The Skies of South Africa

Depart on an overnight flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Arrival and transfer to hotel. Gather for a lovely cultural welcome dinner at Moyo restaurant. Southern Sun Montecasino (Meals aloft, D)

This morning attend an informal briefing that will provide you with a snapshot of South African present-day culture, society and economy as well as a brief coverage of our recent past. After lunch we'll visit the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory. Evening is free. Southern Sun Montecasino (B, L)

This morning travel to the Apartheid Museum where we will journey through the history of Apartheid South Africa and it's downfall - a moving and inspirational experience. In the afternoon we will travel just an hour away to the Sterkfontein Caves and the Cradle of Humankind at Maropeng which means “returning to the place of origin” in Setswana, the main indigenous language in this area of South Africa and the site recognised internationally as the birthplace of humanity. The Sterkfontein caves bear testament to this, as the world's oldest and richest humanoid fossil remains are found here. After dinner we will spend the evening stargazing at this world heritage site. Southern Sun Montecasino (B, D)

This afternoon we fly to Cape Town a vibrant, culturally diverse city nestled between mountain and sea and renowned as one of the most scenically beautiful cities in the world. Table Mountain is the international symbol of this city and in the afternoon, weather dependent, you'll take the revolving aerial cable car to the summit where you can see the entire Cape Peninsula, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, beaches, harbor, city and suburbs from various stunning vantage points. Your evening is at leisure to explore your surrounds. Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel (B, D)

This morning visit The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) which is the national center for optical and infrared astronomy. Its prime function is to promote and conduct fundamental research in astronomy and astrophysics in South Africa. This world-class facility is found in the suburb of Observatory, getting its name by the fact that prior to the city being big enough for suburbs, an astronomical observatory was situated here: the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope founded in 1820, the first scientific institution in Africa. Here we’ll meet with astronomers and scientists and get to grips with challenges and breakthroughs affecting the industry today. After lunch, we’ll meet with the engineers behind the MeerKAT project. MeerKAT is the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the southern hemisphere and will remain so until the Square Kilometer Array is completed around 2024, on which many South African engineers are also involved. Dinner this evening is a hosted event in the company of engineers, scientists and astronomers from SAAO. Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel (B, L, D)

Today explore Cape Town on your own. You will have a choice of optional activities to get involved in !Khwa ttu, a San Education and Culture Center, offers you the unique experience of being introduced to the world of the descendants of the first indigenous people of southern Africa. For the wine lovers in the group, the Cape Winelands is an absolute must with the breathtaking vistas, majestic mountain backdrops, rich history and culture. Rolling vineyards and quaint Cape Dutch homesteads with awardwining wine farms,offering some of the country's - and the world's - best wines, cannot be missed! The evening is free for you to explore CapeTown. Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel (B)

Enjoy the East and West coasts of the Cape Peninsula - a mountainous spine commencing with Table Mountain and ending at Cape Point. We’ll take a spectacular 75 mile round trip that will lead us through the city suburbs, beach side towns, Cape Point National Park, part of the Table Mountain National Reserve and to Cape Point itself, the place at which legend claims the Atlantic and Indian Oceans unite. Today we'll also journey to South Africa's Naval Headquarters in Simonstown and visit the only landbased breeding colony of the endangered African penguin before relaxing at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens... set against the Eastern slopes of Table Mountain, it is said to be one of the world’s best national gardens. Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel (B, L)

Today we’ll travel four hours north of Cape Town to Sutherland located in the Karoo Region, a vast semi-desert region between the Cape and Johannesburg. The telescopes of the South African Astronomical Observatory are nearby, including those of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). Upon arrival in Sutherland we'll be treated to a lecture from Sutherland Observatory staff on the Square Kilometer Array Project (SKA) currently under construction by an international team of scientists in the Karoo. Following this, in the evening, you will be hosted to a dinner with various SKA and SALT scientists and astronomers, followed by a visit to the Sutherland Observatory for stargazing with them, your scientific peers. Kambrokind B&B or similar (B,D)

On a hilltop in a nature reserve, near Sutherland, is a masterpiece of modern astronomical engineering. The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, and equal to the largest in the world. Opened in November 2005, SALT is one of the leading instruments of its kind. You will visit it and witness the 82-ton telescope, similar to the HobbyEberly Telescope in Texas, but with a redesigned optical system – an achievement of South African astronomer Dr. Darragh O'Donoghue. Eleven meters in diameter, this array enables imaging, spectroscopic, and polarimetric analysis of the radiation from astronomical objects out of reach of northern hemisphere telescopes. With its advanced astronomical technology, it has become an icon for what could be achieved in science and technology in South Africa. After this site visit you'll return to Cape Town for your final dinner at the culturally rich Africa Cafe. Sun Cullinan Hotel (B, L,D)

Depart for a safari extension to Kruger National Park or home to the U.S. this afternoon on an overnight flight. (B)

Arrive in U.S. and connect to flights home.

At more than 2 million hectares the Kruger National Park is one of the world’s largest game reserves and a truly remarkable destination. Because of its exceptional size you can experience amazing diversity – from the scenery and ecosystems to the correspondingly amazing array of animals, trees and birds. Set off in search of the “Big Five” — elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo and leopards — as well as a wide variety of other species. A trip to the Kruger National Park is an unforgettable and potentially life changing experience.