Southern Africa Explorer

Cape Town – Cederberg. Departing Cape Town early this morning we head east of the city to Cape Flat, one of the Cape Town's local townships, where we meet local people and learn about the local community projects. Then we head out north in our overland truck into the Cederberg area through the Western Cape and fruit-growing region of Citrusdal. Our first night will be at the Olifants River where we have the opportunity to taste some of the region’s famous wines.

Please note: The pre-departure meeting is held at 18:00 on the evening prior to departure. The tour departs at 08:00 on Day 1 so please arrive in Cape Town the day before your tour. Refer to the Joining Instructions in the Trip Notes for more information. We can book accommodation and transfers on request.

Cederberg - Orange River (Namibia). As we journey north, we pass through dry and rocky territory until we reach the Namibian border, crossing at Vioolsdrift. We stop at a campsite for the night beside Gariep (AKA Orange) River, which marks the border between South Africa and Namibia. Here you can enjoy an optional canoe safari and a swim in the river. At night the dark skies are perfect for stargazing.

Orange River – Fish River Canyon. This morning is free to spend at leisure or to enjoy the optional canoe safari, if we didn’t have time yesterday. Then we head north to the incredible Fish River Canyon, second only in size to the Grand Canyon in the USA. Stretching over 160km of land and more than 500 meters deep, it’s a spectacular sight to behold. During our journey we will stop at a couple of viewpoints and pay a visit to Hell’s Corner, known for its sharp bend.

Fish River Canyon – Namib-Naukluft National Park. Today we have a long drive as we journey to the edge of Namib-Naukluft National Park, taking in the massive portion of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft mountains. We’ll stop at the edge of the park at our campsite, ready to explore tomorrow.

Namib-Naukluft National Park – Solitaire. Today we explore the Namib Desert! Starting our journey at the mighty Dune 45, one of the tallest sand dunes in the region. Hike to the apex of the dune to admire the incredible view and dazzling sights over the surrounding area. Our next stop is Deadvlei, a barren salt pan with petrified trees surrounded by rolling sand dunes. The last stop of the day is Sesriem Canyon before travelling to our campsite in the tiny desert settlement of Solitaire.

Solitaire – Swakopmund. Next stop is Swakopmund, a German colonial town located on Namibia’s famous Skeleton Coast. Rather than camping, we’ll be staying in simple dormitory accommodation in Swakopmund. The rest of day 6 and day 7 are free to spend at leisure, exploring the colonial town. Take in the German architecture, indulge in the relaxed café culture as you wander around the town. There are plenty of optional activities available here including quad-biking, sand boarding, skydiving and dolphin-watching cruises. See the Trip Notes for further details.

Swakopmund – Spitzkoppe. We leave coastal Swakopmund today and head into the Damaraland region to Spitzkoppe. Here we see the incredibly well-preserved bushmen paintings and admire the spectacular rock formations reaching 1800 meters above sea level. We witness the rock colour transformation as the sun moves across the sky, a sight worth seeing particularly at sunrise and sunset. Our campsite is at the base of the mountain, where we can enjoy this view with a refreshing drink.

Spitzkoppe – Estosha National Park. We spend the next two days exploring Etosha National Park. Dominated by a salt pan, this incredible 20,000 square kilometre reserve is home to an abundance of animals and the pan has specially managed watering holes where animals gather to relieve their thirst.

Our itinerary for the next two days is flexible depending on the condition and the location of wildlife. We’ll enjoy a short game drive on day 9 before we settle into a campsite by a floodlit watering hole on our first night. Here we may be lucky enough to see elephants, giraffe, hyenas and even lions.

We spend the whole of Day 10 on a game drive across the park, stopping to take in nature and wildlife wherever possible. We will either return to our first campsite, or perhaps a different one, depending on your tour leader's decision.

Etosha National Park – Windhoek. Today we travel to the charming capital of Namibia. Windhoek is a small capital by global standards, with a population of just 470,000 people. The city's German architecture is a reminder of Namibia’s early colonial past. Our camp for the night is located on the edge of the city, and the city is easily accessible should you wish to explore. We highly recommend relaxing with a drink at Joe’s Beerhouse, one of the most famous restaurants in Namibia.

Windhoek – Gobabis. We bid farewell to Windhoek as we travel east towards the Botswanan border to the city of Gobabis. Today we meet some of the local San Bushmen. The San culture is one of the oldest surviving cultures in Southern Africa, Here we’ll enjoy a bush walk and learn about their way of life. The people of San work with nature and manage their resources responsibly, something we could all learn from.

Gobabis – Maun (Botswana). Today we journey to Maun in Botswana, we will use this as a base for exploring the famed Okavango Delta. If we have time, there will be an opportunity for you to take a scenic flight over the Delta – If we haven’t got enough time today then this opportunity will be offered on day 15 instead.

Maun – Okavango Delta – Maun. Day 14 we enjoy an overnight excursion into the Okavango Delta in our specialised safari vehicles. Spread across more than 1.6 million hectares, the Delta is a natural wetland that is home to an incredible array of wildlife. We soon reach the mokoro polers station where we will board traditional canoes and raw along the waterways of the delta to our campsite.

We start our day 15 with another mokoro ride back out of the delta before returning to Maun, where there will be an optional scenic flight if we didn’t have time for this on day 13. There will also be an optional excursion of horse riding or simply relax by the pool at our campsite.

Maun – Nata region. This morning we set off on our drive through a wildlife corridor between the isolated Nxai and Makgadikgadi pans. We’ll make short stops to take in the beauty of some of the region’s towering baobab tree and reach our unfenced campsite in the afternoon. If we are fortunate enough, we’ll see different kinds of wildlife including elephant and antelope.

Nata Region – Kasane. Today we head towards north Botswana to Kasane. Kasane is the gateway to Chobe National Park where we enjoy a cruise on the Chobe River. Chobe is home to an array of wildlife including herds of elephants, which you can spot near the water’s edge. Also be on the lookout for hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and the rare African fish eagle.

Kasane – Chobe National Park – Livingstone (Zambia). This morning enjoy an open vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park, which is home to all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo), although rhinos are very rare here.

Once our game drive ends, we bid farewell to Botswana and board a ferry to cross the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers into Zambia. Our destination is the town of Livingstone, our base for exploring Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls known as ‘Mosi oa Tunya’ the ‘Smoke that Thunders’ is the world’s largest falling sheet of water. We visit the mighty waterfall to admire its beauty before we set up camp at a campsite on the banks of the Zambezi River.

Today is free for you to spend at leisure and enjoy the optional activities available to book locally. Typically these include rafting, canoeing, bungee, abseiling, gorge swinging, horse riding, scenic flights, and river cruises.

Livingstone – Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe). This morning we leave Livingstone and cross enjoy more optional activities or simply relax in our beautiful surroundings. Be sure to visit the Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side for a different perspective and see the Zambezi River plunging over the enormous Batoka Gorge.

Victoria Falls - Hwange National Park. Today we head to Zimbabwe’s largest and best-known park, Hwange National Park. In the early 19th century, it was the royal hunting grounds of the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi. Spanning across 14,600 square kilometres, Hwange is known for its population of African wild dogs and over 100 mammal species including Africa’s Big Five and abundant bird species. In the afternoon, we take a guided open vehicle game drive with the hope to spot some of the park's wildlife before returning to camp the night.

Hwange National Park – Bulawayo. Our journey continues on day 22 as we head south to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second city. The rest of the afternoon is free to spend at leisure exploring this pleasant city with its broad tree-lined avenues and wide-open spaces.

The next morning we take a short drive to Matabo National Park. Here, we enjoy a half day tour of the park with our local guides. Matabo is a remarkable park and has the largest number of Black and White Rhinos, leopards and black eagles. Our tour guide will take us on a nature drive and a wilderness walk, where we can experience some of the more secluded places in search of these incredible animals.

The afternoon is free for you to spend at leisure. Alternatively, you can book an optional extension to today's tour. Head into the Matobo Hills to see some of the ancient Bushmen paintings in the area, and visit the grave of Cecil Rhodes.

Bulawayo – Masvingo. Today we journey toward the east of the country to the small town of Masvingo. Nearby is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southern Africa: the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. We camp nearby with ample time to explore the ruins at leisure and with a local guide who will give you basic information of the area. If you have the energy there is the opportunity to trek to the top of the Hill Enclosure to enjoy a wondrous African sunset.

Masvingo – Bandula area (Mozambique). Our day starts very early as we begin our 400 km journey into Mozambique. Our first stop along the way is Mutare and if time permits, we will stop at the spectacular Birchenough Bridge. Crossing the border into Mozambique we make our way to the Bandula area near the Chicamba Dam. We’ll settle in our campsite that is located within a 550-hectare conservancy.

Bandula – Vilanculos area. We leave Bandula and head to the spectacular Indian Ocean coast. We stop in the small town of Vilanculos, gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. Here we gather our luggage and snorkels for tomorrow’s island trip and board our traditional dhow boat to sail to our ‘rustic ‘bush camp. The beach camp is located on a remote stretch of the coast approximately 90 minutes sail from Vilanculos town itself. Arriving in the late afternoon and settle into our beach camp for the next 2 nights.

On Day 27 we board our dhow boat to Magaruque Island, the third island in the archipelago and the closest to Vilanculos. Magaruque is the perfect place to relax and unwind. You're free to explore this beautiful island at leisure, snorkel and swim in the turquoise water, soak up the sun on the powdery-white beach. A delicious seafood lunch is included and we return to our campsite late afternoon.

Vilanculos area – Tofo. The morning of day 28 we head further down the scenic coast through Inhambane to Tofo, our base for the next 2 nights. Tofo is a beautiful little beach town with open beaches, the slow-paced atmosphere is a great place for us to relax. Check out the local bars and restaurants, sample the local seafood as you take in the resident culture. If you wish, you can also take a trip into Inhambane, the second oldest town in Mozambique.

Day 29 is free to spend at leisure, discover the local tropical beaches or the many optional activities on offer. Why not climb the ladder at the Cathedral of our Lady of the Conception in Inhambane or head out to explore the reefs and the colourful marine life found in this warm watery haven.

Tofo - Bilene. Today we journey south of Tofo to Bilene, our last coastal stop in Mozambique. Bilene is famous for the Uembje Lagoon (or San Marthino lake) where you can try out one of the best loved activities in Bilene - snorkelling! Our campsite for the evening is located on top of the dunes overlooking the stunning lagoon.

Praia do Bilene - Hazyview - Kruger National Park (South Africa). From Bilene we cross the border into South Africa and head for our camp in Hazyview, just outside Kruger National Park, southern Africa’s game reserve. The national park and the surrounding reserves are unfenced allowing abundance of wildlife to roam free. Kruger has every major Africa mammal including all the Big Five and over 500 species of birdlife. In the evening we relax and enjoy Shangaan tribal dancing and singing around an open fire.

On the morning of day 32 we board our specialised 4x4 game drive vehicles for a rewarding day in Kruger National Park. Going in search of the Big Five and other resident wildlife on a morning and afternoon game drive. We will break for lunch and wait for the hottest part of the day to pass allowing the animal to be more active for our afternoon game drive.

Hazyview – Pretoria. We leave Kruger behind and make our way to Pretoria where our incredible African adventure comes to an end late afternoon/ early evening, as we bid farewell to our guide and our fellow travellers.

Please note: We recommend that you spend the night in Pretoria. Pretoria accommodation and a transfer to Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport can be booked locally or in advance.