68 days – The Wildlife Journey

We meet up at Jinja in the afternoon of Day One at our peaceful camp by the White Nile at Bujagali Falls. Here you can enjoy the many activities on offer whilst getting to know your fellow travellers.

Hit grade 3 to 5 rapids white water rafting amidst lush tropical vegetation in the equatorial sunshine. Kayak, “Nile High” bungee jump, quad bike, swim, fish and horse ride. Take time for a village walk, or many people enjoy volunteering at one of the community projects in the local villages. Sample the local cuisine in the local restaurants or at the campsite.

Distance: 0 kms
Est. Drive Time: 0 hours
Meals: None

Optional excursions: Whitewater rafting, bungee jump, kayaking, boat trips and cruises, incl. fishing trips, sups, voluntary work in a local school, quad biking, horse riding, mountain biking.

Today we leave Jinja behind to travel to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place to see rhino in Uganda. Here we can choose to go for a rhino trek on foot with a trained ranger in the afternoon, or take an early morning boat trip in the gorgeous swamps of the park – watch out for the prehistoric-looking shoebill!

Distance: 225 kms
Est. Drive Time: 4 hours
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activity: Entry to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Optional excursions: Rhino trek, boat ride

Leaving Jinja, we travel via Kampala. Here we get a chance to have street food, get to banks, wi-fi and shopping.

The next day we leave the camp and head into the lush countryside of Uganda. We stop off at a local drum and craft market. Roadside stalls sell fresh rotisserie meat such as ‘chix on sticks’, and at the Equator stop there is time for a photo shoot.

Today we drive to the simple camp near the hillside forest of Kalinzu on the edge of the Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Distance, Day 5: 170 kms
Distance, Day 6: 355 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 5: +/- 3 hours
Est. Drive Time, Day 6: +/- 8 hours incl. stops at highlights such as the Equator, for shopping and lunch
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

The option of early morning chimpanzee trekking is scheduled for this morning. We head out into the Kalinzu Forest in search of these habituated Chimpanzees. The park also has black and white colobus monkey and other monkey species.

We continue onto our next wildlife destination – Queen Elizabeth National Park – where we set out on an afternoon game cruise on the Kazinga Channel to sit back and enjoy the company of hippo from the safety of a boat. There is also buffalo for company and the occasional Nile crocodile lying disarmingly motionless nearby, blending into the surroundings. Watch kingfishers diving behind us to catch small fish disorientated by the slowly passing boat. There are also elephant, lion, hyena and leopard in the park.

Distance: 40 kms
Est. Drive Time: 1 hour
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activities: Game cruise on the Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Conducted in an open cruise vessel. Slow transit afternoon drive, Queen Elizabeth National Park
Vehicle for game drive: Overland truck

Optional Excursion: Chimpanzee trek in Kalinzu Forest

This morning we head into the park again for an early morning game drive where hopefully we find some surprises in amongst the bushes. The park is a haven for around 600 species of bird and the thousands of migratory antelope – the Ugandan Kob.

Then we make our way to Kisoro, stopping over at Kabale to stock up with supplies. A visit to Lake Bunyoni can be arranged on the way to enjoy time on the lake.

Distance, Day 8: 218 kms
Distance, Day 9: 75 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 8: 7 hours incl. lunch stop
Est. Drive Time, Day 9: 3 hours
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Included wildlife activities: Morning game drive, Queen Elizabeth National Park
Vehicle for game drive: Overland truck

We are now in the land of the critically endangered mountain gorilla.

At altitudes of up to 3,500 feet gorilla trekking through dense vegetation on the volcanic slopes of the Virungas, is one of the trip’s high points. The gorillas are magic to visit. Herbivores, who munch the day away, when they are not playing or sleeping, they live in family groups under the charge of an older dominant male. Known as the silverback, this adult male can weigh up to 350 lbs. Despite their size, the gorillas are shy, gentle and sensitive creatures, in great danger of extinction.

There is also an opportunity to trek the lower forest in search of the vibrant golden monkey. A village tour to visit a Batwa or Pygmy village, this indigenous group have sadly been relocated away from the forest but keep many of their traditions, this can also be organised in Kisoro.

Distance: 0 kms
Est. Drive Time: 0 hours
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Optional excursions: Mountain gorilla trek Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda). Golden monkeys trek or orphanage visit. Batwa (Pygmy) village visit or coffee tour. Lake Mutande.

Today we leave the beautiful scenery of Uganda and into Rwanda, the “Land of a Thousand Hills”. A country that has had a turbulent history but has now moved rapidly forward in an attempt to put their past behind them.

At our camp at Musanze, we can get involved with the local community projects of basket weaving and banana beer making. A cycle tour is also an option for those who wish to explore the local area.

Distance: 51 kms
Est. Drive Time: 3 hours (depending on the border)
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Optional excursions: Golden monkey trek, Banana beer making, Basket weaving, bike tour.

Our camp at Musanze is near the Parc National des Volcans, where Dian Fossey worked with the gorillas. Those wanting to head out on the steep trek to see Fossey’s grave spend time today in the Rwandan forest. On the trek you can see Digit’s grave – one of her favourite gorillas – and the Karisoke Reseach Centre. Dian is world famous for her research work and passionate commitment to the mountain gorillas’ survival.

For those not opting to trek, we continue on through the picturesque hills to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. For those trekking, a transfer is arranged for later in the day through to Kigali.

We spend the next two nights in Kigali, the modern capital of Rwanda, a country with a recent turbulent history culminating in the 1994 genocide. Here we honour their past by visiting the Genocide Memorial and Museum. We also have a free day in this very European style city for you to relax. Many also like to explore a little, including visiting the Nyamata memorial, Hotel des Mille Collines, the local markets and the Nyamirambo Womens Centre.

Distance, Day 12: 115 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 12: 3 hours
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Optional excursions: Trek to Dian Fossey’s grave, Visit to the Genocide museum and memorial, Nyamata Church Memorial.

We now cross the border to enter Tanzania below Lake Victoria. Over two days travelling off the beaten track we see a little of the ‘real Africa’ away from the main tourist drag. We stay in a small local, guest house the first night in Tanzania. We then head towards Mwanza and the south end of Lake Victoria. There is time on our journey to explore the local markets, eat locally and kick a football with the local kids.

Distance over two days: 535 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 14: +/- 10.5 hours (depending on the border) incl. lunch stop
Est. Drive Time, Day 15: 9 hours incl. ferry journey, lunch and shopping stop
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Reaching Bunda we prepare for the next exciting part of the tour, the world famous Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, ecosystems boasting the Big Five. This afternoon we take on the amazing views by foot on the hill walk near to camp.

We drive through the Grumeti Reserve onto Ikoma Gate, where we enter The Serengeti in our overland truck for game drives. The famous Great Migration passes this area year in and year out in the search of fresh pasture during the months from late April through to August.

The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest national park. On our slow game drive through the park this afternoon we regularly have wonderful viewing including of the big cats and much other wildlife.

Home to The Big Five, it is famous for the annual migration when more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle join the wildebeests’ trek. Even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti is home to resident large herds of buffalo, elephant herds and giraffe, as well as thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle. Hippo pods can be found lazing in water pools, and the park is also home to the big cats – lion, leopard and cheetah and has fabulous birdlife including ostrich and secretary birds.

Distance to Bunda, Day 16: 156 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 16: 3 – 4 hours incl. lunch stop
Distance to Ikoma Gate, Serengeti, Day 17: 160 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 17: 5 hours to Ikoma Gate, incl. slow transit through Grumeti.
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Included wildlife activity: Afternoon game drive, Serengeti National Park
Vehicle for game drive: Overland truck

Optional excursion: Hill walk

Up early this morning, we head out with the dawn chorus for our second day of game drives on the African plains of Tanzania.

For the best vantage point though to see the sun rise, a balloon safari can be arranged in advance. A balloon safari allows you to drift in silence over the immense Serengeti plains offering this panoramic landscape from an entirely different perspective.

A visit to a Maasai boma and Olduvai Gorge Museum on leaving the park are also part of the day’s excursions, depending on timing and road conditions.

Our evening meal and overnight camp are above the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest extinct volcano. This is our second night camped in the wilds under African stars with the buffalo grazing outside our tents.

Distance: 161 km
Est. Drive Time: 5 hours
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activities: Morning game drive, Serengeti. Afternoon slow transit drive, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Vehicle for game drive: Overland truck

Optional excursions: Balloon safari, Maasai boma visit

Olduvai Gorge Museum depending on road conditions. Please note if you wish to visit Olduvai Museum you must let the office know prior to the tour departure.

An early rise and we are on the road again in small 4x4s. We begin with a 2,000 ft. descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest extinct volcano. Here, with a little luck, we can view rhino, hippo, lion, elephant, hyena, buffalo, zebra, impala, wildebeest, cheetah, monkey, ostrich and flamingo.

After our morning game drives in the Crater and a picnic lunch, we travel to our camp in Arusha glad to enjoy a welcome hot shower after our days in the bush. We stop at traditional markets on the way such as at the village of Mto Wa Mbu, where Maasai display ebony carvings, spears and beadwork. Tonight we enjoy a group barbecue to celebrate all we have seen across the different game parks of Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Distance: 195 km
Est. Drive Time: 3 – 4 hours
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activity: Morning game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater
Vehicle for game drive: 4×4 landcruiser with pop up roof

We spend the morning in Arusha to shop and explore the town. After lunch we travel to Marangu at the foot of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

There is the option the following day for a hike in Kilimanjaro National Park to Mandara hut along the start of the Marangu route. This is a beautiful walk through tropical forest and on clear days there are exciting views of both the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks of the mountain.

Alternatively take a day tour of the Marangu area to visit the village to learn more of local life, to visit a coffee plantation and a nearby waterfall.

Distance, Day 20: 120 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 20: 3 hours
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Optional excursions: Kilimanjaro day hike, Marangu day tour

We resume our journey today, heading south to the Tanzanian coast.

Final preparations are made for our break from truck life to spend four days on the exotic Swahili spice island of Zanzibar. The core arrangements for the visit to Zanzibar Island are made well ahead of time so we are assured our groups are comfortable in the popular beach cottages to the north of the island at Kendwa and for a night in a local lodge in the traditional capital.

We are lulled to sleep tonight by the sound of the waters lapping nearby and the breeze in the coconut palms.

Nb: Alternatively for those who want to get to Zanzibar a day earlier there is the option of flying today straight on to the island where we can collect you from the airport to transfer you to beach accommodation a day early.

Distance: 485 (545 if to Dar) kms
Est. Drive Time: 9 – 10 hours incl. lunch stop (11 – 12 if to Dar es Salaam)
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Optional excursion: For those who want to get to Zanzibar early there is the option of flying to Zanzibar today with an extra night at the beach. Note that this needs to be pre booked as early as possible. Contact us for prices and more information

This morning you can join us for a transfer by ferry for four days on magical Zanzibar Island. The safari leader will travel over with the group.

Zanzibar has a very special magic. A stay on Zanzibar allows you a break from truck life. We head first for the beach where we spend three nights. Here is your chance to relax on palm-fringed white beaches, enjoy fresh seafood, and swim and snorkel in crystal-clear coral waters.

There is a wide diversity of marine life inhabiting the waters off Zanzibar. Sightings of dolphins and turtles occur regularly, while humpback whales and whale sharks are occasionally spotted. The diving is some of the best in the world, with stunning coral gardens and more than 350 fish species recorded.

Excursions include snorkeling trips to Prison Island, famous for its giant tortoise, as well as Mnemba Atoll, dolphin boat trips, a trek in Jozani Forest to see the red colobus monkeys, visiting the turtle sanctuary and fishing. Scuba diving can be arranged from the dive centre near the beach cottages.

On the last day of our stay we head back to traditional Stone Town, the capital, where you will be confronted by a maze of narrow alleyways. Enjoy the bustle of the evening seafood markets and sip sundowners at Africa House. A spice tour, including a visit to a former slave camp, will also be arranged providing some history on the island.

Distance, Day 23: 60 kms Bagamoyo to Dar es Salaam
Est. Drive Time, Day 23: Up to 2 hours Bagamoyo to Dar es Salaam
Meals: Day 23: X1 Breakfast

Optional excursions: City tour, Snorkelling, Scuba diving, Mnemba Island, Turtle Sanctuary visit, Prison Island with a visit to the Aldabra tortoise, Jozani Forest to view the red colobus monkeys

Leaving the island on the ferry, we re-join with the truck and head west to Morogoro where we stay the night before continuing our journey.

Distance: 194 kms
Est. Drive Time: 6 hours
Meals: X1 Dinner

We pass through Mikumi National Park, with a great chance of sightings of elephant, giraffe, zebra and antelope from the roadside. Travelling through Baobab Valley, where the baobabs line the road, our journey takes us passed the Ruaha River and to our overnight campsite at Iringa for our last night in Tanzania.

Distance: 310 kms
Est. Drive Time: 9 hours incl. lunch stop
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Our journey today brings us into Malawi by lunchtime. Malawi is known as ‘Africa’s warm heart’. We camp along several beaches on the shores of Lake Malawi for the next few days. The lake is another of Africa’s great lakes and forms one fifth of Malawi’s total area.

There is now the chance to bask in the warm African sun and also try a little fishing with the locals. 95% of the fish in Malawi’s waters are found nowhere else in the world and there are approximately 400 species in the lake, including colourful tropical fish, Malawi cyclids.

We can take village walks and hikes too. There is always a welcome from the villagers with a meal and always time for a game of football!

Local craftsmen sell ornate hardwood carvings including traditional Malawi chairs. The unspoilt highland regions provide some of the most beautiful scenery on the trip, making hiking very popular here. The plateaux are filled with roaming herds of zebra and antelope and we can also enjoy a wide variety of water sports on the lake, including hiring a pedalo, scuba diving and canoeing.

Distance, Day 29: 498 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 29: 11 hours (depending on the border)
Distance, Day 30 or 31: 235 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 30 or 31: +/- 5 hours incl. stop for shopping
Meals: X4 Breakfasts, X4 Dinners

Optional excursions: Water sports, including snorkelling, canoeing, scuba diving and pedalo hire, horse riding, village walk, wood carving lesson

We leave the tranquil villages by the lake and head onto our next country, Zambia, and one of its national treasures: South Luangwa National Park. Luangwa is a stunning national park set off the beaten track, with high populations of game, including 60 different animal species and 400 different bird species.

The day after our arrival we have a full day in the park, and can take time to relax by the pool and enjoy the wonderful African bush surrounds, with the chance for a game drive or walk in the morning and also in the evening. The evening drive gives you the chance to see some of Africa’s nocturnal and more elusive animals such as the leopard and genet.

Distance: 600 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 33: +/- 11 hours (depending on the border) and incl. stops for shopping and lunch
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Included wildlife activity: X1 game drive in South Luangwa National Park
Vehicle for game drive: Open 4×4 safari vehicle

Optional excursions: Extra game drive or walk, South Luangwa National Park.

We stop over usually in Chipata en route to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Here we can enjoy modern amenities, supermarkets and access to internet. We stock up on supplies particularly for our next excursion on a houseboat on Lake Kariba.

Distance over two days: 560 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 35: +/- 6 hours incl. stop for lunch and shopping
Est. Drive Time, Day 36: +/- 6 hours
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Optional stay on Lake Kariba houseboats

Crossing into Zimbabwe we head to Lake Kariba.

Here we can hire a houseboat to head out on the lake to enjoy nature at its best. We cruise through Matusadona National Park to see wildlife at the water’s edge including elephant, waterbuck and, if we are lucky, lion. There are crocodiles and hippo in the lake, and sunsets over the Lake are beautiful.

The houseboats are furnished with beds and the boat crew do our cooking so this excursion offers a respite from camping and truck life. There is a jacuzzi and the lake is particularly famous for tiger fish. This is a great excursion for those who enjoy fishing and we can take tender boats out on the lake to fish as well as get up close to wildlife.

Distance, Day 37: 208 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 37: 4 – 5 hours depending on the border and incl. photo stop at Lake Kariba dam wall
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Optional excursion: Houseboat cruise on Lake Kariba

We head south via Chinoyi, to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins – the remains of the ancient capital of the Shona as Dzimba dzamabwe (“stone houses”) from which modern-day Zimbabwe gained its name. These were formed using the dry stone technique, completely without mortar. The term “Great” distinguishes these rock constructs as different to smaller formations in the region and Great Zimbabwe are known to be the largest collection and most impressive ruins south of the Sahara.

Distance, Day 39: 249 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 39: +/- 6 hours incl. shopping stop
Distance, Day 40: 440 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 40: 9 hours incl. shopping and lunch stops
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

This morning we have a guided tour of the ruins before continuing on our way to the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city.

Here we are in for a special treat, another highlight of the tour, a rhino trek with game drives in Matopos National Park. Our guide here is one of Zimbabwe’s most knowledgeable guides, taking us up close to both black and white rhinoceros. As well as rhino, sable antelope, giraffe, zebra, ostrich, impala and leopard all make their home in this hauntingly beautiful park, which also has a large black eagle population. This park has spectacular scenery, the large balancing granite boulders lending themselves to the name Matopos, meaning ‘Bald Head’, which was chosen by the leader and founder of the Ndebele nation Mzilikazi. This is
the burial place of early white settlers and Cecil Rhodes chose it at his last resting place. Up in the hills the early San Bushmen cave paintings can seen.

Distance, Day 41: 307 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 41: 3 – 4 hours
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Included activities: Visit to Great Zimbabwe with guided tour, Game drive and rhino trek, Matopos National Park
Vehicle for game drive: Open 4×4 safari vehicle

Optional excursions: Extra game drives in Matopos National Park, Afternoon visit to rock paintings and Cecil Rhodes’ grave or a Ndebele Village.

We drive through to the banks of the Zambezi and the mighty Victoria Falls – ‘Mosi-Oa-Tunya’ the Smoke That Thunders.

The Falls are comprised of five separate waterfalls. In flood season over 545 million litres of water crash down the 100 metre height of the Falls along a width of 1,688 metres. Mists from the Falls rise many metres into the air and have given rise to a lush tropical rainforest along the Fall’s edge.

Distance: 438 kms
Est. Drive Time: +/- 7 hours incl. a stop for lunch
Meals: X1 Breakfast

We stay a couple of days to absorb all that the area has to offer – from adrenalin-pumping activities, fun bars and restaurants.

White water rafting on the Zambezi, on what are regarded as some of the best rapids in the world, is a must. Kayaking, river boarding or more leisurely canoe trips are all on offer too. A ‘Flight of the Angels’, over the Falls, offers a unique appreciation of one of nature’s greatest wonders. And for the ultimate rush you can bungee jump from a bridge across the river, or try the abseil, gorge swing and zip line activities. Later, a sundowner cruise is the perfect way to complete the day, watching hippo loll in the Zambezi as the sun sets.

Distance: 0 kms
Est. Drive Time: 0 hours
Meals: None

Optional excursions: Rainforest walk – Victoria Falls, whitewater rafting, riverboard, bungee jump, gorge swing, flying fox and zip line, ‘Flight of Angels’, canoe trip, horse riding, a sundowner cruise

We leave Victoria Falls bound for Kasane and Chobe National Park. Giraffe browse the treetops and elephant lumber through a park rich with game, the Chobe elephant population comprising part of what is believed to probably be the largest surviving continuous elephant population. The park also boasts zebra, impala, tsessebe, roan, sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, warthog, eland and accompanying predators including lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox and possibly even cheetah and wild dog.

Distance, Day 46: 87 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 46: 3 hours (depending on the border)
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Optional excursions: Chobe National Park – game drives and game cruise

We now travel to Maun, which will be the base for excursions into the Okavango Delta. Our route is a scenic one taking us via the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Distance: 666 kms
Est. Drive Time: 9 hours incl. stop for lunch
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

We now have the option of a two night safari into the Okavango Delta in a mokoro, the traditional dugout canoe of the Delta boatsmen. We are poled through the tranquil, crystal clear waterways and beds of papyrus reeds, home to some of Africa’s finest bird life and unusual flora, with the chance to also see elephant, hippo, crocodile and the special sitatunga and lechwe. We camp on small islands to take guided game walks during our stay. A sunset mokoro ride is a very special treat. We return to Maun for one last night.

Distance: 0 kms
Est. Drive Time: 0 hours
Meals: X3 Breakfasts, X3 Dinners

Optional excursions: Okavango Delta mokoro (traditional canoe) safari including X2 breakfasts and X2 dinners. Flights over the Delta

Leaving Maun we head for Namibia. On the way to Namibia’s most well known National Park, Etosha, we stop to see the Hoba meteorite, the world’s largest and we also make a cultural visit to traditional Bushmen near Grootfontein.

Our travels then continue, to take us to Etosha to camp within Namibia’s most famous game park.

Distance over three days: 1,111 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 52: +/- 13 hours (depending on the border) incl. lunch stop
Est. Drive Time, Day 53: 4 – 5 hours
Est. Drive Time, Day 54: +/- 5 hours to Etosha entrance, then afternoon game drives in Etosha
Meals: X3 Breakfasts, X3 Dinners

Included wildlife activity: Afternoon game drives, Etosha National Park.

Optional excursions: Walk with warrior bushmen, visit women’s village, Hoba meteorite

Etosha is a 22,270 sq km game park centred round the vast Etosha Pan. Etosha is one of the world’s greatest conservation areas – a sanctuary for large herds of African plains game including the big five – lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino. Thousands of water birds flock to the seasonally inundated Pans after the summer rains whilst at other times of the year the Pans are famous for their shimmering mirages.

We take an early morning game drive, to make the most of our two night stay in the park. An optional evening drive is also available, following the regular afternoon game drives. Visiting the floodlit water holes at night is also a special treat in this park.

Distance: 0 kms
Est. Drive Time: Game drives through the day
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activity: Full day game drive in Etosha National Park
Vehicle for game drives: Overland truck

Optional excursion: Evening game drive

We have a final morning game drive this morning. Leaving Etosha we head south to visit the Africat Foundation which is a non-profit organization focusing on the conservation of Namibia’s predators, particularly cheetah, in their natural habitat. Here we can actively take part in the programme and learn more about these beautiful and amazing animals.

Distance: 182 kms
Est. Drive Time: 7 hours incl. short game drive and stops for shopping and lunch
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activities: Short game drive in Etosha, Africat carnivore care
Vehicle for game drive: Overland truck

There is an option of an early game drive this morning before heading past Brandberg Mountain, Namibia’s highest, to Spitzkoppe, camping out under the stars in the wild.

We then head southwards towards the coast of Namibia and the Cape Cross Seal Colony, a breeding colony of 200,000 Cape fur seals. You can spot the large stone cross that gives this place its name, erected on this site by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. Then it’s on to Swakopmund, home to some of the finest open-sea fishing in the world, a little piece of Germany on the south west coast of Africa. Here we check in to a lodge to give us a break from life on the truck and camping.

Distance over two days: 534 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 57: 4 hours
Est. Drive Time, Day 58: +/- 4.5 hours
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X1 Dinner

Included wildlife activity: Cape Cross Seal colony visit

Optional excursions: Morning game drive, Africat. Guided walk incl. viewing of rock paintings

For the adrenalin junkie Swakopmund has a lot on offer. There is quad biking, sand boarding, dune buggies and tandem skydiving. Go-karting is always fun. Township tours are also available as well as a dolphin cruise and open sea fishing. There are also options of flights over the magnificent Namib Desert and the Skeleton Coast.

Distance: 0 kms
Est. Drive Time: 0 hours
Meals: None

Optional excursions: Quad-biking, sandboarding, skydiving, go-karting, desert tours, open-sea fishing, seal and dolphin cruise, sea kayaking, township tours, horse riding..

The Namib is a desert wonderland. Sossusvlei, within the Namib Naukluft National Park, offers thousandfoot sand dunes to explore. In the afternoon we can go to Sesriem canyon for a walk.

Distance: 344 kms
Est. Drive Time: 8.5 hours incl. lunch stop
Meals: X1 Dinner

We wake before sunrise to climb the famous Dune 45 for fabulous views. After this there is the option to go to Sossusvlei by 4×4 to visit the Dead vlei pan and see more of this harsh but beautiful landscape.

Fish River Canyon, reputedly the second largest in the world, is our next destination and is situated on the lower Fish River. There is time here to stretch our legs for a few hours hike and to check out the spectacular views. The enormous gorge meanders along a distance of approximately 160 km through the fissured Koubis Massif all the way down to Ai-Ais Hot Springs.

Distance over two days: 613 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 62: +/- 5 hours
Est. Drive Time, Day 63: +/- 9 hours incl. stop at the Canyon
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X2 Dinners

Included activities: Visit to Dune 45, visit to Fish River Canyon.

Optional excursion: visit to Sossusvlei

Today we head to camp by the wild and beautiful Orange River. We have the option to canoe on the river.
The river marks the border between Namibia and South Africa.

Distance: 179 kms
Est. Drive Time: 3 hours incl. shopping
Meals: X1 Breakfast, X1 Dinner

Optional excursion: Canoeing on the Orange River

It is a short journey today into our final destination – Cape Town. We spend our last night together at The Ashanti Lodge, situated at the base of Cape Town’s famous 1,000–metre Table Mountain.

Cape Town is a wonderful place to relax with plenty of attractions, shopping and cocktail bars.

Distance over two days: 678 kms
Est. Drive Time, Day 65: +/- 10 hours incl. shopping and lunch stop (depending on the border)
Est. Drive Time, Day 65: 6 hours
Meals: X2 Breakfasts, X1 Dinner

Optional excursion: Wine tour

It is a short journey today into our final destination – Cape Town. We spend our last night together at The Ashanti Lodge, situated at the base of Cape Town’s famous 1,000–metre Table Mountain.

Cape Town is a wonderful place to relax with plenty of attractions, shopping and cocktail bars.

We can assist you with bookings in Cape Town including a visit to the Capeof Good Hope Nature Reserve or exploring further including pony trekking in Lesotho, hikes in the Drakensberg Mountains, a safari in Kruger National Park, and travelling through to the KwaZulu-Natal coast for some excellent surfing.

If you wish, you can continue along the Garden Route to Johannesburg, contact us for more information!

Distance: 53 kms
Est. Drive Time: 2 – 3 hours
Meals: X1 Dinner (contribution to the final restaurant meal)

Optional excursion: Meal out at a restaurant

General note: Itineraries are given as a guide only. A safari is a journey and true journeys unfold. They are of an adventurous nature. The unexpected can arise, so do allow for this. Feel free to give us a call about your safari plans. We look forward to your enquiries.