Please note This is an overland group adventure camping trip so clients are expected to participate in all aspects of the trip (i.e. putting their tents up and down, assisting with meal preparation and cleaning up on a rota basis). Trip activities are designed to be quite flexible, so while there are a lot of optional excursions to choose from, clients can choose how much or how little they’d like to include in their trip. This trip is adventurous in nature, and our itinerary need to remain somewhat flexible in the event that things do not run according to plan.

We will depart from Cape Town and head off on our adventure.  We will travel north through fields of wheat and green vineyards before heading over the Piketberg Pass.  This area is well known for its orchards and the elephant herds that once roamed the valley.  We will spend our first night in a beautiful campsite in the Cederberg overlooking the many wine farms in this scenic area.  During the afternoon you will have the chance to enjoy some wine-tasting at the local estates, or enjoy a walk through the area.  Tonight we will camp under a blanket of stars – the perfect start to your African adventure.

Today we will leave the Cederberg area and venture north through Namaqualand, a region renowned for its wonderful fields of wild flowers that blossom during spring.  We will make a stop for supplies in Springbok, a small mining town, before continuing through the desert to the Gariep River.  This river is the natural border between South Africa and Namibia, and we will camp tonight on the banks of the river.

This morning you will have the chance to take an optional half day canoe ride along the tranquil Gariep. River and you can enjoy bird watching, or just a relaxing paddle.  Alternatively you can spend the morning relaxing at the campsite or taking a short walk.  After lunch we will cross the river into Namibia and take a short drive to the Fish River Canyon.  This is the second largest canyon in the world, and the scenery and views into the canyon are breath-taking.  We will follow the road around the eastern rim, allowing us access to many of the view points.

This morning we will leave early, travelling north in the Namib-Naukluft desert.  We will use Sesriem as our base, an ideal location to experience the desert.  Sossusvlei is just a short drive away, surrounded by a sea of red sand dunes, said to be the highest in the world.  Look up at the stars tonight; the night sky in the desert is spectacular.

We will spend this morning exploring the Namib-Naukluft National Park.  You will have the opportunity to watch the sunrise from the top of Dune 45 – a wonderful experience as the sun dances over the sand creating a magical show.  Afterwards you can take the dune shuttle further into the desert to explore Sossusvlei and the surrounding area.  An optional guided walk is also available (at an additional cost).

We will leave the park before noon and travel to the small town of Solitaire – famous for its apple pie.  Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in the town, or relax at the campsite to escape the desert heat.

After breakfast this morning we will drive towards the coast.   We will drive through Walvis Bay to Swakopmund where we will spend the next 3 days.  Swakopmund is characterised by palm-lined streets, seaside promenades, a lovely summer climate and safe, clean beaches. Founded by Germans in 1892, there remains a strong German influence in both the language and architecture of the town. Accommodation will be in a dormitory – an upgrade to a private room is possible, depending on availability.

Today you can spend your time at leisure, exploring the town on foot with its lively sidewalk cafes and various shops to discover, or take a stroll along the beach.  The snake park and aquarium are worth a visit, and Swakopmund is also home to a Crystal Gallery with beautiful semi-precious stones on display. Around every corner there are little shops that might surprise or tempt your taste buds, as Swakopmund is known for its fine pastries and baked delights.  For the adrenalin junkies Swakopmund has many exciting optional excursions available – you could try sky diving, quad biking, sand boarding, scenic desert flights, a dolphin & seal cruise, fishing, golf or horse riding.  Upon our arrival in Swakopmund you will be given an activity briefing, explaining everything you need to know about the details of the various activities (prices for these are available on request).  Some of our fellow travellers may leave us in Swakopmund, possibly being replaced by new passengers joining our group.

This morning after breakfast we will leave Swakopmund and travel to Spitzkoppe, known the ‘Matterhorn of Namibia’ and one of Namibia’s iconic landmarks.  This is well known as a sacred San site.  The area that we will be camping in is managed by the local community and you can take a guided walk to the San Rock Art at an additional cost.  We will spend the afternoon exploring the area, viewing the ancient rock paintings and marvelling at the wonderful views.  Tonight we will camp under the stars (no ablution facilities).

We will drive north through the countryside to the Cheetah Park today.  The Cheetah Park is a private farm that was established to protect the cheetah population in Namibia – although there are many wild cheetah roaming freely in the country there is also a danger from farmers who kill the cheetah for hunting their cattle and livestock.  Many of the cheetahs in the park have been injured or trapped by local farmers.  You will have the opportunity to interact with the animals, as well as have your photos taken with these incredible cats.

We stop for a short while in Outjo this morning to replenish our supplies before we continue to Etosha National Park.  Etosha is known to be one of the best wildlife areas in Africa and is dominated by a unique feature - a 5 000km² salt pan. The pan is only filled with water after very good rains, which attracts thousands of flamingos.  Etosha has a vast network of gravel roads that will enable us to explore even the most remote parts of the park.  After lunch, and once the desert heat has abated, we will spend the afternoon exploring the southern part of the park.   Keep an eye out for some of the 114 different species of mammal found here, including lion, elephant, rhino, zebra, springbok and oryx.  Tonight we will camp just outside the gates of the park and you can enjoy a quick splash in the pool to cool off before dinner.  Enjoy a relaxing evening at this interesting campsite.

Today we will travel 150km across the park, giving you the chance to see many different animals and birds.  You will notice that as the vegetation changes there will be a change in the types of animals that we’ll see.  After a full day safari experience we will spend a leisurely evening at our campsite in the northern part of the park.  After dinner you can go to the camp waterhole where you will be able to see the animals as they come for their evening drink.

We will head to the Caprivi Strip this morning, an area known for its lush landscapes and mighty rivers.  We will stop in the town of Rundu to stock up on supplies before making our way to our campsite on the bank of the Kavango River.  Watch the sunset from the deck, and keep a look out for hippos on the lawn!

Today we will travel the course of the Kavango river and enter into Botswana.  We will follow the Okavango River into the southern part of the Okavango Delta to our destination; Maun.  This will be our base for excursions into the Delta and we will set off in the afternoon for our first exploration of the area.  Tonight we will prepare for an optional 2 night excursion in the Delta.  We suggest that you bring a smaller daypack for the trip so that you can just take what you need for 2 nights.  You will be fully briefed by the tour leader before you depart.

The Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world, renowned for its wonderful birdlife as well as the animals that can be seen here.

OPTIONAL.  The Okavango Delta is a vast expanse of water which comes from the highlands of Angola, spreading out to form the world’s largest inland delta.  There are many islands within the delta to explore and the area is famous for its wide variety of animal and birdlife, many of which are unique to Southern Africa.  You will have the chance to take an optional 2 night Mokoro Excursion into the Delta; we will depart from Maun and drive north for a few hours to reach the Mokoro Poler’s station.  The Mokoro is a traditional mode of transport – a dug out canoe that is manoeuvred through the waterways by local guides who ‘pole’ them through the reeds.  The region has many local villages, some of which are remote and can only be reached by Mokoro.    At the poler’s station we will meet our guides and head out into the waterways of the delta.  After a few leisurely hours spent on the water the guides will find us a campsite.  In the afternoon we will embark on a bush walk, giving you a chance to see some of the amazing wildlife found here.   Please note, the camp will be situated in the open wilderness with no ablution facilities.

For those who do not wish to explore the Delta, you can spend the time at our campsite in Maun, relaxing at the pool, playing volleyball or visiting the nearby crocodile ranch.  The driver and cook will stay behind in Maun during this time.

Today we will spend our time at leisure, relaxing and enjoying the Delta.  There are a number of activities available here, including swimming, game walks or mokoro rides.  There will be time to rest during the hotter hours of the day when you can play a game of cards, read a book, chat to the guides about the history and culture of the area, or just lie back and enjoy the sounds of the wilderness.

This morning there will be a last chance to see the amazing wildlife of the delta on a bush walk, before packing up and returning to Maun.  We will travel by Mokoro and then vehicle, arriving in Maun in the afternoon.  There will be the opportunity this afternoon to take an optional scenic flight over the Okavango Delta (weather and availability dependant) – a wonderful experience and a fitting end to this leg of the tour.

Today we will make our way east to Kasane where we will set up our camp of the Chobe River.  This river forms the border between Botswana, Namibia and Zambia, and is the Chobe National Park’s main source of water.  There are many animals and birds that can be seen here, including many hippo and elephants.  We will watch the sunset and enjoy dinner at the camp before relaxing to the sounds of the African bush.

This morning you can either sleep late, or explore Kasane.  After lunch at our campsite we will take a relaxing boat ride along the Chobe River.  We will pack up camp and prepare to depart on our Chobe National Park Overnight Mobile excursion - an overnight safari into the wilds of the Chobe National Park.  This is one of Botswana’s best game parks, famous for its elephant population.  We will spend the afternoon searching for animals as we drive to our camp within the park.  Keep a look out for the rare Sable and Roan Antelope and swooping Lilac Breasted Rollers!  Tonight we will camp surrounded by the night time sounds of the local wildlife – a wonderful experience.

This morning we will get up early and return to Kasane, looking out for wildlife along the way.  We will then continue our journey to Zimbabwe.  After border formalities we will take a short drive to Victoria Falls. The town of Victoria Falls lies on the mighty Zambezi River and surrounded by the Victoria Falls National Park.  Our campsite is very conveniently located in the centre of town, within walking distance of restaurants, stores and the adventure booking-agents.  A 20 minute walk will take you to the entry point to see the falls.  From a considerable distance upstream the Zambezi River runs over a flat plateau, winding its way towards the falls.  The waterfall is formed as the full width of the mighty Zambezi plummets in a single vertical drop into a deep chasm, carved by the water from a fracture in the earth.  Known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke Thunders), this spectacular waterfall will take your breath away.  After a briefing detailing the optional activities available in this area you can spend the afternoon at the camp’s swimming pool, viewing the Falls, or exploring the town.

After breakfast this morning you will have the chance to exchange information with your fellow passengers.  We suggest that you book a few extra days here to have the chance to take advantage of the many exciting activities available.

OPTIONAL. Excursions include elephant-back safaris, horse riding safaris, an exciting walk with lions, visit to the crocodile farm, a leisurely boat cruise or golf at the Elephant Hills resort.  For the more adventurous there are numerous activities to get your adrenalin pumping; bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge, abseil down into the Bakota Gorge, take an exhilarating helicopter flip over the falls or enjoy a microlight flight giving you a new perspective over this incredible World Heritage Site.  You could also try white water rafting, or just a relaxing ‘float’ down the river.