21st to 29th Sept 2010

Victoria Falls, Zambia White Water Rafting & Kenya Safari

I would like to invite you to an amazing trip. The magic of Africa, a swashbuckling river and a chance to see the wildebeest run!!

Please join me, we are going to have so much fun.

Write me as early as possible to confirm, it’s a runaway trip.

TRIP ITINERARY

Day 1 : 21st Sept : Depart Mumbai and Arrive Livingstone. Assemble at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

Depart Mumbai on Kenya Airways Flight KQ 205, departing 0410 hrs to Nairobi.

Arrive Nairobi 0734 hrs and connect to Kenya Airways Flight KQ 724 departing 0825 hrs to Lusaka.

Arrive in Lusaka 1005 hrs and then on to Livingstone on Proflight- Zambia flight P0708 departing 1500 hrs and arrive Livingstone 1610 hrs.

(Total Flying time with layovers approx. 11 hrs !! Yes, we are GOING TO AFRICA!!)

On arrival at Livingstone Airport, you will be transferred to the hotel. Later, proceed for a

Guided Tour of Victoria Falls. Rest of the day at leisure.

The Victoria Falls is where the wide Zambezi River simply drops some 100 meters into a narrow gorge. The Falls lie across the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Called “Mosi-oa-Tunya”, (the smoke that thunders) in the local language the Falls are one of the seven wonders of the world and when you first come to Zambia Livingstone is a must visit destination.

Later in the evening at about 7 pm our river trip leader will pop into the hotel and pass out your dry bags and equipment and give you a rundown of your trip, what to pack, what to expect and introduce the guides.

Overnight stay at Hotel Zambezi Sun

Meals : None

Day 2 : 22nd Sept : Livingstone – White River Rafting on the Zambezi River.

Breakfast at hotel after which the river team will be around to collect you and transport you to the top of the gorge where we will pass out your high float jackets, helmets and paddles. From here we walk down into the gorge through stunning rainforest to the water’s edge. On reaching the river you will be given a thorough safety briefing and outline safety procedures such as how to hold onto a safety kayaker if you should by chance swim.

We get into our rafts and practice paddling techniques before we paddle across rapid 1. Here we have the option to carry the rafts up over a few rocks and float around in the”Boiling Pot” directly beneath Victoria Falls, the best start to any raft trip in the world. We run rapid after rapid such as the Midnight Diner, Gulliver’s Travels and the Mother where we can have a wonderful riverside banquet lunch whilst watching other rafts come through, Oblivion! 

We float on down to our camp at Rapid 23 called Bobo Beach where we will sample sundowners, a fantastic barbeque (vegetarian options are available) and a homemade apple crumble for dessert. Fall asleep in your tent or under the stars in your million star hotel.

Day one of the trip is approximately 20 kilometres.

Overnight on the River Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 : 23rd Sept : White River Rafting

We awake to the sound of Fish Eagles in the distance and the smell of coffee and breakfast.

We load the rafts and paddle through our first rapid of the morning, Morning Shower: your wakeup call! The big bouncy waves send us into a spectacular part of the gorge where we start to see more wildlife. We reach Open Season, which we look at before running and then head down through the Narrows before we have a floating lunch aboard the rafts. As the gorge opens out we see the occasional crocodile and see our last (and best) rapids of the trip, Chamamba and Upper Moemba. After running these successfully, we camp between Upper and Lower Moemba overlooking the stunning falls where we will celebrate our successful descent with wine and cheese. Dinner tonight is Spaghetti Bolognese, garlic bread and our secret dessert!

Day two is approximately 27 kilometers.

Overnight on the River

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 : 24th Sept : White River Rafting – Livingstone.

After a relaxing night, we hike out of the gorge, where our porters carry the gear and rafts to our waiting vehicles (which will have cold drinks on hand), ready to take you back toLivingstone, through some stunning villages such as Mukuni Village and Songwe where you may like to buy some souvenirs. Reach the hotel before lunchtime. Lunch and dinner on own.

Overnight stay at Hotel Zambezi Sun

Meals : Breakfast

Day 5 : 25th Sept : Depart Livingstone/ Nairobi.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Livingstone Airport for flight P0703 0930 hrs arriving 1040 hrs in to Lusaka and connect to KQ 702 1245 hrs arriving Nairobi at 1625 hrs. Arrive into Nairobi, met by our team outside customs and immigration halls and transferred to your hotel. Day at leisure.

Overnight stay at Nairobi Safari Club  

Meals : Breakfast

Day 6 : 26th Sept : Nairobi / Masai Mara.

Breakfast at the hotel, check out, introduced to your driver guide and depart for the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve. Arrive at the Lodge for check-in and lunch. Afternoon game drive around the reserve. Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner.

Masai Mara offers an absolutely unique variety of animals. The reason is that this hilly region is both humid and fertile, and is crossed by the rivers Mara and Talek, full of crocodiles and hippos, which carry water the whole year round. The banks of the rivers are covered in thick forest, which gradually makes way for bush and grassland. The abundance of water and excellent availability of food are the reasons why the Masai Mara, which in fact is a continuance of the Tanzanian Serengeti National Park, has the greatest population of wild animals in the whole of Africa. There is a particularly dramatic “spectacle” from July to November, the annual migration of huge herds of Gnus and Zebras. Predators such as Hyenas, Jackals, Leopards and Lions of course, closely follow these herds. Gigantic herds of over 200 buffaloes can also be observed. Plenty of food is available for elephants, giraffes, and the many species of antelopes.

Overnight stay at Fig Tree Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Game Drive: Evening

Day 7 & 8 : 27th & 28th Sept : Masai Mara.

Full day spent in the Mara with Morning and afternoon game drives. Meals at the Lodge.

Overnight stay at Fig Tree Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Game Drive: Morning and Evening on both days.

Day 9 : 29th Sept : Depart Masai Mara / Nairobi.

Breakfast at the Lodge and check-out. Drive to Nairobi, arrive in time for Lunch at a select

restaurant, then transfer to the airport for Kenya Airways flight KQ 202 1745 hrs and arrive at 0210 the next day back into Mumbai.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

COSTS::

Cost per Adult on Twin sharing basis : USD 2020 (Min. number of Passengers: 10)

If paying in Rupees, we will let you know the dollar rate prevailing at that time, any forex

fluctuations will be made up before trip leaves

Price Includes:

2 Nights’ Accommodation at Livingstone on Bed and Breakfast basis.

3 Nights’ Accommodation on Safari in Kenya on Full board basis.

1 Night Accommodation in Nairobi on Bed and Breakfast basis.

2 Nights White Water Rafting – local drinks, all mentioned meals, Sleeping Bag, camping and rafting equipment.

Domestic return flight Lusaka to Livingstone.

Guided Tour of Livingstone Falls.

Return Airport Transfers in Livingstone.

Return Airport transfers in Nairobi.

Extra lunch in Nairobi as indicated in the itinerary.

Park fees .

Transportation and game drives in Kenya in our Minibus with an English speaking driver

guide on a Private basis.

A 1/2 litre bottle of mineral water provided in our vehicles on safari in Kenya on

complimentary basis, per person per day.

Our Assistance.

Price Excludes:

International flights (approx. Rs. 39,000 ex-Mumbai, Visa fees (approx. Rs. 5000) and airport

taxes, vaccinations

Porterages, tipping and gratuities to staff and guides.

Extra meals, visits and activities not indicated.

Personal expenses like Telephones, Drinks, faxes and e-mail, laundry etc…

Any items not mentioned in the Price Includes.

International travel and medical insurance cover.

Cancellation Policy : Should you need to cancel, you must notify us in writing.

The following cancellation charges are applicable, if the notification for cancellation is received by us before commencement of the Tour.

45 – 30 Days : 25 % of the Total Cost of the Trip.

30 – 15 Days : 50 % of the Total Cost of the Trip.

15 Days : 100% of the Total Cost of the Trip.

Note:

Hotels and flights are subject to availability and Prices are indicative until time of booking.

International flight tickets would need to be booked by us to avail a group discount.

Yellow Fever Vaccination is Compulsory and has to be arranged on own.

Visas to Zambia and Kenya can be arranged by us.

Overseas Medical Insurance can be arranged by us.

Flights to/from Mumbai are extra, we recommend you book asap to get best fares.

IMPORTANT NOTES ::

There are no special requirements for the Zambezi River, except perhaps a sense of humour, and the need for adventure. The Zambezi is a large volume river and a huge amount of fun. We recommend that you exercise regularly: running, walking or swimming, at least a month or two before the trip, in order to maximize your fun on this amazing river. The minimum age for this trip is 16 years and there is no upper age limit providing you are in reasonable physical shape. Please let us know (quietly if you wish) if you have any medical conditions or allergies, or are taking any medications that you think we should be aware of.

Dress Code

The dress code in and around Livingstone remains fairly casual. Lightweight casual clothes are recommended during the day. On the river you will require little more than a bathing costume and/or a pair of shorts (which should be tied on WELL) and we do recommend a long sleeved shirt for extra sun protection. We also recommend a pair of Chaco sandals, or the like, that will stay attached to your feet should you make an untimely and somewhat ungraceful exit from your raft!

In some of the more exclusive hotels, the dress code can be one of smart, casual attire and some also require a jacket and tie although this is more of an exception than the rule. For any safari excursions, neutral colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants help you to blend nicely into the background and offer valuable protection from the sun and the mosquitoes at dawn and dusk.

AND FINALLY…

Please remember that things do change, prices go up and down, activities stop running or change format and weather can send the best laid plans out the door. We will do what’s best to provide what is described above but please take into consideration the nature of the journey that you are embarking on and the country that you are travelling in and understand that a certain degree of flexibility is necessary!

The Zambezi River is a classic whitewater trip and combined with the splendid location of Victoria Falls offers the ultimate in a warm, fun filled adventure holiday – See You There!

Money on your trip :As most aspects of your trip are taken care of, the money you will need to bring will be limited. You can pay for many items at this destination by credit card although we recommend travelling with a small amount of US dollars in small denominations. ($20, and $50 notes are good) Only VISA ATM facilities are available at this destination.

TRIP EQUIPMENT LIST ::

River wear:

A pair of Chacos or similar sandals. Trainers are also okay.

A pair of River shorts or swimming costume.

Long sleeved business shirt or lycra layer to wear under your life jacket.

A baseball cap for under the helmet to keep sun off

Wide brimmed sunhat

Sunglasses with retainers for ensuring they stay on your head

Nalgene or similar water bottle

Carabiner for fastening water bottle to your boat

Thermal Top. Medium weight – Heavyweight Capilene or polypropylene is the best.

Waterproof sunscreen and lip balm SPF50 minimum.

For evenings and around camp:

Lightweight long trousers – for the safari section also

Lightweight Long Sleeved shirt – for the safari section also

Fleece jacket – it can be cool in the morning and evenings

Ladies should bring a long skirt or sarong to cover your legs whilst in the company of locals.

Underwear

Glasses or Contact lenses. Disposable lenses are ideal.

Toiletries. Toothbrush, toothpaste, biodegradable soap and shampoo.

Forget the cosmetics and hair dryer! But we do suggest moisturiser

Hand wipes and hand sanitiser

A 3-season sleeping bag – only for the river section of the trip

Travel Pillow – only for the river section of the trip

Small pack towel.

Headlamp or head torch and spare batteries

Shoes or boots for wearing around camp and on hikes.

Insect Repellent

Any personal medication you may be taking and your anti malarial tablets.

Optional:

Your favourite book or a journal for recording your river memories.

Sketchpad

Photographic or video equipment. We recommend a cleaning kit as sand gets everywhere.

Bring a spare memory card or plenty of film.

Waterproof disposable for the “action” on the raft shots.

Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman.

An iPod or other music preferences. We have speakers.

The only money that you need to bring is for meals in town, souvenirs, DVD, personal items and the beer kitty for the raft trip if you drink.

TRIP PARTNERS

Trip Operated by: Aquaterra Adventures (I) Pvt. Ltd

Ground Operations by: African Quest

River Operations by: Water by Nature