Africa: the M experience

Here is an example itinerary, based on a 3/4 period. Budget info available upon request. Africa, 2014.

March 11: Travel Day  

• 1. DP: Vancouver 12:10pm – AR: Seattle: 12:58pm
• 2. DP: Seattle: 230pm  –  AR: AMS: 8:05am

March 12: Amsterdam

Location: Amsterdam
Accommodation: Park Plaza Victoria
Activities: Anne Franks Huis, Van gogh Museum, Cannel Cruise & SHOPPING

March 13: Travel Day

Location: AMSTERDAM to Cape Town

• 1. DP: Amsterdam 10:05am – AR: Cape Town 10:35pm
• Pick up Rental Car

Accommodation: Hotel Verde
Activities: Eat & Sleep.

March 14: Hiking

Location: Cape Town to Simons Town
Accommodation: Simons Town Guest House
Activities: Hiking Table Mountain, Sandy Bay Beach

March 15: Hiking

Location: Simons Town to Cape of Good Hope to Simons Town
Accommodation: Simons Town Guest House
Activities: Hiking around the Cape, Sunset Cruise

March 16: Kayaking 

Location: Simons Town to Gansbaai
Accommodation: Cliff Lodge
Activities: Kayaking w/ the Penguins, Mid Day Surf in Muizenberg, Relax at the Lodge

March 17: Shark Cage Diving

Location: Gansbaai to Stellenbosch
Accommodation: Asara Wine Estates

Activities:

• 10:00am Shark Cage Diving!!
• 6:00pm Welcome reception at Asara Wine Estate with Jim Cuddy, Tom Cochrane, Barney Bentall, AnneLindsay, Jennifer Botterill, David Lawrason and our host in South Africa, Pete Gottgens. Your first tasteof Asara Wines with an introduction of South African wines by David Lawrason!
• 7:45pm A traditional South African Dinner

March 18: Beginning Gold Medal Plates – Hiking

Location: Stellenbosch
Accommodation: Asara Wine Estates

Activities:

• Guided Hike through the Vineyards with lunch at Neethlingshof Estate Wine with special guest David Lawrason
• 5:30pm Superb South African Wine Tasting by Wine Master Jim Cuddy at Asara Wine Estate

March 19: GMP – Mt. Biking

Location: Stellenbosch
Accommodation: Asara Wine Estates

Activities:

• Guided Mountain Bike Ride through the vineyards followed by lunch at Jordan Wine Estate
• 5:45pm “Jackets and Cocktail Dresses Required” for this Very Special Evening fit for Royalty! Pete Gottgens will wow us with a special Asara Wine Tasting through the vineyards followed by a Sunset Vineyard Dinner featuring the dinner Pete prepared for Nelson Mandela and the Queen!  

March 20: GMP – Hiking

Location: Stellenbosch
Accommodation: Asara Wine Estates

Activities:

• 10:30 am: Depart Asara for the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Guided hike through the forest. Must be reasonably fit.
• 2:30 pm: We will depart on coaches together from Kirstenbosch to High Constantia, a boutique wine farm and one of the oldest wineries in South Africa to enjoy a splendid Braai BBQ and wine tasting where you will be entertained with tales from our Olympic Silver Medallist Jennifer Botterill
• 9:00 pm: Night cap in the Asara Bar!

March 21: GMP – Robbin Island Tour

Location: Stellenbosch
Accommodation: Asara Wine Estates

Activities: *Free Evening

• 10:30 am: Depart from Asara Wine Estate to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, for a VIP Tour. We will be taken to Robben Island from Cape Town on private luxury yachts. Following the tour we will enjoy a leisurely seafood lunch on our yachts and afternoon relaxing on your yacht. 
• 6:30 pm: Approximate time back at Asara Wine Estate for a free evening.

March 22: GMP – Mt. Biking

Location: Stellenbosch
Accommodation: Asara Wine Estates

Activities: *Free Evening

• Guided Mountain Bike Ride in Jonkershoek (for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers)
• 4:00 pm: The Second Annual Gold Medal Plates Pool Party!

March 23: GMP – Mt. Biking

Location: Stellenbosch
Accommodation: Asara Wine Estates

Activities:

• Guided Mountain Bike Ride followed by lunch at Clos Malverne
• 6:30 pm: “Thank You Africa” BBQ Dinner at Asara Wine Estate followed by the Jim Cuddy, Tom Cochrane, and friends concert featuring Barney Bentall and Anne Lindsay!

March 24: Travel Day

• 1. DP: Cape Town Int. S. Africa 8:50am – AR: Johannesburg S. Africa 10:50am
• 2. DP:Johannesburg 2:20pm – AR: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 8:50pm
• 3. DP: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 10:30pm – AR: Kilimanjaro Int. Tanzania 3:20am

Location: Various African Airports
Accommodation: n/a
Activities: PEOPLE WATCHING

March 25: Free Day in Arusha 

Location: ARRIVE Kilm Int. Tanzania 3:20am – Shuttle to Arusha Tanzania. Airport pick-up & Shuttle to Lodge via Eco Tours.
Accommodation: Out-Post Lodge
Activities: *Free Day

March 26: Beginning of Safari – Hiking

Day 1: Lake Manayara National Park
Accommodation: Lake Manayara Wild Life Lodge

Activities:

After breakfast drive to Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara National Park is a unique park with an alkaline lake and breathtaking views. Here you will view a wide variety of wildlife including lions, baboons and countless varieties of birds and a walking Safari. Afternoon wildlife viewing at Lake Manyara National Park

March 27: Safari

Day 2: Serengeti National Park / Ngorongoro Crater / Olduvai Gorge
Accommodation: Seronera Camp Site (If there ever was a time to get  eaten – this night will be it) Tents + Lions = Excitement! NO COMMUNICATION.

Activities:

After breakfast, continue your journey into the heart of Tanzania by heading west, toward the Serengeti Plains. Brief stop at Olduvai Gorge where Dr Louis and Mary Leakey made their discovery of the fast man that walked the earth. Afternoon wildlife viewing in Serengeti National Park

March 28: Safari 

Day 3: Serengeti National Park
Accommodation: Seronera Wild Life Lodge

Activities:

Early Morning Hot Air Ballon Safari & Another wildlife viewing from a second location deep in the Serengeti. Home to literally hundreds of thousands of hoofed animals, the Serengeti is a pristine and unique sanctuary that will give you a glimpse into “the world as it was in the beginning.”

March 29: Safari

Day 4: Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Crater
Accommodation: Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge

Activities:

Today you will wake up very early to do an early morning safari before breakfast, to spot the animals when they are more active and also to have a fantastic sun rise in front of you. The sunrise in the African Savannah is one of the most beautiful experiences one can have. After the game drive, return to the camp for brunch In the afternoon, transfer to Ngorongoro, the 8th natural wonder of the world. With walls 2,000 ft high and a crater floor that spreads for 102 sq. miles, the crater is a virtual Noah’s Ark, inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa including the rare black rhino. In fact, the crater has the greatest concentration of wild life in the planet

March 30: Safari

Day 5: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha
Accommodation: Out-Post Lodge

Activities:

Depart from your Lodge,  after a leisurely breakfast and drive to Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is a geological marvel boasting several vegetation zones from lakes to forest to savannah. It is home to about 30,000 animals, despite its tiny size of only 10 miles across. Wildlife viewing on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater.

March 31: Mt. Bike Tour

Location: Arusha, Tanzania
Accommodation: Out-Post Lodge
Activities: 9:00am Arusha Mt. Bike Village Tour

April 1: Hiking

Location: Arusha to Moshi Town
Accommodation: Keys Hotel (Close to Airport)

Activities:

Your guide will meet you in Arusha and drive you two hours to the Marangu Gate at Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park. After completion of administrative formalities, you will begin you trek. This 4-5 hour hike is at a leisurely pace through the dense forest to your first hut.
At an elevation of 2700m, Mandara Hut is a group of wooden A-framed huts in a forest clearing. Each hut features 6-8 sleeping bunks with solar generated lighting. The total capacity of the camp is 60 climbers. Water is piped into the camp from springs above and there are flush toilets behind the main hut.

April 2: Travel Day / Johannesburg 

• 1. DP: Kilimanjaro Int. 4:05am – AR: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 6:35am
• 2. DP: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 8:50am – AR: Johannesburg Int. 1:20pm
• 3. DP. OR Tambo Int. Term. A YELLOW LINE Gautrain to Sandton – Protea Hotel

Location: Johannesburg
Accommodation: Protea Hotel
Activities: Mandela Tour

April 3: Johannesburg / Travel Night

Location: Johannesburg – Paris – Vancouver

Activities:

• 1. DP. Protea Hotel, YELLOW LINE Gautrain to OR Tambo Int. Term. A
• 2. DP: OR Tambo Int, Term A 7:15pm – AR. Charles De Gaulle Paris 6:00am April 4th, 2014.
• April 4th Travel Day:
• DP: Charles De Gaulle, Parish 9:30am – AR: Amsterdam

April 5: ARRIVE HOME