SOUTH AFRICA: THE COMPREHENSIVE TOUR

Itinerary

Day 1-2, Monday – Tuesday: Home - Johannesburg - Blyde River Canyon

We meet our guide in Johannesburg from where we’ll board our coach for the drive to Mpumalanga Province, renowned for its amazing scenery and multitude of spectacular waterfalls. We’ll spend the night in the area.

Day 3, Wednesday Blyde River Canyon - Kruger National Park

After breakfast we'll depart to view some of the panoramic landscapes in the area: the Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and other astounding viewing areas where we will marvel at the endless African landscapes. We'll make a stop at Lone Creek Falls and at "Pilgrim's Rest" where South Africa's Gold Rush peaked. In the evening we'll make our way to our lodge in the Kruger National Park, the most famous game reserve in the world. Here we'll prepare for dinner and overnight in the game reserve.

Day 4, Thursday Kruger National Park

With early light we’ll undertake our main open-vehicle safari excursion in search of “the Big Five”: Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo – as well as other wild game in the reserve.

Day 5, Friday Kruger National Park - Johannesburg

Today we depart Kruger National Park and head for Johannesburg – eGoli: City of Gold. The city, South Africa’s largest metropolis, has an active and vibrant Jewish community, many synagogues and kosher restaurants. Upon arrival we’ll tour some of the major Jewish landmarks, including the impressive holocaust memorial, and some of the synagogues. We’ll continue to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat.

Day 6, Shabbat Johannesburg

After Shabbat services and lunch we’ll take a walking tour of the area.

Day 7, Sunday Johannesburg – Victoria Falls

This morning we’ll make our way to Johannesburg International Airport for our flight to Victoria Falls, on the border between Zambia & Zimbabwe. In the evening we’ll take in a lively local folklore show describing African tribal life.

Day 8, Monday Victoria Falls – Cape Town

“The Smoke that Thunders” – is the African name for Victoria Falls. You can hear it roar and see the spray over the jungle, from a distance of 20 minutes drive away. Over a mile wide and 300 meters high, this is probably the single place in the world that can be truly described by the word: breathtaking!
With this spectacle in our minds, we’ll depart for our flight to another one of nature’s great beauties: Cape Town, Mother City of South Africa. Cape Town, situated in the south western corner of the African continent, was the first white colony on the continent. In the middle of the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established there a service station for its ships traversing the continent on their way to the East, and the city grew from there. The city’s architecture is mixed: Dutch, British-Victorian and African, with Islamic elements that came with the arrival in Cape Town of Slaves from Malaysia.

Day 9, Tuesday Cape Town

South Africa is slowly becoming very famous for its magnificent wines. We’ll depart Cape Town this morning for a drive to the Cape’s Wine Route towns of Stellenbosch and Franschoek, where we’ll marvel at the indigenous Cape-Dutch architecture. From there we’ll travel to the own of Paarl where we’ll stop in at the Zandwyk Kosher Winery, for some wine tasting. In the afternoon we’ll take a boat ride to Robben Island, the infamous prison in which Nelson Mandela was held for over 26 years. After the visit we’ll make our way back to the city to visit the Cape Castle, the Gardens, Government Avenue which is home to the National Library and Archives, The Houses of Parliament, the President’s Residence, the South African Museum of Art and South Africa’s oldest Synagogue. We’ll visit South Africa’s world-renowned Jewish Museums complex, before we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 10, Wednesday Cape of Good Hope

Today we’ll head out to the nature reserve at the Cape of Good Hope, which is within easy driving distance of the city. A wild, rocky coastline lies at the foot of the green vegetation-filled mountains of the Cape. The drive is breathtaking, and we’ll stop along the way and various lookout points, such as Chapman’s peak, Hout Bay, and others. The Cape of Good Hope is a must-see destination for anyone who as ever read books of ocean-going seafarers who discovered the main navigable sea routes that serve the marine world to this very day. At the tip of the Cape of Good Hope, is Cape point, meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Our return to Cape Town will be via the penguin settlement at The Boulders; Simonstown, home to South Africa’s navy; and Muizenberg, once South Africa Jewry’s premier summer destination (which was nicknamed “Jewsenberg.”)

Day 11, Thursday Cape Town – Table Mountain

Today we’ll take the cable car to the top of famous Table Mountain for a magnificent view of the city and the Cape Peninsula. We’ll finish our shopping in Cape Town’s markets and then, in the afternoon, we’ll make our way to Cape Town International Airport, for our flight home.

Day 12, Friday Home

Welcome home & Shabbat Shalom. It’s time to rest up after this spectacular tour to the jewel in the crown of the African continent.

Price Includes

• Domestic Flights
• First tourist class hotels or the best available locally
• International Airport and security taxes
• Comfortable air-conditioned touring coach for traveling
• Kosher half-board daily
• Professional experienced Israeli guide
• Local English-speaking Guide as required
• Entrance to all sites & safari mentioned in the tour plan

Price Excludes

• International Flights
• Domestic Airport taxes abroad
• Travel and baggage Insurance
• Evening entertainment that are not included in the tour plan
• Personal expenses
• Tips for local service providers: $110
• Changes in air fares due to increases in fuel - airport tax and security tax surcharges
• Tip for Israeli guide (Recommended: $3 per person per day)

Important To Know
There may be changes to the schedule and hotel reservations dependent upon international and domestic flights. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary. In any event of fault relating to flights, cruises, sailings or other mode of transportation, the responsibility lies with the service provider alone.

Insurance
Day of departure and arrival are included in the total days of the tour. Insurance is required for 14 days. We urge all passengers to purchase travel and cancellation insurance immediately upon registration for the tour. This ensures a refund of expenses in case of cancellation due to illness or bereavement.


Date And Prices

Tour code	Start date	End Date	Days	Price	Single supplement	Comments
ESOA1312	12/13/2009	12/25/20099	13	TBA $	TBA $

Terms

More than 30 working days prior to departure: $47 per passenger registration fee only
14-30 working days prior to departure: $500 + $47 per passenger
7-13 working days prior to departure: $1000 + $47 per passenger
0-6 working days prior to departure: Passenger will be liable for full payment of all expenses connected to the tour (including visas, etc.)
Fridays, Shabbat and Holidays (including Chol Hamoed in Israel), and Sundays and Public Holidays abroad are not considered working days. If flight tickets have already been issued and/or any other services have already been purchased (visas, etc.) their costs will be added to the cancellation penalties mentioned above.
We are obliged to purchase domestic flights ahead of time. These tickets are not refundable and therefore their cost will be added to all cancellation penalties.
Prices are subject to currency fluctuations, flight tariffs and cost of land services.