Are You Ready For The Adventure Of A Lifetime?

The countdown is on! It’s time to start planning all those little details that will make our OUTbound adventure in Africa even more exciting! Below are a few things to help you make the most of your safari cruise with us. As always, if you have any questions that we haven’t covered, or have a special request, hit us up… either by phone at 916.683.1000 or email us at info@iamOUTbound.com.

Let’s get started!

Flights

Flights & Luggage

Since we’ll be flying on small charter during our safari cruise, be prepared to pack a little lighter than usual.

Our flight from Johannesburg to Kasane is a regularly scheduled flight.

Our flights from Kasane to Kariba & from Kariba to Victoria Falls are both charter flights. Since we will be using private planes to get us from our lodge in Kasane to our ship in Kariba, there are a few restrictions regarding the bags being transported due to the capacity of the planes.

Our luggage must adhere to these regulations:

Your checked baggage (1 per person maximum) MUST NOT EXCEED 44lbs (20kg).
Your luggage MUST COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING DIMENSIONS: 23.6” in length x 15.7” in height x 11.8” in width.
Your luggage must be made from SOFT FABRIC. Hard-shell suitcases are not accepted.
Luggage with wheels is accepted (a maximum of 2 wheels per bag).

To help with the baggage limitations, laundry service is available during our stay at the lodge in Kasane & also at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town after our safari cruise.

Hotels

Johannesburg Hotel

For our African Safari Cruise, we’ll be staying at the Hotel 54 on Bath, a 5-star hotel located in a vibrant central district of Johannesburg. This first-class hotel radiates a sophisticated ambience and provides its guests with the utmost level of luxury and service. More information about our Johannesburg hotel is available here:
Hotel 54 on Bath

Here’s the schedule for our first day together…

Arrival at the Hotel 54 on Bath starts at 11:00am
Lunch starts at 12:30pm – 1:00pm
Full Day Tour starts at 2:15pm – 2:30pm
Return to Hotel 54 on Bath at 6:00pm – 6:30pm
Dinner starts at 7:00pm – 7:30pm

Our program will end back at our host hotel after dinner where you’ll be able to get a full night’s sleep before starting out the next morning.

Cape Town Hotel

For those of you joining us on our Cape Town extension, we’ll be staying at the Cape Grace Hotel, a 5-star hotel situated on a private quay between Cape Town’s bustling V&A Waterfront and the tranquil yacht marina, there is no better position from where to soak in the natural beauty of our Mother City and the very essence of Cape Town living at its best. More information about our Cape Town hotel is available here:
Cape Grace Hotel

Here’s the plan for our first day in Cape Town…

Check In at Cape Grace Hotel starts at 2:00pm
Reception starts at 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Dinner starts at 8:00pm – 10:00pm

We’ll start our Cape Town tours in the morning, heading up to Table Mountain after sleeping in & having breakfast at the hotel.

Visas

Visa Requirements

The only required Visa for Americans or Canadians is for Zimbabwe. These are paid upon our arrival at the Kariba airport. No other visas are required for our trip. OUTbound will purchase a single-entry Zimbabwe visa for everyone in our group upon landing in Victoria Falls. The visa requirements for Zimbabwe are…

Passport valid for a least 6 months from your date of entry
Proof of your return ticket back to the US (or your ticket from Victoria Falls to Cape Town for our pre/post-safari program)
Two (2) blank pages in your passport to fit the required entry visa.

More information is available here:
Victoria Falls & Zimbabwe Visa Requirements

Vaccinations

Vaccinations & Immunizations

There are no compulsory vaccinations for any of our destinations or countries we are visiting during our African Safari Cruise.

However, it is strongly recommended that you ensure your vaccines for the following Diseases are up-to-date:

Tetanus
Polio
Hepatitis A and B
Diphtheria
Typhoid

It is also recommend that you consult with your General Practitioner regarding an Antimalarial Treatment and a Yellow Fever Vaccine.

Tipping

Tipping Our Hosts

Tipping is the ONLY thing not included with your OUTbound vacation. We never want to dictate anyone’s generosity or decide how much you think YOUR experience with a crew member, waitstaff or tour guide was worth. How much to tip depends on the type of service you receive and your personal experience.

During our trip together, you’ll come into contact with many different servers and hosts. At the end of each day’s guided tour, you’ll have the chance to tip our guide and driver whatever you feel your experience was worth.

A general rule of thumb for tipping the staff at the lodge & on our ship is $10 per day, per person.

However, if your experience warrants something more, then by all means feel free to be as generous as you would like. If you feel that any individual in particular has gone above and beyond in making your experience something extra special, then we encourage you to reach out to them directly and let them know how much you appreciated their service during our time together.

Travel Insurance

If we’ve learned anything over these last couple of years, it’s that the world can be an uncertain place at times. While you’re never required to buy travel insurance, it’s a very good idea and we strongly recommend all OUTbounders consider protecting your hard-earned vacation money. The price of your coverage will depend on a few factors, including the cost of the trip, what state you live in, how long before the trip departs, and if you have any pre-existing or underlying health conditions, to name a few.

Some reasons why you might buy travel insurance include:

Cancel for Any Reason
Unexpected Work Requirements
Personal or Family Illness

OUTbound does not provide travel insurance. However, we always strongly recommend using a third-party insurance carrier to provide your coverage.

Get Ready African Safari