THE SOUND OF THUNDER

  The Waters, Wildlife and Winelands of Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa
      18-Day, Air-Inclusive Holidays.  Participation Limited to 18 Passengers.

Day 1, Depart U.S.A. or Canada  
Departing on your select airline to Europe, your adventure begins.
Note:  Travelers flying on South African Airways may depart a day later, on Friday, aboard a direct flight with no European stopover.

Day 2,  Europe  
Arrive in Europe and relax in your dayroom.  In the evening, board your flight to Africa. Dayroom

 Days 3-4, Cape Winelands, South Africa
You are welcomed on arrival in Cape Town, and driven to the heart of the winelands to your accommodations in one of South Africa's premier country manors.  All around this historic estate are the enchanted forests and vineyard villages of the Cape hinterland, famed for their scenic beauty, noble vintages, and splendid old Cape Dutch homesteads.  Celebrate your arrival with a fine welcome dinner at your hotel.  On Sunday, a full day winelands tour takes you through scenic mountain landscapes to Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek.  Sample premium labels, view the wine-making process, and survey gracious estates dating from the early 18th century. Grand Roche (Paarl), Le Quartier Francais (Franschhoek), or Lanzerac Manor (Stellenbosch) (Sat: D;  Sun: B,L,D)

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Days 5-6,  Cape Town
Transfer to your hotel along Cape Town’s vibrant waterfront Monday, then set out exploring the city’s historic landmarks, including a cable car ride up the flat-topped Table Mountain (weather permitting).  Crown your visit with a Cape Peninsula tour on Tuesday.  Stroll the luxuriant Kirstenbosch Gardens; tour the magnificent Groot Constantia, South Africa's oldest wine estate; photograph the penguins at Boulders Beach; and stand at the windswept promontory at the Cape of Good Hope, the meeting point of two oceans.  Cape Grace Hotel  (Mon: B;  Tue: B,L)

 Days 7-8, Mala Mala Private Game Reserve
Pioneers in wildlife conservation, the South Africans have developed a nationwide park system that is the envy of the world.  For the next two days, you'll explore one of the country's oldest and greatest wilderness areas at Mala Mala, a 45,000 acre private reserve bordering Kruger National Park.
Fly via Johannesburg to Skukuza and transfer to your traditional camp.  Here you will experience the bushveld in the style of yesteryear, including exciting game-drives to search for dozens of species of big game.  This is a haven for all the "Big Five" -- lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo; and a wealth of birds and smaller animals.  Expert guides will lead you through the unspoiled bush country in open safari vehicles, on nature walks, and on night drives to the best places for sighting nocturnal species.  Kirkmans Camp (Daily: B,L,D)

 Day 9, Johannesburg  
Fly to Johannesburg and enjoy a brief city tour before checking into your elegant hotel in suburban Rosebank.  The balance of the day is free for exploring the nearby shops and cafes.  Grace (Rosebank) Hotel (B)

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 Day 8, Mount Kenya
Drive today to your accommodations at one of Africa's most glamorous, prestigious resorts.  Here you are free to enjoy golf and sports, visit the animal orphanage, and stroll the gracious grounds with their exotic birds and majestic views of Mt. Kenya's solitary peak. Mount Kenya Safari Club (B,L,D) 

Days 10-11, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe  
Board a short flight to Victoria Falls, your destination for two thrilling days.  Twice as high and one-and-a-half times as wide as Niagara, this is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.  From your base at the legendary Victoria Falls Hotel, enjoy a personally guided walking tour of the Falls and surrounding rainforests fed by its silvery mists that earned the Falls their nickname Mosi Oa Tunya, "Smoke that Thunders." Blazing skies fill your view on a Zambezi sundowner cruise, and you'll experience local culture at the celebrated artisan's village and your hotel's African Spectacular show of tribal dances.  Victoria Falls Hotel (Sat: B;  Sun: B,D)

 Days 12-13, Chobe National Park, Botswana  
Drive across the Botswana border to your celebrated lodge along the Chobe River.  Here you experience the Africa of old:  vast open spaces studded with baobabs and ancient woodlands; the world's last great elephant herds wandering the dusty plains and reveling in the river; vast arrays of antelope, giraffe, zebra and other herbivores scattering in the dry season and reemerging in huge numbers after the rains to graze on fresh, sweet grasses.  Your time here offers some of the finest safari experiences in Africa, with your choice of day and night wildlife viewing by open safari vehicle, on foot and by boat.  Chobe Game Lodge (Daily: B,L,D)

Days 14-15, Okavango Delta
Depart by charter aircraft to one of the world's great wildernesses, the Okavango Delta.  Arrive at your comfortable tented camp and spend two days exploring remote delta scenery by dugout mokoro canoe and on foot.  With an experienced poler, glide just inches over the crystal clear water surface through quiet lagoons and channels covered with aquatic plant life, and to palm-fringed islands where airborne creatures thrive, from rare wattled cranes and herons to powerful fish eagles and Pel's owls, to delicate dragonflies and iridescent kingfishers.  Also keep watch for specially-adapted animals such as red lechwe, hippo, crocodile, and rare sitatunga.  Okavango Wilderness Camp (Daily: B,L,D)

Day 16, Johannesburg
Fly back to Johannesburg via Maun, and transfer to your hotel.  The balance of the day is at leisure for last-minute shopping and preparations for your departure tomorrow.    Grace (Rosebank) Hotel (B)

Day 17, Johannesburg - Depart
Transfer to the airport and begin your journey home, with indelible memories of the southern continent's wilderness and urban pleasures.  (B)

Day 18, Arrive U.S.A. or Canada  
Arrive in the U.S.A. or Canada and connect with your flight home, arriving later today

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Your Safari Cost Includes:
Roundtrip economy-class airline ticket from U.S.A. to Cape Town and home from Johannesburg; and 2 intra-African flights Johannesburg/ Victoria Falls and Maun/Johannesburg (air-inclusive safaris only).