Itinerary

Days 1-2: Victoria Falls.
Your tour will start at the Sprayview Hotel, Victoria Falls at 10am on day one. Known locally as ‘Mosi oa Tunya’ or ‘the smoke that thunders’, the falls  are one of the world’s natural wonders. Although they are neither the world’s highest nor widest falls, they are an amazing spectacle as water cuts a dramatic gorge through the earth's crust and then crashes 111 metres to the river below. The Batoka Gorge forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is an excellent base for adventure and wildlife activities galore. 
Here we have the option to enjoy an evening river cruise on the upper (above the falls) Zambezi River.  This  lasts about 3 hrs with drinks included. There are also a wide variety of other optional activities, the most famous being seasonal whitewater rafting on the lower Zambezi.  This excursion takes a full day and has around 14 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 of a perfectly good bridge. Various flights are on offer including light fixed wing aircraft, helicopter, microlight and ultralight, all offering a wonderful viewing of the falls. 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. Depending on activities being done we may also spend a night on the Zambian side of the Falls.  There is also is horse riding, elephant riding, lion and rhino encouters, canoeing, not to mention a walk in the Mosi oa Tunya National Park.  The first night of the tour will be spent in Victoria Falls.
NB Please note that entrance (approximately 20 USD) to Mosi oa Tunya (Victoria Falls) National Park is not included in your tour price.

Days 3-4: Lusaka And Lilongwe.
From Victoria Falls we drive across the south eastern part of Zambia, towards Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.  This journey takes a couple of days and it a great opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers and to sit back, relax and enjoy the ever changing African scenery. 
Malawi is a small country in central southern Africa and is dominated by water and mountainous regions. More than 30% of the country’s landmass comprises of Lake Malawi - our base for the next few days.

Days 5-8: Lake Malawi Beaches.
On our trip through Malawi we visit a couple of small bays along the lakeshore. Snorkelling and diving are available or chose to swim or relax  on the beaches. There is also ample time to visit local villages and craft markets which abound with woodcarvings, the most famous of these being large carved chairs.  These chairs have proved very popular with our clients, however they tend to be less popular when it becomes time to send such a large object home!


Days 9-10: Southern Tanzania.
From Malawi we cross southern Tanzania to Dar es Salaam, our gateway to Zanzibar. Our route takes us through the Iringa Highlands, Baobab Valley and Mikumi National Park.  Whilst the park is not an excursion, since the road passes right through the centre of the park, we hope to be lucky enough to see  numbers of giraffe, antelope and elephants. It is interesting to note these elephants are very small in stature, which may be a result of the effects of poaching on the population.  Large individuals have been selectively hunted, leaving a smaller breeding herd.

Days 11-15: Dar-Es-Salam And Zanzibar.
Next our journey will bring us to the humid, exotic city of Dar es Salaam (translated from Swahili as “haven of peace”).  Situated on the Indian Ocean, we will spend a night here before travelling on to Zanzibar.
We travel to Zanzibar by ferry from Dar es Salaam and this journey can take up to 3 or 4 hours. Conditions are usually smooth but beware the occasional day with rolling seas.
Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island, which comes from the many different spices that were grown there by the original Omani settlers. A lot of spices are still grown on the island and make up a large part of the economy of the island. The island does have a more sordid past in that it was once a major slave trading port; and it is still possible to visit the site of the old slave trading markets. The town centre still shows a lot of its Arabic origins in its architecture. It’s fascinating to walk around the labyrinth of old buildings and walled streets. For the beach lovers you can go out of the town and spend some relaxing time on the isolated beaches. There are spice tours that take in all manners of exotic fruits and spices and you can sample many of the tastes and smells first hand. Just off the coast of the old town is Prison Island, where there is a population of giant land tortoises who are happy to share their stretch of beach.
We generally spend 3 to 4 days on the island. We recommend that you budget around U$250-300 for your stay on Zanzibar to cover food, transport around the island, drinks and souvenirs. Please note that this is a recommendation only as different passengers have widely differing spending patterns.

Days 16-18: Arusha And The Ngorongoro Crater.
Leaving behind the sights and sounds of Zanzibar we drive to the town of Arusha, following the Usambara and Pare mountain ranges. Towards the end of our second day of driving we will pass close to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest point at 5895 m.  If were are lucky we may get a look at “Kili’s” snow capped peak.  However, be warned, Kilimanjaro is regularly covered by cloud.  Arusha is situated on the southern slopes of Mt Meru and was originally a coffee town. However, safaris have now taken over as the town’s biggest revenue earner. After spending a night in Arusha we transfer into smaller 4 wheel drive vehicles and head to Karatu, where we spend the night. We use smaller vehicles as the walls of the extinct volcano that form the crater are too steep to be negotiated by large vehicles. Karatu is a small trading town on the edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation area. The following morning we descend onto the crater for an early morning game drive in one of the most stunning natural wonders of the world. At 19kms across and 600m deep this is the 5th largest crater in the world. It is a World Heritage Site and boasts a unique ecosystem. The crater itself reflects a mini Rift Valley. There is a soda lake with flamingos, fresh water, open plains and a forest area. There is a high concentration of wildlife here, including the big cats and a small population of black rhino. We spend around 4½ hours game driving around the crater.  After the game drive we journey back to Arusha.

Days 19-22: Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park and Nairobi.
From Arusha we leave Tanzania and enter Kenya for the final part of our journey. We travel to Naivasha, an interesting  town which briefly hosted Kenya’s main airport; flying boats from all over Africa used to land on the lake and refuel before continueing their journeys to Europe.   At Lake Naivasha there are lots of optional excursions you can enjoy.  You may wish to visit the lakeside retreat of Elsamere - named after the lioness in “Born Free”. This was the home of Joy Adamson who, along with her husband George, were amongst Africa's first conservationists.  You also have the option of trekking or cycling in Hells Gate National Park, one of the few parks in Africa where it is possible to do walking safaris. For the less energetic, Crescent Island (the rim of an old crater still attached to the mainland) is a much more leisurely walk and you are almost certain to come within metres of giraffe, wildebeest and several species of gazelle.
Our final night on safari is spent viewing more wildlife in Lake Nakuru National Park.  This park is famous for its large population of pink flamingos, which featured on the movie “Out of Africa”. There is also a sizeable population of rhinos, both black and white.  The more sociable white rhino is a common sight on the open plains. However, its less sociable cousin, the black rhino, often remains hidden in the dense bush. Although not native to this park, rhino were introduced since the park offers good security from poachers.   The park also has lion, leopard, buffalo, plains game and a large diverse bird population, which was the original reason the park was established. We camp inside the park, which gives us the thrill of hearing the night sounds of some of Africa’s famous wild beasts.
On the final day of our tour we drive up the Masai escarpment with its spectacular views over the Great Rift Valley before finishing our tour in the hustle and bustle of Nairobi.
NO accommodation is included on Day 22

Included

Fully Escorted Tour - Tour Leader and Driver, All Activities, Sightseeing and Entrance Fees as Per Itinerary, All Meals Whilst Camping, National Parks and Reserve Entrance Fees as Per Itinerary, Zanzibar Ferry, All Tolls and Taxes

Accommodation
Camping (17 Nights)
Hostel on Zanzibar (4 Nights)

Transport
Overland Truck - no more than 20 passengers
Safari Vehicle
Ferry
On Foot

Excluded

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

Optional Activities
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

Zambia
See above under Zimbabwe.

Malawi
Lake Malawi - Kande Beach Water Sports from - $25
Lake Malawi - Scuba Diving - Single Dive from - $35
Lake Malawi - Scuba Diving - PADI Course from - $170
Lake Malawi - Village Walk - $5
Lake Malawi - Horse Riding - $50

Tanzania
Serengeti - Morning Hot Air Balloon - $500
Zanzibar - Spice Island Tour - $25
Zanzibar - Prison Island Snorkelling - $25
Zanzibar - Swimming with Dolphins - N/A
Zanzibar - Transport to North/East Beaches - $15
Zanzibar - Accommodation costs on Zanzibar Approx - $35pp/pn
Zanzibar - Budget for Zanzibar option - $300pp

Kenya
Masai Mara - Masai Dancing & Cultural Talk - $10
Masai Mara - Masai Village - $10
Masai Mara - Hot Air Ballooning - $425
Lake Naivasha - Crescent Island Boat - $35
Lake Naivasha - Horse Riding - $5
Hells Gate National Park - Entrance Fee - $35
Nairobi - David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Visit - $65
Nairobi - Langatta Giraffe Centre Entry - $15

Departures

Starts: Victoria Falls - Finishes: Nairobi

Sun 22 Jan 12    -    Sun 12 Feb 12
Sun 19 Feb 12    -    Sun 11 Mar 12
Sun 04 Mar 12    -    Sun 25 Mar 12
Sun 18 Mar 12    -    Sun 08 Apr 12
Sun 08 Apr 12    -    Sun 29 Apr 12
Sun 29 Apr 12    -    Sun 20 May 12
Sun 27 May 12    -    Sun 17 Jun 12
Sun 10 Jun 12    -    Sun 01 Jul 12
Sun 24 Jun 12    -    Sun 15 Jul 12
Sun 15 Jul 12    -    Sun 05 Aug 12
Sun 05 Aug 12    -    Sun 26 Aug 12
Sun 02 Sep 12    -    Sun 23 Sep 12
Sun 16 Sep 12    -    Sun 07 Oct 12
Sun 30 Sep 12    -    Sun 21 Oct 12
Sun 21 Oct 12    -    Sun 11 Nov 12
Sun 18 Nov 12    -    Sun 09 Dec 12
Sun 02 Dec 12    -    Sun 23 Dec 12
Sun 09 Dec 12    -    Sun 30 Dec 12
Sun 30 Dec 12    -    Sun 20 Jan 13

2013
Sun 27 Jan 13    -    Sun 17 Feb 13
Sun 17 Feb 13    -    Sun 10 Mar 13
Sun 10 Mar 13    -    Sun 31 Mar 13
Sun 17 Mar 13    -    Sun 07 Apr 13
Sun 07 Apr 13    -    Sun 28 Apr 13
Sun 05 May 13    -    Sun 26 May 13
Sun 26 May 13    -    Sun 16 Jun 13
Sun 16 Jun 13    -    Sun 07 Jul 13

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