Teach the Children Tour: Zambia 2019 Itinerary - Vulnerable ...
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Teach the Children Tour: Zambia 2019 Itinerary
Monday, June 17 – Depart O’Hare for an overnight 13-hour flight to Dubai arriving at 7 pm Dubai time
on Tuesday. Dubai is 9 hours ahead of Chicago time.
Dubai – Spend an evening in the
largest city of the United Arab
Emirates located on the Persian
Gulf. It is home to the world’s tallest
building – the Burj Khalifa—with a
height of 2,722 ft., nearly twice as tall
as the Sears Tower. After landing from
Chicago and transporting to the hotel,
we will have a night tour of the city.
Wednesday, June 19 – Depart Dubai 9:30 am for a 7-hour flight to Lusaka arriving at 2:30 pm. Lusaka is
7 hours ahead of Chicago time.
Lusaka – The capital of Zambia and the largest city of the country with approximately 2 million
inhabitants. Since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 (Rhodesia), English has
remained the language of commerce and government.
On arrival, the group will
process through customs
and immigration and then
be transported to our hotel
for check-in and dinner. An
evening welcome by local
church leaders is planned.
Thursday, June 20 – School visit #1 to Kaunda Square.
Kaunda Square Community School began in 2006. Recent improvements include construction of
a cooking shelter and an additional classroom, a new well and water tanks ensuring a consistent
supply, new desks and book shelves, and updated textbooks. The Pre-K to grade 7 school serves
300 students. It is located on the grounds of a congregation of the Lutheran Church of Central
Africa (LCCA). We will have a chance to interact with the students, observe them in their
classroom, hear them sing, and get to know them on a personal level.
Friday, June 21 – School visit #2 to Matero.
Matero Community School began in 2010 and is located on the grounds of the LCCA’s oldest
congregation, Martin Luther. Like Kaunda Square, this community school instructs Pre-K to
grade 7, and it serves about 200 students. The school also has had recent improvements to
better serve the students. As at Kaunda Square, we will engage in activities with students to get
to know them.
Saturday, June 22 – Lutheran Seminary Day
The Lutheran Church of Central Africa is found in both Zambia and Malawi and consists of over
40,000 baptized members and 200 congregations. Those studying for the ministry spend 3 years
at the Bible Institute in Lilongwe, Malawi, and 3 additional years at the Seminary in Lusaka. This
day will include tours of the 40-acre park-like campus, information talks by leaders of the WELS
and LCCA, choir performances, and a traditional Zambian meal prepared by the Seminary’s cook.
Sunday, June 23 – Worship and Community Day
The day will begin with worship at the
LCCA church at Kaunda Square. After
worship and lunch, visits will be made
to a “Sunday Market” where locals set
up to sell their crafts and wares. There
will be an optional trip to a cultural
center.
Monday, June 24 – Depart Lusaka at 6 am for travel to Victoria Falls.
An early afternoon arrival in the town of Livingstone will allow for shopping at their local curio
market and having a brief rest at our hotel. Then we board a river cruise on the Zambezi River,
the river that forms the border between Zambia and both Botswana and Zimbabwe. On our
early evening cruise, we will be served unlimited beverages and appetizers as we travel along
the river to observe the sunset and look for wildlife.
Our lodging tonight is at Victoria Falls Waterfront Lodge, located on the Zambezi River. A glance
down the river provides a view of the mist at Victoria Falls. The lodge is nicely located just a
short drive from the falls and very close to where we board the boat for our river cruise.
Tuesday, June 25—Victoria Falls
Today, we will have a guided tour of Victoria Falls, one of
the seven natural wonders of the world. At more than a
mile wide, Victoria Falls is the largest curtain of water in
the world. It is known to the locals as Mosi-oa-tunya, the
“smoke that thunders.” Either before or after enjoying
this awesome wonder, we will have time for optional activities in the area—a walk with
cheetahs through the bush, a helicopter ride over the falls, a visit to Livingstone Island. These
optional activities will be booked separately and at additional cost.
In the late afternoon we will travel to neighboring Botswana, where we will have lodging at
Chobe Safari Lodge, located on the banks of the Chobe River and the border of Chobe National
Park. In this area, a series of islands, floodplains, and lakes ensures an abundance of wildlife. The
park is home to over 80,000 elephants as well as numerous herds of buffalo. In the dry winter
season, the animals move closer to the Chobe River, so we will be able to view herds of elephant
and buffalo. Other plentiful game includes lion, leopard, hippo, crocodile, and giraffe, as well as
puku, kudu and other antelope.
Dinner and breakfast are included in our stay for two nights at Chobe Safari Lodge, where we
will be housed in traditional thatched rondavels, which have recently been completely
renovated. They have large modern en-suite bathrooms and are positioned close to the river in
the lodge gardens.
.
Wednesday, June 26—safari day!
• After waking up in our traditional African dwellings at Chobe Safari Lodge, we will depart
for our game drive in the national park. Botswana’s Chobe National Park is home to
huge concentrations of game. Taking its name from the Chobe River, which forms the
park’s northern boundary, Chobe is classic big game country, famous for its vast
elephant herds, as well as its uncommonly large lion prides.
.
• After lunch we will embark on a river safari. The Chobe River is a section of the
larger Cuando River, which flows through Angola and Namibia before eventually
emptying into the mighty Zambezi River. Within Chobe National Park, the river is the
main watering spot for animals during the dry season (May to October). It is flanked by
riverine forests, floodplains and open woodlands. Only a few dozen kilometers of
riverfront are accessible, but the rewards are huge: the Chobe River is the scene for some
of the best game viewing in Southern Africa as well as providing a safe haven for the
continent's greatest concentration of elephants.
Thursday, June 27—Depart for the US
Today is the day we bid farewell to our African adventures. We will enjoy the beauties of the
Zambian countryside during our ride back to Lusaka, where we will have an evening departure
to the US. We will pack our clothing, our souvenirs, and take a heart full of memories back home
with us—the school children, the churches, the animals, natural wonders—all the sights and
smells of Africa. What a wild and wonderful experience!
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