Cape
Town, South Africa • Himba Nomads & Etosha National
Park, Namibia • Ga Craftsmen of Ghana • Ancient
Ashanti Akwasidee Festival • Fetish Markets & Voodoo
Villages of Togo • Benin’s Medieval Somba Tribe
• Mali’s Tuareg & Dogon Peoples • Kenya’s
Masai & Masai Mara National Reserve • Kingdom of Swaziland
• Johannesburg, South Africa
Faces
of Africa 2006 Private Jet Package
Faces of Africa: Accomondations
SOUTH
AFRICA
The Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town
This magnificent, palm-ringed, pink structure at the foot of
Table Mountain is one of the world's memorable hotels, rich
in colonial elegance and attentive service. Charming lounges,
patios, gardens and porches abound. Guest rooms are all air-conditioned
and beautifully appointed, and no two are alike. Tennis and
squash courts are open day and night.
The Grace at Rosebank, Johannesburg
Set on a quiet, tree-lined street, this Victorian building is
trimmed with limestone quoins.
Mahogany doors open to a warm lobby, and a comfortable lounge
offers leather furniture and books. The tasteful green color
scheme in the guest rooms is enriched with textured rust, gold
and burgundy fabrics.
NAMIBIA
Mokuti Lodge, Etosha
Each of the Mokuti Lodge's thatched chalets is air-conditioned
and has en-suite bathroom, TV, refrigerator and telephone. An
open-air restaurant, swimming pools and floodlit tennis courts
augment bird-watching, hiking and other activities at the adjacent
park.
GHANA
Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra
Adjacent to a palm fringe beach and tucked amid 15 acres of
landscaped gardens, the hotel boasts newly refurbished rooms.
On-site facilities include a health club, open-air terrace bar
and restaurant, a large swimming pool and fountain.
TOGO
Mecure Sarakawa Hotel, Lome
The hotel sits amid 60 acres of coconut palms and hundreds of
tropical flower species. Guests enjoy the Olympic-sized swimming
pool, three tennis courts, jogging track and petanque court.
All guest rooms are air-conditioned and outfitted with modern
amenities.
MALI
Hotel la Colombe or Hotel Hendrina Khan, Timbuktu
These two properties offer the best accommodations in Timbuktu.
The guest rooms all have private baths, televisions and air
conditioning, and are furnished in simple local style. Each
hotel has a restaurant and bar on the premises.
and
Relais Kanaga, Mopti
Built in 1981, this is Mopti's finest hotel, located on the
Niger River near the center of town. Air-conditioned guest rooms
are comfortable and all have private bathrooms with shower.
The Kanaga features one of the few swimming pools in the country
and a very good restaurant.
KENYA
Serena Hotel , Nairobi
The fine downtown hotel is set amid ponds and lush tropical
gardens overlooking Central Park. Decorated with clean, uncluttered
pan-African themes, the Serena provides a cool, comfortable
oasis from the bustling city beyond its double-glazed windows.
Dining options are excellent, rooms have many modern amenities
and relaxation opportunities include a health club with heated
pool, jacuzzi, steam bath and sauna.
and
Governors Camp, Masai Mara
This camp in the heart of Masai Mara derives its name from the
colonial governors who once had exclusive use of the area. Game
drives, walking safaris and hot-air ballooning are favorite
activities. The comfortable guest tents include baths with hot
water, sumptuous breakfasts are prepared over blazing coals,
and dinners are served by candlelight.
SWAZILAND
The Royal Villas, Ezulwini Valley
The Royal Villas are situated in a colonial oasis of gracious
verandas, sweeping staircases, wide open spaces and a winding,
tree-lined approach. Guest rooms combine modern amenities with
African décor and fresh flowers, and recreational facilities
include a pool, spa, golf course and casino.
Ancient Cultures, New Horizons: Itinerary
Day
1 - Arrive in Cape Town, South Africa
Arrive via individual commercial flights in Cape Town.
Day
2 - Cape Town, South Africa
Explore some of the Cape’s many must-see highlights, including
Table Mountain, Robben Island Prison, Cape Point, or the area’s
largest urban township.
Day
3 - Cape Town, South Africa
Visit a nearby estate for wine-tasting, traditional South African
barbecue and an opportunity to speak informally with local citizens.
Day
4 - Himba People, Namibia
Our jet travels along the infamous Skeleton Coast to northern
Namibia, where we board small Cessnas for a short flight to
our game lodge in Etosha National Park. Watch as groups of antelope,
giraffe, elephant and zebra, and hundreds of bird species, gather
at watering holes throughout the park.
Day
5 - Etosha National Park, Namibia
Reboard Cessnas bound for Epupa, where some of Namibia’s
nomadic Himba people have settled near a year-round water source.
Following local protocol, we wait at the edge of the village
for a formal invitation to enter and engage with our Himba hosts
in small conversational groups.
Day
6 - Accra, Ghana
In a suburb of Accra, we visit world-famous Ga craftsmen who
create ornate coffins – shaped like cars, leopards, bottles,
lobsters, hens, even microphones – to symbolize the deceased’s
persona or affiliation.
Day
7 - Royal Ashanti Akwasidee Festival, Kumasi
In Kumasi, spiritual capital of the Ashanti Kingdom, take part
in the exciting climax of the ancient Akwasidae Festival. Watch
the jewel-bedecked Ashanti king, flanked by ritual sword-bearing
guards and subordinates waving ostrich-feather fans. Costumed
dancers perform and storytellers memorialize the history of
the Ashanti kings to the accompaniment of drummers and trumpeters.
Day
8 - Lomé & Sanguera Voodoo Village, Togo
Enter the birthplace of vodun (voodoo) in Togo. In a village
near the capital of Lomé we visit an extraordinary fetish
market filled with elaborate statues and components of ceremonial
costumes, as well as herbs, skulls and animal parts used to
prepare traditional medicines. Permission pending, we join a
vodun ceremony in progress.
Day
9 - Tamberma & Somba Villages, Northern Togo &
Benin
Aboard our private jet we travel to Togo’s remote north
to see the fortified adobe castle-homes of Tamberma villagers,
who honor us with traditional dances. We cross into Benin to
visit the Somba people, whose daily lives have changed little
since the Middle Ages. Our visit marks a rare opportunity for
cultural exchange with these isolated peoples.
Day
10 - Timbuktu, Mali
Our jet flies over the Sahara and touches down in its legendary
gateway city, Timbuktu. In the evening, ride atop camels into
the desert to enjoy a Tuareg open market and dance performance.
Day
11 - Mopti & Djenné or Dogon People, Mali
Explore Mopti’s river life from a pinasse, then choose
from two options. Travel to villages of the Dogon people, who
live much as they have for centuries . Or discover Djenné’s
extraordinary mud-brick mosque, schools and jumble of narrow
streets. At our Mopti hotel we all enjoy a performance by Dogon
dancers.
Day
12 - Nairobi, Kenya
Our private jet carries us to Nairobi, Kenya’s lively
capital, where we overnight.
Day
13 - Masai Mara, Kenya
Board charter flights to Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.
Surrounding the reserve are the lands of the Masai, who have
lived a nomadic life for centuries among the cattle they herd.
Learn about their pastoral culture and meet several Masai people.
Day
14 - Masai Mara, Kenya
In Masai Mara National Reserve, see spectacular herds of animals
– bushbucks and gazelles, impalas and zebras – stalked
by cheetahs and leopards, hyenas and jackals as they feed along
the rolling grasslands.
Day
15 - Manzini, Swaziland
Our final exotic stop is the Ezulwini Valley of Swaziland. From
our luxurious resort, enjoy lush views of the countryside. Visit
a factory where renowned Swazi artifacts are made from recycled
glass. At dinner, enjoy a special presentation of the vigorous
sibhaca dance performed by Swazi men dressed in the national
costume.
Day
16 - Johannesburg, South Africa
Our journey concludes in Johannesburg, the commercial center
of the African continent. Relax in luxury at our delightful
hotel.
Day
17 - Depart Johannesburg for home
Following breakfast at the hotel, return home on regularly scheduled
commercial flights or extend your journey with one of our post-trip
options.
