30 - 45 minutes.

Overnight: The Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa

Meal Plan: B