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Itinerary

Day-By-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Cape Town, South Africa

Day 2: Arrive Cape Town Upon arrival we transfer directly to our hotel, where we are free to rest and relax and to enjoy dinner on your own.

Day 3: Cape Town/Winelands Today we tour The Winelands, South Africa's renowned wine-growing region just 45 miles east of Cape Town.  The scenery is stunning; the wines on our two tastings sublime; and visits to the historic towns of Paarl, Franschhoek, and Stellenbosch stimulating.  Later this evening, we gather for a welcome dinner together. B,L,D

Day 4: Cape Town/Winelands Our introduction to this city at the southern tip of Africa includes a panoramic city tour and a stop at stunning Hout Bay.  We also travel to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, 19,000 acres of protected parkland.  Here we ride a monorail to the summit for stupendous views of the "meeting of the oceans,"  the Atlantic and Indian.  After a seafood lunch in historic Simons Town, we visit popular Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens.  B,L

Day 5: Cape Town/Robben Island Today we come face-to-face with an indelible aspect of South Africa: the notorious prison at Robben Island that once held Nelson Mandela and other opponents of apartheid. We reach the island by catamaran, then embark on a tour guided by a former inmate.  Back in the city, we ride by cable car 3,500 feet to the top of Table Mountain for glorious views. B,D

Day 6: Cape Town/Walvis Bay/Swakopmund After flying to Walvis Bay this morning we visit the lagoon with its massive seabird colonies – flamingos, pelicans, cormorants – before continuing on to Swakopmund, Namibia’s main port. B,D

Day 7: Swakopmund/Spitzkoppe Mountains The “Matterhorn of Namibia” is our destination today, as we drive to this fascinating geologic and historic outpost of ancient rock paintings, unusual stone formations, and surprising vegetation.  Our day includes a nature walk and a bush-style lunch. B,L,D

Day 8: Swakopmund/Namib Desert Today we travel through the central Namib Desert of vast gravel plains and giant sand dunes that rise more than a thousand feet high. Isolated and immense, tranquil and romantic, this endless expanse offers a glimpse of a land before time. We pass through Kuiseb Canyon and Moon Valley as we travel along the western edges of Namib Naukluft Park. Late this afternoon we reach our unique lodge set in the heart of the dune desert and dine there tonight. B,L,D

Day 9: Namib Desert/Sossusvlei We rise with the sun to see the world’s highest crested dunes at Sossusvlei in the breathtaking early morning light. Back at our lodge we’re free to join in guided walks and game drives on the property’s private reserve, or to relax and enjoy the splendid scenery. B,L,D

Day 10: Namib Desert/Windhoek/Johannes­burg This morning we depart for Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, where we board a flight for Johannesburg. We dine tonight at our airport hotel. B,L,D

Day 11: Johannesburg/Victoria Falls We fly today to Victoria Falls and our deluxe hotel located in the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve. Tonight we get our first glimpse of the thundering Falls while enjoying a sunset cruise on the Zambezi. B,D

Day 12: Victoria Falls This morn­ing we tour the Falls first “discovered” by explorer David Livingstone and claimed for Queen Victoria in 1855. With its 300-foot-deep gorge and thund­­ering spray, “Vic” Falls is a won­der of the natural world, especially as hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and other animals roam freely in the surrounding jungle. Later we visit with children at a local school. Tonight we attend a “Boma” (African place of eating) for dinner and a traditional dance performance. B,D

Day 13: Victoria Falls We enjoy a small group highlight this morning as we embark on an elephant-back safari through the bush in the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve, perhaps spotting some of the elephants, lions, or leopards that live here. Then we experience a Lion Walk with orphaned cubs now being protected at the Reserve. More big game is on the agenda on our nighttime game drive. B,D

Day 14: Botswana/Chobe National Park Known for a diverse terrain that attracts an exceptional array of wildlife, Chobe National Park in nearby Botswana boasts one of the largest concentrations of game in all Africa, including the world’s largest elephant population (some 50,000), as well as zebra, lion, hippo, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, buffalo, and more. We’re sure to see some of them on today’s full-day excursion to Chobe, where we enjoy a game drive through this exceptional reserve. B,L,D

Day 15: Victoria Falls/Sandton After our flight to Johannesburg, we transfer to our hotel in suburban Sandton. The rest of the day is at leisure. B

Day 16: Pretoria/Soweto A full day of touring begins in Pretoria, the South African capital just 30 miles from Johannesburg. Known as the “jacaranda city” for its myriad of purple-blossomed trees, Pretoria was a bastion of Afrikaaner culture prior to Nelson Mandela’s election in 1994. This afternoon we tour Soweto, the largest black city in Africa and where the seeds of South African freedom took root. Tonight we toast our Southern Africa odyssey at a farewell dinner at our hotel. B,D

Day 17: Depart for U.S. Early this afternoon we transfer to the Johannesburg airport for our return flights to the U.S. B

Day 18: Arrive U.S. We arrive in the U.S. this morning and connect with our flights home.

Included

Tour Price Includes

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within itinerary
• 15 nights’ accommodations in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels
• 34 meals: 15 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 12 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
• Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
• Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
• $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after three tours)

Dates and Prices

2010 Tour Dates & Prices

	Nov 12 Dec 3	Oct 1 Oct 22	Sep 10
New York, Wash, DC	$5,995	$6,195	$6,495
Atlanta, Balt, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Mia, Orlando, Philadelphia, Tampa	$6,295	$6,495	$6,795
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Den, Houston, Los Ang, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Francisco	$6,395	$6,595	$6,895
Portland (OR), Seattle	$6,495	$6,695	$6,995

Please call if your city is not listed or for land only prices. Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single travelers please add $1,295. Your $375 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days before departure. All 2010 tour prices above are guaranteed.

Business Class upgrade on round-trip international flight: $5,395 per person. Airline taxes and departure fees of $825 per person ($932 with Kruger extension) are subject to change and will be listed separately on your invoice.

Hotels

Hotels & Ratings

Day Itinerary Hotel Rating 1 Depart U.S. for Cape Town 2-5 Cape Town Westin Grand Arabella Quays Deluxe 6-7 Swakopmund Swakopmund Hotel Sup. First Class 8-9 Sossusvlei Sossusvlei Lodge Sup. First Class 10 Johannesburg D’Oreale Grande Deluxe 11-14 Victoria Falls Stanley & Livingstone at Victoria Falls Deluxe 15-16  Sandton The Michelangelo Deluxe 17 Depart Sandton for U.S. (overnight flight) 18 Arrive U.S.

Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel industry standard reference.