Is s safari on YOUR Bucket List?

Join us on this amazing 12-day, 11-night adventure in South Africa! 

This tour includes nine game drives to see the wild African animals; visits at sanctuaries for lions, elephants and monkeys, including a chance to walk with elephants and lions; and tours of the Cradle of Humankind, Soweto, and the Apartheid Museum.

It also includes a 3-night visit to Cape Town, including airfare there and back, and tours of Table Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope, the Boulders penquin colony, and a full-day tour of the winelands.

There is a limit of 10 guests on this tour to give each guest a chance to best see the wildlife from the safari vehicles. We are only traveling in malaria-free areas in South Africa!

Stop dreaming; start packing!!

We offer 3 optional excursions if you'd like to extend your trip:
•  3-day add-on excursion to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe;
• 2 extra days in the amazing city of Cape Town, and
• 3-night extension to the famous Kruger National Park!

South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons there are opposite of the USA. When it’s summer here, it’s winter there!  Winter lasts from April to October for most of Southern Africa.

This is the best time to go on safari. Water is more scarce and animals are forced to congregate around the few remaining water sources, making them easier to spot. The grass is lower, affording better visibility; and dirt roads are dry and easily navigable, increasing your chances of a successful safari. Traveling in the dry season also means avoiding rainy season inconveniences and discomforts like flooding, high humidity and an abundance of insects.

Spring starts on September 1 in South Africa, and daytime temperatures start to rise throughout the country, Early mornings and evenings are chilly. The animals are out in full force, with many giving birth this month in the bush and whales often spotted along the coast.

In Johannesburg, daytime highs average 71°F and the nights get down to 48°F. The chance of rain in the beginning of September is only 5% 

In Cape Town, you can expect an average high temperature of 66°F, and the overnight low temperatures averages 48°F. Despite some rain, many days in September are clear and sunny. 

Remember: Africa is a third world country! You are not in Kansas anymore!

Roads are bumpy and dusty, WiFi is spotty, electricity may go off at odd times, and everything happens on Africa time (really S-L-O-W)!  

This escorted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking and requires an average level of physical fitness. 

• On game drives, we will spend much of our time driving over rough dirt roads in open air safari vehicles, which have high ground clearance and require some agility to get on and off. During game drives, you may come into proximity of wild animals whose actions can be unpredictable. Certain inherent risks are involved which should be considered at your own discretion.

• Many days we leave early in the morning. 

• There will be limited bathroom stops. 

• Meals may be delayed for unforeseen reasons. We'll try to have snacks available, but if you have blood sugar issues, please bring any snacks you know you may need. 

We find our guests are happiest when they can roll with delays and last-minute changes that may happen in the unpredictable world of African travel. 

The best things you can bring with you are flexibility, patience, and a sense of humor!

This 12-day, 11-night adventure is priced $3,499 per person double occupancy (not including airfare to and from South Africa). 

Single supplement is $350.

Your space will be secured when we receive a deposit of $250. Upon receipt, your deposit is nonrefundable.

PAYMENT PLAN

We have a payment plan which allows the entire cost of the trip to be paid in 12 equal monthly installments of about $270. (You are welcome to make larger payments at less frequent intervals if you choose.) 

The entire balance must be paid by three months before your departure (June 1, 2024).

Please plan to fly into and out of O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

You need to be in Johannesburg before NOON on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, which means you will need to depart the USA at the latest on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (You might even need to leave as early as Friday, Aug. 30 if your flight has multiple stops.) 

May people choose to arrive in Africa a day earlier to have a day to rest and recover from jet lag before the tour starts.

(If your flight doesn't arrive before noon on Sept. 1, you might consider flying in the previous day and spending an optional night at Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport-available as an option for $135.)

Plan to depart from Johannesburg in the evening on Thursday, Sept. 12.  If you are adding any excursions before or after the main tour, please talk to us about flight dates.

Please ASK US if you have any questions before you purchase your airfare! 

The price you have paid for your tour includes: 11 nights accommodation; almost.all meals; all tours escorted by a private guide; entrance fees to all sights in the itinerary; all transportation, with free water provided on board; domestic flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town; and all airport transfers .

Your tour does not include the cost of beverages other than water, 3 dinners in Cape Town,  and gratuities.

Alcoholic beverages are less expensive in South Africa than they are in the USA.

Tipping is customary in South Africa. It is not compulsory; tipping is entirely at your discretion. Ten percent is customary in restaurants. When you register, we'll provide suggestions for appropriate tips for tour guides and others throughout the tour.

As a guideline, most guests spend $400-$600 during the 12-day tour. 

Every traveler entering South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana is required to show a passport valid for at least 6 months. 

South Africa requires travelers to have two completely blank visa pages in their passports upon every arrival in South Africa. You will be denied entry and forced to return to your point of origin if you do not have two blank pages.

The US State Department advises making at least one photocopy of the information and photo page of your passport. You should carry this in a separate place from the original. In this way you can make it easier to replace your passport if you lose it during your time in South Africa.

Because temperatures can change dramatically throughout the day,  the key to a comfortable safari outfit is layers. You should pack and wear layers to adjust to the wide range of temperatures you can experience on a typical day. While the morning can be freezing, by midday it can be hot. Layers will save you.

Best colors to wear on safari  

The basic rule on dressing for safari is to go neutral. Ideal colors to wear on safari are greens, browns, olives and khakis. You’ll have the best chance to spot wildlife if you blend in with your surroundings. 

Unless you are seriously tracking wildlife on foot, which we are not, the color of your clothing is really NOT that important.  

Navigating dirt roads in an open-top vehicle means that you'll get covered in dust.  You should avoid wearing· white and very pale clothes that show the dust and dirt, and is hard to get out!

Also avoid bright colors, which can attract insects.

Here is a suggested packing list: 

1-2 pair chinos or other light pants 

1 pair jeans 

1 pair shorts or capris 

4-5 tee shirts 

1-2 long sleeve tee shirt 

1 fleece jacket 

1 light puffer jacket or down vest

1 warm hat 

1 pair sturdy sneakers/hiking shoes 

1 pair sandals, like Tevas 

Underwear and socks-6 to 8 of each

Sunglasses

Optional: bathing suit

Sunscreen (SPF 30-50), mosquito repellant, small flashlight

Keep it light, because there is a restrictive luggage weight limit on the domestic flight between Johannesburg and Cape Town: one free checked bag weighing up to 44 pounds, one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 15.5 pounds, plus a laptop bag or small handbag.  Any bag weighing between 44-70 pounds will incur a heavy bag fee of about $25 at the airport.

Remember, there is laundry service at all the places we are staying, and they are inexpensive, quick, and convenient. 

All travelers should be up to date on routine vaccinations, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, varicella (chickenpox), polio, and your yearly flu shot.

Most travelers get these vaccines  because there is a risk of these diseases in South Africa:

• Hepatits A: CDC recommends this vaccine because you can get hepatitis A through contaminated food or water in South Africa, regardless of where you are eating or staying.

• Typhoid: You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water in South Africa. CDC recommends this vaccine for most travelers. 

Some Travelers: Ask your doctor what vaccines they recommend based on where you are going, and what you will be doing,.

• Hepatitis B: You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products, so CDC recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.

• Malaria: When traveling in South Africa, you should avoid mosquito bites to prevent malaria. You may need to take prescription medicine before, during, and after your trip to prevent malaria, depending on where you are going, and if you are spending a lot of time outdoors. Talk to your doctor about how you can prevent malaria while traveling. 

PLEASE NOTE: 

THERE IS NO MALARIA PRESENT IN THE AREAS OF SOUTH AFRICA WE VISIT ON THIS TOUR!

But malaria is present in Zimbabwe near Victoria Falls, and in Kruger National Park. if you are adding extensions to Victoria Falls or Kruger, speak to your doctor about the possibility of malaria prevention medication

• Yellow Fever: THERE IS NO YELLOW FEVER PRESENT IN THE AREAS WE VISIT! Immunization is not required.

All accommodations provide shampoo and body wash, but not conditioner. Most provide hair dryers.

Currency

The rand (ZAR) is the official currency of South Africa.  As of June 2023, $1 USD equaled 19.08 South African Rand. You can either buy Rand at home and bring it with you, or get it from an ATM when you arrive in Africa. It is difficult to convert US dollars to Rand when you are in South Africa, so we don’t recommend this option.

Adapters

In South Africa the power plugs and sockets are of type D, M and N, so you will need an adapter for electrical appliances from the United States. The standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz.

WiFi

Free WiFi service is available in the rooms and common areas at all of our accommodations. In some places, it is better than others. If you need to be sure to have WiFi at all times, you can rent a mobile hot spot at the airport upon arrival in Johannesburg starting at about $30.

Laundry

Laundry service is available at Mziki Lodge, Cradle Moon Lodge, and Villa Rosa. It is very inexpensive. Average costs are: 

T shirts, blouses, or shorts: $1

Jeans, trousers or dresses: $1.75

Socks and underwear: 75 cents

Traveling in Third World countries is often challenging, and sometimes changes in the itinerary are unavoidable. 

If changes are needed, Bucket List Travel will always make our best efforts to provide alternatives that are equal to or better than what was originally planned.

In the event that you need to cancel your trip, these fees will be applied:

• Between 150-101 days before your arrival date, $375.

• Between 100-61 days before your arrival date, $775 (25% of the entire tour price.).

• Between 60 and 46 days before your arrival date, $1,550 (50% of the entire tour price.)

• Between 45 and 31 days before your arrival date, $2,325 (75% of the entire tour price.)

• Between 30 and 1 days before your arrival date, 100% of the entire tour price.

Lions are Africa’s apex predator: fierce, wild, majestic, mighty. It is a thrill to have a lion sighting on safari, but it is mind-blowing to walk through the African bush a few feet behind these 500-pound beasts. Come with us as we spend an hour walking with the male lions of a famous Conservation Center. Observe their behavior and interaction with each other in their natural environment under controlled and ethical conditions, with no touching of the lions allowed. These guided Bush Walks with Lions are focused on providing visitors with a unique wildlife experience, and on providing sensory enrichment for the lions. 

This adventure also includes an interaction with a cheetah, which you may touch.

The  Conservation Center is a world-class research and conservation facility, specializing in Wildlife Research and Predator Conservation. 

NOTE: We have investigated many animal facilities, and are convinced that this conservation center treats the animals in a completely ethical manner. Lions are not drugged, abused or forced to participate in bush walks.

The cost of this option is $160 per person, with a minimum of two visitors. (Cost for a single visitor would be $235.)

You have the option of taking a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the savannah.  Drift above the beautiful landscape, watching wild game roam the vast plains below. On most tours, we have seen animals on the ground below us, including rhinos, antelopes and baboons! 

Pickup will be at around 5 a.m. and take off around 6 a.m. to see the sunrise. After the flight, we'll have champagne on landing and then a full breakfast. We will be back at our lodge by 10 a.m. to leave for the rest of the day's tour. 

Price of the balloon flight is $235 per person.

*Please note that some agility is required to embark and disembark the balloon basket. Wildlife viewing, quantity and species of animals seen is dependent upon local conditions including weather, wind and seasonal migration patterns. The take-off time and the duration of the flight and tour may vary due to weather conditions. Balloon rides vary but are usually 45 minutes to an hour.  

On our final evening of the trip in Cape Town, you may choose to join us for a festive farewell dinner at GOLD Restaurant.

Guests at GOLD are swept up in the excitement of archetypal African stories told through live entertainment. To start, you'll feel the heartbeat of Africa with our pre-dinner interactive djembe drumming session. 

Then we'll enjoy praise singing to welcome you, Mali puppetry, and dancing to the rhythms of the marimba percussion and djembe drums.  

Then dinner-an edible map of Africa! African food is traditionally shared and enjoyed with family and friends. Similarly, our 14-dish tasting menu is served in generous individual and shared portions. Each dish is brought to your table with country of origin, cooking techniques and spicing explained. 

Price of this optional farewell dinner is $50.

http://goldrestaurant.co.za/ 

Spanning more than a mile across the cliffs between Zimbabwe and Zambia—Victoria Falls is known as the largest sheet of falling water in the world. A little over a mile wide and 351 feet high, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one-and-a-half times as wide and twice as high as Niagara Falls! The spray from the falls typically rises to a height of over 1,300 feet, and on a clear day, you can see the mist from the falls from up to 30 miles away.

With a flight time from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls of only 1 hour and 40 minutes, it’s easy to add a short side trip to see this natural wonder of the world before or after your South Africa tour. We’ve put together an exciting 3-day, 2-night excursion for our guests.

After pickup from the airport and a transfer to your hotel, we’ll see the sun dip below the horizon during a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River Africa’s fourth largest river. Relax onboard with a drink as you look for hippos, elephants, and buffalo that come to the water’s edge to drink at the end of the day. We'll have dinner at the hotel.

The next morning, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of Victoria Falls and discover the best spots for photo opportunities. Well have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, and then visit a cultural and craft market. 

The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore the village and shops, relax by the falls, or take advantage of one of the many available activities – from bungee jumping and helicopter rides over the falls, to swimming in Devil's Pool at certain times of the year. Tonight we'll share dinner at the hotel. 

The next morning after breakfast, we’ll head back to the airport for the flight back to Johannesburg.

The price for this tour is $575 per person, double occupancy. Single supplement is $125. This does not include the price of the round-trip flight from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls.

This excursion includes: 

·  2 nights accommodation, with breakfast

·  Sunset cocktail cruise on the Zambezi River

·  Guided tour of the falls

·  Lunch at Rainforest Cafe

·  Visit to cultural and craft market

·  Day 1 and 2 dinner at the hotel

·  Airport transfers

Cape Town, located at the southernmost tip of Africa, is one of the most magnificent parts of the world, a paradise full of exquisite scenery, beautiful beaches, two oceans – the icy Atlantic and the warmer Indian Ocean – and a wide variety of attractions to make any tourist happy. It is often voted the most beautiful city in the world,

Our tour includes three nights in Cape Town, and we cover a lot of ground in that time.

But guests often wish they had a couple more days here to explore more and enjoy the vibrant  city. This optional extension provides you with two additional nights at the beautiful Villa Rosa. We can help you schedule area hikes or additional tours, such as to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, or to the gorgeous beachfront town of Hermanus, whale capital of South Africa.

Kruger National Park

Some people want to add on a visit to the famous Kruger National Park, the largest game reserve in Southern Africa, which is a six-hour drive from Johannesburg. The park spans an area stretching for 217 miles from north to south, and 37 miles from east to west, which makes it bigger than the country of Ireland.

We will leave Johannesburg early in the morning, and drive six hours to the Kruger. We spend three nights at the luxurious Maqueda Game Lodge.

In Kruger, we spend two full days on games drives. Routes travelled within the park will mainly be determined by the sighting reports we get from other rangers.

We'll get lunch each day in the park, and dinner will be at the lodge.

On our last day, we'll start back to Johannesburg stopping on the way at the Chimp Eden Institute, the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa. The goal of the sanctuary is to rescue chimpanzees that have survived the bush meat trade, been orphaned, traded in the illegal pet market, or rescued from the trauma of appearing in circuses or other entertainment venues. The chimps here live out their lives in a risk free environment, provided with the necessary attention to recover from the trauma they have experienced. 

NOTE: Malaria is present in the Kruger. We strongly recommend that you see a doctor before your trip and obtain preventive medication.