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09 June 2007 On arrival at Johannesburg Airport you proceed through passport control to the luggage collection area and then through Customs to the Arrivals Hall. Look out for our representative Tours & Transfers. They will be holding a name-board with your surname on it. They will meet you and assist you at the airport and hand over your travel documentation. Scheduled flight On arrival at Livingstone airport, look out for our representative. They will be holding a name-board with your surname on it. They will transfer you from the airport to your hotel. Later this afternoon you proceed to the Day Activity Centre, right next to the hotel, for your Sundowner Cruise on the Zambezi River. Zambezi Sun HotelThe magnificent Falls resort in Zambia is situated on the banks of the Zambezi River, close to the spectacular Eastern Cataract of the mighty Victoria Falls. The area encompasses approximately 46 hectares and is located in the southeastern corner of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, within the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site. The architecture of the Zambezi Sun Hotel is intended to evoke the feel of an old adobe-walled city. It is comprised of open, low-level buildings in earthy colours with rambling clusters of rooms, punctuated by chimneys and towers. The 212 guest rooms are open and airy and each has French windows onto the landscaped pool area. The restaurant and bar are focused around the central pool. The first floor rooms have private balconies. Added amenities in the rooms include independent air-conditioning, satellite TV, foldout couches, safe and telephone. The central reception area houses a high quality buffet restaurant, a pool bar and a lively alfresco grill and entertainment area.Children are welcome and children under the age of 12 years may share a family room with parents free of charge. They pay for meals only. Around the Falls resort The Zambezi Sun Hotel is set in the National Park with a number of paths leading to the Falls. The cost of the Park fees are included in the hotel rate so you are free to visit the Falls as many times as you like during your stay. Mountain Bike Hire - hiring a bike allows you to easily explore the surrounding area Shopping - There are shops at the hotel and at Royal Livingstone Hotel. The Local Curio Market is just outside the hotel entrance and is well worth the visit. US Dollars - Please note that the most widely accepted currency in Livingstone/Victoria Falls is US Dollars. Most clients find it helpful to pre-purchase a reasonable amount of cash to cover the departure tax (payable in US dollars cash) and any other optional tours etc. While credit cards are widely used in commercial ventures, the Zambian National Parks Board and Airports Authority will only accept US dollars in cash. Our clients find it easiest to pay for drinks, lunches and any optional tours using US Dollars. SUNDOWNER CRUISE ON THE AFRICAN QUEENThe cruise departs daily at 15h30 (in winter) and 16h00 (in summer). The Zambezi's source is in the North Western Zambia and flows approximately 2800km to its mouth in Mozambique and into the warm Indian Ocean. The boat gentles makes its way upstream towards the Zambezi National Park, through riverine vegetation. Guests relax and enjoy excellent viewing of a variety of bird life, hippo and crocodile. The African Queen is a 5-star boat, a triple deck 70ft catamaran furnished in Rhodesian teak, beech wood and brass. Clients are transferred to the Royal Landing and board the boat for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River including a selection of cocktails and iced drinks as well as freshly prepared light snacks. NB wines are NOT included. You return to the hotel after sunset and the rest of the evening is at leisure. The cruise is approx 2 hours in length. Minimum 2 pax Victoria FallsThe Victoria Falls is a dramatic scenic contrast and a change of pace from the private game reserves. It is a sight not to be missed - the clouds of spray generated by this thunderous descent have resulted in a lush rain forest full of stunning wild flowers and the most spectacular views of the Falls are from the Zambian side of the gorge. Various activities are on offer including canoeing and languorous sunset river cruises on the tranquil Upper Zambezi above the falls. To gain an overall impression of the Falls, the helicopter 'Flight of Angels' is considered essential by some. For the more adventurous, micro light flights, bungee jumping and white water rafting are available. Game drives and horse riding are also offered in the Zambezi National Park to view elephant and buffalo. Game drives and horse riding are also offered in the Zambezi National Park to view elephant and buffalo and even the newly relocated rhino. Visitors can also sample elephant back safaris at Thorntree Lodge. The best time to view the Falls is probably between April/May and August when the spray is less so that the Falls are easier to capture on film and yet the flow of water is still impressive. As the dry season progresses, the volume of water over the Falls declines quite dramatically. Visitors in late September to December need to be aware of this and we recommend that you book a helicopter trip or a microlite flight over the Falls so that you can enjoy the full length of the Falls. 10 June 2007 You will be collected from your Falls Resort hotel by our representative, for your scheduled transfer to Chobe. They will transfer you across the Botswanan border to your lodge in the Chobe area. Elephant Valley LodgeElephant Valley Lodge lies south of the Kazangula border crossing with the Kasane Forest Reserve, which is adjacent to the Chobe National Park. The camp comprises 20 'meru' style luxury safari tents and can accommodate a maximum of 40 guests. The tents feature en-suite shower and toilet. The lodge is situated in the Lesoma Valley and overlooks an extremely productive water hole. Your safari experience includes a morning boat cruise on the Chobe River where guests are provided with a magnificent opportunity to view the various species that frequent the Chobe River. Guests then return back to the lodge, where they can while away their time around the pool area or relax in the lounge. The afternoon safari takes guests into the Chobe National Park where your qualified guide will interpret the sights and sounds of this wildlife sanctuary. Guests return to the lodge through the Kasane Forest Reserve, providing guests with further opportunity to experience a game drive after dark. BotswanaBotswana is one of Africa's last pristine lands and offers its visitors beautiful scenery and prolific big game in equal measure. Most people know of the Okavango Delta, yet Botswana conjures up so many memorable images for those lucky enough to visit - the shimmering heat rising from the vast white salt pans of the Makgadikgadi pans; the flight of a fish eagle as it glides over the waterways of the delta; the majestic baobab trees rising out of the Kalahari grasslands; or the elephant family coming down to the Chobe River to drink as dusk falls. An enlightened programme of conservation in this stable country has meant that vast areas, one sixth of the country, remain a sanctuary for magnificent herds of game. Chobe National ParkChobe National Park lies in the northeast of Botswana, teeming with animals, in particular with huge herds of elephant and buffalo. The elephant population, estimated to number in excess of 35,000 is the largest single concentration surviving in Africa. Vast endless landscapes, open plains, baobab trees and ancient woodland dominate the panorama. Chobe's animal migrations follow an ancient pattern, only partly understood by man. However, broadly speaking, the game is drawn to the Chobe River during the dry winter season and spreads out to the open grasslands of the Savute marsh and interior pans of the Mababe depression during the wetter summer months. The National Park takes its name from the Chobe River, which forms its northern boundary, and since the first Europeans arrive in the 1850's, it was been a Mecca for the trophy hunters - so its proclamation as a National Park in 1968 was none too late. However now, the Chobe and Linyanti river system is known for some of the best elephant viewing in Africa in the winter months (May to October), with huge herds of up to 500 or more congregating at the end of the dry season. Lion are common, and almost expected, with buffalo, cheetah and an amazing variety of antelope often sighted. The river is alive with crocodile and hippo and marvelous birdlife, including kingfishers and bee-eaters. The mornings start early, as this is the best time to spot the night-time animals looking for sustenance. The two to three hour drive finishes in time for a late breakfast that sets you up for the day. The pattern for the middle of the day is similar to the first day with lunch and relaxation around the lodge followed by a late afternoon game drive. You also have the opportunity to go on sunset river cruises along the Chobe River. This is very much another form of game viewing as you may see game coming down to drink at the river. 12 June 2007 Elephant Valley Lodge transfers you to the Kasane Airport where you board the Mack Air charter flight to the Moremi Wildlife Reserve for your three nights stay at Xakanaxa Camp. (Luggage allowance is strictly 12kg per person in soft bags) Xakanaxa CampXakanaxa Camp offers 12 Meru-style luxury tents, which are built on elevated wooden platforms with en-suite facilities. At the front of each tent is a deck, which overlooks the waterways. The dining room and bar are cantilevered over the Xakanaxa lagoon. Xakanaxa is one of the few camps, which can offer both vehicle and boating trips. An hours boating away are the heronries of the Godikwe and Xobega lagoons. Game drives into the Moremi Wildlife reserve offer excellent views of some of the Okavango specials including the red lechwe and tsessebe. Large herds of elephants are sometimes seen in the area. The Moremi Wildlife ReserveThe Moremi is protected tribal land, which forms the eastern boundary of the Okavango Delta. It is often described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. It combines mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons and this great diversity of plant life attracts the abundance of animal life for which Moremi is so well known. It's particularly is famous for its predators, both of the mammal and feathered variety. Please note that night drives and armed game walks are not permitted here (given it is a National Park) but the superb quality of the game-viewing more than makes up for this. Game activities will be mostly land-based in the Moremi. The area was officially designated as a game reserve in 1965 and now it contains approximately twenty percent of the Okavango Delta within its boundaries. Chief's Island, the largest island in the delta, is located within the Moremi, stretching from the southern Okavango to the permanent waters near Mombo. It is an extension of the mainland and, because it is slightly higher than the general level of the Delta, it never floods. It is home to a vast number of animals who benefit from the Kalahari sandveld habitat with its close proximity to water. The arid interior of the island is covered by mopane woodlands and acacia thorn-scrub interspersed with clay pans. This is where the large resident buffalo herds of the Okavango are often to be found as they prefer to drink from the rain-filled pans and give preference to the sweeter grasses of the sandy areas rather than the coarser grasses of the floodplains. 15 June 2007 You are transferred by light charter flight from Xakanaxa Camp to Maun airport. (Luggage allowance is strictly 12kg per person in soft bags). You board your scheduled flight to Johannesburg. At the OR Thambo (Johannesburg) International Airport you board your scheduled flight to Cape Town where you have made your own arrangements for the following four nights. 19 June 2007 Make your way back to Cape Town Airport where you board your scheduled flight home.
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