HIGHLIGHTS
4. LIVINGSTONE, I PRESUME
Fly from Cape Town to Johannesburg, then from Johannesburg to the town of Livingstone, Zambia, named for the legendary missionary and explorer, Dr. David Livingstone. Settle in at The Royal Livingstone, a colonial-style luxury hotel in the heart of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park; later, you’ll board a vintage 1920s steam train for an old-fashioned, romantic 16-mile journey through the bushveld; view game like elephants, giraffes, and zebras from the elegance of Pullman cars equipped with gourmet kitchens serving cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a five-course dinner – a rail safari in high style. Meals BD
WALK WITH LIONS*
Anyone can watch a lion from the safety of a safari vehicle, but if you want to know what it’s like to pet one, or be an honorary member of the pride, here’s your chance. To address the declining lion population, the African Lion Rehabilitation and Release program in Zambia raises lions from cubs for reintroduction to the wild... and since these teenagers are totally acclimated to humans, guests are offered a rare chance to interact with them, up-close and personal, no leashes, collars, or restraints. Join them as they play, stalk prey, or just chill out. Just be sure to observe certain rules of etiquette, don’t show fear, and have fun out there.
5. YOUNG LIONS & VICTORIA FALLS Walk – and play – with teenage lions* at a reserve where they are raised to be reintroduced into the wild (see sidebar). Then follow the sound of roaring water on a walking tour to Mosi-oa-Tunya (“The Smoke That Thunders”) which Livingstone named Victoria Falls. The site where the mile-wide Zambezi River plunges into a chasm more than 350 feet deep, sending billowing clouds of spray skyward like inverted rain, is sure to leave you speechless. Meals BLD
6. GAME DRIVES ON THE OKAVANGO DELTA Drive to the border where a ferry transports you across the Zambezi River to Botswana; transfer by safari vehicle to a lodge for a motorboat safari on the Chobe River. After lunch, a flight takes you to the Moremi Game Reserve on the Okavango River, in the world’s largest inland delta. During seasonal flooding, the delta swells to three times its size, becoming an oasis in an arid country and attracting wildlife – and predators, including lions and leopards. You’ll have a good chance to view them on a night safari en route to your lodge on the Khwai River. Meals BLD
7. WALKING SAFARI IN THE OKAVANGO DELTA This morning, enjoy the option of a game drive or a walking safari* with local guides who demonstrate their remarkable knowledge and skills in tracking animals. Return to camp for lunch and leisure; enjoy the spa, or watch hippos and elephants amble by before a late afternoon game drive. Meals BLD
8. VISIT TO A SAN VILLAGE MEERKAT MANNERS
If you’re a fan of Animal Planet’s Meerkat Manor, you’re already familiar with the little creatures’ rambunctious social habits and endlessly fascinating domestic dramas. If you’re not, suffice to say that meerkats are charming, highly social cousins of the mongoose that live in tight-knit communities, hunt termites and small prey for a living, and stand 9 to 14 inches tall on their hind legs, which they do a lot, on the lookout for predators. Normally shy, the meerkat families you’ll meet on our tour of the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana are accustomed (or perhaps indifferent?) to humans, and don’t mind a little interaction as they scurry about their daily routine in groups that are properly called meerkat “mobs,” “clans,” or even “gangs.”
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Today, you have the option of a game drive or a visit to a San village for a unique look at everyday life. Learn about local traditions, marriage customs, cooking, village government, music and medicine. Many of your local guides are from the village and may even introduce you to their families. Meals BLD
9. MAKGADIKGADI PANS NATIONAL PARK Fly from Okavango to Maun, then from Maun to Makgadikgadi Pans, the salt plains at the edge of the Kalahari Desert. A parched wasteland most of the year, seasonally the plains are covered with water and grass, drawing spectacular herds of wildebeest and zebra, as well as springboks, vultures, eagles, flamingoes, and hyenas. From your camp in the park, you’ll go out on a game drive or take a walking safari with the local San Bushmen, featuring hands-on learning about their legendary hunting and survival skills in this challenging environment. Meals BLD
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