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Around the World Itinerary

An illustrated itinerary of one of our many gay travel adventures. This information supplements our
shorter Overview of Around the World.

We have carefully crafted a circumnavigation of the Southern Hemisphere with stops in some of the most delightful and exciting destinations in the world. Auckland and Rotorua, New Zealand; Sydney, Ayers Rock and Perth, Australia; Cape Town, MalaMala Game Reserve, and Johannesburg, South Africa; and an optional extension to Victoria Falls, Zambia. An incredible journey of mind and spirit for truly adventurous men!

1-2: Over the Pacific and the Equator!

Los Angeles, the City of Lights, is our departing point for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Say good-bye to North America as we begin our trip around the world. The next time you set foot on US soil ( if that is your departure point) you will have completed a journey few have made since Magellan’s first successful voyage. Most folks will depart from Los Angeles late on November 17, 2007 and arrive in Auckland early in the morning of two days later on November 19, after crossing the International Dateline.

3-6: New Zealand

We will start our tour with two nights at very special accommodations. To cross the threshold at Mollies Guesthouse, a small luxury boutique hotel in Auckland, New Zealand is to enter another world - a world infinitely more enchanting than the one left behind. What better place than Mollies to begin an amazing adventure? Mollies features an opera theme, with a grand piano in several of the rooms. Don’t be surprised to find happy hour including a recital and glass of bubbly in the candle-lit parlor!

The day after we arrive in New Zealand, we'll get some exercise exploring Waiheke Island, which is a short ferry ride from Auckland Harbour. This island is known for its vineyards, art galleries, and scenic walks above the rugged shore.

We next head to the countryside for two nights to experience the New Zealand of myth and legend, the diverse landscape where adventure abounds. Rooftops is an Award-winning eco-lodge for those with a love of nature who wish to see native flora & fauna preserved. Explore and discover 2,500 acres of game reserve including 800-year-old forests. Hike, horseback ride or mountain bike on trails made for exploration. We will enjoy a special forest walk led by a Maori guide followed by a very special native meal prepared with bounty from the surrounding countryside.

7-11: Australia

Our next stop is Sydney, where we will relax for three nights and enjoy the best the city has to offer: great food, a night at the Opera House, nightlife and of course a peek at the boys on Bondi Beach. For the daring we can climb across the famous Harbour Bridge. We may also arrange a special culinary treat; a shopping trip with one of Sydney’s tops chefs after which he will prepare our dinner. Our time in Sydney will also include time to enjoy this fabulous city on your own and rest and relax as you choose.

We then fly to central Australia, where we observe the sun setting and rising against the backdrop of Ayers Rock, perhaps Australia's most iconic landmark, and deeply honored in aboriginal tradition.

Our last stop in Australia will be Perth, where we will enjoy a late afternoon harbor cruise on a beautifully restored ship built in 1962 featuring an English Elm and Teak saloon and a comfortably cushioned lounging area on the bow. Then we will rest up for our flight to South Africa.

12-18: South Africa

Our first stop in South Africa will be Johannesburg, where we will complete immigration formalities, then we head to Cape Town, where we spend three nights in a lovely boutique hotel in Heritage Square. Located on the fringe of the historic Bo-Kaap district, The Cape Heritage Hotel is a series of beautifully restored buildings dating back to 1771. Each of the rooms features high beamed ceilings and burnished wooden floors, and is individually decorated to showcase the original workmanship and architecture.

Our stay in Cape Town will include a peninsula tour with a cable car ride taking us high up the cliffs for remarkable views. We'll drive along the coast to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where we can view wildlife, visit the lighthouse and continue to the Cape itself, the southwesternmost point of the African continent. Another day, we will drive north to the Winelands and enjoy a leisurely time of winetastings and lunch. We will also explore Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in the country, known for its beautiful Cape Dutch houses and fine shops.

No trip to Africa would be complete without a safari, so before we leave the continent we will spend two nights in the world-class MalaMala Game Reserve, the first private photographic safari destination in South Africa. Situated on the largest tract of land within the Sabi Sand Reserve and sharing a common boundary with Kruger National Park, MalaMala offers incredible sightings of Africa's wildlife - including the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo), as well as a multitude of smaller creatures, in an exquisite setting.

From MalaMala, we return to Johannesburg for a tour of the Soweto District, and one night at the elegant Grace Hotel for our farewell dinner.

19-20: Victoria Falls Extension

The group part of our tour ends on Day 19 (December 5, 2007). Today transfers will be provided to the Johannesburg Airport for flights home or for a morning flight to Livingstone Airport to start our Victoria Falls extension. Livingstone Airport is on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River, which form the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Upon arrival we will check into our home for the next two nights, the Royal Livingstone, a 5-star, 173-room luxury hotel. Only footsteps from the Zambezi River, the rooms and suites offer a tranquil retreat. The rooms are two-story clusters offering private balconies or terraces with views of the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. Interior furnishings accentuate the influences of Africa.

Inspired by the gracious homes in Livingstone, The Royal Livingstone offers the majesties of Africa with all the charms of a bygone era, and an unparalleled level of luxury, service and sophistication in the region. The central reception area offers a dramatic view of the river. The bar and lounge are under an open-thatch roof, cooled by the swish of punkahs. With its comfortable armchairs and low ottomans the lounge is the place to enjoy graciously served high tea or to linger over a cocktail.

Victoria Falls is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Falls span a width 1700 meters (5577 feet) and plunge 108 meters (354 feet) down the sheer rock face, creating an awesome spectacle. When the Zambezi River is in flood, a towering veil of mist rises over 300 meters (over 900 feet) into the air and can be seen more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) away. As a result the Lozi people named the Falls the Mosi-Oa-Tunya or 'the smoke that thunders'. By the time British explorer David Livingstone first saw the Falls in 1855, and named them after Queen Victoria, the Zambian side of the river was heavily populated. Major tribes living in the area today include the Tonga, the Toka-Leya, the Lozi and the Subia, all of whom regard the Falls as sacred.

After we have seen the Falls up close, we will return to the hotel and meet up again for a Sunset Cruise along the mighty Zambezi River. The Zambezi River is the fourth largest river in Africa after the Nile, Zaire (Congo) and Niger respectively. From its source in northwestern Zambia, it flows approximately 2800 km (1750 miles) to the mouth in Mozambique then into the warm Indian Ocean. It is a wide, attractive river dotted with islands and sandbanks. The stretch of river preceding the Falls is bordered on the Zimbabwean side by the Zambezi National Park. We will relax and enjoy the scenery including the Mulala Palm, a tall attractive palm tree that produces an ivory fruit that grows to the size of a cricket ball. The bird watching is also excellent. Don’t be surprised to see hippopotamus bathing and the occasional crocodile. Dinner tonight is at our hotel. And that's just the first day!

On our second day we will take an excursion to Livingstone Island. In 1855, Dr. David Livingstone was paddled in a dug out canoe through swift rapids towards the roar and rising cloud of mist above a cliff over which the whole of the Zambezi River plunged. The Makololo paddlers skillfully landed him on 'Goat Island' (now Livingstone Island), right on the lip of the chasm. This is where he first gazed upon the Falls.

Today we will ride more comfortably in a twin engine boat with powerful motors and a skilled skipper to re-trace Livingstone's approach to the island. There we will witness the very best view of the Falls and have lunch. The island can only be visited during low water season, which usually begins in mid-July and goes through late January. High water visits are not possible as the island is continuously covered in spray/downpour from the Falls.

Later in the afternoon, we will take a walking tour through the rainforest along a one-mile ramble. Our guide will accompany us along the scenic pathways, stopping at numerous view-points to gaze at the Falls. Dinner will again be at our hotel.

21: Closing the Circle

After a morning at leisure we will transfer to the Livingstone Airport for our flights back to Johannesburg, where we will connect to our overnight flights home. Currently South Africa Airways has direct flights from Johannesburg to Washington Dulles Airport and to New York JFK Airport, as well as to several European destinations.

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