Victoria Falls Honeymoon

DAY 1: Johannesburg - Livingstone

Upon arrival of your flight at Livingstone Airport you will be met by representative and transferred on a scheduled road transfer to your hotel.

3 Nights Hotel Accommodation, Bed and Breakfast Basis.

The Royal Livingstone (5 Star)

Architecturally, the buildings take their cue from African resonances. The Royal Livingstone Hotel, stretches luxuriously along the banks of the Zambezi River. The Hotel consists of a series of 17 colonial-style buildings, with deep verandas, set amidst indigenous trees and plants. The main hotel is a sequence of thatch-roofed buildings, most African in their influence, and incorporates the lounge, restaurant and bar. A classic swimming pool visually links the waters of the river with the terraces of the hotel, with a sweeping timber deck planted in the swirling water of the Zambezi.

The reception area is framed by a classic courtyard featuring a fountain and exuding the aroma of herbs from the interior gardens. Overhead, wooden fans cool the charged atmosphere. The resort's deep, shaded verandah, offers an uninterrupted view of the Zambezi River and is the ideal place to curl up with a book discovered in the well-stocked library. The lounge is filled with original artwork depicting scenes of David Livingstone's great African adventures.

Only footsteps from the Zambezi River, the rooms and suites offer a tranquil retreat from the unconstrained beauty of their surroundings. The Royal Livingstone, is a 5-star, 173-roomed luxury hotel. The rooms are two-storey clusters and each cluster comprises approximately 10 en-suite air-conditioned rooms, offering private balconies or terraces. Interior furnishings accentuate the influences of Africa translated into a cultured sumptuousness that reflects the essence of African Bush life. Natural light invades the bathrooms, as the luxurious sized showers allow natural light to filter through a milk-glass window.

DAY 2: Victoria Falls

This morning, enjoy a scheduled 2 hour Tour of the Falls.

David Livingstone explored this land of potent beauty and discovered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. In his footprints, only moments away from the mighty Zambezi River with the dramatic torrent of the Victoria Falls as its natural milieu, a magnificent Resort has been created as a testament to his discovery and in reverence to the splendour of this World Heritage site.

Journey to this magical place and witness the greatest mass of falling water on earth as it plunges down a sheer rock face, spraying its mystical mist hundreds of metres in the air. The awesome Victoria Falls is much closer to you here - literally on the doorstep of The Falls Resort - it feels as if you could reach out and touch it, as it plummets into the chasm far below.

Afternoon at leisure.

DAY 3: Victoria Falls

A day at leisure to explore the Falls and surrounding area (see activities below). There is plenty to keep you busy - Zambezi River Cruises, Elephant Back Safaris (Zimbabwe), Game Drives in the Mosi oa Tunya Park, Helicopter Flights over the Victoria Falls, Jet Boating in the gorges of the Falls,Cultural and Historical Tours of Livingstone.

DAY 4: Livingstone - Johannesburg

Enjoy breakfast and the morning at leisure before your transfer to the airport for your flight to Johannesburg:

We can arrange a visa waiver on receipt of passengers passport details.

Costed as at January 2006 – Valid to 30 NOV 2006
Price per person sharing: R 7500.00

Includes:

return flight Cape Town - Johannesburg – Livingstone – Johannesburg – Cape Town
3 nights accommodation as above including breakfast
tour of the Falls

Excludes:

additional sightseeing
additional meals
tipping

Zanzibar Extravaganza

DAY 1: Johannesburg - Zanzibar

On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

2 nights accommodation at Dhow Palace Hotel in a standard room, including breakfast.

This small yet luxurious hotel is situated in the heart of Zanzibar's historic Stone Town, where East meets West. The hotel lounge has an impressive selection of antique ornaments and furniture, and adds to the relaxed ambience that is a Dhow Palace trademark. The Roof-top restaurant offers a variety of seafood, local and international cuisine as well as panoramic views of Zanzibar's Stone Town and the Indian Ocean.

Its 16 self-contained and spacious rooms are furnished with traditional Sultan-size four-poster beds. All rooms have large balconies overlooking an attractive and cool central courtyard. This creates a tranquil atmosphere, making the Dhow Palace a perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of Stone Town and one of the most popular hotels in Zanzibar. No alcohol served at the hotel.

DAY 2: Stone Town

It may not have a particularly romantic name, but Stone Town is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar, little changed in the last 200 years. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. This one-upmanship is particularly reflected in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors - there are more than 500 different examples of this handiwork. You can spend many idle hours and days just wandering through the fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways.

To explore the town, your best bet is to catch a guided city tour.

No trip to Zanzibar is complete without a spice tour through the orchards and gardens inland, where all manner of tropical fruit abound. Touristy though it may be, it is a real eye-opener.

Some places of interest:

The market is a great place to visit even if you don't want to buy anything. It is a vibrant place where everything under the sun is bought and sold. People bring their produce here from all over the island, and other people come to buy things they can't get in their own villages. Of special interest is the huge selection of brightly coloured khangas (worn by the local women) and the auctions that are held regularly. The House of Wonders is a very large square-shaped building, with several stories, surrounded by tiers of pillars and balconies, and topped by a large clock tower. It was built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash and was the first in Zanzibar to have electric light and an electric lift. Not surprisingly, when it was built, the local people called it Beit el Ajaib, meaning the House of Wonders. Today, it is still one of the largest buildings in Zanzibar, and there are plans to open it as the National Museum.

The Arab Fort is situated next to the House of Wonders and was built between 1698 and 1701 by the Busaidi group of Omani Arabs. It is a large building with high, dark brown walls. topped by castellated battlements. The fort is open to visitors and now contains various shops and an open air theatre.

The Peace Memorial Museum is an interesting look at Zanzibar's history. It has sections on archaeology, early trade, slavery, palaces, mosques, sultans, explorers (includes Dr Livingstone's medical chest), missionaries, colonial administrators, traditional crafts and household items, stamps, coins, fishing, and clove cultivation.

Best shopping

Zanzibar Gallery, Kenyatta St: one of the former homes of Freddie Mercury (singer from Queen), it stocks the best range of postcards, books, calendars, films and other souvenirs; not surprising, as it’s run by the family of acclaimed photographer Javed Jafferji.

Shamshu Pharmacy, near the market (telephone 024 2231262 / 0747 411480), is the most likely to stock what you want and to be open when you want it.

Zanzibar Curio Shop, a fantastic antique and curio shop run by the Akbarali family with hidden treasures upstairs and in a warehouse nearby, telephone 022302077.

DAY 3 - 6: Stone Town - Matemwe

You will be transferred today to your beach hotel.

4 nights accommodation at Matemwe Beach Village, in a SHAMBA SUITE, including breakfast

Matemwe Beach Village is a comfortable guesthouse located on the northeast coast of Zanzibar, one kilometre north of Matemwe Village. It's a 45-minute drive from Stone Town.It's within excellent proximity to Mnemba Island, which offers some of the best diving off mainland Zanzibar.

The simple makuti-thatched lodge and bungalows are situated along a gloriously long strip of palm-fringed beach. The main lodge has comfortable living areas, friendly staff and a very sociable atmosphere generated by the type of clientele they attract. Gail, the lodge's South African manager, has put a lot of effort into upgrading the guesthouse and making it the special place it is today. Her success is evident in all the stylish touches and attention to detail, which give the place a great feel. We especially love the open-walled lounge with its colourful array of floor cushions and low tables, which overlook the ocean. Just the right spot to play games or swap travel stories with fellow guests. There's also a cosy pub in which to chill and enjoy local beers, fresh fruit juices or cocktails.

Matemwe Beach has a five-star PADI-affiliated dive operation called One Ocean. They have excellent diving facilities and well-qualified staff. Of all the dive operators we have used in Zanzibar, we rate One Ocean at Matemwe to be one of the finest.

There's plenty to keep non-divers occupied. If you ever tire of lazing about on the beach, you can take a cruise in a dhow, snorkel in the lagoon, go fishing with one of the local fishermen in a ngalawa, bicycle along the beach or wander about the local village. There's always someone to play cards with in the pub and lots of socialising in the evenings. This is really a great place to just unwind and relax. There are 17 thatched rooms, which are not all situated on the beachfront.

There are 7 rooms located at the front of the property. Don’t expect a seaview though. There is a line of shrubbery in front of the beachfront bungalows which provides protection from the wind which sometimes buffets this coastline.

The beach is merely a few steps away through sandy paths in the greenery. The rest of the rooms are set a little distance back in the tropical vegetation. The rooms are constructed with stone and makuti thatching. Some are detached, while others are in groups of two or three. All rooms have fans.

Swahili recipes are used in combination with fresh, local ingredients, so you'll taste authentic Zanzibar cuisine. The menu changes daily and includes options of fish, chicken or red meat with vegetarian dishes available on request.

Breakfast consists simply of fresh fruit, bread, cakes and fruit juices.

Activities:

Dive and snorkel at Mnemba Atoll
Cruise in a dhow
Snorkel in the lagoon
Go fishing with one of the local fishermen in a ngalawa
Bicycle along the beach
Wander about the local village

DAY 7: Matemwe - Zanzibar - Johannesburg

You will be collected today for your transfer to the Airport.

Costed as at January 2006:

Price per person sharing: from R 7200.00 (based on travel Oct 2006)

Includes:

2 nights accommodation at Dhow Palace Hotel in a standard room, including breakfast.
4 nights accommodation at Matemwe Beach Village, in a SHAMBA SUITE, including breakfast
return flights JNB – Zanzibar – JNB on SAA
all transfers as per itinerary

Excludes:

Airport taxes
additional activities/sightseeing + entrance fees
drinks + meals (other than breakfast)
insurance
items of a personal nature
tipping