Casablanca To The Cape
Morocco, Mali, Niger, Gabon, Congo basin and rainforest, Namibia and South Africa - Storied deserts, hidden cultures, ancient civilizations and the rarest creatures on earth.
Itinerary
Day 1
Thursday, October 18, 2007
USA/Casablanca, Morocco
Board international flights to Casablanca.
Day 2
Friday, October 19, 2007
Casablanca and Marrakech, Morocco
On arrival in Casablanca, board your private jet and fly directly to Marrakech. Check in to the Jardins de la Koutoubia Hotel, a splendid light-filled hotel just yards from the famous Djemaa el Fna square and its labyrinth of souks. This evening meet for cocktails on the roof top, followed by a welcome dinner.
Lodging: Jardins de la Koutoubia Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 3
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Marrakech, Morocco
Today visit the Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian Tombs, and the Bahia Palace. Walk the souks with their tiny shops brimming with silken slippers, carpets, and shimmering glass and bustling with activity, and Djemaa el Fna square with its open air entertainment, from musicians to snake charmers. Or perhaps, head out on a day excursion into the Ourika valley and the grand-scale Atlas Mountains. Witness beautiful landscapes crisscrossed by streams and cascades, and dotted by traditional Berber villages with terraced gardens. Refresh yourself with a traditional Berber tea and honey ceremony. This evening - a private Bedouin dinner in an ancient Palmgrove.
Lodging: Jardins de la Koutoubia Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 4
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Mopti, Mali
Following a scenic flight over the Atlas Mountains, arrive in Mopti, at the place where the Bani and Niger Rivers meet. This afternoon discover river life on the Niger aboard traditional wooden boats.
Lodging: Hotel Kanaga (B,L,D)
Day 5
Monday, October 22, 2007
Market Day in Djenne, Mali
Set off for Djenne. This is masonry-as art-and-history, as much of the adobe architecture has remained unchanged since the 15th century. A walk down narrow lanes reveals traditional markets and crafts such as textiles in vibrant colors. The centerpiece of the town is the Grande Mosque, the largest mud building in the world and an extraordinary example of Sudanese architecture. Return to Mopti for dinner.
Lodging: Hotel Kanaga (B,L,D)
Day 6
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Timbuktu, Mali
Fly to Timbuktu for the day. Modern transportation takes away none of the mystery or isolation of this ancient stop on the caravan route. See the distinctive architecture of the 16th century university, Sankore, where thousands of students once lived, and Spanish-built Djinguereiber,
West Africa's oldest existing mosque. Walk past houses once enlivened by legendary explorers Rene Caille, Gordon Laing and Henry Barth. Return to Mopti for dinner.
Lodging: Hotel Kanaga (B,L,D)
Day 7
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Dogon Country, Mali
Board four-wheel-drive vehicles for a full day at the Bandiagara escarpment, home of the distinctive Dogon people. The Dogons fled to this remote region in 1300 A.D. to avoid conversion to Islam. Their mud villages and cliff-side dwellings are reminiscent of cliff dwellings of the American southwest, but their culture and cosmology are entirely original. Aspects of this unique culture are revealed in the masked dances. They'll perform a vibrant mask dance for us to the chanting of a "griot" and village drummers. Return to Mopti for dinner.
Lodging: Hotel Kanaga (B,L,D)
Day 8
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Agadez, Niger
Fly to Agadez, a World Heritage Site where sandy streets are surrounded by distinctive Sudanese architecture. Walk through the Vieux Quartier, the old quarter of town where crooked streets are lined with Sudanese houses beautifully decorated with Hausainspired designs. Visit the Grande Mosque, with pyramid-like minarets and wooden scaffolding. Explore the intricate network of shops and stalls of the Grand Marche, where artisans' goods are on display. Browse lively vegetable and meat markets, and meet Tuareg traders at the local camel market.
Lodging: Hotel de la Paix (B,L,D)
Days 9 - 10
Friday & Saturday, October 26 & 27, 2007
Timia Oasis and the Sahara, Niger
Drive into the Sahara Desert in four-wheel-drive vehicles for a full day of discovery, arriving at the green mountain oasis of Timia. Hidden in a canyon and filled with palm gardens, this village is one of the most spectacular of the Air massif. It is also home to nomadic Tuareg caravanners, who have preserved their traditional way of life.
On Saturday camel excursions will take you through cultivated gardens watered by wells and traditional balancing poles. Climb the French fort for commanding views of this beautiful landscape, and walk through the ancient village of Timia.
Lodging: Private Berber Tented Camp (B,L,D)
Day 11
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Agadez, Niger
Drive back to Agadez via a different route, through black volcanic fields and sand dunes, and see extraordinary rock engravings of giraffe and other wildlife before arriving at your hotel this evening.
Lodging: Hotel de la Paix
Days 12 - 14
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, October 29, 30, & 31, 2007
Loango National Park, Gabon
Fly by private jet to Libreville and board light aircraft for Loango National Park where you'll have the rare opportunity to spot forest elephants and buffalos that sometimes roam the white sand beaches. The lodge offers enchanting views of lagoons and rivers, and comfortable bungalows with air-conditioning.
Over the next three days explore diverse habitats - coastal plains, wetlands and lagoons in search of forest hogs, red forest buffalos, forest elephants, and special birds. Take a kayak excursion on a tranquil lagoon followed by a walk on the beach and a swim in warm waves. Game drive in open four-wheel-drive vehicles, and take boats up a pristine black river to Evengue Island where scientists are rehabituating families of western lowland gorillas.
Lodging: Loango Lodge (B,L,D)
Days 15 - 17
Thursday, Friday & Saturday, November 1, 2 & 3, 2007
Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic
Depart aboard light aircraft for the Congo Basin and one of the most untouched national parks in Africa - Dzanga-Ndoki. This afternoon take a relaxing cruise in traditional pirogues (canoes) along the banks of the Sangha River in search of birds and monkeys. Watch the sun set over the river from the lodge, with cool cocktails in hand and stories to share, followed by a candlelit dinner in the heart of the African rainforest.
Over the next three days, our adventures continue. We'll explore this lush rainforest with BaAka (Pygmy) trackers. We'll visit several traditional BaAka villages, and hunters carrying hand-woven nets will lead us into the forest, singing and yodeling as they have done for centuries.
We'll walk into the cool rain forest, through shallow streams and clouds of butterflies, reaching the top of an observation platform so we can look out over a natural salt lick or "saline." These clearings are frequented by scores of forest elephants; sitatunga, bongo and duiker antelopes; red forest buffalos; giant forest hogs; mangabey monkeys; raucous hornbills and flocks of noisy African grey parrots. The elephants also bathe in colored clay, emerging in a natural rainbow of yellow, grey, and pink, and offering photographic opportunities not to be missed.
Lodging: Dzanga Sangha Lodges (B,L,D)
Day 18
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Libreville, Gabon
Return to Libreville by light aircraft. This is Africa (home to Central Africa's hottest radio station) with a French and Vietnamese flavor. We'll visit an unusual church with huge carved wooden pillars and dinner tonight will be at a French restaurant.
Lodging: Okoume Palace Hotel (B,L,D)
Days 19 - 20
Monday & Tuesday, November 5 & 6, 2007
Etosha National Park, Namibia
Today re-board your private jet and fly to Etosha National Park in northern Namibia. Check into your lodge, surrounded by lush gardens and grazing antelope. This afternoon board four-wheel-drive vehicles with naturalist guides for your first game drive in Etosha, "the place of dry water." In contrast to the lush equatorial rain forests of Gabon, this semi-arid acacia savanna includes a vast saltpan. It is a landscape of shimmering mirages and countless species - cheetahs, lions, hyenas, elephants, buffalos, black rhinos, giraffes, zebras, rare black-faced impalas and a myriad of birds. On your last evening, savor stories with friends and enjoy a barbecue dinner in the "boma" around an open fire.
Lodging: Mokuti Lodge (B,L,D)
Day 21
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Cape Town, South Africa
This morning fly to Walvis Bay on the coast of Namibia. We'll hop aboard a boat to Pelican Point, where you'll be entertained by a noisy colony of Cape fur seals. Schools of dolphins often swim alongside the boats, and shore birds can be spotted on the edge of the lagoon. Depending on the weather, you may also fly over Cape Point before landing at Cape Town airport. In the afternoon, relax in the five star Cape Grace Hotel, set on its own quay on the Victoria Alfred Waterfront, with Table Mountain in the background. Do some last-minute shopping on the waterfront, then gather for cocktails and an elegant farewell dinner (with well-chosen South African wines) at the hotel.
Lodging: Cape Grace Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 22
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Cape Town, South Africa/USA
Breakfast, then a tour of the magical city of Cape Town before international flights home.
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