Compare Rivers & Rails of Africa by AMA Waterways vs 12-Day Best of Southern Africa by Ker & Downey Africa
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
3.5 | Average
|
5 | Excellent
|
| Duration | 13 days | 12 days |
| Price From | $ 12,695 | $ 7,974 |
| Price Per Day | $ 977 | $ 665 |
| Highlights |
|
|
| Trip Style | Small ship cruise | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Luxury | Premium |
| Physical Level |
|
|
| Travel Themes |
|
|
| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
|
|
| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Internal airfare and ground transport included |
| Activities |
|
|
| Meals Included |
12 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches and 8 Dinners |
|
| Description |
Your African journey begins with a three-night stay in Cape Town where you’ll explore the Atlantic Seaboard including the Cape of Good Hope and an African penguin encounter. You’ll also take a cableway up Table Mountain and then choose between a wine region tour or a visit to Robben Island that includes a cultural tour of Cape Town’s diverse neighborhoods. Next, fly to Kasane, Botswana for your four-night Zambezi Queen safari cruise on the Chobe River. Explore Chobe National Park, home to one of the densest populations of wildlife on the African continent. Then continue with two nights at the legendary Victoria Falls, one of the world’s great and impressive natural wonders. From here, you will join the Rovos Rail. Enjoy a three-night luxurious train journey as you travel through approximately 1,000 miles of breathtaking scenery from Zimbabwe through Botswana and into South Africa. |
Discover Cape Town, experience the wildlife in Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve and the Chobe National Park as well as behold the majesty of the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Experience natural beauty, raw adventure and unrivaled game viewing on this 11 Night / 12 Day private tour safari of Southern Africa with Ker & Downey Africa, Africa's leading luxury tour operator. |
Day 1: Arrive In Cape Town
Situated amidst majestic mountains and lined with pristine white sand beaches, Cape Town is home to a rich cultural and historical heritage. After your airport greeting by an AmaWaterways representative, transfer to your hotel. Your Tour Director hosts a Welcome Reception at 6:30 pm. (WR)
Day 2: Cape Town
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Your full day exploration on one of the world’s most beautiful drives takes you southeast along the Atlantic seaboard past the 12 Apostles, Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak. Stop at the Cape of Good Hope, first rounded in modern times in 1488 by the Portuguese in their attempt to establish trade in the Far East and still a significant landmark for sailors today. Also visit Boulder Beach, home to thousands of African Penguins. Lunch today is fine dining with drinks overlooking False Bay.
Day 3: Cape Town
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Choose from two sightseeing options today: The first option is to take a cableway up Table Mountain for spectacular views from the summit. Then head out to the scenic Cape Winelands, which comprises the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl valleys. Visit two renowned vineyards and sample their wines. A sumptuous regional lunch will be included along the way. Or you can choose to board a ferry to Robben Island, once used as a prison for many political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. Your tour will be led by a former inmate before returning back to Cape Town. After lunch, board the cableway to the summit of Table Mountain followed by a drive through some of the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
Day 4: Cape Town – Zambezi Queen – Embarkation
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Fly to Kasane, Botswana (via Johannesburg) and board the Zambezi Queen. This afternoon, enjoy the view as you settle in on the Chobe River before a Welcome Cocktail and Dinner.
Day 5: Zambezi Queen
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning embark on a boat safari to explore the Chobe River’s spectacular game viewing. Then journey back to the Zambezi Queen for lunch and time to relax on board. Later today, enjoy a slightly different version of a river safari aboard a special double decker barge which will allow you to venture into the southern channels. This excursion will offer you an unusual viewpoint to observe hippos and elephants in their natural habitat.
Day 6: Zambezi Queen
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Join a full day safari of Chobe National Park in open-top 4x4 vehicles. Chobe National Park is home to one of the most dense populations of wildlife in Africa. Be on the lookout for elephants, giraffe, zebra, sable, warthog and cape buffalo. Prides of lions, hyenas and (more rarely) cheetahs, are normally visible along the way. Lunch will be a delicious picnic served up under the trees.
Day 7: Zambezi Queen
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This morning, enjoy an unforgettable visit to a typical African village to experience the local culture first hand. Spend time with the children of the village as well as its elders and learn about their day-to-day life. After lunch on board, you can choose your afternoon activity including an afternoon safari by boat, bird watching or fishing. Tonight your crew hosts an African themed dinner complete with singing and dancing.
Day 8: Zambezi Queen – Disembarkation – Victoria Falls
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Transfer to legendary Victoria Falls, one of the greatest natural wonders on earth. Spend the afternoon exploring the town or experience one of the many activities offered at your hotel. This evening you have a special dinner and encounter with Africa’s “gentle giants.”
Day 9: Victoria Falls
Meals: Breakfast
Join a local guide for a tour of remarkable Victoria Falls, more commonly referred to as the smoke that thunders. The afternoon is free for independent activities. Relax and enjoy the amenities and grounds of your iconic hotel, walk into town for a little shopping or perhaps take an optional outing. Tonight, embark on a private and festive Sundowner cruise complete with drinks and tapas, along with music.
Day 10: Victoria Falls – Rovos Rail
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
A free morning for independent activities. Later this afternoon transfer to the Victoria Falls train station. Once onboard, be sure to check out the Lounge and Observation Cars. Dinner is served in the dining car tonight as your train journey begins.
Day 11: Rovos Rail
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
An early morning as you disembark for your safari in the Hwange Game Reserve. After returning to the train, enjoy brunch as you journey towards Botswana. Delectable dinner selections are served on board for you to savor tonight.
Day 12: Rovos Rail
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Enter South Africa, your third and final country during this voyage. Lunch will be served in the dining car as the train travels through the farmlands of the Marico Valley. Enjoy your last afternoon on the train as you prepare for your final dinner on board.
Day 13: Johannesburg
Meals: Breakfast
This morning your train journey comes to a close, but not before you enjoy one last breakfast on board and a final scenic stretch. After your 10:00 am arrival in Pretoria, South Africa you will be transferred to the airport in Johannesburg for your onward flight home. Please do not schedule onward flights before 4:00 pm.
Day 1: Cape Town
We may be biased but we can think of nowhere better to start your dream trip than Cape Town. Offering the very best in cuisine, culture, entertainment, art and adventure and framed by the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town is riding high right now as one of the world’s best cities.
After arrival at Cape Town International Airport, where you will be met by your Ker & Downey local representative, you will be transferred to the Clarendon Bantry Bay, situated in the affluent and exclusive Bantry Bay area of Cape Town on the Atlantic Seaboard.
Your second day in Cape Town includes a half day guide at your disposal. You will be chauffeured to the historical and colorful Bo-Kaap area to partake in a homely Cape Malay Cooking experience - a truly unique South African experience.
The rest of your time is to be spent at your own leisurely pace, however, our dedicated staff are on standby to offer advice and help plan out your in between time in our lively city.
CT Aerial
Included:
Park fees
All activities
All accommodation
A professional driver/guide
All transportation
All flights during the tour
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals
Drinks
Excluded:
International flights
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips
Personal items
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Some meals
Day 2: Cape Town
Table Mountain CablewayTable MountainRobben Island
Day 3: Cape Town
PanoramaGreen Point Stadium
Day 4: Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
On your fourth day you will be transferred from your hotel in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport where you will depart on the internal flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport.
Hidden among a cluster of indigenous trees on the banks of the Msuthlu River, Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp offers its guests superior exclusivity in an intimate environment. This enchanting camp is found in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, whose gates open onto the unsurpassed wilderness of the Kruger National Park. It is the smallest of the Sabi Sabi lodges, providing you with a homely ambiance in a fairy-tale setting of seclusion.
Explore the plains on game drives, standing the chance to see the Big 5 among an assortment of other safari animals. A nature walk through the park led by a professional guide will give you a different perspective of the wilderness.
Included in your stay is the chance to observe the unobstructed splendor of the Milky Way and other constellations of stars.
Day 5: Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
Day 6: Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
Day 7: Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
On the 7th day you will be transferred back to the Sabi Sabi lodge airstrip for you scheduled flight to OR Tambo Intl for your flight to Victoria Falls Intl.
Once landing at Victoria Falls Intl you will be met and transferred to Victoria Falls River Lodge. Built on raised wooden decks, the 13 luxurious tents all boast beautiful views of a river and the African bush and come with their own private plunge pools. The luxuriously furnished rooms are a fusion of European and African decor and make for an excellent location to explore the quaint town of Victoria Falls and the impressive Falls themselves.
Included in your stay is a rain forest canopy tour. This memorable canopy tour consists of 9 different slides that will take you through thick riverine vegetation over the Zambezi River. Zip over gorges and above the trees as you explore this beautiful region in a thrilling and breathtaking way.
Day 8: Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
Victoria Falls River Lodge - Luxury Tented SuitesVictoria Falls River Lodge
Day 9: Chobe River Front
Head to Kasane for your 4 days Chobe National Park experience. The lodge is located on the western side of the Chobe National Park and offers panoramic views over the wildlife-rich Chobe River and flood plain.
This luxurious and intimate luxury lodge only has eight suites and with the new jetty at Ihaha in Western Chobe, allows for optional breakfast and lunch cruises (subject to river level). As the lodge is in the Chobe Forest Reserve it can offer night game drives.
Day 10: Chobe River Front
Suite Room with a viewChobe Activities
Day 11: Chobe River Front
Private dinner at lodgeBush DinnerSunset at end of game drive
Day 12: End of Itinerary
On your last day of the tour, you will wake early for your final game drive and African bush sunrise, before returning to camp to begin your transfer to Kasane, along with all your unforgettable memories, for your onward journey.
