On arrival in Cape Town, you will be met and transferred to The Townhouse Hotel. You have the remainder of the day at leisure. This evening you will meet your guide and the rest of the group for your pre-departure meeting at 18h00. It is imperative that all clients attend this meeting so you do not miss out on any critical information.
Day 3 - Cape Town
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 250 km
Today you will travel along the Atlantic Seaboard via Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, stopping at a Maiden Cove look-out point before continuing to Hout Bay. Here you have the option to take a boat trip to Seal Island (seasonal and not included in the cost). Continue to Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breath-taking coastal drives, to Cape Point and the Good Hope Nature Reserve. In the afternoon you will travel to Simon’s Town, a village with charming Victorian architecture, a naval base and a large penguin colony at the beautiful Boulders Beach. Entrance to Boulders Beach is optional and at your own expense. (B)
Day 4 - Swakopmund
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 64 km
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Cape Town International Airport, where you board your flight to Walvis Bay. Here you will be transferred to your accommodation in Swakopmund and spend afternoon at leisure to partake in optional activities or alternatively just soak up the atmosphere of this little quaint German town and enjoy its beauty and beaches. (B)
Day 5 to Day 6 - Sossusvlei
Departure: 07h00
Distance: 295 km
Departing from Swakopmund this morning you will make your way south to meet up with the remainder of the group in Namib Naukluft area. The next morning you need to wake up early to visit the world’s highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. These dunes, which can reach heights of over 300 m, are absolutely spectacular and provide for a fantastic photo opportunity. With luck, there may even be water in the vlei (lake). You will get a chance to stop and view the Sesriem Canyon, which was carved millions of years ago by the Tsauchab River. (BL, BLD)
Day 7 to Day 8 - Swakopmund
Departure Day 7: 09h00
Departure Day 8: 08h00
Distance: 545 km (total over two days)
The day is spent driving through the Namib Naukluft National Park on your way to Swakopmund. The Namib-Naukluft Desert is an ancient land with an ageless spirit. It is home to some of the rarest plant and animal species in the world and sightings of this flora and fauna on a Namibian safari are a must. The animals of this harsh landscape include the oryx, springbok and Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra. Arrive into the charming coastal town of Swakopmund, an oasis set between the expanse of the desert and the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. (BL,B)
The next morning you will follow the barren Atlantic Coast out of Swakopmund to visit Cape Cross – the largest breeding place of the Cape Fur Seals. The afternoon is spent at leisure to partake in optional activities (at own expense) or alternatively just soak up the atmosphere of this little quaint German town and enjoy its beauty and beaches.
Day 9 - Damaraland
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 310 km
Leaving the cold Atlantic coastline behind, head inland across the desert plains to Spitzkoppe, an iconic group of curved granite mountains with vivid colours. After a walk amongst the boulders to view the ancient Bushmen paintings and engravings, continue on to the town of Omaruru where we overnight. Once a mission station, the settlement has great historic significance and has evolved into an artistic hub for local crafts and small industries. (BL)
Day 10 - Kamanjab
Departure: 07h00
Distance: 330 km
On your journey today you will stop at local distillery and small wine cellar in Omaruru to taste some of its home-grown produce. You then head off towards Kamanjab where we explore a Himba village in the afternoon. This will be a journey of culture exchange, learning and understanding the ways of the last traditional tribe in Namibia, the Ova-Himba. (BLD)
Day 11 - Etosha National Park
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 280 km
After your cultural experience in Kamanjab, head to Etosha National Park. Etosha Game Park was declared a National Park in 1907 and it is home to approx. 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish. (BLD)
Day 12 to Day 13 - Etosha National Park
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 250 km (total over two days)
Enjoy the next two days game viewing in the hopes of spotting lion, leopard, elephant and rhino as well as cheetah, giraffe, zebra and the numerous different types of antelope the park has to offer. Your nights are spent at the flood lit waterholes encountering the park’s various nocturnal animals as they come to drink. (BL)
Day 14 - Kavango River
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 435 km
Your journey continues east as you drive along the Caprivi Strip to the town of Rundu. Make your way to Kaisosi River Lodge and spend a relaxing afternoon at the lodge on the banks of the Kavango River. Optional activities such as a visit to the Mbunza Living Museum, a traditional cultural school and communal business for the local Kavango people, or a sunset cruise (at own expense) are available. Alternatively just relax by the pool with a sundowner listening to the sounds of Mother Nature. (BL)
Day 15 to Day 16 - Okavango Delta
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 380 km
Today you will leave Namibia for Etsha13, on the western border of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Unlike other deltas, it flows into the Kalahari Desert without reaching the coast, which makes it unique. The next day is spent exploring the network of water pathways floating through thick vegetation in mokoros (traditional dugout canoes), discovering a variety of birds and wildlife. You will stop at a secluded island to take a 1½ hour guided walk hoping to spot elephants, waterbuck or other animals living in this water filled paradise. (BLD)
Day 17 - Caprivi
Departure: 08h00
Distance: 385 km
This morning you will leave Botswana and drive up the western border of the Okavango Delta before crossing back into Namibia and driving through the Caprivi to your camp on the banks of the Kwando River. Enroute to camp you will go on a game drive to the Mahangu National Park which is rich in fauna and flora. In the park you have the chance of spotting game such as sable and roan, elephants, hippos, buffalos, and many types of antelope. For bird watchers the Mahangu National Park offers more than 420 different bird species. (BLD)
Day 18 to Day 19 - Chobe National Park
Departure: 09h00
Distance: 265 km
The next morning head along the Caprivi and cross the border back into Botswana to Kasane, the gateway to the Chobe National Park, which is the second largest national park in Botswana covering 10,566 km2. After settling in to your lodge, you will have the remainder of the day at leisure or to partake in optional activities. The next day, rise early for a morning game drive in the Chobe National Park, which has one of the greatest concentrations of elephant found on the African continent. In the afternoon enjoy a cruise on the Chobe River, a truly unforgettable experience and one of the best ways to view the wildlife and the spectacular sunset. (BLD, B)
Day 20 - Victoria Falls
Departure: 09h00
Distance: 90 km
Continuing your trip you leave Botswana and drive to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Your guide will take you on a tour of the mighty Victoria Falls, known by the local Kololo tribe as Mosi oa Tunya- “the Smoke that thunders”. In the afternoon you have a relaxing sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River, basking in the afterglow of the day. The rest of the day may be spent at leisure or partaking in one of the many activities on offer (at own expense). (BL)
Day 21 - End of Northern Experience Tour
Your safari ends after breakfast, when you will be transferred to Victoria Falls Airport. (B)