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INDAGARE’S GUIDE TO LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY AVAILABILITY 2007

All of the openings listed are time-sensitive (many are recent cancellations) and will fill quickly. Act fast to reserve.

AFRICA

• Singita Lebombo has 2 nights available from December 25-27. www.singita.com.

• Micato Safaris: There are spots left on the acclaimed company’s Micato Grand Safari (departure Dec 16) and their Hemingway Wing Safari (departure Dec 18). There’s also the Private Africa Safari, for which guests get to pick the date they depart, and Micato can also customize trips using Bespoke properties. 212-545-7111; 800-642-2861; www.micato.com.

• Abercrombie & Kent: Customized tented safaris in East Africa with expert naturalist guides. Enjoy the unforgettable sounds of the African night at A&K’s Hemingway-style mobile camp on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, Africa’s “Garden of Eden.” Fifteen days from $11,755 per person, double occupancy. www.abercombiekent.com

• The Mount Nelson Hotel, an Orient Express property that is set in gardens on the lower slopes of Table Mountain, still has holiday availability. It’s located within close proximity to the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town’s best beaches. www.mountnelson.co.za

ANTARCTICA

• For the ultimate adventurer, Abercrombie & Kent’s Falkl Explorer II still has some availability. Travel in December (spring in the Southern Hemisphere) offers a breathtaking experience of sea ice, glaciers and snow-covered islands, with dramatic and pristine ice sculptures. 20-day departure December 18 from $13,290 per person, double occupancy (children under 18 save 50% off the adult fare). www.abercrombiekent.com. For Indagare’s Antarctica coverage, click here.

INDIA

• Madhua Kothi is the first of five lodges to be constructed under the partnership of CC Africa and Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. There are a few rooms left for the holidays. The lodge borders the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and safaris are offered twice daily. Rates from $765 (include all scheduled safari activities, all meals, and all park fees and government taxes). 866-969-1825: www.tajsafaris.com.

• Located in Pench National Park, the park that Rudyard Kipling featured in his classic story The Jungle Book, Baghvan lodge is the second accommodation to be created by CC Africa and Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. Like the original complex, Baghvan offers two daily safaris and has twelve stand-alone suites, which unlike the original, has a ’50s bungalow feel. Rates begin at $764 (include all scheduled safari activities, meals, and all park fees and government taxes). 866.969.1825 or www.tajsafaris.com.