Contact: Laura Stegman
310/470-6321

Private Safari Led by LA Zoo Director John Lewis
Includes Travel to Zambia, Botswana and South Africa
in Partnership with Wilderness Safaris

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) offers a once-in-a-lifetime safari to Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa with an itinerary that showcases the stunning diversity of wildlife, flora and birdlife on a two-week journey led by LA Zoo Director John Lewis from July 25 to August 9, 2009.  The unique program, developed in partnership with Wilderness Safaris, is limited to 18 passengers, with reservations accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Wilderness Safaris is a conservation organization and ecotourism company dedicated to responsible tourism throughout the southern Africa areas in which it operates.  Its goal is to share these wild areas with guests from all over the world, while at the same time helping to ensure the future protection of Africa's spectacular wildlife heritage and sharing the benefits of tourism with local communities.  The 25-year-old company operates camps and safaris in Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Seychelles, and is run by a group of like-minded wildlife enthusiasts who came together to build a successful safari business while ensuring that southern Africa's pristine wilderness areas remain sustainably protected. Wilderness Safaris was honored this year by Travel & Leisure as #2 in its list of "Top 15 Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters," and it has been included in this award category for the last four years.

Accommodations during the trip are in Wilderness Safaris Camps, each special in their own way.  From the unique ambience of their setting to the large spacious luxurious rooms to the elegance and relaxed Safari-Chic appointments of the common areas, spas and small viewing hides, travelers feel both superbly comfortable and especially privileged.

The GLAZA African adventure begins at Toka Leya Camp at the Victoria Falls in Zambia with two days overlooking the mighty Zambezi River.  With the camp as the base, the group explores the rain-forest on walking trips, rides jetboats, canoes or rafts on the Zambezi, and takes game drives in the local Mosi-oa-Tunya Park.  

Next, the group travels to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, which supports the largest elephant populations in Africa.  Travelers can expect to see abundant game, such as impala, lechwe, kudu, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and bushbuck, and their predators: lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena.  Also seen here are Burchell's zebra, blue wildebeest, impala, common waterbuck, sable, eland, southern giraffe, chacma baboon, vervet monkey, warthog, hippo and Cape buffalo.  Six days at three varied camps in the Okavango, Chobe, Moremi and Linyanti areas introduce travelers to the range of eco-systems, which support a wide diversity of wildlife, flora and birdlife.

Four days in Cape Town, South Africa, conclude this African adventure, with breathtaking scenery, fascinating multi-cultural persona, superb restaurants, winelands, forest, ocean and mountain experiences.  From the views from the top of Table Mountain to an exploration of the largest floral kingdom on the planet, travelers learn about the country’s fascinating history both ancient and modern with visits to the Cape Town Castle (1652) and to Robben Island, the home for many years of Prisoner 46664 – Nelson Mandela.  Winelands and spectacular scenery, including that where two oceans meet, are featured.  The combination of the natural splendor, unique habitats, fauna and flora, along with the sophistication of this cosmopolitan city with its blended arts, crafts, architecture, music, politics, and the friendly people, is sure to make a lasting impression.

Itinerary and sequence subject to change.

The cost of the trip is $14,250 per person excluding round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Johannesburg.  Included in the package are airline flights within Africa, all land travel, accommodations, meals, entry fees to places of interest on sightseeing tours indicated in itinerary, and taxes.  

This trip is one of many programs presented by the private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, founded in 1963 to raise money for the City of Los Angeles-owned Zoo.  The year 2008 marks more than four decades of GLAZA's success in supporting the Los Angeles Zoo's work as an educational resource for the citizens of Los Angeles, and as an international center for the conservation of endangered wildlife.  GLAZA provides support for Los Angeles Zoo exhibits, conservation, capital projects, education programs, community outreach, research, and more through fund-raising and an endowment, membership, special events and more.  GLAZA currently has 65,000 member households, the second largest non-profit organization membership in Los Angeles.  Many of its nearly 300,000 individual members have sustained their GLAZA support for more than 20 years. The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is an international leader in the conservation of endangered species and one of the city's major cultural and entertainment resources.

For detailed descriptions of AFRICA: A Wild Adventure including a free brochure and more information, please call Melissa Grossenbacher at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, 323/ 644-4792, or visit our webpage.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles' Griffith Park at
the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.  For
tickets and information, call 323/644-4708.

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