During September 2008, Steppes Travel have planned the most unique safari from Cape Town to Cairo in a private aircraft.
With four clients already booked there are just four spaces still available. Book early for what promises to be the most inspiring and memorable journey.
A cross-flight of over 10,000km from Cape Town to Cairo, it starts at Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. You then continue to selected nature and culture highlights in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and finally finish the trip in Egypt.
Experience all this by travelling in a time-efficient manner and within the comfort of a small aircraft. No sitting in a bumpy vehicle for days on end in extreme heat, travelling from the main airports to the often far-away nature reserves and other attractions.
Apart from the time-efficiency factor (the maximum flight time per day does not exceed three hours), there is the extra advantage of having a unique view, as you fly at low altitudes to ensure the best possible sightings of the scenes and landscapes down below.
Sites along the route include:
Deserts: the Namib, Kalahari and Sahara
The Okavango Delta
Victoria Falls
Luangwa Valley
Ngorongoro Crater
Masai Mara and Serengeti Nature Reserves
Mount Kilimanjaro
Volcano landscape at Lake Turkana
Blue Nile
Rock-churches of Lalibela
Temples of Aswan and Luxor
Pyramids of Meroe and Giza
Contact Katie or telephone +44 (0) 1285 650011 for an information pack or to reserve your place.Brief Summary of Tour Day 1: Depart London Heathrow for Cape Town, flying overnight.
Day 2: Arrive in Cape Town, a sophisticated city at the gateway to a magnificent continent. The pilots and fellow travellers will meet you at the Mount Nelson Hotel. Meet for discussion on the itinerary of your safari. On request, you can arrange a visit to the V&A Waterfront and Table Mountain. One night.
Day 3: Depart from South Africa to Namibia with a scenic flight over Cape Town, Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. Stop over in the Namib Rand Nature Reserve at the Wolwedans Dune Lodge, Namibia. The special attraction of this private reserve is the diversity of desert landscapes in one cohesive area. Set against a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, Wolwedans provides the perfect base from which to explore vast stretches of enchanting and imposing dunes. Wolwedans provides a unique experience close to nature, without compromising any comfort and style. Constructed on wooden platforms and overlooking panoramic vistas, to capture the desert in an intimate and memorable way. Enjoy sundowners in the desert. Two nights.
Day 4: Day visit in open 4x4 vehicles to the dune landscapes of NamibRand Nature Reserve.
Day 5: Scenic flight over the Namib Desert, nicknamed the world's oldest desert, the Namib stretches along the coast of Namibia to form one of the most spectacular and richest deserts in the world. Fly over Sossusvlei, which boasts the highest dunes in the world and is a photographer's paradise. Explore the Atlantic Coast from the air and see the seal colonies and shipwrecks; fly to the popular seaside resort of Swakopmund.
Fly via Windhoek (for immigration) over the Kalahari and on to Maun in Botswana.
Scenic flight over the Okavango Delta en route to Xigera Camp. Described as "the river, which never finds the sea", the Okavango disappears into a 6,000-square-mile maze of lagoons, channels, and islands. It is Africa's largest and most beautiful oasis. Enjoy the natural beauty on a mokoro (dug out canoe) excursion in the floodplains of the Okavango. Sundowners at camp afterwards. Two nights.
Day 6: Morning and night drives in open 4x4 vehicles for game viewing in the Delta. Boat cruises on one of the Okavango main channels
Day 7: Fly via Kasane, Botswana to Livingstone, Zambia. Road transfer to the Royal Livingstone Hotel, which is situated close the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side. Victoria Falls is 1 708 meters wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. Visit Victoria Falls. One night.
Day 8: After breakfast, fly to Mfuwe. Road transfer to Mfuwe Lodge, which is situated in the South Luangwa National Park. Experts have dubbed South Luangwa as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and not without reason. The concentration of game around the Luangwa River and its ox bow lagoons is among the most intense in Africa. Activities include daily game drives in the Park including night drives in open 4x4 vehicles. The Luangwa Valley is famous for its leopard viewings. Two nights.
Day 9: The now famous 'walking safari' originated in this park and is still one of the finest ways to experience this pristine wilderness first hand. Walking safari through the bush with brunch at the Luangwa River. Afternoon drive in open 4x4 vehicles until after sunset.
Day 10: Fly to Tanzania via Mbeya and on to the untouched and exciting Ruaha National Park. Large herds of elephant, a plentiful predator population, lesser kudu, wild dog, eland, roan antelope, sable antelope and more than 500 species of bird make Ruaha a naturalist's paradise. Road transfer to Jongomero Lodge. Drive in open 4x4 vehicles with wildlife viewing followed by sundowners at Jongomera. Two nights.
Day 11: Midday and afternoon drives through the National Park with game viewing.
Day 12: Fly via Dodoma for refuelling, over the Ngorongoro Crater and the fascinating surrounding volcano landscape into the Serengeti. It is the migration for which Serengeti is most famous. Over a million wildebeest and about 200,000 zebras flow south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then swirl west and north after the long rains in April, May and June. Game drives in open 4 WD vehicles. Overnight Kusini Camp. Two nights.
Day 13: Game drives for viewing of the migration in the Serengeti.
Day 14: Midday departure from Tanzania to Kenya. Fly to Lake Turkana the biggest permanent desert lake in the world, formerly known as Lake Rudolf. Road transfer to Oasis Lodge in Loyangalani. 4x4 drive to Lake Turkana to visit the El Molo tribe, the lake's original settlers. The hunter-gatherer El Molo's have the reputation of being the smallest tribe in the world. Return via an oasis in the volcanic area. Sundowners and dinner at the Oasis Lodge. One night.
Day 15: Fly to Lokichokio, the biggest UN base for the World Food Programme in Africa. Fly along the Rift Valley to Addis Ababa. Its wide, tree-lined streets, fine architecture and the incongruity of donkey trains along the boulevards make this a city of surprises and a delightful place to explore. Road transfer to the Sheraton Hotel and a tour of the city. One night.
Day 16: Fly over the source of the Blue Nile to Lalibela, which is situated on a natural 2,600-metre rock terrace surrounded on all sides by rugged and forbidding mountains. Coach transfer to Roha Hotel. Spend the afternoon viewing the monolithic churches and walk through the town with a visit to a "Tege Beat", a place where the traditional mildly alcoholic honey and barley tea is served. The rare and endangered Ethiopian wolf can sometimes be seen on the outskirts of Lalibela. One night.
Day 17: Return flight to Addis Ababa, complete immigration out of Ethiopia and fly over the area of the Blue Nile to Khartoum, Sudan where the Blue and White Nile meet. Transfer to the Hilton Hotel. City tour. Dinner at a Sudanese restaurant on the banks of the Nile. Two nights.
Day 18: Drive in air-conditioned vehicles to the city of Meroe, which is marked by the Royal Acropolis of over 200 pyramids, many in ruins. Travel further to the Temple of the Lions in Musawwarat. Visit a nomadic tribe, which speak Hassaniya, an Arab dialect. Here you will find the famous 70 metre deep well. Travel through villages in the Nile valley to the sixth Nile-Cataract.
Day 19: Fly over the Nile valley, the Nubian Desert and Lake Nasser to Assuan for immigration into Egypt. Fly to Luxor, road transfer to the Oberoi Hotel. Visit Valley of the Kings. One night.
Day 20: Fly to Cairo over the Sahara, Hurghada, Red Sea, the Sinai and the Gulf of Suez. Road transfer to the Mena House Oberoi Hotel. Coach transfer to the Gizeh Pyramids. The Pyramids of Giza are the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt. These massive stone structures were built around 4500 years ago on a rocky desert plateau close to the Nile. The monumental Great Sphinx is a national symbol of Egypt, both ancient and modern. Visit the Bazaars. Farewell dinner in a traditional restaurant.
Day 21: Breakfast and transfer to the airport for your return flight home. Arrive London Heathrow.
Contact
Katie or telephone +44 (0) 1285 650011 for an information pack or to reserve your place.
