Cornell Alumni Association Travel Program
130 East Seneca Street Suite 400 Ithaca, NY 14850
Ph: 607-254-5404 Cell: 607.592.2471 E: aep33@cornell.edu
https://www.alumni.cornell.edu/travel/
https://www.facebook.com/CornellAlumniTravel
Treasures of Southern Africa
Preliminary Itinerary
All information, current at the time of printing, is subject to change. 3/18/14
Air Program: 15 days/14 nights (includes three air nights)
Land Program: 12 days/11 nights
Breakfasts: 11
Lunches: 7
Dinners: 6
This itinerary is subject to change due to operational conditions. Your Travel Director will advise you of
any additional changes on site.
Excursions may require walking on cobblestones, unpaved paths or other uneven surfaces.
Please advise anyone meeting your arrival to verify flight information before leaving for the airport.
Day 1 — Wednesday
Depart gateway city
Appropriate in-flight meal service
Air Program passengers depart for Cape Town, South Africa, via Germany. Please check your luggage
from your gateway city to your arrival city. Your claim checks should have the following airport code: CPT.
Day 2 — Thursday
Germany
Day room at deluxe hotel
Appropriate in-flight meal service
Air Program passengers arrive in Germany. Day rooms have been reserved at a hotel at the airport. You
will not have access to your checked luggage. Please pack a bag with the necessities you may need
during your day here. Check out of the hotel no later than 6 p.m. and depart for South Africa later this
evening.
Day 3 — Friday
Cape Town, South Africa
Mount Nelson Hotel
Appropriate in-flight meal service
Arrive at Cape Town International Airport, an AHI Travel representative will meet Group Air Program
passengers in the arrivals hall. Independent Air Program passengers who are able to join the group
transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased an AHI transfer should check the arrivals
monitor for the group flight terminal and proceed to the correct terminal to meet the group. Transfer to the
Mount Nelson Hotel. This Cape Town landmark is across the street from the historic the Company’s
Garden, built in 1652 by The Dutch East India Company to grow fruit and vegetables for the European
ships that stopped here on their way to Asia. Today, it is a beautiful park lined with museums and historic
buildings.
6:30 p.m. — Tonight, enjoy a festive Welcome Reception at the hotel.
Day 4 — Saturday
Cape Town
Mount Nelson Hotel
Breakfast
8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. — Excursion: The Cape Peninsula
Today, explore the Cape Peninsula and the Cape Point Nature Reserve. Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean
on one side and
the Twelve Apostles, a series of peaks along the coast, make your way out of the city. Pass through
trendy Camp’s Bay.
Admire the coastal scenery before stopping in the quaint fishing village of Hout’s Bay. Continue to Cape
Point, where you can take a funicular to the top for a spectacular view. As you return to Cape Town, visit
Boulders Beach to see the African Penguin colony. Walk along boardwalks that run through the penguins’
protected area. There were no penguins at the beach until 1983, when the first pair was seen here. Now
the colony is estimated to have about 3,000 members!
Local Flavor
Lunch is served at a restaurant during your excursion.
6:30 p.m. — Educational Focus: History and Culture of South Africa
South Africa doesn’t just have one culture. It has a mixture of cultures, all of which have contributed to the
country’s heritage. There is so much diversity that the country has 11 official languages. Discover the
events that have shaped modern South Africa: Dutch and British colonization, the introduction of
Indonesian slaves, the plight of the indigenous tribes against colonists, and the discovery rich lodes of
minerals and precious metals. Learn more about brutal apartheid rule, which oppressed the country’s
non-white citizens for most of the 20th century, and how democracy finally prevailed.
Day 5 — Sunday
Cape Town
Mount Nelson Hotel
Breakfast and lunch
8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. — Excursion: Highlights of Cape Town and Robben Island
Discover South Africa’s Mother City. Take a guided tour of the city’s highlights, including colonial
buildings, pretty public gardens and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a bustling working harbor. The V&A
also has an abundance of shops and restaurants. The V&A is the gateway to Robben Island to see the
jail that held South Africa’s most famous prisoner, Nelson Mandela. You’ll board a ferry here for a short
ride to the island, where you will see the quarry and the local village. Visit the prison on a tour led by a
former prisoner. After the tour, you will have an opportunity to ask your guide questions about his
experiences. This is a very special experience as you get to hear firsthand the tragic and poignant story
of a former Robben Island prisoner. If weather permits, you also will take a cable car to the top of Table
Mountain for spectacular views of the city and the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 6 — Monday
Cape Town/Matjiesfontein
Rovos Rail
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
This morning, depart for the train station to board Rovos Rail, one of the world’s most luxurious trains,
and embark on your journey across the country to Pretoria. Leave behind the mountains the verdant
vineyards of the Western Cape as you make your way to the Karoo, the semidesert plateau that
encompasses much of South Africa’s interior. After getting settled in your suite, savor a delicious lunch in
the dining car. Spend the afternoon in the Observation Car, chatting with your fellow travelers and
watching the countryside pass by. Later in the afternoon, enjoy tea and refreshments.
6 p.m. — Excursion: Matjiesfontein
Early this evening, stop in the historic village of Matjiesfontein, a turn-of-the-century spa town. It was
founded in 1890 as a refreshment stop for train travelers. Tonight, a gong summons you to dinner. Meals
aboard Rovos Rail always are a treat. Enjoy fine cuisine accompanied by a selection of excellent South
African wines.
Day 7 — Tuesday
Kimberley
Rovos Rail
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Spend a full day enjoying the train ride. In the Observation Car, you’ll find books, magazines and board
games. The Club Lounge Car also is available to you to enjoy drinks and conversation.
2:30-4:30 p.m. — Excursion: Kimberley
This afternoon, take a guided tour of Kimberley. The 1866 discovery of a diamond on a farm near
Hopetown set off South Africa’s great diamond rush. See the Big Hole, the former diamond mine that
once was thought to be the largest hole excavated by hand. Enjoy afternoon tea upon your return from
your excursion.
Day 8 — Wednesday
Pretoria/Thornybush Game Reserve
Thornybush Game Lodge
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Late this morning, arrive in Pretoria. Disembark the train and continue by deluxe motor coach to
Thornybush Game Reserve, which is adjacent to Kruger National Park. Lunch is served en route to
Thornybush. Get settled in your luxury safari accommodations tonight, and prepare for a big day of game
viewing tomorrow. Tonight, enjoy a delicious dinner served alfresco.
Day 9 — Thursday
Thornybush Game Reserve
Thornybush Game Lodge
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
The day starts early for the morning game drives. Heading out at dawn makes it possible to see some of
the nocturnal animals in action before they settle down to rest for the day. You also can see the diurnal
animals stretching their legs as they prepare for a day of hunting. During each morning game drive, stop
in the bush for refreshments, such as tea, coffee and rusks. Return to the lodge for lunch and an
afternoon at leisure. Enjoy some time by the pool or visit the spa for some soothing treatments.
Late this afternoon, embark on an afternoon game drive, which will allow you to gain a different
perspective as you see diurnal animals winding down their day and nocturnal animals beginning theirs.
As the sun sets, stop for a round of drinks, aptly called sundowners. Return to the lodge for a sumptuous
dinner.
Day 10 — Friday
Thornybush Game Reserve
Thornybush Game Lodge
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Enjoy another day of game viewing early this morning and late this afternoon. Your tracker and ranger are
experts in finding animals on the reserve, so they will take every opportunity to find animals you have not
yet seen. Some animals are elusive, but there always is a chance you will find them! Your rangers also
are very knowledgeable about both the wildlife and plants in the park. Feel free to ask questions about
your new surroundings. Enjoy time at leisure between your game drives.
Day 11 — Saturday
Thornybush Game Reserve/Johannesburg
54 on Bath
Breakfast and lunch
Time permitting, you may have a final game drive before departing from Thornybush Lodge.
10 a.m. — This morning, transfer to Hoedspruit for your flight to Johannesburg.
2-5:30 p.m. — Excursion: A Tale of Two Cities
Upon arrival, take a tour of and learn about the city and its history. Visit Soweto, the cluster of townships
built in the early 20th century to keep the black community — including the miners who toiled in the dark
and dangerous conditions in the gold mines — out of the city center. When it was founded, Soweto was
on the outskirts of the city, but in the early 2000s it was incorporated into the city of Johannesburg. Life
has improved for many people who live here. People are now allowed to own homes, and many
homeowners have improved their property. You will still see corrugated tin shacks and homes without
indoor plumbing. Several entrepreneurs have built successful businesses, and though many are
millionaires, they have chosen to remain in Soweto. Many residents of Soweto run micro-businesses in
their homes. They sell everything from fruit to auto parts and run hair salons and full-service restaurants.
During your tour, you will see the homes of Nelson Mandela, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Winnie
Mandela. Visit a community center to learn about a local youth project and participate in a tree-planting
ceremony.
Local Flavor
Enjoy a delicious lunch of local traditional dishes. Continue to 54 on Bath in Johannesburg’s Rosebank
neighborhood. The evening is at leisure.
Day 12 — Sunday
Johannesburg/Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Accommodations
Breakfast and appropriate in-flight meal service
This morning, transfer to O.R. Tambo International Airport for your flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Upon arrival, transfer to The Victoria Falls Hotel.
2:30-5 p.m. — Excursion: Victoria Falls
Until the 19th century, the Zambezi River’s great cascade was called Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “the smoke that
thunders,” by the region’s Kololo tribe. “Discovered” on November 16, 1855, by Dr. David Livingstone and
renamed for England’s queen, Victoria Falls is the planet’s largest curtain of water — spanning more than
a mile — as it crashes some 328 feet into the raging Batoka Gorge below. Twice the height of Niagara
Falls, mighty Victoria Falls casts a veil of spray that can be seen up to 50 miles away!
Day 13 — Monday
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls Hotel
Breakfast and dinner
7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. — Optional Excursion: Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park is one of the most famous game parks in southern Africa. While you can see lions,
leopards, giraffe, impala to baboons, you will be amazed by the number of elephants who make their
home here. During your game drive, you are sure to see several herds of elephants wandering the plains
or stopping by the river for a drink or a bath. With a large bird population of more than 460 species,
Chobe also is a favored destination of birdwatchers. After an included lunch, take a leisurely three-hour
cruise on the Chobe River and get a chance to see hippos, crocodiles and other life along this important
waterway. Tonight, gather for a festive Farewell Dinner at the hotel.
Day 14 — Tuesday
Depart for gateway city
Breakfast and appropriate in-flight meal service
After breakfast, depart for Victoria Falls Airport for your return flights home. (Provided for Group Air
Program passengers.) Your Travel Director will provide details about your checkout and the airport
transfer, which is scheduled around the Group Air Program flight to Johannesburg. Independent Air
Program passengers are eligible to join this transfer. Land Program passengers must purchase this
transfer.
Day 15 — Wednesday
In transit
Appropriate in-flight meal service
Arrive in your gateway city.
All information, current at the time of printing, is subject to change.
3/18/14