Africa Adventure Holidays - Explore Southern Africa

Day 1: Johannesburg

Begin the African escapade in Johannesburg - a sprawling city of remarkable contrasts. In the townships, mansions stand alongside tin shacks and there are as many green parks on the outskirts of the city as there are conglomerations of concrete in the centre. This is a good place to spend a couple of days to get an insight into South Africa's history, and it's a great base for exploring the rest of the country.

Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1.

You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting; please ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If your flight arrives too late, we recommend that you consider arriving a day early and book a night's accommodation prior to the trip so you are able to attend. If you are going to be late please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your kitty, insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting so please ensure you have all details on hand to provide to your leader.

Optional Activities:
Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg - ZAR75.00
Art gallery, Johannesburg - ZAR50.00
Gold Reef City and Heritage mine tour, Johannesburg - ZAR300.00
Museum Africa, Johannesburg - ZAR25.00

Day 2: Khama Rhino Sanctuary

Cross the border into beautiful Botswana, a country rich in lush vegetation and exotic wildlife. Witness the success of the Khama Rhino Sanctuary - an inspirational conservation project built to protect both black and white rhinos, as well as zebras, giraffes, leopards, ostriches and wildebeests. End the day with a dusk game drive on the fringe of the Kalahari Desert.

Our drive to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary is 600 km and takes approx 8-10 hrs.

Situated on the edge of the vast Kalahari Desert, the Sanctuary is a result of local efforts to convert a former hunting area into a conservation project. Built to protect Botswana's only remaining populations of both black and white rhinos, the sanctuary is also home to a wide variety of other wildlife which have all moved in and can be seen around the many natural waterholes. Visiting this project benefits local communities, as well as contributing to the protection of the highly endangered white rhinoceros. (B)

Day 3: Maun

Head north towards Maun, the gateway for many safaris in Botswana.

Our destination today is Maun (520 km, approx 7-8 hrs). Maun is the fifth largest town in Botswana and is known as the Gateway to the Delta . It has an eclectic mix of modern buildings and native huts. Maun is the "tourism capital" of Botswana and the administrative centre of Ngamiland district. It is also the headquarters of numerous safari and air-charter operations who run trips into the Okavango Delta. Although Maun is still officially a village, it has developed rapidly from a rural frontier town and has spread along the Thamalakane River. It now has shopping centres, hotels and lodges, although it retains a rural atmosphere and local tribesmen continue to bring their cattle to Maun to sell. The community is distributed along the wide banks of the Thamalakane River where red lechwe can still be seen grazing next to local donkeys, goats and cattle.

Camp on the outskirts of town at a simple campsite with shared facilities.

Days 4-5: Okavango Delta

Explore the lagoons, lakes and streams of the Okavango Delta in a traditional dugout canoe. An abundance of birds can be found here, including owls, egrets, eagles and herons. Head out on an early morning game walk to search for buffaloes and elephants. In the evenings, camp on a remote island in the arms of the African wilderness.

We also spend time exploring the maze of lagoons, lakes and streams on foot, led by experienced and knowledgeable guides.

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is home to one of the world's most fascinating eco-systems. The Delta is essentially a large swamp plain created where the Okavango River flows out into a basin on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. The river has no outlet from the desert and the water spreads out into thousands of small streams to form a maze of wetlands - a totally unqiue and unspoilt habitat which is home to an incredible variety of flora and fauna. The Delta is a magical wilderness of meandering clear waterways, green islands, lush plains and prolific wildlife including hippo, crocodile, elephant, and many big cats.

Despite it's amazing wildlife, spotting game game is no always easy in the Delta, but exploring the Okavango is not just about the animals and birdlife, exploring this unique landscape is an experience in itself. Imagine drifting along in a dugout canoe, poling out into the reed beds of the Delta. Each canoe is poled along by a local tribesman who have been travelling this way for centuries, slowly gliding through the meandering waterways. Reeds and lily pads line the streams and birds startled by the mokoros rise out of the long grasses. Punting along, the peace of the Delta is only shattered by the occasional deep grunting of hippos and other animal sounds. (2B, 2L, 2D)

Day 6: Maun

Visit a local village before returning to Maun.

The tranfser to Maun is 60 km and takes approx 2-3 hrs.

For those wanting more adventure, there's an opportunity to fly over the delta in a small plane for a bird's-eye view - a great way to appreciate the immensity of this watery world. We camp on the outskirts of town at a simple campsite with shared facilities.

Optional Activities:
Scenic flight, Okavango Delta - USD385.00

Day 7: Elephant Sands

Drive north to camp on the grounds of Elephants Sands, a private conservancy that shelters elephants, lions, zebras and giraffes. Seek them out on a game drive in the afternoon.

The drive is 390 km and takes approx 6-7 hrs. We camp in the conservancy at a basic camp with shared facilities.

Days 8-9: Victoria Falls

Leave Botswana behind and travel to Zimbabwe. Behold the awesome sight of the enormous curtain of water cascading over Victoria Falls.

The drive to VicFalls is 330 km and takes approx 5-6 hrs. We cross the border into Zimbabwe in time to have lunch on the banks of the Zambezi before visiting the falls. As this is a combination trip, your group leader and the composition of your group may change at this location. There will be a group meeting to discuss the next stage of your itinerary, meet your new fellow travellers, and collect the next part of your kitty.

When you arrive in Victoria Falls you will have arrived in one of the friendliest places in Zimbabwe. This lively town is located right on the border with Zambia and is the gateway to the magnificent Victoria Falls, situated just a short distance further up-river.

The falls themselves are an enormous curtain of water about a mile wide, falling 108m into a narrow chasm below. In the wet season, the spray created can rise an incredible 400m, the falls create an impressive raging torrent and the spray can be seen from miles away. The locals call the falls "Mosi oa Tunya" which means "smoke that thunders", a good description of this magnificent sight. In the dry season the view of the falls is less obstructed by spray and it's also possible to see the little islets in the river below. If you have time, it is also possible to jet boat down the gorges and rapids under the falls. Or take an adventurous plunge and dive down the waters on a bungee jump.

As well as enjoying the falls, the is a whole host of other activities you can do here, so if you are starting or finishing a trip at Victoria Falls it is well worth allowing a bit of extra time here. Options to choose from include white water rafting, canoeing, horse-riding, abseiling or gorge swinging. You could also cross over to Livingstone and visit the Livingstone Museum, which contains a few of explorer David Livingstone's possessions, or explore the life size model village of an African village and maps dating back to the late 17th century.

Optional Activities:
Abseiling, Victoria Falls - USD55.00
Bungee jumping, Victoria Falls - USD120.00
Canoe trail, Victoria Falls - USD115.00
Elephant Back Safari, Victoria Falls - USD120.00
Flying fox, Victoria Falls - USD30.00
Gorge swing, Victoria Falls - USD70.00
Helicopter flight (15 mins), Victoria Falls - USD130.00
Helicopter flight (25 mins), Victoria Falls - USD260.00
Horseback safari, Victoria Falls - USD75.00
Jet boat, Victoria Falls - USD95.00
Microlight (15 mins), Victoria Falls - USD120.00
Microlight (25 mins), Victoria Falls - USD240.00

Day 10: Chobe National Park

Famous for its elephants, Chobe National Park also houses lions, hippos and African fish eagles. Enjoy a relaxing water safari down the Chobe River in the golden light of the afternoon - the best way to see these creatures at close range.

The drive to the park is 100 km and takes approx 3 hrs.

Together with the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park is arguably one of Botswana's top two wildlife destinations. Whilst it's not the country's largest wildlife reserve, it's reputation is justifiably deserved, as it's home to some of the most diverse and abundant flora and fauna in the whole of Africa. Chobe is probably best known for its elephants, being home to some 120,000 of them, migrating hundreds of kilometres from the saltpans in the south of the park to the banks of the Chobe and Linyati between the wet and dry seasons.

Inhabiting the park alongside the elephants are giraffe, oribi, roan and sable antelope, waterbuck, hippo and lion. Bird life along the river is also incredibly diverse and includes fish eagle, harrier hawk, guinea fowl and carmine bee-eaters.

On our visits to Chobe we tend to explore the north of the park, basing ourselves in the River Front region of the Chobe River. Here we enjoy an early morning game drive and get up close to the wildlife, followed by a cruise down the Chobe River- in many ways being on the river istelf is the best way to experience the park. Keep an eye out for swimming elephants, a huge variety of bird life as well as hippos wallowing and crocs sunning themselves by the water's edge.

Camp on the outskirts of the park at a basic campsite with shared facilities.

Day 11: Palapye

Journey to Palapye and explore the town centre before enjoying a relaxed dinner in a local cafe.

Before we depart for Palapye there is time for an optional dawn game drive for those who would like to further explore this beautiful park. (D)

The drive to Palapye is 660 km and takes approx 7-8 hrs.

Optional Activities:
Dawn game drive, Chobe National Park - BWP205.00

Days 12-13: Kruger National Park

Return to South Africa and adventure through the Kruger National Park's expansive savanna and rolling hills. Keep an eye out for Africa's famous Big Five as well as the sable, a rare species of antelope. Why not take an optional night safari to see Kruger's nocturnal predators?

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Southern Africa, Kruger National Park is home to over 500 bird species, 100 species of reptile and 150 mammal species, including the Big Five and the endangered African wild dog.

The drive to Kruger is 600 km and takes approx 8-9 hrs.

Our wildlife experience begins as soon as we enter the park. We head straight into prime game viewing areas where we hope to catch a glimpse of some of the amazing animals found here. Rise early and have a light breakfast of coffee and rusks before embarking on a morning game drive. Most of the day will be spent game viewing, bird watching and stopping at various waterholes and viewpoints. Our campground within the park has shared facilities and hot and cold water.

Optional Activities:
Night game drive, Kruger National Park - ZAR180.00

Days 14-15: Blyde River Canyon

Enjoy a final game drive before visiting the Southern African Wildlife College to learn about the crucial role that wildlife guides play in the protection of Africa's national parks. Hit the road and admire the views over the Blyde River Canyon on the journey back to Johannesburg.

We camp at the Southern African Wildlife College and spend some time with the trainees to gain an insight into what it takes to become a wildlife guide. You'll have the option to take some evening game drives with a wildlife guide or just relax around our campsite.

The drive back to Johannesburg is 600 km, approx 8-9 hrs. On arrival in Jo'burg you can be dropped at the airport or at our finishing point hotel. No accommodation is provided for tonight, but we are able to book you additional accommodation in Johannesburg. (B)

Please ask at time of booking. Please don't book any international flights until after 10pm this evening.