Day 1 Cape Town: Sawubona! Welcome to South Africa.
You can arrive at any time on day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting tonight at 6pm. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where this important meeting will take place. Please ask a member of reception for this information. After the group meeting there is the option of joining the group for dinner.
At this meeting, your leader will collect the first part of your kitty money. The second part will be collected in Livingstone. Please bring USD notes/bills printed after 2003 in large denominations.
Please note this is a combination trip. The composition of your group, your group leader and your overland vehicle will change in Livingstone.
With its stunning coastline, dominating mountain and modern cityscape, Cape Town is one of Africa's most appealing cities. With vineyards on its doorstep, adventure activities around every other corner and plenty of restaurants and cafes to while away the time, Cape Town is a very easy city to spend some extra time in.
We stay in a hotel situated in Cape Town's popular, lively and vibrant Kloof Street with a large variety of restaurants, coffee shops, cafe's and bars all within walking distance.
Meal plan: Day 1 - No meals included
Days 2-3 Western Cape/Orange River: Time to begin our journey with a long driving day passing through Namaqualand's barren landscape to the natural border between South Africa and Namibia, the beautiful Orange River. We drive for approximately 7 hours today (568km).
The following morning there is a chance for an optional canoe adventure on this beautiful river - a great way to discover the beauty of this region.
We pitch our tents for the next two nights by the scenic banks of the Gariep (Orange) River.
Meal plan: Day 2 - Lunch & Dinner
Meal plan: Day 3 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Day 4 Fish River Canyon: This morning there is further time to relax before we head further south into the desert lands of Namibia towards Fish River Canyon. Todays travel time is approximately 3 hours covering 275km.
At 500m (1,640ft) deep and over 160km (99 miles) long, Fish River Canyon is one of the largest canyons in the world. There are remarkable photographic opportunities here, as we take in the sunset orange glows before heading to our campsite.
Tonight's camp has showers and flush toilet.
Meal plan: Day 4 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 5-6 Sesriem/Sossusvlei: Day 5 is a long driving day as we head towards the fabled dunes of Namibia (500km, approx. 7 hours).
Filled with the highest sand dunes on earth, the Namib-Naukluft National Park holds some amazing sights. It's also the oldest desert in the world and we get the chance to appreciate it in all its glory on a sunrise climb to the top of one of its sand dunes.
We wake before dawn on day 6 and scramble to the top of these dunes for a dramatic sunrise view across a vast sea of sand. The colour changes are just incredible! Another day, another specatacular meal setting, as we enjoy our brunch with a view of the dunes.
Afterwards we jump in the back of a pickup truck for a day trip to Soussesvlei (approx. 30 minutes each way). Here we meet an incredible local with a passion for the desert and all that lives in it, who is dying to show you the hidden amazing mysteries this area contains. He really is the Steve Irwin of the desert!
We camp in the Sesriem region in a bush camp.
Days 7-8 Swakopmund: From the desert, we continue on to the old German colonial town of Swakopmund. It's an all day drive as we travel from the Sesriem region to Swakopmund (480km, approx. 9 hours).
Swakopmund is a lovely oasis between the desert and the ocean, and there's plenty of adventure activities on offer. We have a full day here to go dune-bashing by quad bike, sand boarding or even skydiving over the town and surrounding desert. Then spend lively evenings in the town's many good restaurants and fun bars.
Our accommodation here is in A-frame bungalows. These accommodate 6 people each and share bathroom facilities.
Meal plan: Day 7 - Breakfast & Lunch.
Meal plan: Day 8 - No meals included
Days 9-10 Spitzkoppe: Experience the sight, sound and smell of thousands of olive-coloured seals on the shores of Cape Cross while travelling up the eerie Atlantic Coast (250km, approx. 4.5 hours).
This is a place to get away from it all and to appreciate the stunning harsh beauty of this sparsely populated country. We hike amoungst these spectacular rock formations and visit the ancient bushman paintings they hide.
We bush camp for the night in the midst of this remote region and should witness the breathtaking sunsets and sunrises as the colour of the landscapes take on remarkable oranges and reds. Our bush camp has very limited toilet facilities with a drop toilet and no shower or running water on these nights.
Meal plan: Day 9 - Lunch & Dinner.
Meal plan: Day 10 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 11-12 Etosha National Park: Etosha is home to a wide range of Southern Africa's wildlife, including all the big carnivores and five rare or endangered species: Black Rhino, Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, Black Faced Impala, Roan Antelope and the tiny Damara Dik Dik. The wildlife is prolific and Etosha has every right to proclaim itself as one of the world's most pre-eminent wildlife areas. Game viewing in the park is relatively easy due to the man-made water holes and the large sparsely vegetated pans. The bushland surrounding the pans is difficult to see through but there are enough clearings, pans and waterholes to make most visits well worthwhile. Namibia has protected its game reserves against poaching and there are large herds of elephant, antelope and other herbivores. We will stay in the park for a couple of days giving us plenty of opportunity for game drives.
We stay at two different campsites in the park, one of which, Okaukuejo, is particularly spectacular as it overlooks a floodlit waterhole visited by many different species throughout the day and night.
We cover approximately 480Kms on our drive from Spitzkoppe to the Etosha National Park which should take approximately 7-8 hours.
Meal plan: Day 11 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Meal plan: Day 12 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 13-14 San Bushmen Camp/Rundu: This afternoon we head to the pleasant market town of Grootfontein (90km, approx. 2 hours), our base to visit a San bushmen village.
We have the opportunity to go out tracking and gathering with the San bushmen, to spend a night and listen to the stories and songs of these fascinating people, presented in their fascinating and unique "clicking language". The Bushmen are the oldest ethnic group in Namibia having inhabited Southern Africa for an estimated 20,000 years. Around 30,000 San live in Namibia, but only 2,000 of them still follow a traditional way of life. The San have a deep understanding of nature and the ecology, living in harmony with their environment. Taking part in their everyday lives, you will stay overnight in the village, helping the men track animals and watch the women gather and prepare seeds and plants. A truly authentic experience.
Our bush camp tonight is very basic - drop toilets and no showers.
The following morning we head off to Rundu, our launching pad for our Okavango Delta experience, aiming to arrive at lunch time (400km, approx. 6 hours). It is a great place to relax and if there is time to watch traditional dances or go horse riding.
We camp at the beautiful n'Kwazi lodge, situated 20km north of Rundua, a tranquil spot set in lush vegetation on the banks of the Kavango River on the border with Angola.
Tonight we have flush toilets and showers.
Meal plan: Day 13 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Meal plan: Day 14 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 15-16 Okavango Delta: We head north along the 'Pan Handle' (the narrowest part of the Delta that stretches south until the Delta fans out into the vast swamps of the south) travelling by vehicle, boat and makoro today.
We drive to Sepupa (approx. 5 hours- 320kms), where we leave our vehicle and board boats out into the swamps. We will transfer by boat to Gao Island where we will meet our makoro team to explore the Okavango Delta.
This intricate network of channels began life as the Okavango River in Angola. The river finishes its journey as an inland delta unlike anything else in the world and creates 16,000 sq km maze of wetlands. The Delta is formed by the Okavango River, which flows into a basin on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. The river has no outlet from the desert and spreads out into thousands of small streams to form a wilderness that is totally unspoilt. It is a wonderland of meandering clear waterways, green islands, lush plains and prolific wildlife. This ecosystem is filled with a diversity of flora and fauna that includes hippo, crocodile, elephant, and the big cats. However, it is not for the game that we come, as this cannot always be found. The Delta is about exploring one of the world's most fascinating ecosystems.
In our small dugout styled canoes we will be poled out into the reed beds of the Delta. Each canoe takes two people and is poled along by a local tribesman through the meandering waterways. Reeds and lily pads line the streams, and birds startled by the makoros rise out of the long grasses. Punting along, the peace of the Delta may be shattered by the deep grunting of hippos.
You will be in the middle of a wilderness area and on the first night out you will camp out on an island away from civilisation.
On day 16 we continue our trip around the Delta and then return to Gao Island and head to the relative civilisation of Umvuvu Camp with its hot showers (usually) and small bar.
Meal plan: Day 15 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Meal plan: Day 16 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 17 Bagani Community Camp: Today we drive for 4 hours (110km) to reach Bagani, heading back up the Pan Handle of the Delta.
Here we have time to relax away from the rigours of the road a little and take part in the various activities that are available at this charming place. Various boat trips, fishing or hikes are possible from Bagani.
Our campsite in Bagani has flush toilets and cold showers.
Meal plan: Day 17 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 18-19 Chobe National Park: The trip from Bagani to Chobe National Park is around 432km which will take approximately 7 hours- another long driving day!
This massive park is home to an amazing array of animals, especially huge populations of elephants. Our second day here we enjoy an early morning game drive and get up close to the wildlife, hopefully spotting lions, buffaloes, birds and of course elephants. In the afternoon we take a Fish Eagle cruise down the Chobe River- in many ways being on the river is the best way to enjoy the animals of Chobe. Keep an eye out for swimming elephants, a huge variety of bird life as well as hippos wallowing and crocs sunning themselves by the water's edge.
We stay on the outskirts of Chobe near the town of Kasane in a campsite with flush toilets and hot/cold showers.
Meal plan: Day 18 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Meal plan: Day 19 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 20-27 Livingstone/Victoria Falls: Moving on from the Chobe, we cross the river by ferry and enter into Zambia. It's only a short drive to the town of Livingstone, located very close to the mighty Victoria Falls. Travel time today including the border crossing is around 3 hours and 150km.
While here we experience one of our journey's highlights- a visit to the magnificent Victoria Falls. The falls are an enormous curtain of water, about a mile wide, falling 108m into a narrow chasm below. In the wet season, the spray created can rise up an incredible 400m and the falls are an impressive raging torrent. The spray from the falls can sometimes be seen from kilometres away. It's no wonder the local name Mosi oa Tunya, means the "smoke that thunders". In the dry season, the view of the falls is unobstructed by spray and it's possible to see little islets in the river below.
As this is a combination trip the composition of your group and your group leader will change. There will be a group meeting on day 26 to meet your new travelling companions and for your new leader to give you some information about the next leg of your journey. Your leader will collect the second part of your local payment at this meeting. Please note this kitty payment must be in cash and travellers cheques are not accepted for this sector of your itinerary.
Please note: this tour spends 7 days in Livingstone. During days 23-26 there are no activities planned and these days are unaccompanied by a group leader. Should you require emergency assistance on these days please refer to the Emergency Contact section of these Trip Notes. Kitty is not applicable during time in Livingstone and while tented acommodation is provided, meals will be at your own expense.
You have plenty of free time in Livingstone to participate in the many optional activities on offer. There are various activities and excursions to choose from both on the water, on land and high above it all. Choose from white water rafting and canoeing, or go horse riding, abseiling or gorge swinging. You could also take a ride in a micro-light, helicopter or small plane for a bird's eye view of the falls.
Our camp ground is centrally located on the Zambezi River only four kilometres from the Falls, the perfect place to use as a base for the vast array of adventure activities on offer in the area. It has clean ablution blocks, comprising hot and cold showers and toilets.
Meal plan: Day 20 - Breakfast & Lunch.
Meal plan: Days 21 -27 No meals included
Day 28 Chobe National Park: From Livingstone, we have a drive of around 70 kms to reach the Zambezi river which we will cross by ferry to reach Botswana.
Once we have completed border formalities it is a short drive of approximately 15 minutes to the village of Kasane, our base for exploring Chobe National Park.
There will time here for you to change money before we head to our campsite on the edge of Kasane town.
Nestled in the northern corner of Botswana amid lush forest, Chobe covers a huge area of 12,000 sq km and is home to some of the largest elephant populations in Africa as well as lions and a flurry of bird life, including the famous African fish-eagle.
After settting up camp and having our lunch in the late afternoon, we will enjoy a fish-eagle cruise on the Chobe River, a very relaxing way to see hippos in the shallows and maybe even a herd of elephants coming down to the river's edge for bath time.
Overnight:Tonight we camp in 2 man dome tents at a campsite in the town of Kasane. There are hot showers and flush toilets at our campsite as well as a bar to enjoy a couple of cold drinks and perhaps a relaxing swim in the pool.
Distance travelled: We travel 90km from Livingstone to our campsite in Kasane.
Time travelled: 3 - 4 hours depending on how much timespent at the border post or crossing the Zambezi River by ferry.
Notes: We cross the Zambezi River by Ferry today. In normal circumstances the crossing is quite smooth and quick if both ferries are running. Sometimes only one ferry is operational and there might be some delays in these circumstances.
Day 29 Nata region: This morning there is the chance to start the day with an optional dawn game drive into Chobe National Park.
(Please see optional activities section of these trips notes for approximate prices)
We then begin our drive, heading towards South Africa through the Chobe Forest extension towards the town of Nata. There may be the chance for some great wildlife viewing on our drive. We arrive at our camp in time for lunch before heading out on a exiting afternoon game drive on a private concession. This area is famous for its big Elephant populations as well as other big game such as buffalo. It he buffalo moves into the area it will most certainly lures the cats as well.
Overnight: Tonight we camp in 2 man dome tents at Elephant Sands Campsite. Our campsite has a swimming pool as well as a fully stocked bar.
Distance travelled: We travel 260km from the town of Kasane to our camp at Elephant Sands.
Time travelled: 3 - 4 Hours from Kasane to Elephant Sands. The afternoon game drive from Elephant Sands will take around 3 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 30 Polokwane Game Reserve: On day 4 it's time to enter South Africa and a long driving day as we head to Polokwane with a border crossing out of Botswana and into South Africa at Martin's Drift. We arrive at our campsite in Polokwane in the late afternoon.
Overnight: We camp in 2 man dome tents at a campsite in Polokwane.Tonight's campsite has a hot water ablution block and washing facilities.
Distance travelled: Today we travel 770km from our camp in Botswana to Polokwane in South Africa.
From Elephant Sands to the border post is 520km. Once throughthe border post we drive another 250km to the town of Polokwane.
Time travelled: It is a long driving day and will take us 10 - 12 hours depending on how much time we spend at the border post.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner.
Days 31-32 Kruger National Park: This morning we begin the day with a dawn game drive(of around two hours) in Polokwane Game Reserve. There is the chance to see white rhino, eland and sable-quite rare antelope species.
After breakfast we continue to southern Africa's most famous premier game reserve, Kruger National Park, where we spend the next two nights. Entering Kruger through one of the central gates we immediately begin game driving en-route to our campsite.
Overnight: Camping in two man dome tents in Kruger National Park. Our campsite for these nights in Kruger has hot water and flush toilets.
Distance travelled: On day 5 we travel a distance of 280km to Kruger National Park.
Time travelled from Polokwane to Kruger will take 3 - 4 hours on a scenic mountain road. Once in Kruger we do an afternoon drive to our camp. The duration of this drive depends on where we are staying in Kruger as well as animal sightings.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
The following day we explore the diversity of the Kruger landscape during a full day game drive. In the evening, there is the option to take an additional night drive with park authorities to spot nocturnal animals and perhaps even night-time predators.
(please refer to optional activites section of trip notes for price guide)
Overnight: Camping in two man dome tents in Kruger National Park. Our campsite for these nights in Kruger has hot water and flush toilets.
On day 6 we travel around 250km on game drives in Kruger.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Please note that the trip departing on the 30th of June 2009 will camp in a bordering game reserve rather than within the national park.
Day 33 Johannesburg: Leaving Kruger behind ,we head for the bright city lights of Johannesburg. There's plenty of time to stop and explore along the way as we stop at the awesome Blyde River Canyon and take in amazing views over the region.
Meal plan B
Distance travelled. Once out of Kruger National Park we travel 600km to Johannesburg
Time travelled: 9 - 10 Hours including stops.
Our tour ends in Johannesburg in the early evening (usually between 6 and 7pm) of day 7. You can be dropped off either at Jo'burg airport or return to Amadwala Lodge. Please do not book your departing flights until after 9pm on departure day if you wish to leave tonight.
Overnight: Please note accommodation is not provided to tonight- additional post tour accommodation is available at Amadwala Lodge, please ask at time of booking.Why not stay an extra day or two and enjoy relaxing at our lodge and maybe check out the township of Soweto on a day tour.
We are able to help arrange a variety of day tours from our base at Amadwala Lodge- please ask your tour leader for more information.
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