Trip Itinerary

African Adventure Safari – 2012

Adventure awaits us as we depart the U.S.A. for Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday, July 21, 2012.  Arrival in Johannesburg will be 7/23, as we lose a day when we cross the International Date Line.

7/23…Upon arrival at Johannesburg you will walk to the Intercontinental Hotel right in the International terminal for the evening with time to relax and refresh overnight before heading to Kruger on the 24th.

7/24…This morning we go into the airport for our quick morning flight from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit Airport in Kruger.  From Hoedspruit we will be driven to the Tanda Tula Lodge in Timbavati Private Game Preserve in Kruger. Arrive in early afternoon at the lodge.  This area is renowned for being the only place in Africa to see White Lions!  They also have leopard and quite a lot of other game.  We will have an afternoon game drive. D

7/25 & 26…. Tanda Tula with morning and afternoon games drives for lots of adventure and hopes of seeing leopard, lion, cheetah, rhino, elephants and plenty more!  On the 26th we will actually be taking a walking safari and spend the night in the camp that is remote and used only for the walking safaris for a real “adventure under the stars.”
B, L, D


7/27…. This morning we fly back through Johannesburg International Airport and on to Cape Town International Airport.  Upon arrival we will take a shuttle service to the Villa Afrique Guest House, in Hout Bay, our wonderful 5star (African rating) lodging.  We will stay here 3 nights.  Nice dinner on our own at a local restaurant.

7/28…Have a restful morning and enjoy the pool.  Early afternoon, we will be picked up for our Great White Shark Encounter...transportation will take us to the boat for our ½ day trip to Seal Alley, False Bay, the famed location for the life-battle between the Great White Sharks and Fur Seals – hopefully, we will see a number of sharks breaching magnificently out of the ocean as they pursue the seals in a race for survival.  Should be awesome!!
Then back to Villa Afrique in late afternoon  (Dinner on our own in Hout Bay)


7/29…This morning we will be picked up for our Tour of Cape Town seeing Table Mountain, etc… (Dinner on our own in Hout Bay)

7/30…Early this morning we take a quick flight back to Johannesburg and take our flight to Nairobi, Kenya with arrival in Nairobi at 3:00 in the afternoon.  Overnight at the historic Norfolk Hotel.

7/31 & 8/1…Morning departure for a 3 ½ hour drive (or so) to Amboseli Nature Preserve.  Here we will stay at the Amboseli Serena Lodge, a 4star property with a view that overlooks Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Beside a copse of Acacia trees and a gently flowing natural spring, this is a great setting to see vast herds of elephant and the dining room overlooks a floodlit saltlick, sure to bring in more animals for our viewing pleasure at night.
During our two days here in Amboseli, we will view large herds of elephant, white rhino, many plains animals like zebra, impala, gazelle, giraffe as well as the big cats like lions …we should also see hyena, cape buffalo, birds and many more animals.  Game drives morning and late afternoon.  Maasai village visit will be interesting.   Relax by the pool/siesta in the heat of mid-day sun.  B, L, D

8/2…Morning departure for Mt. Kenya area for our stay at the world famous Mt. Kenya Safari Club (a 4star resort founded by actor William Holden and partners). This is the longest drive of the trip = about 6-7 hours.
While at Mt. Kenya Safari Club, you will have a gorgeous view of Mt. Kenya itself. (Nowhere else in the world do you come across one of nature’s greatest anomalies – a snowcapped mountain lying on the equator.)  You are able to stroll the grounds and see the lush vegetation, beautiful peacocks, etc.  You can swim in the heated pool and relax. We will go to the William Holden Animal Orphanage on the property to see many animals that they are caring for and also rehabilitating to send back to the wild.  Later in the afternoon you have the option for horseback ride or golf.  (Extra cost for golf, horseback riding, orphanage)    B, L, D


8/3 & 4…Late morning departure for our drive to the Samburu Nature Preserve where we will stay at the Ashnil Tented Camp.  Game viewing here is unique as there are species found that you won’t likely see elsewhere, like the wild dogs, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, grevy zebra, pancake tortoise, beisa orax.    Sure to be an interesting stay with an afternoon game drive upon arrival and a morning and afternoon game drive on day 2.  B,L,D

8/5…..We leave this morning for our drive to Lake Nakura.  We will stop on the Equator for an interesting demonstration. We will stay at the Sarova Lion Hill Lodge.  This is a nice 3star lodge set on a plateau in the Rift Valley, overlooking one of the world’s ornithological spectacles, Lake Nakura, with its shimmering pink glow created by millions of flamingos, pelicans and marabou storks.  It is here that we will have the best chance of seeing the elusive leopard, one of the famous Big 5.  This area is also a sanctuary for the Black Rhino, so we should see them here too.
We might stop on the way at the Nanyuki Spinners & Weavers, a co-op started by the African women to try to improve their lives and those of their families, and see how they make dyes from the Prickley Pear plant, etc and see their lovely rugs and clothing items – sure to loosen your purse strings and inspire you to buy!! (We will see if time allows the stop at Nanyuki)
Game drives in the late morning and afternoon.  B, L, D

8/6 – 8/7…Morning departure for our drive to the Maasai Mara. We will undoubtedly see lots of game on the drive there.  Arrive at the Mara Serena Lodge, a 4star lodge set high on a ridge with spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.  This lodge stands center stage to one of the most dramatic wildlife shows on earth – the Great Migration!
Set up like a traditional African village of domed huts, all rooms are spread far enough apart to have an uninterrupted view of the magnificent landscape.
Game drives morning and late afternoon for the two days we are here. Relax by the pool mid-day. B, L, D

8/8…Morning departure and our drive back to Nairobi. A final night will be spent at the Norfolk Hotel with a possible visit to Giraffe Manor for some interesting “up close and personal” interaction with giraffes (hopefully).
Dinner tonight will be at the world-famous Carnivore Restaurant featuring great barbeque of “standard” meats and a unique selection of local game on the menu – rated as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world, this is sure to be a memorable experience.  (I have opted to keep our guide with us this extra day to take us to appropriate shopping and any other activities, including dinner at the Carnivore – there is an extra cost for this, but well worth it.)

8/9…Depart for Nairobi airport for our flights home to the U.S.A.  Arrive home on 8/9/2010.

Things to know:
Pricing includes all lodging, inter-African airfare from Cape Town to Nairobi, transportation and guides, park entrance fees and taxes, and most meals.  Bottled water is included on all game drives.

Not included are the tips for our guides (plan on $10.00 per day per person), alcohol and a lunch and dinners in South Africa.  (I did include the dinner at Carnivore in Nairobi as a prepaid cost as noted above on 8/8).

Note: In South Africa it will be necessary to convert our money to South African Rand in order to make any purchases with cash and also to give tips and pay for extra meals.  You can also use credit cards for meals, but not for tips (obviously) and incidental expenses, so please be sure to convert some dollars into Rand.  Present exchange rate is $1.00 = 7.00 Rand

In Nairobi and throughout Kenya, the U.S. Dollar is fine, along with Kenyan Shillings.  Again, you can also use credit cards, but you do want to have some money with you for the “side of the road” vendors as they do not take credit cards and for tips for our guide at the end of our trip.

Please bring clothing that blends into the landscape – beige, olive, brown, etc.  Do not plan to wear white while on game drive as white is a “danger signal” color for animals – that is why many of them have white behinds.
We will be at resorts with pools, so plan to bring a bathing suit for sure – just be respectful of the local cultures in some areas, so, no tiny, tiny bikinis.
For our dinner/evening at Mt. Kenya Safari Club we will need to dress up a bit – women wear nice slacks & blouse or a dress.
Bring a light jacket or wind-breaker for our boat trip to see the sharks and for the trip to Cape of Good Hope as it can be very windy there.

Finally, one medium size bag per person on this trip, the size that would fit into the overhead luggage bin on an airplane.  Pack with restraint as there are weight restrictions for luggage.  There are laundry services available at the lodges we stay 2 nights at.     LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!!!!!