Day 1 Johannesburg: 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. At this meeting your leader will collect the first part of your kitty payment (the second part will be collect in Livingstone), sight your travel insurance and complete some other administrative tasks as well as give you more information on your upcoming itinerary. Please note this kitty payment must be in cash and travellers cheques are not accepted for this first sector of your itinerary.
After the group meeting there is the option of joining the group for dinner.
Meal plan- no melals included.
Our accommodation for these nights is at our safe private camp in Johannesburg. You will sleep in large tents with beds. There are ablution blocks with hot showers and flush toilets, a relaxing pool area, bar and restuarant to enjoy with your fellow travellers.
Why not arrive early and head out to see the sights of Jo'burg, such as the chilling Apartheid Museum, landscapes-filled Art Gallery or fun-filled Gold Reef City, an amusement park or head out on a fantastic tour of Soweto. We can help you book this on arrival.
Please note this is a combination trip. The composition of your group, leader and vehicle will change in Livingstone. (please see days 7-13 for more information)
Please note there is one week spent in Livingstone when combining these tours.
Days 2-3 Kruger National Park: After breakfasting in Johannesburg, we continue to southern Africa's most famous game reserve, the Kruger national Park, where we spend the next two nights. Enroute we visit the spectacular viewpoint for the Blyde River Canyon.
Entering Kruger through one of the central gates we immediately begin game driving enroute to our campsite.
Distance travelled: 600km
Time travelled: 9 - 10 Hours including stops and a visit to Blyde River Canyon.
Overnight: Camping in 2 man dome tents in a rest camp in Kruger National Park.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner.
Day 3:
This morning before breakfast there is the option of a dawn walk with a qualified, armed ranger. This is a great chance to see game up close and from a totally unique angle. Please note that this optional activity is subject to availability and maximum of 8 people per walking activity.
We have a full day in Kruger National Park on day 3 to explore the diversity of the Kruger landscape during a full day game drive. We will enjoy a picnic lunch in the park today.
In the evening, there is the option of taking an additional night drive with park authorities to spot nocturnal animals and perhaps even night-time predators.. Please note that this optional activity is subject to availability .
We camp for these nights with hot water showers and flush toilets in clean shared ablution blocks.
Distance travelled and time taken- all day game drive.
Overnight: Camping in 2 man dome tents in a rest camp in Kruger National Park.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Day 4 Polokwane Game Reserve: After one final game drive in Kruger, we exit the park and make our way to Polokwane Game Reserve. Once in Polokwane town there will be around an hour free for you to head to the bank, whilst your tour leader is food shopping.
We set up camp at a campsite on the outskirts of the town of Polokwane.
This afternoon, after taking lunch at the campsite, we head out on a game drive, in the Polokwane Game Reserve, aiming to spot white rhino and with a bit of luck, rare antelope such as sable and eland.
Overnight: Camping at a campsite in Polokwane in 2 man dome tents.
Distance travelled: Once out of Kruger we travel 280km to the town of Polokwane.
Time travelled: We do a final morning game drive out of Kruger. Time spend on this game drive depends on where we stay in Kruger the night before and on animal sightings. Once out of Kruger we travel 3-4 hours on a scenic mountain road. We stop in the town of Polokwane for shopping and banking before setting up camp. In the late afternoon we take a game drive in Polokwane Game Reserve which will take around 2 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Day 5 Nata region: Today we have a long driving day ahead of us as we head to the northern parts of Botswana. We depart Polokwane early, crossing the border into Botswana at Martin's Drift. Continuing north via the towns of Francistown and Nata, we arrive at our camp north of Nata in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Camping at Elephant Sands campsite in 2 man dome tents.
Distance and time travelled: We travel 260km, crossing the Limpopo River to the Botswana border which will take us around 3.5 hours. After making the crossing we head towards Nata approx. another 6-7 hours, (460kms) making today;s total travel time around 10-12 hours including lunch and a border crossing.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner.
Day 6 Chobe National Park: We start the day with an early morning game drive on a private concession. This area is renowned for its large elephant population, as well as other big game such as buffalo. When buffalo are present there is also the chance we may be lucky enough to spot one of the big cats. Back at camp we enjoy breakfast before heading to the town of Kasane on the outskirts of our next destination, Chobe National Park.
We head to our campsite at the edge of Kasane town where after setting up camp and having a late lunch, we enjoy a late afternoon fish-eagle cruise on the Chobe River. This is 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 near 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: Elephant Sands to Kasane is 260km.
Time travelled: The morning game drive from Elephant Sands will take 3 hours. From Elephant Sands to Kasane will take us around 3 hours. The sunset cruise on the Chobe River is a 3 hour activity.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Days 7-13 Victoria Falls/Livingstone: There is a chance for an optional dawn game drive before we depart Chobe.
(Please refer to optional activity prices in trip notes for approximate price guide)
We then drive the 10kms from our campsite to the Zambezi River which forms the border between four countries Botswana,Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. We cross the river on a car ferry and after completing border formalities it's not far to Livingstone (a total distance of 90kms, around 1 hour driving time today excluding border formalities and any delays with the car ferry).
We begin our time in Livingstone with a visit to the famous Victoria Falls- an unforgettable experience. 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. 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.
Please note that this is a combination tour your tour leader, vehicle and tour group will change composition in Livingstone. There will be a second group meeting in Livingstone on day 11 to meet your new leader and travelling companions as well as collecting the second part of your kitty money.
Please note: this tour spends 7 days in Livingstone. During days 8-11 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.
There are a myriad of 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: Breakfast.
Days 14-15 Chobe National Park: This morning is free for you to continue enjoying all that Livingstone has to offer before we make our way in the afternoon to Chobe National Park in Botswana. Travel time including the border crossing is around 3 hours (150km).
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 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.
Our camp in the Chobe National Park has flush toilets and hot/cold showers.
Day 16 Bagani Community Camp: Another day, another country! This morning we drive from Kasane to Ngoma Bridge and our camp at Bagani in Namibia. The trip from Chobe to Bagani is around 432km which will take approximately 7 hours.
It is from this beautiful camp located in the Namibian Caprivi Strip that we organise our visit to the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
In Bagani we have time to relax 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, as well as the chance to play soccer with the locals.
In Bagani our camp has flush toilets and cold showers.
Days 17-18 Okavango Delta: Today we drive across the border into Botswana and join our transport for the journey into the Delta from Seronga (110kms, approx. 4 hours). We head south 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) to Seronga, where we leave our vehicle.
We then board boats out into the swamps. We will travel 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 18 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.
Days 19-21 San Bushmen Camp: Travelling back up the Pan Handle of the Delta, we have a full days drive of 400km to Rundu which should take around 7 hours. We spend the night in a 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.
On day 20 we have the morning to relax in Rundu and then it is another 5 hour and 300km drive to our San Bushman camp.
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, no showers and drop toilets.
On the afternoon of day 21 we head back to the pleasant market town of Grootfontein (90km, approx 2 hours) to camp for the evening.
Days 22-23 Etosha National Park: It is approximately 5 hours drive today (290km) from Grootfontein to 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.
Days 24-25 Spitzkoppe: The drive today is about 7 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.
Days 26-27 Swakopmund: 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.
From the desert, we continue on to the old German colonial town of Swakopmund (approx. 4 hours). Swakopmund is a lovely oasis between the desert and the ocean, and there's plenty of adventure activities on offer. 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 for these nights is in a simple lodge.
Days 28-29 Sesriem/Sossusvlei: It's an all day drive today as we travel from Swakopmund to Sesriem, our base for exploring this incredible desert region (480kms, approx. 8 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 29 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 at a campsite.
This afternoon we head to the small town of Keetmanshoop (500km, 7 hours). Whilst being one of the oldest towns in Namibia, Keetmanshoop is perhaps best known for the Quiver tree, or 'kokerboom', forests and we set up camp close to the famous quiver trees.
Day 30 Fish River Canyon/Keetmanshoop: We begin the day by exploring Keetmanshoop's Giant's Playground and Quiver tree forest.
Lying 14km to the north east of Keetmanshoop, the Quiver tree forests derive their name from the ancient San bushmen tradition of hollowing out the branches and using the tough outer bark as a means of carrying their arrows; a quiver. At The Giant's Playground there is a short trail which guides you past the most striking formations.
Heading further south in the desert-lands of Namibia we drive 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.
Days 31-32 Orange River: Departing Fish River Canyon, it is 5 hour transit (275km) to Noordoewer. Here there is the chance for an optional canoe adventure on the beautiful Orange River ? a great way to discover the beauty of this region.
We pitch our tents by the scenic banks of the Gariep (Orange) River.
We pitch our tent on the banks of the river before departing first thing the following morning to Citrusdal. If there is time we will have the opportunity to takes mountain walks around the surrounding countryside and farms.
Day 33 Cape Town: After a 4 hour drive via the Cape of Good Hope our safari ends in the late afternoon in charming Cape Town. 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.
Our tour finishes at the Saasveld Lodge in Cape Town. There is no accommodation provided for tonight but we are able to organise additional nights. Please request at time of booking.
Please do not book international departure flights until after 9pm on departure day.
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