MARKING 25 YEARS ON FOOT, WAYFARERS SETS SIGHTS ON SOUTH AFRICA

       Newport, Rhode Island, October 2007 – To mark its 25th season as one of the world’s premier purveyors of walking adventure vacations, The Wayfarers will make its long-awaited South Africa debut in March and October 2008 with a richly detailed Wonders of the Western Cape walk in the company of Walk Leaders (and Cape connoisseurs) Christopher and Malle Hague. The multi-faceted 12-day journey includes overnight stays at the Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Madikwe Safari Lodge; open Land Rover game-drives; bush walks; tours of the winery estate of Toka and Madikwe Game Reserve and Kirstenbosch Gardens; and end-to-end exploration of the Western Cape.  In the November issue of National Geographic Adventure, the new South Africa Walk is named among the “Best Trips in 2008.”  The magazine also dubbed The Wayfarers one of the “Best Outfitters on Earth,” noting its signature “Coast to Coast” England Walk in England.
 
        Other highlights in The Wayfarers’ 2008 schedule include the new 6th Annual Founders’ Walk, a virtual walking history tour of England’s New Forest and Isle of Wight in June and September, and the Spectacular South Island in New Zealand program in February and March.
 
        The Wayfarers 2008 schedule features 83 diverse Walks through 15 countries, including England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.  Walks are priced from US$1950* per person, depending on itinerary length and inclusions.
 
        “As we celebrate our 25th season, we are thrilled to open a new door of exploration in South Africa,” said Christopher Hague, co-Founder of The Wayfarers.  “The Western Cape is a magnificent and topographically diverse region and, as such, this walk is one of our longest.  For 12 days we’ll explore the province’s people, architecture, wilderness and game reserves.  Without a doubt, our tour offers the market’s best available insight into South African life.”  
 
South Africa:  The Wonders of the Western Cape
         The Wayfarers’ inaugural Walk through the “Rainbow Nation,” this 12-day South African journey reflects years of meticulous planning by Christopher and Malle Hague, who love South Africa and know the country intimately.  The result is in-depth tours of a colorful, socially progressive country, starting in historic Cape Town.  The tours are scheduled to begin March 2 and October 26, 2008 (as well as March 8 and November 1, 2009). 
 
        Priced from $7,895* per person, inclusive of accommodations for 11 nights, meals, all transfers, admissions, gratuities and more, the Walk covers an average of 8 miles a day of moderate walking. All lodgings throughout the trip offer the highest standards of service and comfort, from Cape Town’s Cellars-Hohenort, with its acclaimed gardens, to Le Quartier Français, rated among the world’s top 100 hotels by Travel + Leisure readers in 2007.
 
Sixth Annual Founders’ Walk – The New Forest and The Isle of Wight
         Offered June 15 and September 7, 2008, the itinerary for the seven-day 6th Annual Founders’ Walk reads as if it were taken from the pages of a history book.  Highlights include walks through William the Conqueror’s old hunting grounds; a visit to Queen Victoria’s palace at Osborne House and Charles I’s prison at Carisbrooke Castle; Lord Montagu’s Palace House at Beaulieu; and a stay in Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s former home at Farringford.
 
        Priced from $3,695* per person, the Walk covers an average of 6-8 miles a day of moderate walking and includes accommodations for six nights, meals, all transfers, admissions, gratuities and more.
 
New Zealand:  Spectacular South Island
         This year, The Wayfarers offers its Spectacular South Island treks to New Zealand on February 6 and March 5, 2008 (as well as February 4 and March 4, 2009).  The 12-day itinerary delves deeply into the region’s breathtaking landscape with explorations of New Zealand’s picturesque glaciers, fjords, rain forests, geysers, great lakes and raging rivers.  Walkers will retrace the steps of Captain Cook’s 1770 landing, observe migrating whales at Kaikoura Peninsula, shop for jade at Hokitika and picnic beneath the Rob Roy Glacier plus more.
 
        Priced from $4,495* per person, inclusive of accommodations for 12 nights, meals, all transfers, admissions, gratuities and more, the Walk covers an average of eight miles/day of moderate walking and climbing. 
 
* All rates quoted are based on double occupancy.  Single supplements are available.
 
About The Wayfarers
         Offering an eco-aware “walking” holiday of both culture and fitness, The Wayfarers’ newest Walks/hikes include South Africa, Slovenia, New Zealand and California. A new women’s-focused program with Girlfriend Getaways and Mother/Daughter walks adds shopping, museums, spa treatments, and more.  Other popular walks are the Founders’ Walk (this year on the Isle of Wight), Croatia, Austria, Amalfi Coast, and Czech Republic.  In its 25th season, The Wayfarers offer exclusive entrées into homes and gardens otherwise closed to the public, graceful accommodations, outstanding cuisine, and meetings with local residents. Walks range from 5-12 days and are rated easy to challenging, with distances of 4-5 miles, 6-10 miles or 12-15 miles per day.   www.thewayfarers.com, 800- 249-4620.