Southern Africa Odyssey

Journey into Southern Africa’s heart to witness the magnificence of four distinct nations: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.  Experience astonishing beauty, consummate adventure, and outstanding accommodations in a small group limited to 24 travelers.  Johannesburg, the “City of Gold,” provides the starting point for this 18-day tour.  Discover the renowned Soweto district, where the seeds of South African freedom took root, visiting Nelson Mandela’s home and touring the moving Hector Pieterson Memorial.  Exchanging urban surroundings for a three-night stay in a historic hotel near Zimbabwe’s spectacular Victoria Falls, admire the falls up close, meet local grade school students, and enjoy a “Sundowner” Zambezi cruise.  Embark on a rhino safari in search of this elusive animal, then take a full-day safari excursion to Botswana’s Chobe National Park, which boasts one of Africa’s largest concentrations of game.  After touring Namibia’s Windhoek, more dramatic landscapes await in the vast Namib Desert and at Sossusvlei, home to the world’s highest dunes.  Take a catamaran excursion along the storied Namibian coast and explore German-accented Swakopmund.  Returning to South Africa, spend four final nights in beautiful Cape Town, visiting the colorful Bo-Kaap neighborhood and lovely Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Travel to the famed Winelands region, sampling its offerings at a winery.  Other highlights include riding a funicular at the stunning Cape of Good Hope, seeing Boulders Beach’s penguins, and summiting Table Mountain via cable car. Experience the splendor of the extraordinary Kruger National Park region – “Big Five” game country – with an optional 4-day/3-night post-tour extension.