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THE BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA

(Cape Town, Manyelete Game Reserve, Swaziland & Johannesburg)

16 days / 15 nights

October 23 - November 7, 2009

$7,695.00 per person land only
(Including one way airfare from Cape Town to Honeyguide)
(Minimum 15 passengers)

(See below for Denver / Denver air inclusion)

AND CHOOSE TO EXTEND YOUR ADVENTURE

With a 6-days optional extension to:

Botswana’s Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls

November 6-12, 2009

$2,695.00 per person in double
(Including round trip airfare Johannesburg to Victoria Falls)

Customized Private Tour & Safari Program Prepared for Focus Club Travelers

Airfare on Delta for October, 2008, is $1,876.00 from Denver, subject to possible 10%-15% increase for 2009
HLO continues to search for a lower cost airfare/carrier 


HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:

SOUTH AFRICA (Main trip)

Cape Town                                Oct 24 – 28          Four (4) nights at Victoria & Albert                                                                                       Waterfront Hotel

Menyeleti Game Reserve     Oct 28 – Nov 1     Four (4) nights at Honeyguide Camp

Swaziland                                  Nov 1 – 4              Three (3) nights at Forester Arms hotel

Johannesburg                          Nov 4 – 6              Two (2) nights at Tintswalo  Waterfall

OPTIONAL EXTENSION HOTEL & LODGE ACCOMMODATIONS:

1- Chobe National Park           Nov 6 - 9              Three (3) nights at Chobe Safari Lodge

    Victoria Falls (Zambia)        Nov 9 – 11           Two (2) nights at Royal Livingston.

MEALS:

Air schedule, Flights numbers, departures and arrivals are subject to change without notice.

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY:
Day 1 Oct 23 Fri
DENVER / CAPE TOWN  (SOUTH AFRICA)
AM: Meet at Denver International Airport for our flight to Washington (Dulles) Airport to connect with our international South Africa flight to Cape Town via Johannesburg.  Meals will be served on board. Overnight

Day 02 Oct 24 Sat
CAPE TOWN
PM: Arrive to Cape Town International Airport where you will be met and transferred to The Victoria & Alfred Hotel to spend the next four nights.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Hotel, which was Cape Town's first hotel in the exciting new Waterfront development, is located in the historic 1904 North Quay warehouse with great views of Table Mountain, Table Bay and the working harbour. The hotel has 94 large, comfortably furnished, air-conditioned, en-suite double bedrooms each with a fully-stocked bar/fridge, television, radio and hairdryer. Transfers available to nearby gym, wellness and fitness centre.  The Waterfront Café, as well as a cocktail bar, is located alongside the Alfred Basin's working dock. The Waterfront offers many interesting shops and boutiques, a shopping mall with cinemas, a theatre, restaurants and cafés, bistros and bars, a local brewery, historic buildings and a maritime museum. The city centre is only minutes away, and there is a regular shuttle bus service that takes you from the front of the hotel to the heart of the city and to major beaches.

8:00AM – Aftera buffet breakfast, we depart fromour hotel and drive along the Atlantic Seaboard coast, passing the seaside suburbs of Sea Point, Bantry Bay and Clifton.  En-route, stop on the granite boulders where we have magnificent views of the Twelve Apostles along the Atlantic coast side of Table Mountain and the beach of Camp’s Bay. Drive to the old lookout point for spectacular views along Hout Bay to the Sentinel and Karbonkelberg Mountains. We then leave Hout Bay and travel over the mountain and through the Constantia Valley and over Ou Kaapse Weg to the Noordhoek area.  Drive to Kommetjie and Scarborough, little hamlets on the Atlantic Coast.  Between June and Novemberthere is a good chance that we will sight whales along the coastline. These are mainly Southern Right Whales that come into the waters to mate and calve.  Have your cameras ready.   We then enter the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and can take a drive off the main road to the untouched area of Olifants Bay. There is a herd of endemic Bontebok living on this side of the reserve and we have the possibility of seeing them on the beach and in the surrounding "fynbos", magnificent indigenous floral vegetation with flowering species throughout the year. Enjoy lunch (included) at the seafood restaurant:  The Black Marlin.

After lunch, we spend time exploring the rocky coastline and fynbos with possibilities of seeing the African Black Oystercatchers and Avocets as well as fynbos endemics such as the Cape Sugarbird and Protea Canary, as well as various Sunbirds.   Continue our drive to the tip of the Cape Peninsula and take a walk to the lighthouse at Cape Point with its beautiful views overlooking False Bay, so named as the early navigators thought they had put into Table Bay.   (There is an email facility available at Cape Point, from

where you can send a photo of yourself to your family and friends…Make sure to bring e-mail addresses with you). We then drive to the Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern most point of the African continent.  We now leave the reserve and drive along the False Bay coastline to Boulders Beach, and enjoy an opportunity to study the only penguins to be found on the continent of Africa, the African Jackass Penguin. 

AM: Buffet breakfast at the hotel, followed by yourhalf-day tour to TableMountain. Drive up Kloof Nek between Table Mountain and Signal Hill to Tafelberg Road and the lower cable station. Here we board the new Rotair Cable Car that takes us to the summit of Table Mountain, 1036 meters above sea level. The views of the city and surroundings are spectacular and we have a chance to walk around the top of the table to view various parts of the city and take photos.  Lunch included.

Afternoon:  After lunch, transfer to the harbor for our 30-minute ride on a ferry to Robben Island for our two and a half-hour tour including a visit to the cell of former president Nelson Mandela. The island has a harsh history as a place of banishment. Those imprisoned there over the centuries have

included Nelson Mandela, Khoi-Khoi leaders, African chiefs opposing Dutch

And British imperialism, as well as petty criminals, lepers and the mentally ill. It also served as a military base during World War II.  It then became a prison for those fighting against Apartheid - youth leaders, MK soldiers and members of the African National Congress, the Pan African Congress, the Black Consciousness Movement and other banned organizations. It became universally known as a place of hardship and suffering. However, Robben Island is also a place that symbolizes defiance, courage, perseverance and freedom. It was from here that the leaders and ideas that inspired the new South African democracy emerged.  Ex-political prisoners will conduct our tour on the island. After tour return to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.

AM: Buffet breakfast at the hotel, followed by our departure towards the wine areas of South Africa. South Africa is the world’s 8th largest producer, approximately twice the size of Switzerland’s wine industry. It has about 100.000 acres under vine concentrated in the Western Cape. The best areas are: Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschoek and the Swartland. Our tour will include a visit to Paarl Nature Reserve and Taal Monument. We continue to Fairview for wine tasting – passing Zandwijk (the only Kosher wine estate in South Africa). Fairview Estate has 240 acres under vine and has won numerous medals especially for its excellent Chardonnay.  Also, there are 500 Swiss Saanen goats living in Zandwijk Estate with which they make excellent cheese. This will also be available for tasting. We then proceed to the French Huguenot town of FRANSCHOEK and visit the memorial, followed by wine tasting. Stop for lunch at La Petite Ferme Restaurant in Franchoek.

After lunch we proceed to visit the oldestHuguenot wine estate, Boschendal, for a tasting. This vineyard was the first to introduce Blanc de noir in

HONEYGUIDE CAMP is situated on the border of the Kruger National Park in the 23,000-hectare Manyeleti Game Reserve. Mantobeni Camp is a 12-tent camp with two beds per room and soft leather couches,

overlooking a dry riverbed. All tents have en-suite bathroom with a concrete bath, double shower and separate toilet. Reception areas comprise a large sitting area, indoor and outdoor areas, a bar and climate-controlled wine cellar. A water hole can be seen from the swimming pool deck adjoining the reception areas. Safaris in open game drive vehicles, led by experienced and qualified guides and trackers, are conducted in the early mornings and late afternoon / evenings. A foot safari can be undertaken after breakfast.

5:30AM: Wake-up call

6:00AM: Tea, coffee or fruit juice will be served on the deck. Our rangers and trackers will take us in an open 4-wheel drive safari vehicle, for our early morning game drive, in the 23,000-hectare Menyeleti Game Reserve. Apart from the Big 5, cheetah and wild dogs may also be seen. General game includes giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, a variety of antelope and nocturnal animals such as civet cat, genet cat, honey badger and mongoose.

9:30AM: Approximate return to camp. A hearty breakfast awaits you.

After breakfast, if you are interested in a game walk just ask your ranger, or just relax around the pool or browse through the safari boutique.

12:45PM: Pre-lunch drinks on the safari deck before lunch is served.

4:00PM: Once again meet to depart on another unforgettable safari.

 The 4-wheel drive safari vehicle enables the rangers to leave the road and provide guests with close up game viewing. Included night drive, with the aid of powerful spotlights, bring the bush to life at night.

5:30AM: Wake-up call

6:00AM: Tea, coffee or fruit juice will be served on the deck. Once again our rangers and trackers will take us in an open 4-wheel drive safari vehicle, for our early morning game drive, in the 39,000-acre Manyeleti Game Reserve. Apart from the Big 5, cheetah and wild dogs may also be seen. General game includes giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, a variety of antelope and nocturnal animals such as civet cat, genet cat, honey badger and mongoose.

9:30AM: Approximate return to camp. Another hearty breakfast awaits you.

After breakfast, if you are interested in a game walk, just ask your ranger, or relax around the pool, or browse through the safari boutique.

12:00PM:  Lunch is served.

4:00PM: Once again meet for tea before departing on another unforgettable safari. The 4-wheel drive safari vehicle enables the rangers to leave the road and provide guests with close up game viewing.

5:30AM: Wake-up call

6:00AM: Tea, coffee or fruit juice will be served on the deck. Once again our rangers and trackers will take us in an open 4-wheel drive safari vehicle, for our early morning game drive, in the 39,000-acre Manyeleti Game Reserve. Apart from the Big 5, cheetah and wild dogs may also be seen. General game includes giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, a variety of antelope and nocturnal animals such as civet cat, genet cat, honey badger and mongoose.

9:30AM: Approximate return to camp. Another hearty breakfast awaits you.

After breakfast, if you are interested in a game walk, just ask your ranger, or relax around the pool, or browse through the safari boutique.

12:00PM:  Lunch is served.

4:00PM: Once again meet for tea before departing on another unforgettable safari. The 4-wheel drive safari vehicle enables the rangers to leave the road and provide guests with close up game viewing.

AM: Buffet breakfast followed by our 5 to 6 hours drive through Swaziland to THE FORESTER ARMS HOTEL. The road from Honeyguide Camp through Swaziland is dotted with craft centers and villages. We will stop at those which we cannot resist investigating. One of the many types of crafts practiced is glassblowing.

We arrive at our Swaziland resort in the mid to late afternoon (depending on time spent along the road) where we are going to spend the next three nights at FORESTER ARMS HOTEL:  set on a 95 hectare country estate in the Swaziland Highlands, 27kms from Mbabane. All 30 bedrooms are tastefully decorated and have en suite bathrooms, a telephone and TV. The poolside and family rooms have views over the surrounding countryside, while the garden rooms overlook colourful gardens – a favourite haunt of sunbirds. Guests can explore the surrounding forests on foot or on horseback or fish for trout and bass in the well-stocked dams, and picnic lunches can be enjoyed at the nearby waterfalls. Other activities include tennis, squash and bowls, and golf is available on the adjoining Usutu Course. Mountain bikes can also be hired. Dinner is served by candlelight and enhanced by a log fire in the winter, while breakfast and lunch are served on the terrace with views of the lawns and forests. On Sunday a “braai” buffet is served. Swaziland’s craft markets and game reserves are easily accessible from the hotel. Dinner & overnight. BB, D

Day 11 Nov 2 Mon
SWAZILAND – Full day of Exploration.   Forester Arms Hotel

AM: Buffet breakfast. After breakfast we depart on an excursion to explore The nearby Hilane Royal National Park. We access the park by water taxi and explore both by boat and by land vehicle. The name Hilane means wilderness and it is near the former royal hunting grounds. It is Swaziland’s largest protected area and is home to elephants, leopards, white rhinos and many antelope species. The park offers wonderfully low key wildlife viewing. A cultural village is also nearby. Box lunch will be provided.

AM: Buffet breakfast. After breakfast we depart our hotel for the nearby town of Mbabane, capital of Swaziland. Here we take a water taxi to the Mililwane Wildlife Sanctuary. This lovely sanctuary near Lobamba is a private reserve on a family farm. It is dominated by the precipitous Nyonyane (little bird) peak, and contains many hippos, crocodiles, zebras, giraffes, and many varieties of birds. Black eagles may also be spotted.

In the late afternoon we return to our Forester Arms resort to relax and further our explorations of its ground and amenities. Dinner & overnight
BB, D

Day 13 Nov 4 Wed
SWAZILAND /  JOHANNESBURG by land
AM: Buffet breakfast followed by our 5 hour drive to Johannesburg where we are going to spend the next two nights at TINTSWALO WATERFALL HOTEL: It is a small intimate hotel, positioned within the Waterfall Country & Equestrian Estate, a 200 hectare secure country estate less than 10 minutes drive north of the Sandton.

AM: Following our Buffet Breakfast the day is at leisure. Choose to explore the neighboring local market or explore Tintswalo’s hiking trails or enjoy the spa and other facilities.

For more information, contact Ellie Leinaweaver.