South Africa, Botswana & Zimbabwe . . .

1 unusual journey hosted by Patty & David Weber

Crusoe & Son’s safaris are unique. We take you to places you can enjoy at leisure, places where you can view animals from a specially designed vehicle, from a seat in a traditional dugout canoe, or on foot. What an

unforgettable moment—waking up in the bush luxury of a tented camp to catch a small herd of elephants soaking in the morning sun. Or deciding on a lark to join your safari guide for a game walk through a private wildlife reserve. Or taking stock of Southern Africa’s exquisite beauty over cocktails in the setting sun.

R.

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Where the Buffalo (Elephant, Zebra, Hippo, Hyena, & Lion) Roam.

� Day 1: United States Wednesday, 2 September 2015 Embark on an overnight flight to South Africa.

Overnight: in flight

� Day 2: Johannesburg, South Africa Thursday, 3 September 2015 Welcome to South Africa. On arrival in Johannesburg, our VIP airport assistant greets you as you disembark the aircraft, guides you through immigration and customs, helps collect your luggage, and escorts you to your private transfer to the hotel.

Johannesburg is lively and cosmopolitan, offering a tempting array of superb restaurants, elegant boutiques, and world class shopping, yet it is also fresh and breezy with open spaces—golf courses, botanical gardens, and parks.

Nestled in the exclusive suburb of Sandton, the Saxon Hotel prides itself on being a home away from home. This was home to Nelson Mandela after his release from prison, and it was here that he penned his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Twenty-six suites surrounded by lush gardens exhibit African art, and look out onto either the tranquil pool area or gardens.

The remainder of the day is on your own. We gather for a cocktail reception early this evening. Overnight: Saxon Hotel (cocktails)

� Day 3: Rivonia, Soweto, Johannesburg Friday, 4 September 2015 This morning, we visit Liliesleaf Farm. Situated in residential Rivonia, this interactive museum honors the impressive trajectory of South Africa’s socio-political past. Once headquarters of the military wing of

the ANC and the Congress Alliance, Liliesleaf holds a position of esteem among anti-Apartheid landmarks in South Africa.

Experience a first-hand account of the events leading

up to the infamous raid in Rivonia as well as insights into some of the revolutionary personalities who helped to shape South Africa’s democracy.

We pause for lunch along the way. This afternoon, we head to Soweto (SOuth WEstern

TOwnship), the largest black residential area in South Africa. A city within a city, it consists of 50 suburbs and is home to approximately two million people. We see all the most important sites. Soak up the ambience of Africa up close in the lively markets. Stop by a large worker hostel.

Next, the fascinating Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, a state-of-the-art multimedia center that depicts scenes leading up to the student uprising of 16 June 1976 and the nation’s eventual transition to democracy. Nearby is Mandela’s former house, on the same street as the home of Desmond Tutu.

Our last stop of the day is the Apartheid Museum, opened in 2001 as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th-century South Africa.

We venture out for dinner tonight at one of our favorite Johannesburg restaurants.

Overnight: Saxon Hotel (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 4: Johannesburg; Maun, Okavango Delta, Botswana Saturday, 5 September 2015 This morning we fly from Johannesburg to Maun, Botswana, and then travel 20 minutes by light aircraft to our first safari camp.

Unlike most rivers, which flow towards the ocean, the Okavango fans inland, forming a 4,000-square mile network of islands, lagoons, and waterways (the delta) that, in the end, evaporate into the dry winds and sands of the Kalahari Desert. Such a water-filled environment

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supports a great range of wildlife including elephants, zebras, buffaloes, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos, kudus, lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, and a dizzying variety of birds (550 avian species are known to live in the delta). Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp and Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge enjoy luxurious solitude on their own Delta island within a 670,000-acre exclusive wildlife concession.

Lunch and dinner are at the camp and lodge. Overnight: Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp &

Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 5: Okavango Delta Sunday, 6 September 2015 We have a full day to observe the variety of stunning wildlife here. The serene watery base lends itself to quiet relaxation, contemplation, and reflection. If, however, you are looking for adventure and excitement, climb into a mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) or a motorboat and take an excursion through the surrounding waterways. Vehicle safaris are available when the water levels are too low for a mokoro. Or try a complimentary helicopter safari for game-viewing from a different perspective. The open sides of the helicopter allow for fantastic photo opportunities.

All meals are at camp. Overnight: Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp &

Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 6: Chobe National Park Monday, 7 September 2015 After breakfast this morning, board a light aircraft for a 45 minute flight to the heart of Chobe National Park, a 7,000-square-mile swamp and grasslands wilderness on the flood plains of the Chobe River. It supports large numbers of elephants, Cape buffaloes, hippos, warthogs, various antelope, and a wide variety of birds (watch for beautiful peach-colored carmine bee-eaters along the Chobe River).

Spotting hyenas and lions takes a bit more luck, but you’re almost guaranteed a sighting in the Savute Marsh area. The marsh has the highest predator density in Southern Africa, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, as well as African wild dogs, jackals, and hyenas. The relatively short grass provides excellent photo opportunities.

Perched on the banks of the Savute Channel, with an elevated view of the river, Savute Elephant Lodge is a spectacular base from which to explore the area. Savute is also unrivaled for its sightings of excellent predator / prey interaction.

Overnight: Savute Elephant Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 7: Chobe National Park Tuesday, 8 September 2015 When we venture out in open 4x4 vehicles there are excellent opportunities to see wildlife on the dried up Savute Marsh.

In addition to game drives, excursions can be arranged to see historic San rock paintings in the hills or the ancient Gametrackers baobabs.

Overnight: Savute Elephant Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

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� Day 8: Moremi Wildlife Reserve Wednesday, 9 September 2015 After breakfast, board a light aircraft for a 25 minute flight to your next safari adventure in the Moremi Wildlife Reserve that covers about 3,000 square miles of the Okavango Delta. The park essentially has two types of topography: dry land and wetlands. Habitats range from mopane woodlands and thorn scrub to dry savanna, riparian woodlands, grasslands, flood plains, marshes, permanent waterways, lagoons, and islands.

Predators can regularly be seen in the reserve, as this is one of the most prolific regions in Botswana for viewing them. Watch for elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, and African wild dog.

The abundant bird life affords plenty of opportunity to see wildfowl and raptors. This is the perfect location for observing the perennial drama of the African bushveld and provides excellent birding. Don’t forget your binoculars.

Nestled on the edge of a leadwood and figtree forest, overlooking the vast Khwai River floodplains and beyond into the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, lies Khwai River Lodge. Here you are close to Africa's heartbeat, at the

center of a world that has not altered much since life began. You can sense the big game heritage from the moment you arrive.

Overnight: Khwai River Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 9: Moremi Wildlife Reserve Thursday, 10 September 2015 Wake up to more excursions in the bush, with options for guided bush walks along the river, after-dark spotlight game drives, local village visits, and stargazing outings.

Khwai River Lodge is the first luxury camp in Botswana to introduce night vision binoculars on the evening game drives. Experience the ultimate safari thrill of following a pack of hunting predators at night, ogling manic hippo feeding frenzies, or perhaps admiring the meticulous vision of nocturnal birds of prey such as the Giant Eagle Owl, the largest owl in the world,

swooping down on tiny unsuspecting hedgehogs. Catch rare sightings of shy, gentle animals that only

come out at night, like the aardvark (the mismatched mammal that appears to have the snout of a pig, the ears of a rabbit, the body of an ant eater, and the feet and tail of a

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kangaroo). The brush-tailed porcupine with its brush-like quills that make a peculiar noise when rattled and the spring hare, all come out of their hiding places to forage. We might also see the elusive small and large spotted genets on a nocturnal hunting spree.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the spa. Overnight: Khwai River Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 10: Moremi, Kasane; Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Friday, 11 September 2015 After breakfast, we take a 50 minute flight by light aircraft to Kasane, and then drive to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

For almost 100 years, visiting members of Royal families, international and local statesmen, and celebrities worldwide, have preferred to stay at The Victoria Falls Hotel. With an atmosphere steeped in history, combining the charm of the old with the comfort and convenience of today, and spectacular views of the Victoria Falls bridge down the Batoka Gorge with the spray rising from The Falls, it is one hotel that can truly claim to be unique.

The town of Victoria Falls came into being for one purpose: to support visitors, who have been drawn to the

falls since the 1800s. At first they arrived in small numbers overland, either on foot or in wagons. The railway reached town in 1904, and with it came a larger number of the curious. In spite of the many visitors, the government of Zimbabwe has made a concerted—and successful—effort to preserve the pristine falls and the rain forest around it.

The mile-wide Zambezi River takes a sudden plunge over the edge of a 30-story cliff. This is Victoria Falls. It is enormous, so big, in fact, that it cannot be seen in its entirety from any one vantage point on land. A paved, winding path allows us to view its many parts, each separated by islands in the river. Rainbows, ambient mist, and the thunderous roar of water add to the drama of what we see. (The mist also explains the lush growth of the surrounding rain forest, even during the dry season.)

After arriving this afternoon we cruise on the Zambezi River observing the local life along its banks.

Overnight: Victoria Falls Hotel (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

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� Day 11: Victoria Falls; Johannesburg, South Africa Saturday, 12 September 2015 This morning we take a walking tour of the Falls.

Originally named Shongwe by the Tokaleya people, it was renamed Amanza Thunquayo (Water Rising as Smoke) by the Ndebele, Mosi-oa-Tunya (Smoke that Thunders) by the Makalolo, and finally, in 1855, Victoria Falls by David Livingstone in honor of the queen.

Head to the airport to board the flight from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg.

If you are not continuing on the Cape Town extension, we bid you farewell.

For those continuing on, we connect with the flight to Cape Town.

Overnight: in flight (breakfast)

� Day 12: United States Sunday, 13 September 2015 Welcome home.

� Prices Per person sharing …………………………….$12,450 Single Supplement ……………………………$5,490 Internal air (estimate) ……………………….$1,700

� Inclusions Accommodations (based on double occupancy); hotel taxes; ground transportation; transfers; sightseeing and meals as indicated; entrance fees and park fees; shared vehicles in camps; services of shared resident professional safari guides; game drives; most drinks at camps (excluding premium brands and French champagne); all gratuities. Accommodations: Saxon Hotel – Executive Luxury Rooms Eagle Island Lodge – Luxury tents Savute Elephant Lodge – Luxury tents Khwai River Lodge – Luxury tents Victoria Falls Hotel – Deluxe rooms

� Exclusions International airfare; internal airfare from Johannesburg to Botswana, within Botswana, and from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg (priced separately); costs of passports and/or visas; activities listed as optional; personal expenses such as laundry and meals or beverages not listed, room service, excess baggage fees; porterage; communication charges; airport and port taxes; any increase in government taxes or fuel surcharges; personal insurance coverage. (Please note that any traveler on this safari must be able to provide proof of insurance coverage.) � Health Status Touring during this program requires travelers to be in good health. Walking on uneven surfaces and climbing stairs are part of many of these excursions. If you have any health or mobility issues, we urge you to discuss them with us.

� Registration A deposit of $1,500 per person is required at the time you book. The remainder of the cost of your trip is due 90 days prior to your departure date. Payment can be made by personal check, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. If your reservation is made within 90 days of departure, the entire cost of the trip must be paid at the time of confirmation.

� Cancellation Cancellations must be made in writing and received by R. Crusoe & Son. Cancellations are subject to the following forfeit as a percentage of tour cost: up to 181 days prior to departure, 10 percent of tour cost; from 180-90 days or more prior to departure, 25 percent of tour cost; 89-61 days, 50 percent of tour cost; 60 days or less, 100 percent of tour cost.

To book your journey

with R. Crusoe & Son, call

Kiran Chand at 1-888-490-8013

or e-mail kchand@ rcrusoe.com.

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Utterly Civilized Cape Town. � Day 11: Victoria Falls; Johannesburg, Cape Town, South Africa Saturday, 12 September 2015 Welcome to Cape Town and our hotel, the One & Only Cape Town, an urban chic resort offering an unprecedented level of luxury and style to one of the world's most fascinating cities. From its world-famous restaurants and beautiful bar to extraordinary spa facilities, enjoy its warmth, hospitality and generosity. Central to exciting nightlife and entertainment, One & Only serves as a gateway to the unique adventures in Cape Town.

As we arrive late in the day, the evening is at leisure. Overnight: The One & Only Cape Town (breakfast)

� Day 12: Cape Town Sunday, 13 September 2015 We begin this morning with a half-day city tour. Drive up Adderley Street past the Cultural History Museum. Continue to St. George’s Cathedral, the Company Gardens, and the South African Museum. Then board a cable car for a climb up Table Mountain.

If weather conditions are unfavorable for a cable car ride, take a scenic drive up Signal Hill for a panoramic view of the city.

Return to the city via Tamboerskloof and the Malay Quarter. Passing the castle, proceed around Table Bay to Milnerton Lighthouse. From here, you can see Table Mountain from the same perspective as the early settlers did when they first sailed into Table Bay.

This afternoon we visit Robben Island, including the various heritage sites that reflect the Island’s longstanding multi-layered history: the graveyard of

people who died from leprosy, the Lime Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, the Bluestone quarry, the army and navy bunkers and the Maximum Security Prison where thousands of South Africa’s freedom fighters were incarcerated for years. The tour culminates with Nelson Mandela’s cell.

Overnight: The One & Only Cape Town (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 13: Cape Peninsula Monday, 14 September 2015 This morning, check out of your hotel. We’re off on a tour of the Cape Peninsula.

Trace the Atlantic seaboard past the 12 Apostles Mountains. Continue through Camps Bay, named after German immigrant Ernst Von Kampz. Pass Oudekraal toward Hout Bay, an old woodcutters’ outpost, for a visit to this picturesque fishing harbor. Then to Constantia Nek and down toward the Eastern side of the peninsula.

Following the Ou Kaapse Weg, we stop at Silvermine Nature Reserve for sweeping views over the False Bay coast and the Atlantic side of the peninsula.

Our destination? The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Seven species of antelope live here, including the eland, bontebok, and mountain zebra. Visit Cape Point, the most southwesterly point of the African continent.

Head back towards Cape Town via picturesque Simonstown (named for the first governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel). This was also an important British naval base for 150 years. Stop by a penguin rookery at Boulders Beach, home to one of only three mainland colonies.

Continue through the lovely suburb of Constantia and past Cecilia State Forest to the world-famous Kirstenbosch Gardens. More than a century old, the park boasts 6,000 species of flora.

We return to the hotel late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

Overnight: The One & Only Cape Town (breakfast, lunch)

� Day 14: Cape Winelands Tuesday, 15 September 2015 Our focus today? South Africa’s Cape Winelands. Commander Jan van Riebeeck planted the first vines here in 1655. They grew surprisingly well, suggesting that he

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had found ideal conditions for grape-growing. Simon van der Stel became governor of the Cape in 1679, and he, too, was an enthusiastic vintner. He encouraged the planting of vines in the fertile Winelands valleys and passed on his winemaking expertise to early settlers.

In 1685, when King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes that guaranteed religious tolerance, 150 French Huguenots (Protestants) immigrated to the Cape. With them came their savoir-faire for grape-growing and winemaking, and they were given land in Franschhoek to cultivate.

Willem Adriaan van der Stel, who succeeded his father as governor of the Cape, was passionate about horticulture, and he conducted extensive experiments. Other vintners followed, and wine-makers thrived until phylloxera struck in 1885. The cure came from Europeans, who also struggled with the same grapevine disease. Native vines were grafted onto American rootstock, which is resistant to the disease, and that solved the problem.

From this 350-year-old history comes a wine tradition with its roots in the Old World—France, Germany, and Italy—combined with an awareness of the contemporary consumer defined by wine-makers in the New World— California and Australia.

Of the 260,000 acres of grapevines, 21 percent support Chenin Blanc grapes, the country’s most widely planted variety. Sultana, a grape also used for non-alcohol purposes, is next, followed by Colombard and Chardonnay. Cabernet Sauvignon comprises the majority of red varieties, followed by Shiraz and Pinotage. The latter is unique to South Africa, a cross of Hermitage and

Pinot Noir developed in 1925. Visit Franschhoek, nestled in the Valley of the

Huguenots. Drop into the Huguenot Memorial and Museum, and see the Huguenot Monument.

Modern-day Franschhoek has French flair, lined as it is with chic cafés, French restaurants, bistros, boutiques, and galleries. In and around town are many renowned wine estates—Boschendal, La Motte, L’Ormarins, Dieu Donné, Mouton-Excelsior, and Haute Provence, to name just a few. Most can be visited for wine tasting.

We also explore Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second oldest town and today the very center of the Cape Winelands. It grew from a settlement of Dutch immigrants who were given arable land on the banks of the Eerste River. Today, Stellenbosch is one of the best-preserved towns from the earliest colonial days. In the Dorp Museum, see traditional Dutch houses from different eras (we particularly love the mechanical shower in the Victorian house).

Tonight we gather for our farewell dinner. Overnight: The One & Only Cape Town (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

� Day 15: Cape Town Wednesday, 16 September 2015 Today you are driven to the airport for your homebound flight.

Overnight: in flight (breakfast)

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� Day 16: United States Thursday, 17 September 2015 Welcome home.

� Prices Per person sharing …………………………….$2,690 Single Supplement ……………………………$1,235

� Inclusions Accommodations (based on double occupancy); hotel taxes; ground transportation; transfers; sightseeing and meals as indicated; and beverages (soda, water, coffee, tea) with included meals; entrance fees; all gratuities. Accommodations: One & Only Cape Town– Marina Mountain View � Exclusions International airfare; internal airfare; costs of passports and/or visas; sightseeing listed as optional; personal expenses such as laundry and meals or beverages not listed; room service; excess baggage fees; porterage; communication charges; airport and port taxes; personal insurance coverage. � Health Status Touring during this program requires travelers to be in good health. Walking on uneven surfaces and climbing stairs are part of many of these excursions. If you have any health or mobility issues, we urge you to discuss them with us.

� Registration A deposit of $500 per person is required at the time you book. The remainder of the cost of your trip is due 90 days prior to your departure date. Payment can be made by personal check, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. If your reservation is made within 90 days of departure, the entire cost of the trip must be paid at the time of confirmation.

� Cancellation Cancellations must be made in writing and received by R. Crusoe & Son. Cancellations are subject to the following forfeit as a percentage of tour cost: up to 181 days prior to departure, 10 percent of tour cost; from 180-90 days or more prior to departure, 25 percent of tour cost; 89-61 days, 50 percent of tour cost; 60 days or less, 100 percent of tour cost. © 2015 R. Crusoe & Son 21 April 2015