Itinerary

Days 1-3: Cape Town, Stellenbosch & Orange River.
Departing Cape Town at 10.00am the first day of the trip is a short drive to Stellenbosch in the wine-growing region of South Africa. We have a chance here to sample some of the local flavours at some of the wineries.
From Stellenbosch we head north to the northern border region via the serene Cederberg mountain region. On the border with Namibia is the Orange River where we have the option of doing a four-hour canoe safari from our oasis-like campsite.

For those who wish to see some of the city of Cape Town we advise that you arrive a few days early as our trip leaves the city on the day of departure. There is a lot to do in the city and the regions.

Days 4-6: Fish River Canyon & Nauklift National Park.
Our next stop is Fish River Canyon, the world’s second largest canyon. There is a spectacular viewpoint over the canyon and the sunset never fails to impress.

From the canyon we head up to the Naukluft National Park. This park has one main feature, it's sand dunes. These dunes are the highest in the world reputed to be as high as 300 metres. The ones we will see have been measured by altimeter on our previous trips and are about 200 metres high.

The day here begins before sunrise, as the best times to photograph the dunes is when the sun is low on the horizon and the shadows clearly define the contours. The other reason for the early start is that it is too hot to walk up the dunes once the sun fully rises. There is also the chance to go on a brilliant and informative early morning walk amongst the Sossusvlei/Dead Vlei sand dunes getting up close and personal with the expertly adapted resident flora and wildlife.

Days 7-10: Swakopmund.
The next part of the journey takes us to Swakopmund. The town of Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and is a German colonial town in the middle of a desert. It has some wonderful old German buildings of which one of the most beautiful is the prison (it is still used as a prison).

The town itself is generally cool, covered by a mist which is created by the cold air off the Atlantic mixing with the hot air of the desert.

Optional activities here include venturing over the sand dunes in a beach buggy or on a quad bike, sand boarding, scenic flights & skydiving, game fishing or you can take a fantastic cultural tour of the nearby township area. The town itself proves popular on our tours as it has lots of clubs, restaurants, casino and even an authentic German bakery.

We spend 3 nights here in dormitory or room accommodation and thus we generally dine out for most meals, with your tour leader usually distributing an allowance from your local payment for these meals.

Days 11-13: Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park & Etosha N.P.
Just north of Swakopmund there is the Cape Cross seal colony, home to 20,000 to 100,000 (depending on the season) cape fur seals. Regardless of the season, it is always possible to get a close look at lots of seals.

From Cape Cross we head north and spend a night at Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park. What makes this farm unique from other farms in the region is that this farmer has allocated 2,000 acres of the family property as a sanctuary for cheetah. This has not really endeared them to all their neighbours who view the cheetah as vermin and a real threat to their livestock; hence the area is fenced off. Although it’s not the optimum way to view these animals (through a fence) they do have 2,000 acres and it is otherwise rare to get so close to them.

Highlights include the farmers son feeding them by hand (something that shouldn’t be missed, while he still has a hand) and sitting amongst the few that are hand reared and therefore tame. These young tame cheetahs were abandoned when they were young and consequently cannot be let to run with the other cheetah. They usually allow us 30 minutes with these animals and it is quite an experience to have cheetah walking amongst us.
North of the farm is Etosha National Park. This Park is one of Africa’s largest (roughly the size of Wales). It has some very good facilities and a very good network of roads and waterholes, which enables good game viewing. One of the more famous features of Etosha is that the campsites also have waterholes. This means that once the days game driving is over and park laws restrict us to the camping areas it is still possible to view animals. The holes are floodlit and people can sit and watch all night if they wish, the only restriction being noise. We use two areas, Okaukeujo and Namutoni, with the former being the more established so it attracts more animals. Photography is permitted and, if using fast film, good results can be achieved. Okaukeujo is famous for attracting Black Rhino, and whilst nothing is guaranteed with animals; they are frequent visitors to this waterhole. The park itself has a wide variety of animals, and they are different to the animals seen in East Africa; there are different types of Zebra (it’s all in the stripes) Impala (black faced) and the Wildebeest (blue). Aside from these different types of animals there are elephant, giraffe (the park has been referred to at times as “Giraffic Park”), all of the big and small cats, antelope, teeming bird life and more.

Days 14-19: Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park.
From Etosha we drive along the edge of the Makgadikgadi pans to the town of Maun. We stop in town to restock and prepare for our trip into the Okavango Delta.

The Okavango Delta is formed by the Okavango River, which flows into the desert and disappears as it fans out to form the Delta. We go into ‘the Delta’ for 3 days (2 nights) and camp in the bush usually on the banks of one of the many fresh water channels that give life to the flora and fauna. Our method of transport is 4WD vehicles and Makoro (meaning ‘dug out canoe’ in Setswana). The Makoros are traditionally made of wood but as they come to the end of their serviceable life, fibreglass canoes are now replacing them. These are not quite as authentic but building the old canoes uses a whole tree and the environment is beginning to suffer. Each makoro is piloted by a ‘poler’, who helps set up camp & take guided bush walks… he/she will also always be ready for a chat and a cup of tea with you around the fire. We take all our own equipment and food and bring it all back out (including the rubbish), showing our understanding of the fragility of the Delta. The Okavango Delta region is one of the world’s last remaining true wilderness areas and is home to a vast amount of animals. It is possible to take some walks to try to see them or, if you are lucky, they will wander pass close to camp. As you retire to your tent for the night, the sounds and smells of the African bush will leave an indelible mark on your senses like no other.

From the Delta we continue to Kasane and the adjoining Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. At Chobe we usually go on a 3 hour sunrise game drive in open sided 4x4’s and a 3 hour sunset boat cruise. Both the boat cruise and the game drive (and the resident 50,000+ elephants) give us great game viewing opportunities in one of the largest parks in southern Africa.

Days 20-22: Victoria Falls.
From Chobe we drive to Victoria Falls, known locally as ‘Mosi oa Tunya’, or ‘the smoke that thunders’. The falls themselves are one of the world’s natural wonders although they are neither the highest nor the widest. They do, however, create a visual spectacle as they cut a massive gorge in the earth and crash 111 metres to the river below. This gorge actually forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. There are numerous optional activities on the Zimbabwe side, the most famous being white water rafting on the Lower Zambezi. This excursion takes a full day and has 14 plus rapids, none below grade 4 (rapids are graded from 1 to 6). Please note that at certain times of the year the rafting may be restricted or even closed due to high water levels (March – May). Bungy jumping is also an option for all those who wish to throw themselves 111 metres head first off a bridge! Various flights are on offer including light fixed wing aircraft, helicopter, microlight and ultralight, all offering wonderful views of the falls. As well as these there is horse riding, elephant-back safari’s, rhino and lion walks and canoeing, not to mention a walk in the National Park to the falls themselves. Videos and still photographs are available for purchase of most activities, and are a great reminder of your adrenaline filled visit to the mighty Victoria Falls and Zambezi River.

We will be based in Victoria Falls for 3 nights.

NB Entrance (approximately 20 USD) to Mosi oa Tunya (Victoria Falls) National Park is not included in your tour price.

Days 23-24: Bulawayo.
Departing from the adrenaline capital of Africa, Victoria Falls, we head towards Zimbabwe’s second largest city of Bulawayo, where, depending on our time of arrival, we may have a chance for craft shopping before we set up camp.
There’s more game watching in Matopos National Park, home to a large population of white rhino and the site of Cecil Rhodes’ grave.

Days 25-26: Antelope Park, Gweru.
We then head to the Antelope Park where you will have the rare opportunity to take a walk with some lion cubs, go horse riding, take a boat cruise, or even ride and swim with an African elephant.

Days 27-28: To Mozambique And Vilanculos.
Heading westward across Zimbabwe to exit the country near Mutare we camp here, or on the shores of picturesque Lake Chicamba. These two full days of driving are rewarded by the complete contrast of scenery, culture and climate gained by moving from the centre of landlocked Zimbabwe to tropical Vilanculos on the coast of Mozambique.

Days 29-30: Vilanculos.
For the next two days we will be based in Vilanculos in order to enjoy a Dhow safari to the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago – classed as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding natural beauty.  Other activites to enjoy are horse riding along the beaches or interacting with the locals whilst visiting some of the volunteer and community projects in the area.

Days 31-32: Inhambane and Ponta De Barra.
Next we head further south down the palm-fringed coast to Inhambane – a small town with a colourful market and friendly atmosphere. We camp at the idyllic Ponta De Barra for a couple of nights and enjoy relaxing on the beach, or walking along the peninsular where there are more opportunities for snorkelling, scuba diving, whale watching or quad biking.

Day 33: Maputo.
Our last stop in Mozambique is in the lively capital city of Maputo with its wide tree lined streets and colonial architecture. We overnight in Maputo.

Days 34-35: Kruger National Park and Johannesburg.
Leaving Mozambique we drive into South Africa and the world-renowned Kruger National Park, home to a staggering amount of wildlife and birds. We camp for the night within the park and on our final morning take an early game drive when the animals are at their most active. We end this trip on the last day in the cosmopolitan city of Johannesburg. We will arrive into Johannesburg between 5-6 p.m. at the Africa Centre Lodge. Accommodation is NOT included on Day 35.

Included

Fully Escorted Tour - Tour Leader and Driver, National Parks and Reserve Entrance Fee as per Itinerary, All Meals Whilst Camping, All Tolls and Taxes, Dhow Safari to Bazaruto Archipelago

Accommodation
Hostel (4 Nights)
Camping (30 Nights)

Transport
Overland Truck - no more than 20 passengers
Dhow
Canoe
On foot

Excluded

All optional excursions, visas and meals unless otherwise stated in the itinerary.

Optional Activities
South Africa
Cape Town - Table Mountain Hike - $65
Cape Town - Table Mountain Cable Car Rtn - $20
Stellenbosch - Wine Tour - $40
Orange River – Canoeing - $25
Johannesburg - Soweto Township Tours from - $50
Johannesburg - Apartheid Museum Tour - $50

Namibia
Namibia - Desert Quad Biking 2Hr - $60
Namibia - Sand Boarding - $25-$40
Namibia - Deep Sea Fishing - $100
Namibia – Skydiving - $210
Namibia - Township Tour - $45
Namibia - Horse Riding - $60
Namibia - Sea Kayaking - $55
Namibia - Scenic Flights - $220
Namibia - Ballooning – 1Hr - $305

Botswana
Okavango Delta - Okavango Flight (min 5) - $70pp

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe - Elephant Ride 30 Mins - $30
Zimbabwe - Sunset Cruise - $25
Zimbabwe - Horse Ride - $25
Victoria Falls - Rafting Full Day - $140
Victoria Falls - River Boarding Half Day - $125
Victoria Falls - Flight of Angels Helicopter Ride 30 mins - $220
Victoria Falls - Flight of Angels Fixed Wing - $80
Victoria Falls - Bungy Jumping - $130
Victoria Falls - Jet boating from - $100
Victoria Falls - Gorge Swing / Abseil - $115
Victoria Falls - Sky Dive (Tandem) - $305
Victoria Falls - Game Walks - $90
Victoria Falls - Lion Walk - $100
Victoria Falls - Canoe Safaris from - $85-110
Victoria Falls - Kayaking - $165
Victoria Falls - Interactive Drumming - $30
Victoria Falls - Elephant Ride - $100
Victoria Falls - Horse Riding from - $50-100

Mozambique
Mozambique - Scuba Diving Single Dive - $120
Mozambique - Quad Biking - $50
Mozambique - Deep Sea Fishing - $150
Mozambique - Horse Riding - $40

Departures

Starts: Cape Town - Finishes: Johannesburg
Sun 25 Mar 12    -    Sat 28 Apr 12
Sun 15 Apr 12    -    Sat 19 May 12
Sun 20 May 12    -    Sat 23 Jun 12
Sun 10 Jun 12    -    Sat 14 Jul 12
Sun 01 Jul 12    -    Sat 04 Aug 12
Sun 05 Aug 12    -    Sat 08 Sep 12
Sun 26 Aug 12    -    Sat 29 Sep 12
Sun 07 Oct 12    -    Sat 10 Nov 12

2013
Sun 21 Apr 13    -    Sat 25 May 13

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