AFRICAN ADVENTURES BY PRIVATE JET & ROVOS RAIL

31 August 2024: As Your Tour Manager, Suzanne Higman Welcomes You On This Journey

31 August 2024: Your Accompanying Tour Doctor For This Journey Is Dr Julie Verran

Check into The St. Regis Cairo, our elegant residence, for the first two nights of our epic journey. This afternoon, we embark a flotilla of feluccas and cruise the Nile while enjoying a sunset drink. We then adjourn to a privileged position overlooking the Pyramids of Giza, where we observe the beginning of our grand adventure during a Welcome Dinner.

Travel far back in time this morning, as we pay homage to the Pyramids of Giza. We venture into the Pyramid of Khafre, traversing narrow passageways to the burial chamber. We are also granted special access to the feet of the Sphinx. Savour further close-up views of the pyramids during lunch at the nearby Mena Palace Hotel. After taking some time to relax this afternoon, we make our way to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation for a private visit, escorted by a leading lecturer in the field of Egyptology. An abundance of choice is on the menu tonight; select from several of Cairo’s fine-dining establishments, or perhaps enjoy the offerings of one of our hotel’s four restaurants.

This morning, we join our business class private jet for the first time and make the short journey south to Luxor. From here, we head straight to a local restaurant for lunch. At the entrance to the Valley of the Kings, the colonnaded glory of Hatshepsut’s Temple steals our attention. We then venture underground, walking in the footsteps of priests and attendants, now long gone, who set Tutankhamun in his tomb. From here, we travel a short distance to the Valley of the Queens, in search of its most lavish tomb, that of Nefertari. 

In 2024, the Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor welcomes us. In 2025, our Nile River views are enjoyed from the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa. We then prepare for a most opulent evening. As the sun sets, we are driven across the river to the Temple of Ramses III, at Medinet Habu. Reserved exclusively for us, this will be a dining event unlike any other. The 3000-year-old walls, pylons and gates light up, creating a most electric atmosphere. With cocktails in hand, we listen intently as our professional Egyptologist leads us past soaring halls and elaborately carved columns, before we are seated for dinner facing the temple entrance.

Our travels bring us momentarily to Luxor Temple. Dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu, the temple once figured in the ancient, annual Opet Festival. The statues of the three gods were originally carried here from the nearby Temple of Karnak. At mid-morning, we rejoin our private jet for the flight to Nairobi. We while away the hours aboard our jet sampling gourmet delights and fine wines. Touching down in the Kenyan capital, we transfer to a light aircraft for the brief flight to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. From here you will be transferred to the lavish Angama Mara. This evening, dine on fresh, local produce at your luxury lodge.

Start the day by floating over the Maasai Mara in a hot-air balloon, greeting herds of wildebeest as they graze on the dewy grass below. After breakfast, enjoyed with a glass of bubbles, we climb aboard jeeps to go off in search of the Big Five. In addition to the abundance of lions, elephants, rhino and buffalo, as well as the more elusive leopard, there are also great waves of wildebeest and zebra to be spotted. Following a break in proceedings for lunch back at our lodge, we return to our game drive, making the most of the daylight, as we seek to check off as many of Africa’s majestic creatures as we can. As the sun begins to slowly sink, we toast this glorious day while overlooking the expansive reserve of the Maasai Mara. Back at our lodge, sample local cuisine in an awe-inspiring setting.

We rise early to again meet the animals on their own turf. No two days along the Maasai Mara are ever exactly the same and the ensuing hours promise to deliver yet more spontaneous action. Duelling zebras, socialising baboons, hyenas seeking to steal a cheetah’s kill—any, or all, of these may feature today. After returning to camp for breakfast, we pay a visit to a traditional Maasai village. Immerse yourself in daily Maasai life as our hosts lead us to a deeper understanding of their culture. We refuel once more back at our lodge before returning to the plains aboard our jeeps. If we are lucky, news may spread of wildebeest preparing to cross the river. This evening, we prepare for a migration of our own, as we bid farewell to the Maasai Mara during a bush barbecue Farewell Dinner.

After breakfast, we make the most of our surroundings as we take one last game drive on our way to the nearby airstrip. From here, a light aircraft returns us to Nairobi, where we meet back up with our private jet. Enjoy a light lunch on board, as we then make our way to the Rwandan capital Kigali. The final leg of today’s travels sees a fleet of waiting helicopters taking us swiftly to Ruhengeri in the north of the country. At the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorillas Fund, we’re welcomed with sunset cocktails, while having the opportunity to hear from a representative of the Gorilla Doctors, a mountain gorilla veterinary project. Afterwards, check in at one of our three lodges: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, The Bishop’s House or Virunga Inn Resort & Spa.

There are now only 10 groups of gorillas left in Volcanoes National Park. Being in a position to meet with them is among the rarest of privileges. The gorillas will only meet us on their terms, so we must trek through thick vegetation and several steep inclines in order to reach them. Just eight visitor permits are allocated to each gorilla group on any given day and visits with the gorillas are restricted to one hour. We observe them quietly as they play, groom, rest and feed. Elated from our rare experience, we return to our lodge for a late lunch. Relax this afternoon, absorbing the ambience of the jungle from the comfort of our opulent lodges. You also have the opportunity to pay a visit to one of the local communities to learn what it’s like to live within this extraordinary region. Dine upon the delicious creations of our lodge’s chefs this evening as you enjoy a final night in Volcanoes National Park.