Day 1 - Flight to Namibia
Fly on an overnight scheduled flight from London to Johannesburg and then on to Windhoek, Namibia, with South African Airways.
Includes dinner on the flight.
Day 2 - Windhoek
You will be met on arrival into Windhoek and transferred to a comfortable guesthouse. As this is the only afternoon you have in Namibia's capital city, you may like to spend your time exploring the city centre, craft markets and shops. Alternatively you can relax at the guesthouse and lounge by the refreshing pool. Dinner isn't included this evening so that you can choose between dining out at one of Windhoek's popular restaurants or order in at the guesthouse. Feel free to speak to your hosts at the guesthouse for assistance with reservations and a taxi service.
Includes breakfast on the flight.
Day 3 - Ghanzi
Begin with breakfast at the guesthouse before you are collected between 07.30 and 08.00 and transferred to the safari base where you will be introduced to your guide and fellow travellers. You then set off, heading east into the Kalahari Desert along the Trans-Kalahari Highway. Stop for a break and refreshments in the bustling town of Gobabis, the hub of Namibia's cattle country. You then cross into Botswana and continue deeper into the Kalahari to reach Ghanzi, a rural cattle-farming town, where you will camp for the night.
Windhoek to Ghanzi: approx. 6.5 hours (600km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 4 - Okavango Delta
Break camp after an early breakfast and possibly make a short stop in Ghanzi to stock up on any last minute supplies before you head north-east. The drive today takes you through the Kalahari's vast, flat landscape; typified by red sands, acacia shrubs and grassy savannah. Towards the end of your journey you will notice the vegetation becomes taller as you approach the fringes of the Okavango Delta. Your destination is a verdant wonderland along the Delta Panhandle where waterways spread out from the main Okavango River channel, creating vegetated islands and picturesque lagoons. Your campsite lies under shady trees on the banks of Guma Lagoon.
Ghanzi to Guma: approx. 5.5 hours (450km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 5 - Okavango Delta
Relish a day spent out of the vehicle as you explore the Delta's waterways. Navigating the papyrus and waterlily lined channels in a motorboat, you may see wallowing hippos, basking crocodiles, diving African fish eagles and herons fishing amongst the reeds. Then enjoy a more tranquil cruise in a mokoro (dugout canoe), drifting gently through this pristine area rich in birdlife such as white-faced ducks, malachite kingfishers and African jacanas or 'lily trotters', also called Jesus birds for their apparent ability to walk on water. A possible sighting of red lechwe, sitatunga or elephant would be an added bonus as you explore this unique environment. Return to camp in time to watch a spectacular sunset over the lagoon.
Delta cruises.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 6 - Mahango Game Reserve
Leaving Botswana behind for now, you travel north along the Okavango Delta's Panhandle into Namibia and Mahango, one of the country's smallest but most prolific game reserves. A game drive through the reserve reveals a tremendous diversity of wildlife and vegetation. Wild date palms, giant baobabs and lush evergreen forests open out to floodplains and grassland. The variety of habitats attracts Namibia's greatest assortment of bird species and some of its most interesting game. Sizeable herds of elephant and buffalo are common and there is a chance of seeing relatively rare antelope species like roan, tsessebe and sable. Lion and leopard are the main predators but, since Mahango is still part of the Okavango Delta's ecosystem, you never quite know what animals you'll see! From here it's a short drive to your camp where you can relax overlooking the Okavango River, which channels water from Angola's highlands down to the Okavango Delta.
Guma to Mahango: approx. 4 hours (350km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 7 - Caprivi & Chobe National Park
Today you head east along the Caprivi Strip and through Bwabwata National Park, a region of broadleaf forest interspersed with rural villages and maize fields. Stop in Caprivi's main town, Katima Mulilo, to stock up on provisions and refreshments before crossing from Namibia into Botswana. Soon after entering Botswana you will pass through the gates of Chobe National Park and follow the transit road through this wildlife area to Kasane town. Your campsite tonight is situated on the banks of the Chobe River, just outside the park boundaries.
Mahango to Chobe: approx. 6 hours (500km)
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 8 - Chobe National Park
Begin your day with an exciting game drive into Chobe National Park: big game country. The animals here are used to vehicles and very relaxed, allowing you the chance for some great close-up photography. The riverfront area of Chobe is renowned for its large herds of elephant and buffalo and the lions that stalk them, but don't forget to keep an eye out for leopard shading in a lofty tree perch as the morning heats up. In the late afternoon, you'll hop on a boat for a memorable cruise along the Chobe River. Enjoy the peace and coolness of being on the water, spotting crocodiles, hippos and a host of colourful water birds, and watching the procession of animals that come to the riverfront to drink. If you are in luck you may see a herd of elephant swimming across the channel to graze on the grassy floodplains. After drinking your own sundowner, you'll float back to camp as the sun sinks into the horizon.
Safari drive and boat cruise.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 9 - Livingstone, Zambia
After breaking camp, you take a ferry (an experience in itself) across the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers. Here the borders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe all meet. You land on the north bank, in Zambia, from where it's a relatively short drive to Livingstone, a bustling town beside the mighty Victoria Falls. After setting up camp by the Zambezi River, you go down to view the Falls themselves. This magnificent waterfall is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and it's captivating in any season. In the evening, your guide helps you plan for the following day, organising the variety of optional activities that are available.
Chobe to Livingstone: approx. 2 hours (100km)
Includes breakfast and lunch.
Day 10 - Livingstone, Zambia
The area around Livingstone and Victoria Falls offers some of the best adrenalin activities in Africa. If there's something fun that can be done, they're doing it here! Although the safari usually finishes on this day, and some of your travelling companions may depart, we have included an extra night to allow you the flexibility to enjoy some of the many activities available. There are options to white-water raft, bungee-jump, jet-boat, microlight, boogie-board, swing across gorges, and much more (all payable locally and undertaken at your own risk). Slightly further afield, you can canoe on the Upper Zambezi, go horse riding, enjoy a sedate boat cruise, or choose from a myriad of other adventure activities. Then there is Livingstone itself, which is worth a visit for its shops, excellent museum, and, beside the falls, one of the best curio markets in southern Africa. Your guide will set up breakfast before leaving you to enjoy the day as you choose.
Includes breakfast.
Day 11 - Flight to London
Breakfast is extra early this morning as your guide must pack up camp and leave early to drive back to Namibia. There is time for you to relax in the main area of the Zambezi Waterfront, overlooking the Zambezi River before you are transferred to the airport to catch your scheduled homeward flight.
Alternatively, you can join the guide for the two day transfer, via Rundu, back to Windhoek and continue your travels from there. Speak to us for further information and costs for this option.
Includes breakfast. Dinner is on the flight.
Day 12 - Arrive in London
Return home after an amazing camping safari adventure visiting three countries in Southern Africa - Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.
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