Compare Lions, Hippos & Zebras, Oh My! Africa Safari With Your Grandchild by Road Scholar

Day 1 In Transit to Program In Flight

Day 2 Arrive Johannesburg, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner Johannesburg

Hotel check-in from 2:00 p.m.

Check in at the hotel and relax before the welcome dinner.

Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Daily Schedule and any changes, discuss logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We are fortunate to have as our Group Leader a knowledgeable expert who will also serve as our primary lecturer for most of the program. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel, we will enjoy a buffet welcome dinner including a starter and entrée with side dish; bottled water and one welcome drink will be provided, with other beverages available for purchase.

Day 3 Lesedi Cultural Village, African Beading Johannesburg

Getting on/off motorcoach; drive about 70 miles round trip, about 1 hour each way. Walking up to 1 mile on uneven pathways; slight inclines/declines encountered; periods of standing.

Boarding our motorcoach, we will be driven to Lesedi Cultural Village, a multi-cultural African village. Here we will be introduced to several of the local tribes of South Africa, including Xhosa, Zulu, Pedi, Basotho and Ndebele. Upon arrival at the village, we will be offered a welcome drink, then a local expert will give us an introduction to African beading and traditional jewelry, which have played integral roles in the history of Africa and the world. We will then have an opportunity to bead our own African bracelets to wear throughout our program. Mid-morning, we will be accompanied by our local expert as we explore the grounds of Lesedi, visiting four of the five different, traditional villages: the Xhosa, with their beautiful thatched homes and red blankets; the Zulu, with their fighting sticks and cozy beehive huts; the Pedi, with their courtyards and rhythmic drums; and the conical straw hats and sturdy mountain ponies of the Basotho. We will have the opportunity to learn more about each of these tribes as we visit each homestead, and will even have the chance to try some local delicacies!

Our experience at Lesedi will extend into the mid-afternoon, after which we will return to the hotel. Once back at the hotel, our Group Leader will give an Overview of South Africa, including its tumultuous political history.

At leisure. Be sure to pack and prepare for tomorrow’s early departure.

Taken at the hotel, breakfast will be an expansive buffet featuring a variety of cold cereals, fresh fruit, cold meats and cheeses, pastries and hot items such as bacon, sausage, tomatoes and mushrooms. Omelettes, eggs and waffles will be cooked on demand. Fruit juices, coffee, tea and water will be provided.

Taken on site at the restaurant, lunch will be a multi-course buffet, showcasing local foods from throughout Africa. For the adventurous eaters, try the mopani worms! Water will be included, with additional beverages available for purchase. We will enjoy traditional song and dance performances as part of our lunch experience.

Hotel buffet.

Day 4 De Wildt Cheetah Centre, Bush Skills Course Plumari Africa Game Reserve

Getting on/off motorcoach; driving a total of 100 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total. The beginner bush skills course consists of walking in the bush, on potentially uneven ground. The pace and distance covered during the course are gentle, and are dictated by the group's abilities. If you are unable to participate, you have the option of remaining at the lodge to enjoy the scenery.

After breakfast, we will check-out of the hotel and travel by coach to the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, which has gained international recognition for bringing the cheetah back from the brink of extinction through its captive breeding programs. Our visit of De Wildt will be with one of the center’s enthusiastic researchers, who will provide insight into the long term conservation of the African cheetah. In addition, we will learn about the efforts that the center is making toward the conservation and reintroduction of other species, including wild dogs, brown hyena, antelope and Cape vultures. Our visit will consist of a talk given by the researcher, after which we will board an open-air 4x4 vehicle and be driven into some of the large, fenced enclosures, where we will have the opportunity to view some of the cheetah and other endangered animals from the vehicle.

After lunch, we will re-board our motorcoach and drive to Plumari Game Reserve. After arriving, we will embark on a beginner bush skills course within the Reserve, in the company of a local expert. This hands-on, interactive course is designed to give a basic understanding of the African bush and the skills needed to survive there. During the gentle walk in the bush, we will discuss and experience: how to navigate by day or night; survival skills such as walking techniques and use of terrain; how to interact with dangerous and/or useful animals such as snakes, insects, birds, fish, etc; how to track animals; useful plants and herbs; location and procurement of potable water and edible food; basic first aid; medical dangers such as malaria and bilharzia (schistosomiasis); communication skills needed for survival in the bush; equipment one needs in the bush; and what materials occur naturally in the bush that one can use to survive. The course is designed with safety at the forefront; at no time will we be put in dangerous situations, nor will we come into contact with dangerous animals. Plumari Game Reserve sits beneath the Magaliesberg mountain range near Johannesburg, providing an awe-inspiring wilderness setting nearly 12 square miles in size. Here, one finds a pristine African bushveld with an abundance of wildlife including the Big Five (rhino, buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard; leopard may be hard to spot), as well as hippo, giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, and wildebeest, to name a few. There are also over 350 species of bird resident to this area.

At leisure.

Taken at the hotel.

Boxed lunch will be provided, to be enjoyed at the Cheetah and Wildlife Center. Bottled water included.

Dinners at the lodge will vary between buffets and a la carte choices, but will always be a 3-course offering; water, coffee, tea will be provided, with other beverages available for purchase.

Day 5 Game Drive, Introduction to Predators, Game Drive Plumari Africa Game Reserve

Getting in/out of open-air 4x4 vehicles. Game drives 3 to 4 hours each.

Early this morning, we will embark on our first interpretive game drive of the program. We will move slowly through the reserve in open-air, 4x4 vehicles in search of the wildlife, birds, and unique flora resident here. Each vehicle will have its own local safari expert who will provide insight into the animals and birds spotted during the drive. Mid-morning, we will return to the lodge for the mid-day at leisure.

In the early afternoon, our Group Leader will give us an introduction and overview to common predators found in southern Africa. Afterward, we will head out on a game drive in search of elephants, giraffes, zebra, buffalo, impala, and lion. We will return to the lodge at dusk with time to freshen up before dinner.

At leisure.

Breakfast at the lodge will consist of a buffet with various bread and cereal options and fresh fruit, with hot items cooked to order; coffee/tea, fruit juice, milk and water will be included.

Lunches at the lodge will consist of light meal choices ordered off of a pub style menu. Water, coffee, tea will be provided with other beverages available for purchase.

At the lodge.

Day 6 Elephant Interaction, Animal Tracking Plumari Africa Game Reserve

Getting in/out of open-air 4x4 vehicles. Game drive 3 to 4 hours. Bush walk is over uneven, dirt ground and involves inclines/declines; exact route and length are dependent on group's ability.

This morning, we will be led by a local ranger on an interactive and interpretive experience with trained elephants. We will view the elephants up close as well as touch and feed them, while the ranger discusses elephant behavior and social structure.

This afternoon, we will have the choice of either taking a game drive or going on a bush walk, which will focus on animal tracks, plants and insects; both activities will be led by our local safari rangers.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out tomorrow morning.

At the lodge.

At the lodge.

At the lodge.

Day 7 Fly to Botswana, Chobe Boat Safari Chobe National Park

Getting into/out of motorcoach and open-air 4x4 vehicles; getting on/off boat. Drive time from Plumari to the airport is 1.5 hours; 70 miles. Flight from Johannesburg to Kasane is 1.5 hours. Drive from Kasane Airport to the boat dock is approximately 15 minutes and from the boat dock to campsite is approximately 45 minutes; approximately 20 miles total. Boat safari lasts 2 hours.

After breakfast, we will board our motorcoach and transfer to the Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport, for departure on our commercial flight to Kasane, Botswana.

Upon arrival in Kasane, we will clear Botswana immigration before being met by our local safari experts for a short transfer in open-air safari vehicles to the boat launch for our boat safari. We will explore the Chobe River by motorboat in the company of a local wildlife expert, where we may come face to face with the elephant and buffalo that gather on the banks of the Chobe River. The Chobe River is one of the few rivers in the world that can flow in either direction depending on the seasonal floods! We will immerse ourselves in the unique riverine environment, viewing numerous birds including sacred ibis, blue heron, goliath heron, saddle-billed storks, marabou storks and little egrets. Upon conclusion of the safari, we will transfer in our open-air safari vehicles to the mobile tented camp, located just outside of Chobe National Park. We will take a moment to settle into our tents before our Group Leader gives us an overview of the history and culture of Botswana.

At leisure.

At the lodge.

On board the flight.

Camp dinners will be 3-course buffets with all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included.

Day 8 Safari in Chobe National Park Chobe National Park

Getting in/out of open-air 4x4 vehicles. Game drives 3 to 4 hours each.

This morning, we will depart on an early-morning game drive in Chobe National Park in search of any lion or leopard kills made during the night. We will travel through the plains in our open-air safari vehicles, searching for predators and other game. Chobe National Park remains one of Africa's prime game-viewing areas. Here one finds all of the "Big Five" except rhino. Rare antelope also inhabit the region. This is elephant country, home to the largest population of elephants in the world; many of these great grey giants can be seen at this time of year. (Note: seasonality makes a big difference in how much game you will see. If it's dry you will see larger herds; if it has recently rained the animals will be more dispersed). The park forms part of Botswana's northern-most border and is a contrast of desert aridity and flood plains. The Chobe region is best known for its vast magnificent river and floodplains filled with grazing herds of big game. Buffalo, sable, lion, leopard, hippo, hyena, and thousands of antelope all find safety in this huge national park. This is one of Africa's most pristine ecosystems and greatest wildlife refuges. After the morning game drive, we will return to camp to enjoy mid-day at leisure.

The early afternoon will be at leisure to rest, relax and read in camp. Following afternoon tea, we will embark on a game drive in the park with our local safari expert, searching for herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. We will return to camp at dusk, in time for dinner.

Following dinner, we will have the opportunity to join together around a campfire. If the skies are clear, our Group Leader will point out constellations of the Southern Hemisphere.

Breakfasts in camp will be buffets with cold cereals, bread, fresh fruit and rusks; coffee/tea, fruit juice and bottled water will be provided.

Camp lunches will be buffets with a mix of hot and cold breakfast and lunch items, such as salad, egg dishes, sausage, cold meats and cheeses, and pasta dishes, with dessert. All drinks will be included.

In camp under the stars.

Day 9 Search for Wildlife, Termites Chobe National Park

Getting in/out of open-air 4x4 vehicles. Game drives 3 to 4 hours each.

This morning, we will venture on an interpretive game drive in Chobe National Park. We can keep track of the amazing wildlife that we see with our pocket-sized wildlife checklists! We will return to camp in time for lunch.

Mid-day will be at leisure to enjoy our final afternoon at camp. Our Group Leader will give a lecture on termites and their role in the ecosystem. In the late afternoon, we will take one final game drive in search of wildlife that has eluded us thus far, returning to camp at dusk.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out tomorrow morning.

In camp.

In camp.

In camp under the stars.

Day 10 To Livingstone, Free Time Livingstone (Victoria Falls)

Getting into/out of open-air 4x4 vehicles, ferry boat and minibus. Total transfer time to Livingstone approximately 2.5 hours including border crossing; about 65 miles. Ferry boat taken for 10 minutes to cross between Botswana and Zambia.

This morning, we will say goodbye to our safari hosts and transfer by open-air safari vehicles to the Kazangula border. Here, we will take a 10-minute ferry ride across the Zambezi River to Zambia. After clearing Zambian immigration, we will board an enclosed minibus for the remainder of the transfer to Livingstone and our lodge, arriving in time for lunch.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in the town of Livingstone. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Regathering at the lodge in the early evening, our Group Leader will give an overview on the history and culture of Zambia.

At leisure.

In camp.

Lunch will be an expansive buffet featuring a variety of starters, main dishes, side dishes and desserts; bottled water, coffee, tea will be provided with other beverages available for purchase.

Dinners will vary between plated, 3-course meals and expansive buffets featuring a variety of dishes. Bottled water, coffee, tea will be provided, with other beverages available for purchase.

Day 11 Local Village, Art Lesson, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) Livingstone (Victoria Falls)

Getting into/out of minibus. Total drive time today approximately 2.5 hours; about 40 miles round-trip. Border formalities can cause travel time to be longer. Walking up to 2 miles on mostly flat paths; periods of standing at the village.

Following breakfast, we will transfer by minibus across the stunning Victoria Falls Bridge, which spans the Batoka Gorge just downstream from the waterfall and crosses the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Upon arriving in Zimbabwe, we will continue by minibus to a nearby local village. We will be met by the chief, who will introduce us to local ways of life and share insights into the village’s history and culture. The chief of the village is also an avid artist who draws inspiration from his village and beautiful surroundings. We will be provided with canvas and paints, and have an opportunity to create our own masterpieces during an outdoor painting workshop, facilitated by local experts.

Following lunch, we will re-board our minibus and drive to Victoria Falls National Park. Here, we will view the magnificent waterfall from the Zimbabwean side. Upon our entrance to the park, we will walk along the path with commentary from the Group Leader about the formation of the falls, as well as the local flora and birdlife seen. Since the waterfall spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it is visible from both countries, but the majority of the water falls on the Zimbabwean side. Viewing the falls from this side will provide numerous overlooks and truly give us a feel for the full majesty of this natural wonder. Later this afternoon, we will re-cross the Victoria Falls Bridge as we return to Zambia and our lodge. We will have time to rest and relax before dinner.

At leisure.

Breakfast will be an expansive buffet with a variety of breads, cereals, fresh fruits, pastries, cold meats and cheeses, and hot items such as eggs, sausage, tomatoes and mushrooms; coffee, tea, fruit juice, milk and water will be provided.

At the village with our hosts, we will enjoy a traditional Zimbabwean meal served buffet style with a variety of meat and vegetarian options available. Water will be included with additional drinks available for purchase.

At the lodge.

Day 12 Local School, Victoria Falls (Zambia), Sunset Boat Ride Livingstone (Victoria Falls)

Getting into/out of minibus. Total drive time today approximately 1 hour round-trip; about 35 miles. Climbing and descending approximately 150 steps one way at the Falls; pathways may be wet and slippery due to waterfall’s mist. It is possible to see the waterfall from one viewpoint without climbing all the stairs. Boat ride lasts 2 hours.

Boarding our minibus, we will journey to the nearby Tongabezi Trust School, commonly known as Tujatane, where we will learn about daily life in Zambia and have an opportunity to meet local students and teachers. Each generation will have an opportunity to interact with peers, whether through conversation or games. We will return to the lodge, where our Group Leader will give a lecture on Dr. David Livingstone's explorations and discovery of Victoria Falls.

After lunch, we will transfer in our minibus to visit the famed Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Victoria Falls is where the Zambezi River opens out into an extravaganza of roaring, spray-tumbled water, known to the locals as “Mosi oa Tunya” (the smoke that thunders). The waterfall spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and is visible from both countries; we will view the falls from the Zambian side this afternoon. Few sights are as awe-inspiring as when the ground rumbles with the forces of the water. We will wander the footpaths through the rainforest en-route to the various viewpoints. Upon our return to the lodge, we will embark on our private sunset boat ride on the Zambezi River. We will search for game on the banks of the river as we enjoy a spectacular African sunset. Drinks and snacks will be served on the boat. We will return to dry land after dusk, returning to the lodge for dinner.

At leisure. Prepare for departure tomorrow.

At the lodge.

At the lodge

Farewell dinner at the lodge with new Road Scholar friends.

Day 13 Fly to Johannesburg, Program Concludes In Flight

Drive time 30 minutes; about 7 miles. Flight time 1.5 hours.

Following breakfast, we will transfer to the Livingstone Airport for our commercial flight to Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport.

We will arrive in Johannesburg in the mid-afternoon and connect to our international flights home. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!

At the lodge.

On board the flight.

Day 14 In Transit From Program In Flight

Early morning arrivals in North America.