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Southern Africa Odyssey

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October 27-November 13, 2022

October 27-November 13, 2022

Travel with Bryn Mawr takes you to destinations around the world.

Reconnect with Bryn Mawr through like-minded alumnae and guest faculty members who accompany travelers on many of our trips.

Relax, learn, and enjoy as travel experts handle all the in-country details and local guides arrange behind-the-scenes tours.


An exclusive Bryn Mawr departure

Now accepting reservations! To reserve your place, please call Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. toll-free at (888) 370-6765.

To review Odysseys Unlimited's most up-to-date COVID-19 Safety Protocols, please visit . 

This Bryn Mawr exclusive journey is one of astonishing beauty and consummate adventure, one that captures the magnificence of four distinct nations. It’s nature’s showcase come to life: ocean and mountains, desert and plains, waterfalls and wildlife extraordinaire. It’s Southern Africa, where diversity reigns and where visitors are welcomed as never before.

PDF trip brochure

Dates: Thursday, Oct. 27-Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022

  • Sold Out?: No

Tour Operator: Odysseys Unlimited

About: For over 20 years, Odysseys Unlimited has been a leader in small-group travel (just 12 to 24 guests, guaranteed), with more than 55 trips to destinations around the world. Read more about Odysseys Unlimited .

Costs:

Prices include int’l airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees.

  • Boston, New York, Washington, DC: $8,254
  • Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle: $8,554
  • Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, $8,654 Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Tampa: $8,654
  • Denver, Detroit, Phoenix, Portland (OR) $8,754
  • Land Only (transfers not included) $6,895

Please call if your city is not listed. Prices are per person based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $1,359, which are subject to change until final payment is made.

Single travelers please add $1,695. Your $500 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days before departure. All tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

Depending on flight schedules, certain U.S. cities may require a departure one day prior to the listed schedule above.

Business Class upgrade on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: $5,495 per person in addition to the above costs (upgrade is subject to availability and pricing is subject to change).

For reservations and information, please call Odysseys Unlimited, Inc. toll-free: 888-370-6765 Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–7:00 PM, Eastern Time

Inclusions:

  • Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within itinerary
  • 15 nights’ accommodations in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels
  • 34 meals: 16 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 10 dinners
  • Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
  • Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
  • Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
  • Luggage handling for one bag per person
  • Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers


Post-tour Extension: Kruger: Kapama Private Game Reserve

November 12-16, 2022

Experience the magnificence of the South African bush, Kruger National Park region, and “Big Five” game country at a unique luxury tented camp.

4 days/3 nights for $1,995 total price

Single Supplement: $695

Extension pricing includes:

  • Round-trip air transportation to/from Hoedspruit (Kruger), inclusive of airline taxes and fees
  • 3 nights’ accommodations at Kapama Southern Camp (Deluxe)
  • 8 meals: 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
  • 5 guided game drives (in open safari vehicles)
  • Services of the lodge’s excellent staff
  • Transfers to/from airport

Itinerary

Depart U.S. for Johannesburg, South Africa.

Upon arrival we transfer to our hotel in the suburb of Rosebank, where our rooms will be ready for our early check-in. As guests’ arrival times may vary greatly, we have no group activities planned.B

We meet our fellow travelers today as we embark on a tour of the Soweto district of Johannesburg. Here we see the home of former Archbishop Desmond Tutu; visit the home, now a museum, of the late Nelson Mandela; and tour the moving Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, where we learn more about apartheid and the Soweto uprising of 1976. Then we hear fascinating stories from a local Sowetan who was present during the uprising, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner together. B,L,D

We fly this morning to Victoria Falls, first “discovered” by explorer David Livingstone and claimed for Great Britain’s Queen Victoria in 1855. With its 300-foot-deep gorge and thundering spray, “Vic” Falls is a wonder of the natural world. This afternoon we see it for ourselves on a guided walk. B,D

This morning we visit a local school where we have the opportunity to interact with the children and teachers, then spend some time exploring the town of Victoria Falls. Late this afternoon we embark on a Sundowner dinner cruise on the Zambezi River. B,D

This morning we set off on a rhino safari in open-top safari vehicles. This afternoon is at leisure; this evening we attend a talk on David Livingstone’s travels, trials, and travails. B,D

Known for a diverse terrain that attracts an exceptional array of wildlife, Chobe National Park in nearby Botswana boasts one of the largest concentrations of game in all Africa, including the world’s largest elephant population (some 120,000), as well as zebra, lion, hippo, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, buffalo, and more. We’re sure to see some of them on today’s full-day excursion to Chobe, where we take a morning game drive and an afternoon game cruise. B,L,D

Today we fly via Johannesburg to the Namibian capital of Windhoek, arriving late this evening. B

After a brief tour of Namibia’s largest city, we set out through the central Namib Desert of vast gravel plains and rocky mountains. Isolated and immense, tranquil and romantic, this endless expanse offers a glimpse of a land before time. Late this afternoon we reach our lodge in the heart of the dune desert. B,L,D

We rise with the sun to see the world’s highest crested dunes at Sossusvlei, their red-orange hues constantly changing in the early morning light. Here we have the opportunity to climb the velvet-like sand of Big Mama, as the locals call the largest dune. B,L,D

We travel to­day through the Namib desert en route to Swakopmund, Namibia’s largest port. B,L,D

From Walvis Bay this morning, we take a cruise along the storied Namibian coast, getting a mariner’s perspective on this striking region known by local tribespeople as “the land God created in anger.” Along the way we’ll see Cape fur seals and sea birds, including petrels. We enjoy lunch on board before disembarking and returning to Swakopmund, where the remainder of the day is at leisure. B,L

We fly today to Cape Town, the “Mother City” and South Africa’s oldest. After time at leisure to explore as we wish, we dine together tonight at a local restaurant. B,D

Today we tour the Winelands, South Africa’s renowned wine-growing region just 45 miles east of Cape Town. Amidst the beautiful scenery, we visit a winery for a tour, tasting, and lunch. We return to Cape Town mid-afternoon; dinner tonight is on our own in this cosmopolitan city. B,L

This morning we travel to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, home to more than 250 species of birds, and where we ride a funicular to the summit for stupendous views. After a seafood lunch in historic Simon’s Town, we visit Boulders Beach to see a colony of enchanting African penguins up close. Then we return to Cape Town, where dinner tonight is on our own. B,L

Our tour of Cape Town this morning features a visit to the Bo-Kaap neighborhood, the city’s historical center of Cape Malay culture. We also pay a visit to acclaimed Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, nestled against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. One of the world’s great botanic gardens, Kirstenbosch champions South Africa’s rich biodiversity as it cultivates only native plants. Then we enjoy glorious bird’s-eye views of Cape Town as we ride by cable car 3,500 feet to the flat top of the city’s signature Table Mountain. This afternoon is at leisure; tonight, we celebrate our southern Africa odyssey at a farewell dinner. B,D

We transfer to the airport today for our return flights to the U.S. B

We arrive in the U.S. today and connect with our flights home.

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