REMOTE REACHES OF WEST AFRICA & MADEIRA BY PRIVATE JET

Beginning our journey, we check into the Cape Grace, our luxurious waterfront hotel. Anticipating the many wonders we expect to see during our exploration of this incredibly diverse continent, we relax and dine at our hotel this evening.

This morning, ride to the summit of Table Mountain aboard a cable car. Traverse the walkways and observation decks for stunning views over False Bay. Of course, you’re also free to remain at our hotel to enjoy its facilities or explore Cape Town’s wealth of shopping opportunities. 

After lunch, further your discovery of Cape Town with one of these Your World experiences:
— One of the world’s most impressive gardens, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden invites you to explore its expansive grounds. Then venture along the Constantia Wine Route. At Groot Constantia Wine Farm, enjoy a tasting at South Africa’s oldest wine estate. 
— Join your guide Christo Brand, former prison warden and friend of Nelson Mandela. Retrace the footsteps of the late president and one-time political prisoner through key locations of the city, including City Hall, Greenmarket Square and Tuynhuys, the office of the president.

This evening, a gala Welcome Dinner awaits us in the spectacular Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa; its brutalist concrete exterior belying the gems within. Begin with a private viewing of the museum’s most coveted pieces, then continue with a sumptuous dinner, looking out onto a 270-degree view of Cape Town.

Boarding our business class private jet for the first time, we fly due north before touching down in Namibia’s sprawling capital of Windhoek. Having already dined aboard our jet, we immediately split into two groups to allow for a greater immersion in Namibia’s awe-inspiring surrounds. 

One of Africa’s major draws is, of course, its incredible wildlife. Our first group flies directly to Etosha National Park in the north of the country. Remaining guests head south to the Namib Desert.

In Etosha National Park, two lodges await. Onguma the Fort is unlike any other accommodation in Namibia, with its dramatic Moroccan-Afro design. Meanwhile, Onguma Bush Camp offers several well-spaced rooms arranged around a large waterhole. This afternoon, head out on a game drive through the park, looking for wildlife as they congregate around scarce waterholes. Elephants, lions, giraffe and leopards are all plentiful in Etosha. 

Guests in the Namib Desert will enjoy the hospitality of either Sossusvlei Desert Lodge or Kwessi Desert Lodge, both of which represent veritable oases, surrounded as they are by expansive desert landscapes. Spend your afternoon driving up and down the red dunes of NamibRand Nature Reserve. While not quite on the same scale as Etosha, the wildlife here are nevertheless numerous. Keep watch for gemsbok, bat-eared foxes, black-backed jackals and oryx.

We dine at our respective lodges this evening and await our further adventures.

Set off across the grasslands of Etosha National Park in a search for zebra, wildebeest, impala and springbok. Large herds of elephants will almost certainly be on show. 

The afternoon is set aside for Your World experiences:
— Prepare for more incredible wildlife viewing as you climb aboard another 4WD vehicle while the sun begins its nightly descent. 
— Alternatively, savour some extra time spent relaxing at your lodge, perhaps while cooling off in the pool.

Early this morning, our guests in the Namib Desert gather before a backdrop of pale blue sky while a hot-air balloon gradually takes shape upon the sands. In no time at all, those of adventurous spirit find themselves soaring high above the world’s oldest desert. Scattered mountain ranges fill the space between sand and sky as the sun slowly rises. Upon landing, a champagne breakfast seems fitting. With your land legs back, journey to where the Tsauchab River ends, at the salt and clay pan of Sossusvlei. Aboard 4x4s, head to Sesriem Canyon, carved by the mighty forces of the river millions of years ago. In nearby Deadvlei, we see an astonishing area populated with dead trees. Now more than 1000 years old, these seemingly immortal plants remain trapped in a region too dry for them to even decompose. They stand today as memorials to a time long gone.  

This afternoon, an abundance of choice awaits our guests based in Sesriem; choose from three Your World experiences:
— Set out on a leisurely nature walk, discovering what makes the NamibRand Nature Reserve so special. Keep watch for oryx, kudu and zebra. 
— Cover more ground during a desert drive, discovering a variety of habitat and ecosystems. Marvel at the ‘fairy circles’ that reach far across the landscape. In attempts to explain the origins of these mysterious occurrences, working theories have arisen from the fields of biology, mathematics and local folklore. 
— Indulge in a rejuvenating wellness treatment within a spectacular desert setting.

Enjoy a gourmet dining experience at your lodge this evening. Later on, gaze toward the heavens for a spectacular stargazing opportunity aided by clear desert skies.

Our two groups switch places this morning, with light aircraft delivering us to either the Namib Desert or Etosha National Park. Over the next two days, enjoy the wildlife, landscapes, lodges and experiences as detailed for each destination on Days 3 & 4.

After breakfast this morning, both groups board light aircraft for the return journey to Windhoek. Meeting up with our fellow travellers once more, we then step aboard our private jet for the flight to Accra, enjoying a gourmet lunch on board. We touch down in Ghana’s spirited capital city and make our way to the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra. Dine at our luxurious hotel this evening during the first of our two-night stay.

Begin your discovery of Accra with one of these full-day Your World experiences:
— Join a guide for a tour of Makola Market, Accra’s largest. Navigate the bustling aisles, which are lined with traders selling fresh produce, clothes and a wide variety of pots and pans. Nearby, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park commemorates the final resting place of Ghana’s first president. At the National Cultural Centre, see the colourful crafts created by artists from right across West Africa. Independence Square is the second largest square in the world, after Tiananmen Square, and the scene of grand celebrations each Independence Day. Drive past the square on your way to Fantasy Coffin Makers, where Ghanian caskets are fashioned into works of art. These made-to-order caskets can take the form of virtually anything the deceased was passionate about, from a ship to a shoe, or a shell.
— Visit Cape Coast Castle, which held a greater number of Africa’s slaves than any other region. The castle’s museum details its history and that of its surrounds. Further west along the coast, arrive at Elmina Castle, whose past is just as dark. Then, feel more a part of Ghana as you participate in a traditional naming ceremony, during which you will even receive a certificate with your new Ghanaian name.

Today, our private jet brings us to Africa’s westernmost city, Dakar. We immediately begin our tour of the city, admiring the Byzantine-style Cathedral of African Souvenir, along with the Palace of the Republic, its red guards manning the entrance. From colossal Independence Square, we head to the city’s striking railway station, admiring its vivid Neo-Moorish façade. A local spice market then offers up an array of sights, sounds and smells. Finally, the imposing minarets of the Grand Mosque of Dakar beckon us. Our accommodation in Dakar is the Pullman Dakar Teranga, where we enjoy Deluxe Rooms with sea views.