Activities Included

Explore the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town during the day, then meet your group and your Tour Leader at 6 PM to get acquainted and review your trip details. Cape Town offers an unbelievable variety of experiences, tastes and sightseeing. Try a variety of exotic tastes, like some of the delicious Cape Malay curries, the famous local dish Bobotie, or the freshest seafood at one of our exquisite seafood restaurants. Make sure to arrive a day early to visit the world-famous Robben Island (where former President Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison), visit the stunning Cape Point, or zip-up Table Mountain in a cable car to enjoy a panoramic view of Cape Town from the top.

Activities Included

Today you'll leave behind the delights of Cape Town and depart on the first leg of your journey into the unknown. The first overnight stop will be on a small vineyard farm in the Cederberg Mountains. Grapes are produced here for local cellars, and you'll have an opportunity to taste and buy some of the local wines during an optional wine tasting activity.

Activities Included

Travel through the Northern Cape’s vast fields of wildflowers (in bloom between August and November) to the Namibian border. Guests may opt for a canoeing adventure on the Gariep River. End the day with a spectacular sunset viewed from a nearby hill.

Wake up to a quiet morning whilst the sun rises peacefully over the Gariep River. Enjoy a slow morning and sleep in a bit, or go on an optional canoe trip down the river. Later in the morning, you'll depart for Fish River Canyon, the largest canyon in Africa. As the sun slips over the canyon's rim, experience an awe-inspiring sunset to end your day of exploration.

Today begins with an early departure and a long drive north to the Namib Desert. The route to Sesriem passes through the small towns of Bethanien and Helmeringhausen (as well as the occasional farm settlement), but otherwise it's just us and the spectacular, wide-open Namibian landscape. After arriving in the late afternoon, you'll visit the Sesriem Canyon to admire from afar the lofty red sand dunes which form a gateway into the Namib Desert, meaning "vast place."

An early departure allows you to experience a beautiful desert sunrise over the ochre Namib dunes. Climb the majestic Dune 45 (included in the tour) before continuing to the entrance of Sossusvlei, a seemingly endless expanse of sand dunes. In the afternoon, you may choose to join a guided walk, during which you will explore these desert dunes and learn about the survival skills of many of the different inhabitants of the desert, including the San (sometimes known as Bushmen).

After breakfast, we'll depart for the Atlantic coast, to the holiday town of Swakopmund. There will be many opportunities to stop for photos along the way as you cross the Tropic of Capricorn and drive through the surreal landscapes of the Kuiseb and Gaub passes. For the next two days, you'll have plenty of free time to explore Swakopmund at your leisure and indulge in a wide variety of activities. This beach resort town's German influences can be seen to this day in its architecture and its many German-speaking inhabitants. After a day of independent exploration (Swakopmund offers visitors quad biking, sand boarding, sky-diving and more), we'll reconvene at our hotel and settle in for the night.

After breakfast, the day is yours to spend exploring the city even further! Swakopmund’s variety of attractions and activities cater for all tastes and styles. Take a walk along the beach and dip your toes in the icy Atlantic Ocean, or visit the Kristal Gallery which boasts a display of the largest Quartz Crystal Cluster in the world, weighing in at 14,100kg. Browse the many excellent bookshops and curio shops and spoil yourself with a unique gift from the area. If adrenalin and the outdoors enthral you, you can enjoy optional activities like quad biking, sand boarding, 4x4 safaris, skydiving (weather permitting), and more.

Today we'll travel northeast to Brandberg, home to Königstein, the highest peak in Namibia. At Brandberg, we offer a variety of guided or self-driven tours with our Polaris Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV). This enables you to enjoy the spectacular scenery and wildlife of the Brandberg area, as well as experience the thrill of driving one of these customised vehicles. Tours are led by professional local guides, and are equipped with satellite phone communications and vehicle tracking for your safety and peace of mind.

We suggest booking the 4-hour White Lady Ultimate Adventure – a self-driven tour which promises cultural enrichment. On this trip, you'll visit the famous White Lady Bushmen Painting. You'll depart in the early morning and drive through breath-taking scenery along the Ugab River, which is surrounded by multicoloured rocks that take on various shades of flaming orange. Have fun with some 4x4 sand driving and a drive through the rocky terrain leading through local villages towards the famous painting’s entrance. From the entrance, it is approximately an hours’ hike to The White Lady Painting. After the hike, you'll return to the lodge. Included are drinks and the optional services of a professional driver/guide. Lucky visitors may glimpse the famous desert elephant, an elusive creature which occasionally wanders through the lodge premises.

Travel through the vast expanses of Northern Namibia to the Etosha National Park, one of Southern Africa’s most beloved wildlife sanctuaries. Head out for a game drive to search for elephant, antelope and lion around their watering holes. Etosha is home to more than 100 species of mammals, including the endangered black rhino. It is a birdwatcher’s paradise with species such as the famous Kori Bustard, ostrich, several vultures and eagle species and, after heavy rains, you might even find water birds such as flamingos and pelicans. Observe the animals clustered around watering holes after sunset near your campsite, which is safe and well-lit with floodlights. You'll rest comfortably overnight in the newest camp in Etosha National Park.

Enjoy a full day’s game drive in the comfort of our fully air-conditioned Adventure Overland Safari Vehicle. You can also book an optional night game drive. Gather memories of unique sights that you will not likely experience again. Watch how ghostly grey-white elephants bathe themselves in the white dust of the area, or zoom in on the magnificent sight of giraffes etched against a wide and open horizon. Stay overnight in the newest camp inside Etosha National Park, where you might be just lucky enough to fall asleep to the haunting "whoop" of a hyena or the roar of a lion in the distance.

Today we'll move on to Windhoek, Namibia's capital city. After our journey, spend the last few hours of the day exploring Windhoek and its strong German influence. You will have the option to celebrate tonight at one of Windhoek’s famous restaurants. This tiny capital town has loads of interesting things to offer. One of its most famous attractions is the display of 33 meteorites, the Gibeon Meteorites, in the Post Street Mall. Here, you can photograph and interact with these extra-terrestrial bodies, which are corrosive-resistant due their high nickel content. Shopping opportunities abound and, for the historically inclined, there are many museums and historical buildings within walking distance of the town centre. One of the most widely photographed and a historical landmarks is the Christ Church, a Lutheran church built in the Gothic revival style. Windhoek is the “getting on” and “getting off” hub for people who have booked shorter “legs” of your combo trip. You might lose some of your travel companions and meet new ones. You might also have a change of vehicle and adventure crew (Tour Leader and Driver). Although it may be daunting, please be assured that your vehicle will be of the same standard, and your adventure crew is very experienced in making this transition as smooth as possible. Because the crew have their own style, own special recipes, and own expertise with regards to culture, fauna and flora, geology etc., having a change of crew will actually enrich your experience on the trip immensely!

We'll depart Windhoek early for a long drive through the eastern part of Namibia, crossing the border into Botswana and travelling into the heart of the Kalahari Desert. Ghanzi is the home of the San people, who preserve an ancient way of living and eagerly welcome visitors into their almost-forgotten world. In the evening, you can enjoy an optional ancient dance ritual performed around a campfire by the San and, if the night is clear, enjoy the sparkling, starry skies for which Ghanzi is famous.

Enjoy an optional morning walk with San guides, as they demonstrate survival skills that have been passed on for generations, before departing Ghanzi. Once you arrive in Maun (just after lunch-time), you will have the option to board a small fixed-wing aircraft and enjoy a spectacular birds-eye view of the Okavango Delta from the skies (weather permitting). Looking down on the Delta from the aircraft, you will get a fair idea of the magnitude of this massive mix of land and water, with its intricate system of channels and islands. You might also see families of elephant, giraffe, and herds of buffalo or even hippos from the air. If you skip the flight, you will have the chance to kick back and relax at the campsite.

Today you will experience a new way of travelling into the Okavango Delta with a mokoro, the same way as the local people do. You will be transferred to the ‘’polling’’ station either with a motorized boat or a 4x4 vehicle, depending on the water levels of the Delta.
A mokoro is a traditional dug-out canoe that seats two people. The mokoro is steered by a ‘’poler” standing at the back, manoeuvring the mokoro downstream with a pole, very much like the gondoliers in Venice. Once you are comfortable and laid back in your mokoro, the slow and tranquil journey into the Delta begins. Gliding along on the quiet water, you will have a thousand opportunities to take exquisite photos of your surroundings. The duration of the mokoro trail depends on the time of year and water levels of the Delta. You will stop for lunch at an island and enjoy a nature walk of a few hours. Then you'll head back to Maun, again in your mokoro, enjoying the last hour or two on the water while the late afternoon sun starts heading for the horizon.

Day 15: Maun (Optional Fly-in Mokoro Day Trip)

Guest also have the option to go on a 1-day fly-in safari into the Okavango Delta. This is accessible by light aircraft only, a 20-minute flight from Maun. On arrival, you will be met by your personal guide and welcomed to the island, situated deep in the heart of the Okovango on the edge of Chief’s Island, bordering the Moremi Game Reserve. Your day of adventure begins here. There will be stops along the way for a picnic lunch and light walks, after which you will be transferred back to the camp/airstrip for your departure back to Maun.

Today we'll set out for Elephant Sands, which is close to the Botswanan village of Nata. Elephant Sands is famous for its watering hole, voted as one of the top ten watering holes in Africa. At this watering hole, you may glimpse animals such as wild dogs, different antelope species and, of course, elephants, which habitually wander through the campsite in search of fresh water. This will most certainly be the closest you will get to these wild animals on foot.

The tour continues to the small town of Kasane, which is adjacent to the Chobe National Park & Chobe River. Relish the views during an afternoon sunset boat cruise (included in the tour). Take your own sundowner with you as you search for wildlife on the banks of the Chobe River. Game such as elephant, buffalo, kudu, bushbuck, hippo, giraffe, and sable are commonly seen along the river edge, and it is a birdwatcher’s paradise during the summer months. Guests will have the opportunity to go on an optional Pangolin Photo Safari at their own expense; however, they would forfeit the afternoon sunset boat cruise.

Cross into Zimbabwe and enjoy a short drive to the magnificent Victoria Falls and its charming small town. This is your home base for the next two nights. The Victoria Falls is not the widest or highest falls but is regarded as the world's biggest. It produces a breath-taking curtain of falling water as it drops into the gorge below. See why it is considered among one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Today you will have time to do some of the action-filled activities that the area offers. Bungee jump or gorge swing off the Victoria Falls Bridge that links Zambia and Zimbabwe and have a different view of the Victoria Falls at the same time. This bridge is constructed to carry railway, road, and foot traffic. For an adrenaline-filled activity closer to the Zambezi River, choose a half day or full day white water rafting adventure. Many of our groups opt to book their final evening together aboard a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River with game-viewing, beautiful scenery, and an open bar.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Activities Optional: Chobe Game Drive, White Water Rafting, Bungee Jumping, Helicopter Flights, Boat Cruise

Today you will have time to do some of the action-filled activities that the area offers. Bungee jump or gorge swing off the Victoria Falls Bridge that links Zambia and Zimbabwe and have a different view of the Victoria Falls at the same time. This bridge is constructed to carry railway, road and foot traffic. For an adrenaline-filled activity closer to the Zambezi River, choose a half-day or full day white water rafting adventure. Many of our groups opt to book their final evening together aboard a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River with game-viewing, beautiful scenery and an open bar.
Victoria Falls is the “getting on” and “getting off” hub for people who have booked shorter “legs” of your combo trip. You might lose some of your travel companions and new people might join. You might also have a change of vehicle and adventure crew (Tour Leader and Driver.) Although it might sound a bit daunting, please be assured that your vehicle will be the same standard and your adventure crew are very experienced in dealing with these changes to make it as smooth as possible. All adventure crew is committed to giving the best possible service but because all have their own style, own special recipes, and own passion with regards to culture, fauna and flora, geology etc. having a change of crew will broaden your experience on the trip immensely.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Activities Optional: White Water Rafting, Bungee Jumping, Helicopter Flights, Boat Cruise

After breakfast, we'll continue to Gwango, situated just outside Hwange National Park. The park, which is named after a local chief, is the largest in Zimbabwe. Guests can look forward to an open-vehicle afternoon game drive on the estate (included in the tour). After dinner, guests may choose to embark on a night drive, where one might see nocturnal creatures such as porcupines, civet cats, genets, and leopard.

We'll head south towards Matobo National Park, which is at the Matobo or Matopos Hills, a scenic area of granite kopjes and wooded valleys. We will camp overnight at Big Cave Camp, in preparation for a full day of activities on Day 22.

Enjoy a day filled with the best that Matobo National Park has to offer: a game drive and a guided rhino walk which bring you as close as possible to these ancient giants. Visitors to Matobo National Park regularly spot white and black rhino, sable antelope and impala, amongst other wildlife. Return to Big Cave Camp after your exciting day and enjoy a sundowner while watching another spectacular African sunset.

We'll cross the Zimbabwe / South Africa border and stay overnight at the Bolayi Game Lodge. The Lodge is set in the Limpopo Valley, in the heart of the world`s largest concentration of Baobab trees, surrounded by fascinating granite outcrops in pristine bushveld vegetation. Guests have the option of partaking in guided bird and wildlife tours; a spa is also available for those who wish to relax and unwind (both activities excluded from the tour).

Our last night is spent in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, also known as Egoli or The City of Gold (referring to the gold mining history of this fast-paced city). Book a day or two post-tour to explore the city. Visit Gold Reef City, an amusement park-cum-museum built on an old mine shaft, to take a ride on the Shaft of Terror, the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Africa. For the historically inclined, there is the ever-popular Soweto tour. For those who favour convenience, simply jump on a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to discover Johannesburg at your own pace. Tonight, you can dine in one of the many excellent restaurants the city offers.

Our last goodbye, a healthy breakfast, and the end of another incredible tour. Enjoy your next adventure!