VACATION DETAILS

The location for the second proposal and remarriage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in 1975, Kasane has attracted a variety of international publicity due to public figures' affinity for the wilderness of the area. The environment has brought both former US President Bill Clinton and first lady Hilary Clinton, as well as Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands to appreciate the environment and wildlife of this town in Botswana. Kasane contains many parks and reserves, including a Snake Park and Crocodile Farm, hot springs, and several forest reserves where animals roam freely, including hippos and elephants.

In north-central Namibia, this park is home to a variety of native and imported animals, including the kudu, warthog, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, white rhino, Cape buffalo, eland and many rare birds (Bradfield's hornbill, Cape vulture). Avoid the park December-February, during the Southern Hemisphere's summer. Camping facilities are available, and it offers great opportunities for walking in the vicinity of large mammals. 145 mi/230 km north of Windhoek.

The Cederberg mountains and nature reserve are located near Clanwilliam, approximately 300 km north of Cape Town, South Africa. The mountains are noted for dramatic rock formations and San rock art.

The town of Victoria Falls is a pleasant place, created for visitors. There are hiking routes and rental bicycles. There are also trinket shops, selling everything from cheap T-shirts to antique African musical instruments. Carvings of masks and animals are a tradition around the area (as is the bargaining required to purchase them for a reasonable price). The Victoria Falls Hotel, a short walk from the falls, still operates in full colonial splendor and should be seen even by those not staying there. Visit Crocodile Ranch and Craft Village - a fascinating glimpse into Zimbabwean culture. Visit Livingstone, just across the border in Zambia— more than just a tourist town and more character than Victoria Falls. Another appealing side trip is to Chobe National Park, in neighboring Botswana. Chobe is one of the finest game parks in the world.

The Okavango delta is one of the world’s largest inland water systems. It's headwaters start in Angola’s western highlands, with numerous tributaries joining to form the Cubango river, which then flows through Namibia (called the Kavango) and finally enters Botswana, where it is then called the Okavango. It is a unique ecosystem with large populations of African mammals, birds, and other animals and is one of the last totally unspoiled areas in Africa. This destination is perfect for camping, picture taking, walking safaris, and mokoro (canoe) excursions.

The town of Maun is an eclectic mix of modern buildings and native huts. There are shopping malls, banks, restaurants, a few hotels and some happening bars. Maun is the tourism capital of Botswana and the administrative centre of Ngamiland. It is also the headquarters of numerous safari and air-charter operations.

Ghanzi (Gantsi) is a town located in western Botswana and is known as the "Capital of the Kalahari." This farming community and Bushmen town is a popular stop for those traveling to the Okavango Delta.

Located about 250 mi/400 km north of Windhoek, Etosha Park is Namibia's best-known tourist attraction and one of the most interesting game reserves in the world because of its unusual terrain. Etosha is a combination of dried lake (salt pan) in the north and grasslands, dense brush and open plains in the south.

Etosha means “great white place,” so named because 25% of the country is covered by a huge salt basin that was an inland lake 12 million years ago.

The sun glints off the 6,500-sq-mi/16,835-sq-km salt pan—a dry, flat, shallow, silvery-white depression—providing an eerie backdrop for wild animals moving through the shimmering haze. Dust in the air adds to the mystery: Everything is slightly indistinct, and since mirages are common, visitors occasionally find themselves questioning what they've really seen. It's widely regarded to be a photographer's paradise, especially during the dry winter months, when wildlife congregates around the artificial waterholes that line the pan, allowing for excellent close-up sightings.

Etosha is home to around 100 large mammal species, among them the elephant, giraffe, zebra, leopard, cheetah, lion, kudu, spotted hyena and black-backed jackal. It is the only reserve where you are likely to see the range-restricted black-faced impala (distinguished from the normal impala by the black blaze on its face) and is also an important stronghold for black rhino.

A checklist of 340 bird species found in Etosha includes local specialties such as white-tailed shrike, and an impressive selection of raptors and ground birds such as bustards.

The prime watering holes are on the southern side of the park, but they're only full after the rainy season (December-March). The Kuvelai River, which feeds Etosha, either floods or dries up completely, vanishing into the sand.

The park is open year-round, but the best time to visit, for both climate and the best photos, is August and September. There are three camping/self-catering rest camps with facilities inside the park (Halali, Namutoni and Okaukuejo) and several private lodges just outside. Okaukuejo has a floodlit water hole for nocturnal viewing.

Swakopmund is a city located in the western coast of Namibia.  The town is the fourth largest in Nambia, with a population of 44,725 inhabitants.  There are so many activities and tours available to those looking to visit the city, there are attractions ranging from skydiving, desert safari tours to sandboarding and even hot air balloon adventures.  There are plenty of accommodations around town and you will find a wide range of restaurants serving one of a kind cuisine.

This breathtaking park in southern Namibia near the border with South Africa boasts a 100-mi-/160-km-long canyon (17 mi/27 km across at its widest point) reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in the U.S. Most budget travelers stay at the Al-Ais resort (pleasant hot springs), which is closed October-March because of the heat, but there are also many private midrange and upscale lodges in the area.

Camping is available in nearby Hobas, and there are accommodations in Keetmanshoop, a two-hour drive north. A four-day hiking trail is open May-August for groups of at least three people, but trips must be booked in advance. You can experience the splendid view over the canyon any time of year, but walking to the base is explicitly forbidden unless you are signed up for the full hike. Spend two nights to be sure of a full day's look at the park. 360 mi/580 km south of Windhoek.

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

Excursions