|
Day 1: CAIRO
Arrive at Cairo airport where you will be met and assisted by our representative.
Transfer by air-conditioned coach to your hotel for check in.
Overnight in your Hotel in Cairo
Day 2: CAIRO -ASWAN
After breakfast at your hotel, you will meet with the day's tour guide. You
visit the Egyptian Museum and, then the Pyramids of Giza, where you will also
see the Sphinx -one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. You may enjoy
a camel ride round the Pyramids as you contemplate the achievements of Ancient
Egypt. In the evening you transfer to take the Sleeper Train to Aswan.
Dinner & overnight onboard Sleeper Train
Day 3: ASWAN - KOM OMBO
Breakfast will be served onboard Sleeper Train. Arrive at Aswan and transfer
to your Nile cruiser. After lunch on board, you will be introduced to your guide.
In the afternoon, you visit the Aswan High Dam, the Old Dam, The Granite Quarries
and the Temple of Philae. The Granite Quarries are the site of the giant Unfinished
Obelisk. Had the obelisk been successfully completed, it would be the single
heaviest piece of monolithic stonework. The Philae Temple was dedicated to the
goddess Isis, an important figure in Egyptian mythology.
Thereafter sail to Kom Ombo. After dinner, you may enjoy dance music.
Dinner & overnight onboard Nile Cruiser
Day 4: KOM OMBO- EDFU
After breakfast, you visit the Temple of Kom Ombo.
The Graeco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo consists of two separate temples, each
with its own entrance, colonnades, hypostyle hall and sanctuary. The southern
temple is dedicated to Sobek -the crocodile god, while the northern one honours
Horus -the falcon god. Thereafter sail to Edfu while enjoying your afternoon
tea. After an oriental dinner, you will enjoy a Galabiya and costume party.
Dinner & overnight onboard Nile Cruiser
Day 5: EDFU- LUXOR
After breakfast, visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu.
Edfu was the cult centre of Horus -the falcon god. It is perhaps the best preserved
of ancient temples of Egypt. Two majestic granite falcons adorn the entrance
and some of the walls bear reliefs depicting Horus.Sail to Esna while having
lunch on board.
And then further to Luxor. After dinner enjoy a disco party.
Dinner & overnight onboard Nile Cruiser
Day 6: LUXOR- CAIRO
After breakfast, visit the West Bank Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut
and Colossi of Memnon.
Luxor is the highlight of the cruise. The range, magnificence and diversity
of the monuments in the Luxor area is unsurpassed in all of Egypt. The Valley
of Kings is where the rulers of the period historians refer to as the New Kingdom
period (BC ) awaited the afterlife. Over 60 tombs have so far been
excavated in the valley. Among the best tombs to visit are those of Ramses I,
Tuthmosis III and Ramses VI. Tutankhamun's is the most famous today.
On the other side of the Valley of Kings is the Temple of Deir el-Bahri, built
by Queen Hatshepsut. The temple is very impressive from a distance and is a
great place to take photos. Take more photos at the Colossi of Memnon -two huge
statues that are the sole legacy of the temple of Amenhotep III. You thereafter
disembark for your transfer to take the Sleeping Train to Cairo
Dinner & overnight onboard Sleeper Train
Day 7: CAIRO
Breakfast will be served onboard Sleeper Train. After arrival at Cairo, transfer
to your hotel for overnight in Cairo
Overnight in your Hotel in Cairo
Day 8: CAIRO- FLY TO JOHANESBURG
After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight back
to Johannesburg.
Dinner and overnight at a hotel in Parktonian Hotel or its equivalent
Day 9: PRETORIA & MPUMALANGA (Lunch & Dinner)
Leave Johannesburg's distinctive skyline and head for Pretoria, South Africa's
capital city.
On to the world famous Premier Diamond Mines, which produced Africa's biggest
dia-mond, The Culminant, from which the 'Great Star of Africa' was cut to grace
the scepter of the British Crown Jewels. After lunch we leave for Mpumalanga,
dropping several hundred feet into the lush subtropical region of the Lowveld.
Accommodation: Royal Hotel or similar
Day 10: PILGRIM'S REST & KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
(Breakfast & Dinner)
Explore living history in the form of Pilgrim's Rest, the old mining village
where gold was first discovered; gasp at the glory that is God's Window, a boundless
view of forested mountains and fertile plains, and visit the spectacular Blyde
River Canyon, one of the natural wonders of Africa. We arrive at our Kruger
National Park camp in time for a welcome sundowner in the African
bushveld.
Accommodation: Kruger Rest Camp or similar
Day 11: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK (Breakfast)
Set off before breakfast in open safari vehicles in search of lion, elephant,
buffalo, rhino and leopard, and all manner of wondrous wildlife, birds and plant
species. Savour the magic of this enormous wilderness. A Full Day 'Big Five'
Game Viewing in Kruger
Accommodation: Kruger Rest Camp or similar
Day 12: KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND (Breakfast, Lunch &
Dinner)
Drive to the tiny Kingdom of Swazi-land, a former British Protection Territory,
now ruled by King MsWati III. Enjoy a Swazi cultural experience, then visit
the famous Ngwenya Glass Works to see master craftsmen fashion collectable figures
and functional art out of molten glass. Our next stop is the capital city Mbabane,
known for its vibrant markets packed with woven baskets, beadwork and carvings.
Spend the night in the beautiful Ezulwini Valley.
Accommodation: Ezulweni Sun or similar
Day 13: KINGDOM OF THE ZULU'S (Breakfast)
Visit the Swazi Candle Factory, teeming with exquisite wax artworks in every
shape and colour imaginable. Then on into Zululand, passing traditional round
huts and endless vistas. Arrive mid afternoon at the town of St. Lucia, a World
Heritage Site and home to hippo, crocodile and no less than 367 bird species.
Accommodation: Elephant Lake Hotel or similar
* You have the option to purchase an exciting afternoon open vehicle game drive
into Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
Day 14: DURBAN (Breakfast)
This morning enjoy a cruise on Lake St. Lucia before departing for Durban. Hug
the lush KwaZulu-Natal coastline en-route to Durban, watching the sugar cane
fields do their own version of the Mexican wave at the urging of the wind. End
the tour before lunch, either at the airport or at a central Durban hotel.
Please Note:
* Should pre or post tour accommodation be required, please refer to the notes
below.
* Visa conditions apply for Swaziland and passports are required.
|
