Around the World: A Private Jet Expedition
From $64,950
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Trip Overview
Join us on a remarkable 25-day journey by private jet. Touch down in some of the most astonishing places on the planet to see the top wildlife, including gorillas, orangutans, rhinos, lemurs and toucans. Explore natural and cultural treasures in remote areas of South America, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia and Africa.
To reach these remote corners, travel on a specially outfitted private jet that carries 88 passengers. World-class experts – including WWF's director of species conservation – will provide a series of lectures en route, and a professional staff will be devoted to making your global adventure seamless and memorable.
Trip Itinerary
Monday, April 6, 2009: Orlando, Florida
Meet fellow travelers, lecturers and expedition leaders at a festive welcome dinner at our hotel. Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, Orlando
Tuesday-Wednesday, April 7-8: Amazon Rain Forest, Brazil
The Amazon rain forest—the world's largest—contains thousands of endemic plants and animals, many still unclassified. Board your private jet for Manaus to enjoy a choice of Amazon explorations. Take a chartered riverboat to explore the "meeting of the waters," where the dark, clear Rio Negro and the pale, silty Rio Solimões join to form the mighty Rio Amazonas. Or take jungle walks amid the Parque Ecólogico's flooded forests, giant floating lilies, and other extraordinary plants. In the heart of the Amazon basin, rubber barons erected a magnificent opera house in Manaus using imported European bronze, tile, and crystal. We enjoy a concert at the stunning Teatro Amazonas. Tiwa Ecoresort, Manaus
Thursday-Friday, April 9-10: Easter Island, Chile
There's much the world could learn from this remote island that sits more than 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile. Around 1,500 years ago, a sophisticated society developed then disappeared, leaving stone villages, open-air sanctuaries, and giant statues called moai. Resident archaeologists lead you to hidden troves of statuary, as well as pictographs and petroglyphs that detail the annual rituals of the birdman cult. Hanga Roa Hotel or Taha Tai Hotel
Saturday, April 11: Apia, Samoa
Robert Louis Stevenson was enticed by the lush beauty of Samoa. Discover why as you experience a traditional kava ceremony at Stevenson's estate, and enjoy a fiafia, a colorful performance of Samoan dancing. Aggie Grey's Lagoon Resort & Spa, Apia
Sunday, April 12: Cross the International Date Line
We lose a day crossing the International Date Line and arrive in Borneo on April 13.
Monday-Tuesday, April 13-14: Borneo, Malaysia
Of humankind's closest relatives—the great apes—only orangutans are arboreal. This endangered species rarely descends to the ground; each night an orangutan builds a new sleeping nest high in the forest canopy. Brilliant botanists, Borneo's orangutans can recognize which products of the 750 rain forest's tree species are edible, nutritious, and nontoxic. In the Malaysian state of Sabah on the north coast of Borneo, WWF founded the Sepilok Rehabilitation Center to help orphaned and once-captive orangutans learn to fend for themselves and thrive in the wild. During feeding time, watch these marvelous creatures as they play, climb, and eat. Since 2000, WWF has worked with other organizations to save four million acres of Borneo’s forests, established a national park to protect elephants and tigers, and pioneered research on pygmy elephants. Travel to the lower Kinabatangan River where proboscis monkeys—endemic to Borneo—leap and crash through the forest canopy. Also look for crocodiles, civets, and rare species of birds, reptiles, and insects. Sabah Hotel, Sandakan
Wednesday-Friday, April 15-17: Vientiane & Luang Prabang, Laos
While the rest of Southeast Asia bustles, Laos welcomes travelers with quiet beauty, legendary hospitality, and stunning temples adorned with fine sculpture. Pha That Luang, a gorgeous golden stupa, rises above the Vientiane skyline, and the city’s oldest temple, Wat Si Saket, draws Buddhist worshippers. In Luang Prabang, historic Lao temples mingle with French colonial buildings. Members of Hmong, Mien, and Thai hill tribes converge to trade at the colorful markets. Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane and Pansea Phou Vao Hotel in Luang Prabang
Saturday-Monday, April 18-20: Kathmandu and Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Kathmandu, the once-forbidden city tucked in a Himalayan valley, is an exotic blend of Buddhist and Hindu influences. Nepal’s largest stupa, Bodhnath, has a huge white dome surrounded by 108 sculptures of Buddha. Also visit Swayambhunath, a remarkable stupa encircled by dozens of smaller stupas, temples, shrines, and fluttering prayer flags. We also explore medieval Bhaktapur to find extraordinary Nepali architecture and art, including the ornate Golden Gate, a centuries-old masterpiece of metalworking. We travel to Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, the former hunting lands of the maharajas. The tall grass and dense forest are home to deer, rhinoceroses, crocodiles, and kingfishers. Stay in comfortable tree houses constructed of native materials. Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu and Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Chitwan National Park
Tuesday-Thursday, April 21-23: Madagascar
The island nation of Madagascar is a living laboratory, spawning indigenous plants and animals, including nearly 50 lemur species. After an initial night in the capital of Antananarivo, options abound. Choose to visit the beautiful coastline of remote Anjajavy and see Coquerel’s sifaka and brown lemurs, baobab trees, birds, chameleons, geckos, and frogs. Or trek through the rugged eastern mountain rain forest to look for Malagasy wildlife and listen for the eerie sound of the Indri, the largest lemur, in Perinet Reserve. As a final option, explore Berenty Reserve in the southern spiny desert, taking guided night walks to search for tiny mouse lemurs as well as birds, reptiles, and carnivorous plants. Hotel Carlton in Antananarivo and, depending on the reserve you choose, L’Hotel in Anjajavy or Vakona Forest Lodge in Perinet or Gite d’Etape Hotel in Berenty
Friday-Saturday, April 24-25: Walvis Bay, Namibia
Namibia harbors a wealth of beauty and history, from the charming colonial town of Swakopmund at the coastal edge of the world’s fourth largest nature conservation area to giant flocks of flamingos at Walvis Bay. Customize your time here any way you choose. Cruise Walvis Bay to search for Cape Fur seals, African black oystercatchers, petrels, shearwaters, and terns; take a sightseeing flight over the great red dunes of the Namib Desert; or traverse the lunar hills and valleys carved by the Swakop River on a geologist-guided exploration and search for Welwitschia mirabilis, an intriguing plant that has been known to live for up to 1,500 years. Swakopmund Hotel
Sunday-Tuesday, April 26-28: Uganda or Rwanda
Winston Churchill called Uganda the "pearl of Africa." After a first night spent in the capital city of Kampala, discover the charms of this green, biologically diverse country on your choice of small-group activities. Go on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which harbors hundreds of hippos as well as pelicans, kingfishers, cormorants, and saddlebill storks, among other wildlife. The park encompasses 2,000 square miles of untouched wilderness, ranging from low-lying riverine lands near the Kazinga Channel all the way to the otherworldly Mountains of the Moon. Or choose to trek through the rain forest in search of magnificent mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Rwanda’s National Volcano Park. The very fit travelers who choose this option will stay in basic, comfortable eco-lodges and spend their days exploring lovely, mountainous terrain. Serena Hotel in Kampala and, depending on the park you choose, Mweya Lodge or Gorilla Forest Camp in Uganda, or Virunga Lodge or Gorillas Nest Lodge in Rwanda
Wednesday-Thursday, April 29-30: London / Depart for Home
Relax at our London hotel, then transfer the next day to the airport for scheduled commercial flights homeward. The Dorchester, London
Optional Extension
