Itinerary

DAY 1: Blyde River Canyon, Cheetah Project, Greater Kruger
Departing from South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, we drive through scenic Mpumalanga to the Great Kruger area. En route we enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Blyde River Canyon and the Three Rondavels rock formations. After lunch we visit a cheetah project to see the remarkable work done by volunteers rehabilitating these gentle predators, and other endangered mammals of the area. We complete our first day on arrival at camp on the banks of the Oliphant’s River. This is a relaxing and enjoyable place for our first night in the African wild – where it is not uncommon to see wildlife come to the river to drink in the evening.
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Twin Share/ en suite

DAY 2 - 3: Oliphant’s River Cruise - Kruger National Park
We rise early for a river cruise on the Oliphants River, and follow that with a visit to South Africa’s premier game reserve, the Kruger national Park. With over 2 million hectares of fertile land the Kruger contains an unrivalled diversity of wildlife, as well as some important historical and archaeological sights. We explore the wilderness and hope to see some of Africa’s ‘Big 5’ (elephant, rhino, leopard, lion and buffalo) as well as some of the smaller and more rarely seen animals.

We also visit an old colonial town for a glimpse of what life was like for South Africa’s pioneering folk. Our route through the park is dependent on recent sightings and seasonal conditions but we concentrate on the areas near the Transfrontier National Park. This remote area is away from the larger numbers of visitors who enter the park in the south. Recently established, when fences between countries were removed, this special area provides natural migration routes for wildlife between South Africa and its neighbours, and promises some
rewarding game drives. A typical day generally involves an early morning game drive and a return to our camp for lunch to rest during the heat of the day before going out again later in the late afternoon when predators come out to hunt.
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Twin Share/ en suite

DAY 4 - 5: Polokwane Game Reserve, Botswana - Nata
This morning we make our way out of the Kruger area, heading towards Botswana. We stop just short of the border in the town of Polokwane, where there is time to enjoy a walk in the local game reserve, which contains over 21 species of mammal including the white rhino and 200 species of birds. The following morning we cross into Botswana, continuing north. We spend the day driving around the Kalahari, a massively arid area extending through southern and central Botswana. We overnight a lodge near Nata, a small town near the Magkadigkadi
Pans. This region was once a vast super-lake - today it is a shimmering expanse of white dry saltpans.
Occasionally it fills with seasonal rains and then is transformed into a large flat lake, attracting birds and animals which enjoy the brief harvest of algae and plant life. It is not uncommon to see elephant wandering through camp at night.
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Twin Share/ en suite

DAY 6 - 7: Livingstone
We leave Nata early and continue to Kasane and the ferry crossing into Zambia. After a short drive further we arrive in the town of Livingstone a few kilometres from Victoria Falls (local name: ‘Mosi oa Tunya’ - ‘the smoke that thunders’) referring to the spray that rises from the falling water when the river is in full flood. We have two days at our campsite on the banks of the Zambezi river. There are many activities here – eg scenic flights, whitewater rafting, canoeing, bungy, gorge swinging, jet boating, game drives, elephant back safaris and river
cruises – but spare some time to visit the ‘Falls’ themselves to see the spectacle and the cavernous Batoka Gorge. Our accommodation also has small pool, bar, restaurant and riverside deck allowing ample opportunity to relax and enjoy the tranquil surrounds.
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Twin Share/ en suite

DAY 8: Livingstone – Chobe National Park, Kasane
We leave Livingstone and take the short drive back into Botswana. We now visit Chobe National Park with optional river cruise or gamedrive (either at own expense). Chobe is particularly known for its elephant population - an estimated 40000 animals roam within the park boundaries. Tonight we camp near in Kasane close to the Chobe River.
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Twin Share/ en suite

DAY 9 - 12: Maun, Okavango Delta
There may be a final opportunity to take the optional game drive in Chobe before we leave for Maun in central Botswana. Maun is the gateway to one of the world’s most unique and beautiful ecosystems – The Okavango Delta. This beautiful region is a natural wetland system spreading over some 1.6 million hectares of northern Botswana resulting from rivers that flow south from Angola, and dividing repeatedly on the flat Botswana plains to form an intricate floodplain of channels and an inland ‘delta’, the only one of its kind in the world. We spend
two nights camping in the wilderness with experienced and knowledgeable ‘polers’ who guide you through the labyrinthine channels in dug-out canoe (mokoro), and on foot.
We camp on one of the islands in the middle of the Okavango, a true wilderness experience, especially so at night when you sleep to the sounds of the African bush which stretches for miles all around.
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2 nights Twin Share/ en suite – 2 nights Island Bush Camping

DAY 13: Maun, Khama Rhino Sanctuary
For those wanting more adventure there is an opportunity for scenic flights over the Okavango area (time permitting and at own expense), which is a superb way to appreciate the immensity of this ‘water world’.
Eventually we leave Maun for the Khama Rhino Sanctuary situated not far from the South African border. In 1989 a group of locals wished to convert the Serwe Pan, previously a hunting area, into a conservation region for the rhino that inhabit the area. The Pan was chosen because of its ‘rhino-friendly’ habitat and its proximity to a Botswana Defence Force base which could provide 24 hour protection. Located on the edge of the vast Kalahari, which is a prime habitat for white rhino, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe we can see game at several of
the reserve’s natural waterholes. Khama is a community based wildlife project which benefits the local community and protects a great many endangered rhino.
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Twin Share/ en suite

DAY 14: Johannesburg
On our last day we travel into South Africa to Johannesburg ending our tour in the late afternoon/early evening.
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Included

Accommodation: 11 nights twin share accommodation with en suite facilities. 2 nights bush camping in the Okavango Delta

Max Group Size: Min 2 Max 14

All tour highlights
TransporT
Accommodation
Sleeping mat
Road tolls and taxes
Meals as indicated
Camping and cooking equipment
Services of driver/tour leader

Excluded

Visas
Travel insurance
Flights
Departure taxes
Airport transfers
Tips
Sleeping bag
Optional activities
Items of a personal nature

Departures

Starts: Johannesburg - Finishes: Johannesburg
07-Jan-12    -    20-Jan-12
21-Jan-12    -    03-Feb-12
04-Feb-12    -    17-Feb-12
18-Feb-12    -    02-Mar-12
03-Mar-12    -    16-Mar-12
17-Mar-12    -    30-Mar-12
31-Mar-12    -    13-Apr-12
14-Apr-12    -    27-Apr-12
28-Apr-12    -    11-May-12
12-May-12    -    25-May-12
26-May-12    -    08-Jun-12
09-Jun-12    -    22-Jun-12
23-Jun-12    -    06-Jul-12
07-Jul-12    -    20-Jul-12
21-Jul-12    -    03-Aug-12
04-Aug-12    -    17-Aug-12
18-Aug-12    -    31-Aug-12
01-Sep-12    -    14-Sep-12
15-Sep-12    -    28-Sep-12
29-Sep-12    -    12-Oct-12
13-Oct-12    -    26-Oct-12
27-Oct-12    -    09-Nov-12
10-Nov-12    -    23-Nov-12
24-Nov-12    -    07-Dec-12
08-Dec-12    -    21-Dec-12
22-Dec-12    -    04-Jan-13
05-Jan-13    -    18-Jan-13

Feedback

Hi Clive,

yes the tour met the expectations and Sun Rock is a great accommodation. Some remarks:

1) The minibus was too small (and too old!) for 14 people (plus driver), their luggages and camping stuff! As you know during the tour you spend a lot of time on the bus and it was very uncomfortable with bags, cooling box etc. under the feet. It could be good for 10 people, no more. I think that Acacia was to 'greedy' to sell ALL seats! Not to mention the average speed of 20 Km/h while climbing!

2) In Acacia's brochure they state: "WHAT’S INCLUDED Tour highlights, transport, accommodation, bedding, meals as indicated, camping equipment, services of an English speaking driver and tour leader (or one driver/guide if group size is less than nine)." We had just ONE DRIVER/GUIDE!

3) Chobe or Moremi deserve one more day and one less Livingstone (it's so expensive)!

That said, the guide, Coenie, was very good and very helpful. The food was more than enough. We saw enough animals (nothing in the Delta, but this one seems to be a special year). To take picture from a crowded mini bus was not simple, but if you want you can see the results on Facebook.

At the and of the day: Africa is always magic and we enjoyed our tour, if we exclude the minibus, which was not a trivial problem!

With my best regards

Stefano Scolari
Verona, Italy
7 August 10

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