Cape Town to Victoria Falls - Camping

Location: Cape Town

Accommodation: Sweetest Guest Houses or similar

Meals: No Meals

Those on the group flights will be taken to the hotel in Cape Town upon arrival. If you're not on the group flights we suggest you aim to arrive at the lodge in Cape Town by mid-afternoon. If the weather is good this afternoon there may be the opportunity for an optional excursion up Table Mountain via cable car. Table Mountain is often the first image that springs to mind whenever one thinks of Cape Town – the views across the city on a clear day are incredible. If the weather is not good enough this will be a free afternoon, with the opportunity to explore the famous V & A Waterfront.

Location: Cape Peninsula

Accommodation: Sweetest Guest Houses or similar

Meals: Breakfast

We generally begin today’s tour with a drive along the spectacular Chapman's Peak drive (please note, occasionally this drive is closed and we will have to go around it), via Houtbay. Continuing to the Cape Point Nature reserve, we have time to walk to the lighthouse and then along the boardwalk to the Cape of Good Hope. We then take a short visit to the Boulders Beach penguin colony and enjoy some lunch. In the late afternoon we visit a local wine farm – the area surrounding Cape Town is renowned for its wine and we will get a chance to sample some of the local produce. The order of activities in Cape Town is flexible as everything hinges around going up Table Mountain when the weather is best. Evening meals can be enjoyed at various restaurants on the beaches along the coast – Cape Town is a food and drink lover's paradise!

Location: Olifants River

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Highlanders Camp or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Cape Town and travel through farmlands of citrus, maize, cattle and sheep as we start the journey towards Namibia. Our first stop is in the fertile Olifants River Valley, giving us a glimpse into the agricultural lifestyle of the Western Cape. (about 5hrs drive)

Location: Orange River

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Felix Unite Camp Site or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we drive to Orange River (5 hours + 1 hour border crossing), where Namibia's southern border meets South Africa. There is free time to relax this afternoon. Our camp for the night will be in a picturesque location on the riverbank. (450km, 6-7hrs)

Location: Orange River

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Canyon Roadhouse Camp or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning we enjoy a canoe trip on the Orange River. It is not tough on the water and the trip gives us the chance to see the flora and fauna of the region as we drift by. We then take a short drive (3 hours) to the second largest canyon on earth – Fish River Canyon. The views from the canyon rim are spectacular and there is time for a short walk along it in the afternoon for superb sunset views. We spend the night nearby at Hobas. (180km, 2.5-3hrs plus 1hr border crossing)

Location: Sesriem

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Sesriem Camp Site or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A day's travel along the edge of the Namib-Naukluft Park to Sesriem where we camp for the night. (550km, 8.5-9krs)

Location: Sossusvlei

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Sesriem Camp Site or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We will spend the morning at the Sossusvlei dunes, one of the great sights of Africa. It's worth getting up before sunrise to watch the early morning light creep over the dunes before we climb some of the highest sand dunes in the world. Alternatively, just enjoy the changing colours on the towering dunes from lower down as the sun rises. If we're lucky we may see gemsbok, ostrich or even black-backed jackals among the dunes, an irresistibly photogenic scene! In the afternoon we visit Sesriem Canyon before returning to our camp. *Sesriem Camp Site or similar*

Location: Swakopmund

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Dunedin Star Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast

A long, spectacular drive through Namib-Naukluft Park to Swakopmund via Walvis Bay to see, in season (summer), flamingoes in their thousands. This national park, one of the largest in the world, is home to one of the driest and oldest deserts on earth. It contains some of the finest desert scenery in Africa, if not in the world, with towering jagged rock formations and incredible lunar landscapes. (300km, 4-5hrs)

Location: Swakopmund

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Dunedin Star Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast

Swakopmund has invented itself as Namibia's adventure sports capital, and we have a full day in Swakopmund to enjoy some of the optional adventure activities on offer; go on a dolphin cruise or township tour or take a flight over the desert! Alternatively, explore the German-style town and visit some of the excellent cake shops for which Swakopmund is famous. *Dunedin Star Hotel or similar*

Location: Brandberg Mountain

Accommodation: Brandberg Whilte Lady Lodge or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We depart for Namibia’s highest mountain, Brandberg. We will enjoy a walk through valley 45 for approximately 2 hours to the famous ‘White Lady’ rock painting which, along with a number of other small paintings and engravings, are thought to have been left by Bushmen at least 2000 years ago. (250km, 4hrs)

Location: Etosha National Park

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Etosha NWR Camp Site or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We drive north to Etosha National Park where some of the world's best wildlife viewing can be found. We should arrive at Etosha, which means the 'Great White Place of Dry Water' in time to do a late afternoon game drive before reaching our rest camp where there will be a waterhole for game viewing at night. (400km, 5-6hrs)

Location: Etosha National Park

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Etosha NWR Camp Site or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

We have two days to really enjoy this fabulous park with its mixed forest and grassland centred around a large salt pan. Etosha is home to a great variety and number of game, which is easy to find as the animals congregate at different times around the waterholes. There are waterholes next to the excellent campsites, and it is not uncommon for us to spend all night watching a gala performance of animals: wildebeest, zebra, impala, springbok, kudu, elephant, giraffe, lion and even rhino are all common sights here. Take plenty of patience and you will be rewarded by one of the greatest game spectacles in Southern Africa. Etosha is also a good place for birds, with plenty of waterbirds on the lakes and weaverbirds and hornbills in the trees. While in Etosha we move our camps (between Okaukuejo, Halali or Namutoni) but the itinerary is kept flexible depending on where the game is.

Location: Okavango River

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Ngepi Camp or similar

Meals: Breakfast

Long drive to the Okavango River - the main watercourse supplying the Okavango Delta. (650km, 8hrs)

Location: Mokoro

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Ngepi Camp or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We take a mokoro (traditional dug-out canoe) ride from our camp on the Okavango River. Please note that in March/April, the river may be flooded and we may have to substitute our mokoros for a boat ride. The birdlife is prolific and, at certain times of the year, so is the game. Gliding through the waterways by mokoro is the ideal way to absorb the sheer peace and tranquillity of the place. We also have the option of a village tour to meet the local community. 

Location: Chobe

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Thebe Safari Camp Site or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drive through the Caprivi Strip and into Botswana to Chobe National Park, home to huge numbers of elephant and hippo. (400km, 5.5-6hrs, border crossing 1hr)

Location: Chobe

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Thebe Safari Camp Site or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we have an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park and an afternoon boat ride on the Chobe River where it is possible to view huge herds of elephant coming down to drink as well as many other types of game. For bird lovers, the river provides a home for the majestic African Fish Eagle and a number of species of brightly coloured bee-eaters. The area surrounding the Chobe River typically has the highest concentration of wildlife within the park as animals congregate here, particularly in the dry season (April to October). *Thebe Safari Camp Site or similar*

Location: Victoria Falls

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Victoria Falls Rest Camp or similar

Meals: Breakfast

After a leisurely breakfast we drive to Victoria Falls, a small town on the Zimbabwean side of the glorious Victoria Falls (entrance own expense US$ 30). The waterfall itself is majestic, the activities enthralling and the scenery of the Upper Zambezi beautiful. (100km, 1.5-2hrs plus border crossing 1-2hrs)

Location: Victoria Falls

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Victoria Falls Rest Camp or similar

Meals: Breakfast

Today you have a free day to enjoy the numerous activities on offer such as flights over the falls, white-water rafting, game viewing, or crossing into Zambia to see the falls from a different side (you will need a Zambian visa if you decide to cross over to see the falls on the other side).

Location: Victoria Falls

Meals: Breakfast

The trip ends today, those on the group flights will be taken to the airport.