By Barb Sands.
Join San Diego Master Gardeners on a customized, once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa to view some of the most world-renowned botanical gardens, nature preserves, national parks, and stunning wildflowers. Continue the journey with an optional extension tour of Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia, offering totally unique flora, dramatic and fascinating landscapes, and culminating with a visit to Victoria Falls and a cruise on the almighty Zambezi River.
Master Gardener Barb Sands* regularly organizes tours for her fellow San Diego Master Gardeners. Generally open only to Master Gardeners and their friends, this adventure will be open to members of SDHS as well.
South Africa
The twelve-day, fully-escorted tour begins and ends in Cape Town. The group will travel through varied vegetation, including plenty of indigenous fynbos, forests, and grasslands.
The itinerary will include discovering South Africa’s magnificent wildflowers, Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, heritage garden tours, and local wildlife (think elephants, bird life, and possibly white lions!). Visits to at least seven gardens are included: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Company Gardens, Harold Porter Botanical Garden, Old Nectar Gardens, the gardens at the Vergelegen Estate, Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, and Garden Route National Park.
Dates: September 19 to September 30, 2019
Cost: 2,749 GBP (approx. $3500) on a shared basis. Single supplement is available.
Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia
The extension tour includes an exploration of Sossusvlei, Namibia's white salt-clay pan, and a stay at Xakanaxa Camp in Botswana (with an array of wildlife guests including elephants, giraffes, and wild cats). Tour-goers will be treated to unusual flora, world-famous national parks, diverse wildlife, and a microlight flight over awe-inspiring Victoria Falls! More excitement as we continue on the Royal Livingstone Express train and finish cruising down the mighty Zambezi River on the African Queen.
Dates: September 30 to October 8, 2019
Cost: 3,899 GBP (approx. $5,000) on a shared basis. Single supplement is available.
Please contact Barb Sands for more information and to reserve your space. Be sure to say you are an SDHS member.
*Barb Sands is a San Diego Master Gardener living in Encinitas who has been creating, hosting, and offering interesting and engaging tours for San Diego Master Gardeners for three years. Her passions include community volunteering, educational tours around town, and East coast-based flower shows. In her garden, Cymbidium and Cattelya orchids, as well as Protea and Grevillea plants, hold a special place in her heart.