Experience the best Orient Express has to offer with their amazing properties in Botswana for game viewing, the 5-Star Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg and the “Grand Dame” of Cape Town, the Mt. Nelson Hotel.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Johannesburg: The Westcliff Hotel
Upon arrival into Johannesburg, you will be met by an AfricaTours representative and driven to the hotel. Inspired by a Mediterranean hillside village, The Westcliff cascades down through landscaped gardens in a series of landscaped gardens in a series of “villas,” surrounded by lush greenery, sparkling fountains and cobbled pathways. Located in the select northern suburbs of Johannesburg, The Westcliff is easily accessible from the city. A complimentary shuttle bus takes visitors to the elegant shopping districts of Sandton, Hyde Park and Rosebank. Guests can cool off in two large heated swimming pools and two plunge pools, and on the grounds there is also a floodlit tennis court with a resident coach and a gym with a team of professional trainers. To pamper mind and body even further, a qualified staff offers a wide range of treatments at the health and beauty center. All 106 spacious bedrooms and 15 suites are individually decorated, fully air-conditioned, and feature luxurious en-suite bathrooms. Most have sunny private balconies with spectacular views. Each room and suite has a digital safe, VCR player, dedicated computer and fax line, butler station with mini bar. The Westcliff also boasts a superbly equipped business center, offering secretarial and other business services 24 hours a day. Specializing in Northern Mediterranean dishes, La Belle Terrasse and The Loggia both offer spectacular views, relaxed atmosphere and superb service. Afternoon tea and drinks are served in the Polo Lounge Bar and Terrace.
Day 2 Okavango Delta: Xaxaba Eagle Island Camp (BLD)
After breakfast, you will be met at the hotel and driven to the airport for your flight to Maun. Arrive into Maun airport, where you will be met by a camp representative and fly via light aircraft into the heart of the Okavango Delta. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing. Hidden from the world, deep within Botswana's Okavango Delta, is the paradise called Eagle Island Camp. The camp offers a cool retreat from the African sun and is shaded by a canopy of indigenous trees. The camp offers game viewing by mokoro (traditional dugout canoe), motorized boats and a 14-seater Sundowner cruiser and guided walks. All luxury tents are housed on raised wooden platforms, offering great views, and shaded by a traditional African thatch roof. The large private decks are furnished with easy chairs and a hammock, ideal for viewing wildlife, or for enjoying a private dinner in complete privacy. The tent interiors are luxuriously appointed with an en-suite bathroom, private fully stocked mini bar, four poster beds complete with mosquito netting, as well as a discreet air conditioning, hairdryer & in-room safes. Each tent has an intercom system to the reception and facilities for charging video batteries. Activities are dependent on the water levels. When water levels are too low for water activities, game viewing is conducted by vehicle or on foot.
Day 3 Okavango Delta: Xaxaba Eagle Island Camp (BLD)
Enjoy a full day of activities at this camp.
Day 4 Moremi Wildlife Reserve: Khwai River Lodge (BLD)
After breakfast and a morning of game viewing, fly via light aircraft to Khwai River Lodge. Enjoy an afternoon of game viewing. Nestled on the edge of a leadwood and fig tree forest, overlooking the vast Khwai River floodplains and beyond into the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, sits the luxurious Khwai River Lodge. All luxury tents are housed on raised wooden platforms, offering great views, and shaded by a traditional African thatch roof. The large private decks are furnished with easy chairs and a hammock, ideal for viewing wildlife, or for enjoying a private dinner in complete privacy. The tent interiors are luxuriously appointed with such comforts as an en suite bathroom, private fully stocked mini bar, four-poster beds complete with mosquito netting, as well as a discreet air conditioning, hairdryer and in-room safes. Each tent has an intercom system to the reception and facilities for charging video batteries. Activities throughout the year would typically include morning and afternoon game drives both inside and outside the Moremi Wildlife Reserve. Early morning and late afternoon game drives in 4X4 vehicles, as well as guided walks by one of our experienced team of guides. Night game drives and star gazing presentations are also conducted after dinner. The Lodge also has hide overlooking the Khwai floodplains, a swimming pool as well as a private health salon (for exclusive aromatherapy massages and treatments) and a small gymnasium.
Day 5 Moremi Wildlife Reserve: Khwai River Lodge (BLD)
Enjoy a full day of activities at this camp.
Day 6 Savute National Park: Savute Elephant Camp (BLD)
After a morning game drive and breakfast, fly via light aircraft to Savute Elephant Camp. Enjoy an afternoon game drive. Amongst the shade of the ancient Acacias, overlooking the Savute Channel, you will find Savute Elephant Camp. Savute is a place of many secrets and was also once the home of the legendary Bushman people whose paintings are still visible after many hundreds of years. This variety provides habitat to all the different species of animals and birds. Savute is known for its big game, when the rains come in December, this arid region does a complete turnabout and the once dry plains sustain for a shorter periods herds of migrating zebra in their thousands, followed by the opportunist predators such as lions and hyenas. All luxury tents are housed on raised wooden platforms, offering great views, and shaded by a traditional African thatch roof. The large private decks are furnished with easy chairs and a hammock, ideal for viewing wildlife, or for enjoying a private dinner in complete privacy. The tent interiors are luxuriously appointed with such comforts as an en suite bathroom, private fully stocked mini bar, four poster beds complete with mosquito netting, as well as a discreet air conditioning. Each tent has an intercom system to the reception and facilities for charging video batteries. Activities include: Morning and afternoon game drives, visits to view Bushman rock paintings. As this camp is situated in the Chobe National Park, park regulations prohibit night drives and walking.
Day 7 Savute National Park: Savute Elephant Camp (BLD)
Enjoy a full day of activities at this camp.
Day 8 Livingstone: Royal Livingstone Hotel (B)
After breakfast and a morning game drive, you will fly via light aircraft to Livingstone (via Kasane). The Royal Livingstone is a 5-Star resort located within the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River, enjoying views over the Zambezi River and the falls shared by no other hotel in the Victoria Falls region. The bedrooms are two-story clusters inspired by the grand estate houses of a bygone era. Each cluster comprises 10 en-suite air-conditioned rooms with private balconies and terraces that offer spectacular views of the great river and beyond. Each room offers a quiet retreat from the ruggedness of Africa, with large shaded verandas and open spaces cooled by swirling fans and tall shutters. The travelers bar and lounge is a place where guests can relax under thatched shade, decorated in harmonious greens, creams and ebony. With its comfortable armchairs and low ottomans the lounge is a place to enjoy an impeccably served high tea or to linger longer over some fine port or cigar. The a la carte restaurant serves a range of exquisite delicacies from around the world.
Day 9 Livingstone: The Royal Livingstone Hotel (B)
This morning you will be collected for a private, guided tour of the Falls. One of the seven natural wonders of the world the Victoria Falls is a truly spectacular sight. On your guided tour of the Zambian side of the Falls, you will have the opportunity to experience its awesome unspoiled grandeur as your guide explains how this 150-million-year-old phenomenon was created. During peak flow (January to June) the Zambian side of the Falls is considered to be its most spectacular.
Day 10 Cape Town: The Mt. Nelson Hotel (B)
After breakfast, you will be met at the hotel and driven to the airport for your flight to Cape Town via Johannesburg. Upon arrival into Cape Town, you will be met by an AfricaTours representative and driven to the hotel. The Hotel’s Prince of Wales archway, built in 1924, is synonymous with the Cape’s tradition of hospitality. The Mount Nelson Hotel owned by Orient Express Hotels, offers a five-star deluxe accommodation, set in seven acres of beautiful parkland. Each room is individually furnished and provided with fully appointed private bathrooms and air conditioning. In addition, each is equipped with television, a refrigerator and international touch-dialing telephones. The hotel is five minutes from the city center, close to all beaches and sport facilities. The sports facilities available are squash courts, floodlit tennis courts and a heated swimming pool as well as hair and beauty salons are available. It has three restaurants with excellent service and cuisine in gourmet tradition.
Day 11 Cape Town: The Mt. Nelson Hotel (BL)
Enjoy a full day private tour of the beautiful Cape Peninsular, as this is a private tour, flexibility is the key. Highlights of the tour will include time in Hout Bay, once a fishing community and now a thriving residential area, a drive over dramatic Chapman’s Peak (PROVIDED THAT IT IS OPEN) with a 200 meter drop on one side and a 200 meter rise on the other. Enjoy a visit to Fishoek beach the Jackass penguin colony at Boulders Beach just outside of Simonstown, Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Enjoy lunch at Black Marlin. A camellia-decked garden leads into a beautiful old house with lovely views of False Bay for lazy days or evenings gorging on seafood. The Black Marlin has an impressive wine list with sparkling wine by the glass and auction wines as features, and a menu boasting coconut prawn tempura, Knysna oysters, mussels in Madeira wine sauce, kingklip on the spit, seafood platters, crayfish thermidor, LM prawns and lubbers’ fare like ostrich steaks and carpetbagger fillet. There are pasta dishes too. Lunch has been pre-paid, in some instances there may be a surcharge for certain dishes – drinks are not included. You will be arriving between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to allow for some flexibility.
Day 12 Cape Town: The Mt. Nelson Hotel (BL)
Enjoy a full day private tour of the famous Cape Winelands, as this is a private tour, flexibility is the key. Travel via the National Highway to Paarl. Continue to a family-run wine farm for wine tasting and visit of its vineyards. To Boschendal for wine tasting, and Stellenbosch. Tour of the village. Experience the unforgiving crags that rise up in a haze of splendor around these renowned Winelands with their range of award winning wines. Or, simply marvel at the majesty of it all. A rare find. Return to Cape Town in the late afternoon. Enjoy lunch at La Petite Ferme. This popular, family-run farmhouse restaurant, with miniscule working wine cellar, is always packed though enclosing the veranda has allowed for more tables in inclement weather and brings guests closer to the wrap-around view. Chef Lizette Crabtree is introducing new dishes like black mussels, fragrant with lemon grass and ginger; and meltingly tender individual servings of aubergine-coated slow-roasted lamb in garlic yoghurt sauce. Bestsellers are still home-smoked, boned trout with horseradish sauce, vegetarian quiches, pickled fish, aromatic bobotie and perennially popular 'plum crazy' dessert topped with meringue. The Wine list: Order the farms own wine it's made with the food in mind. Lunch has been pre-paid, in some instances there may be a surcharge for certain dishes – drinks are not included. You will be arriving between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to allow for some flexibility.
Day 13 Cape Town: The Mt. Nelson Hotel (B)
Enjoy the day at leisure to explore the “Mother City.” You may wish to visit the Irma Stern and SA Museum, take the ferry and tour to Robben Island, ascend Table Mountain, visit the Cape Townships, walk around the Cape Malay Quarter, and visit the many art galleries and more!!
Day 14 Departure (B)
After a morning at leisure and breakfast, drive to the airport for your departure flight.
Rates for the Orient Express Safaris & Hotels - Semi Customized
Land, per person double occupancy
| 06 Jul '09 - 30 Sep '09 | $11,050 |
|---|---|
| 01 Oct '09 - 31 Oct '09 | $11,775 |
| 01 Nov '09 - 21 Dec '09 | $8,840 |
| 22 Dec '09 - 31 Dec ' 09 | $10,175 |
| Single Supplement | $1,790 - $3,025 |
| 01 Jan '10 - 31 Mar '10 | $9,890 |
| 01 Apr '10 - 04 Jun '10 | $10,050 |
| 17 Jul '10 - 30 Sep '10 | $11,835 |
| 01 Oct '10 - 31 Oct '10 | $9,635 |
| Single Supplement | $1,935 - $3,320 |
| 01 Nov '10 - 31 Dec '10 | Awaiting Rates |
Price Includes:
- Accommodation for 13 nights
- Meals as mentioned
- Alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages at Xaxaba, Khwai & Savute Elephant Camp (except premium alcohol & champagne)
- Game drives & Game park fees
- Laundry in Botswana
- Professional driver/guides
- FLIGHTS: Mauna – Xaxaba – Khwai – Savute – Kasane
- All transfers
- Travel Protection Plan ($20,000 Emergency Assistance, $20,000 Accidental death & dismemberment; $500 Medical Expenses; $1,000 Baggage & travel documents; $400 Baggage delay; $500 Travel delay - $100 per day maximum; TRAVEL GUARD Assistance)
Price Excludes:
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages in Johannesburg, Victoria Falls & Cape Town
- FLIGHTS: Johannesburg – Maun; Victoria Falls – Johannesburg – Cape Town
- Items of a personal nature
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
- Laundry in Johannesburg, Victoria Falls & Cape Town
- Zambia Visa - WE CAN ARRANGE A VISA WAIVER