Day 1 Nairobi: Jambo! Welcome to Kenya.
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. 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 may change in Livingstone on day 24.
Nairobi - a Masai word for 'Place of Cool Waters' has a cosmopolitan atmosphere. There are plenty of good bars and restaurants. Markets and shops have most things you could need or want, as well as various arts and crafts from the region. If you arrive early, head out to explore the National Museum of Kenya or the Karen Blixen Museum (author of Out of Africa), or Bomas which displays the traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes in an outdoor village.
Tonight we stay in a simple hotel with swimming pool, restaurant and ensuite rooms.
Days 2-3 Mto Wa Mbu/Karatu: We set off early today, heading for the border with Tanzania. We are able to spend some time in Arusha, before heading to our campsite in the village of Mto We Mbu. We travel about 393km which will take approximately 8 hours.
Tonight we stay at a campsite with flush toilets and hot/cold showers.
The following morning we participate in a local community Mto We Mbu village program. A local guide will take you on a leisurely stroll around the farming areas visiting a kindergarten, milling machine, church, local homes, and farmlands. A great way to have fun and find out more about the life of the locals!
After lunch we head to Karatu, our base for launching into our Serengeti safari (approx. 1 hour).
Days 4-5 Serengeti National Park: This morning we are up very early, leaving our truck behind, putting our camping and personal gear into 6 person jeeps and heading off for our three day excursion.
We arrive into the Serengeti this afternoon and game drive all the way to our camp. We'll be driving about 8 hours total. The following day we enjoy a full day game drive, or you may choose to head out at dawn and dusk when the animals are at their most active and relax during the heat of the day.
The wide open plains of the Serengeti, green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season and home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators, is perhaps the quintessential image of Africa. Flat and rolling with long grasses the plains get their name from the Masai word Siringitu, "the place where the land moves on forever". Game viewing in the Serengeti is amazing and as you camp out at night, don't be surprised to hear lions in the distance as you recount your amazing sightings during the day. The Serengeti Plains usually live up to everyone's expectations.
The bush camp where we stay is very simple with only a basic toilet and no running water, but its location in the middle of the plains, surrounded by animals and the nocturnal noises, is something to experience. Your leader will outline the basic safety rules to be followed when camping in an an unfenced location where wild animals are present.
An optional balloon ride over the Serengeti at sunrise is an unforgettable experience. If you have pre-booked this activity (please see Important Notes) you will be picked up and driven to the launch site, receive a safety briefing from your pilot and will help inflate the balloon. You then glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height providing amazing wildlife photography opportunities, sometimes ascending to get an overview of the enormity of the Serengeti and the teeming herds of early morning wild life movements. Upon landing and before being returned to camp you'll be treated to a five star bush breakfast!
Day 6 Ngorongoro Crater/Karatu: We are up with the sun as we make an early start, exiting the Serengeti and headng for the world famous Ngorongoro Crater. (approximately 3 hour drive)
After a picnic lunch we descend onto the floor of the Crater.
Sometimes called the "Garden of Eden," we make the most of our safari in the crater, spending betwen four and five hours exploring. There is an excellent chance of spotting many of the Big Five as well as many, many other species.
Departing the Crater late in the afternoon, we return to our campsite at Karatu for an evening relaxing at the campsite's bar reliving our safari experience. There may be the opportunity tonight for you to enjoy the option of a traditional dinner accompanied by local dancers and acrobats. (optional)
Day 7 Marangu: Another very early start as we make our way back through Arusha and onwards to the town of Moshi on foothills of Kilimanjaro. We travel 293km which will be total driving time of 6 hours over this day.
In Moshi we will meet the very special kids of the Amani Children's Home. Amani supports street children giving them a safe place to stay and educational and emotional support. Check out the new school which has been built with the help of donors and be inspired by this project which is changing these children's lives.
Before lunch we climb even higher onto the solopes of Kilimanjaro to reach the village of Marangu and set up camp.
Tonight we camp in the grounds of the family run Marangu Hotel, a wonderful old German colonial hotel with beautiful gardens.
Days 8-9 Lushoto: We spend this morning with the team at the Village Education Project.
Beginning with a walking tour of Mshiri Village, the base for the Village Education Project, we can witness the day-to-day life of the Chagga people, long established as crop-growers on the fertile slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. We visit their homes, walk around the shamba (farm), visit the primary school as well as the other institutions where local young people are taught various skills. Lunch provides more opportunity to sample the local Chagga food, which is very filling. We also visit nearby waterfalls and stop to admire the view of the plains below.
Then it's time to get off the well beaten track and head into the remote Tanzanian Mountains. Our travel distance from Marangu to Lushoto is 265km which will take around 4 hours.
We have a two night stop in the beautiful Usambara Mountains to explore this lovely unspoilt area of Tanzania. Unlike the coast and the north, very few tourists visit this area and so it has a freshness that can be hard to find elsewhere. The mountains are located in the north east of Tanzania between Kilimanjaro and the Indian Ocean and overlook the vast Masai steppe. They are wonderfully lush and green and the area has been dubbed the Galapagos of the plant world. The forests stretch across the mountains and are ideal for easy hikes and guided walks. As beautiful as the place is, its real jewels are the local peoples and villages. The area has a reputation for gentle hospitality and we will visit some of the small communities. From our base we will organise a short day's walking trip out to the beautiful Irente viewpoint. On our way back we visit a local village cultural and ecological project based at Irente farm where we will have a picnic lunch.
We base ourselves at the old German colony of Lushoto where we stay in the grounds of one of the earliest hotels in Africa.
Day 10 Dar es Salaam: Today is a long travel day as we head to Dar es Salaam. If the weather is clear, then on our drive we may get a view of Kilimanjaro, the magnificent snow-capped mountain and Africa's highest peak at 5,895m (19,340ft). Approximate distance driven today is 380km which will take around 8 hours.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial heart is a hot, humid, bustling city. We leave our truck which will drive the 50kms to our campsite and have a couple of ours free to time explore Dar on foot.
We then catch the local ferry (around 20 mins sailing time) and meet our truck at our campsite- a balmy beach located south of the city centre. Located right on the beach our camp has a bar and hot/cold showers and flush toilets. A great place to get in the Zanzibar zone!
Days 11-13 Zanzibar: This morning we travel back to the Dar es Salaam port and catch a local ferry to the spice Island of Zanzibar. The ferry is quite comfortable with airline type seats and toilets are available. The journey time is around 90 minutes.
When we reach Zanzibar we must clear customs and immigration after which we will make our way to our hotel in Stone Town.
The best way to see Stone Town is on foot exploring the bazaars, shops, mosques, palaces, courtyards and myriad intricate alleyways. When the sun is setting, why not enjoy a sundowner from a bar overlooking the seafront, before trying one of the Island's local seafood curries for dinner at one of the town's many restaurants.
The famous spices are grown in plantations outside of Stone Town and on day 12 enroute to the northern beaches, we head out on a spice tour. After enjoying a local meal, we drive to the spice plantations where you will receive a guided tour and the opportunity to touch, smell and taste various spices such as cinnamon, vanilla and ginger, and teas made with these spices. At the end of the day there will also be an opportunity to buy some of the locally grown spices.
On our second and third days here we head to the northern beaches and enjoy white sand and sparkling blue sea - the Indian Ocean at its best. Try snorkelling and diving, eat sumptuous seafood, or simply relax in a hammock underneath a coconut tree with a good book.
Our accommodation on these nights is in twin share rooms with ensuites.
Day 14 Dar es Salaam: After spending a final morning in Zanzibar, we jump back on board the ferry (approx. 1.5-2 hours) to return to the mainland where we will camp once again at our palm fringed beach on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.
Days 15-16 Iringa/Chitimba: Heading for Malawi, we head through Mikumi National Park. The journey today is 503km which will take approximately 11 hours of drive time.
Situated at the foot of the thickly wooded Uluguru Mountains, Mikumi is home to large herds of elephant, buffalo and giraffe, together with lions and leopards. It is Tanzania's third largest national park and we spend a couple of hours travelling through the park on the main route to and from Southern Tanzania. Although we will not make an off road safari into the depth of the park, we usually see a good selection of the wildlife that resides in the park enroute to the southern Tanzanian highland town of Iringa where we set up camp on the grounds of a farmhouse on the outskirts of this pleasant settlement.
Day 16 is another travel day as we enter Malawi, the "warm heart of Africa", covering the 667km (approx. 9 hours travel time including the border crossing) to our lakeside campsite at Chitimba.
Days 17-18 Lake Malawi: Today we travel from Chitimba to Chinteche beach on the shore of Lake Malawi, approximately 4.5 hours (210km) drive.
Malawi is dominated by Lake Malawi which covers almost a fifth of the country. The lake provides a source of livelihood for many of the Malawian people. Fishermen, fish traders, canoe and net makers all ply their trade, and a common sight is that of a fisherman in his bwato (a dugout canoe made from a hollowed out tree trunk), fishing on the still lake at the break of day.
We head away from the commercialism and crowds and enjoy a few days on the lake's more peaceful beaches. As well as chilling on the beach and participating in the many optional water activites on offer, make sure you take the opportunity to meet some local Malawians, easily some of the friendliest in Africa.
Our campsite is right on the shore of Lake Malawi, at Chinteche beach.
Days 19-20 Luwawa Forest Lodge: Part of what makes travelling with Intrepid special is that we get you off the well beaten beach track and give you the opportunity to meet the people of Africa.
We travel for approximately 4 hours/180km today from Chinteche to our lodge in Luwawa Forest.
Luwawa Forest is in the Viphya Mountains of Malawi at about 1200m above sea level. The forest has claim to be the largest man made forest in Africa and is made up of conifers and native trees of Malawi. There are many options to choose from here - mountain biking, canoeing and fishing or taking forest walks.
We will enjoy a village community visit with the option of overnighting in the village or you may choose to return to our lodge.
Here we stay in the Luwawa Forest Lodge, situated at 1650m above sea level, nestled in amongst the wooded mountain side, in one of the most tranquil and beautiful scenic locations in the north of Malawi.
Days 21-22 Chipata/Lusaka: Departing Malawi, today we cross into Zambia. Travelling through rural villages, we cross the mighty Luangwa River and by passing Luaska we camp near by.
These are long travel days with a total over the two days of 871km and 15 hours of driving time.
In Chipata and in our campsite near Lusaka we stay in campsites with flush toilets and hot/cold showers.
Days 23-25 Livingstone/Victoria Falls: Another long driving day on day 23 as we push on to Livingstone near the Victoria Falls where we set up camp in the late afternoon (approx. 8 hours driving time for the 490km from Lusaka).
The following morning we head off for 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.
After lunch the remainder of our time in Livingstone is free to allow you to participate in some of the many optional activities on offer. There are various activities and excursions to choose from both on the water, on land or high above it all. Choose from white water rafting and canoeing, or go horse riding, abseiling or gorge swinging.
As this is a combination trip the composition of your group and your group leader may change on day 24. There will be a group meeting to meet your new group members and hear some information from your group leader about the next leg of your journey.
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. Please note that meals are not provided while in Livngstone.
Days 26-27 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.
Days 28 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 29-30 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 30 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 31-33 Rundu/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 32 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 33 we head back to the pleasant market town of Grootfontein (90km, approx 2 hours) to camp for the evening.
Days 34-35 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 36-37 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 38-39 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 40-41 Sesriem/Keetmanshoop: 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 41 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 42 Fish River Canyon: 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 43-44 Orange River/Western Cape: 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.
Meal plan: Day 43 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Meal plan: Day 4 4 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Please note- in the current political climate, on occasion our Zimbabwean cooks experience difficulty obtaining their temporary work permit for South Africa. If this occurs our tour leader will help organise meals for our time in South Africa with the group.
Day 45 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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