Southern Africa Introduction

A comprehensive safari starting in Johannesburg including the Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls, the Okavango, the Kaudom National Park, the Etosha National Park, Kaokoland, Damaraland, the Skeleton Coast, Sossusvlei, the Richtersveld, the West Coast and ending in Cape Town.

Complete Itinerary:

Day 1: Meet at Johannesburg International Airport and depart for Pretoria immediately. We do some shopping at a shopping Mall. Lunch is taken here. After lunch we depart for the  hot springs at Warmbad – now called “Bela Bela”. We should be there by 15:00 to setup the camp and have some time to enjoy the lovely hot springs. Tonight we have our first campfire and share a real African meal.  It is early to bed to have a proper rest. 210 km

 Day 2: We  leave early and drive through the Waterberg Mountains which is the final mountian range before entering the Kalahari Desert. We travel northwards through the magnificent Bosveld of South Africa to the border post at Martins Drift. Then into Botswana and on to Francistown where we have lunch. Then onwards north to a campsite near the town of Nata. We have a refreshing swim and cook own supper. 750 km

 Day 3: We sleep late and after breakfast we are on our way to the border post at Mpandamatenga on the Zimbabwe border. We now enter into Zimbabwe and immediately we find ourselves in the Hwange National Park. We slowly make our way to a secluded campsite in this park. Lunch is a picnic and supper we prepare around the campfire. 260 km

 Day 4: Up early to enjoy the breaking of day from our look-out point in the Hwange National Park. After a leisurely breakfast, we break our camp and we slowly make our way to the town of Victoria Falls where we make our camp. Lunch will be a picnic and supper we prepare around the campfire. 220 km

 Day 5: A leisurely day spend doing what-ever you please. Lunch is on your own cost. Supper we cook together at our campsite. We visit the majestic Victoria Falls early in the morning. You are welcome to do some bungee-jumping, rafting, micro-flying, etc. There is so much to do we can not name all of it. (The activities you choose are not included in the price of the safari)

 Day 6: After a leisurely breakfast and we pack our bags and depart for Namibia. We drive westwards along the Zambezi River to Kazungula and enter Botswana. At the town of Kasane we eat lunch and do some shopping. We drive through a part of the Chobe National Park to Ngoma, the border post with Namibia where we clear customs. Then on into the Caprivi and to the Zambezi River where we camp on the banks of the river. 250 km

Day 7:  After breakfast, we break camp and drive to Katima Mulilo where we do some shopping. Then we are on our way to Ngepi Campsite on the Okavango River. Tonight we camp under the magnificent indigenous trees on the banks of the slow-flowing Okavango River. This area is one of the best bird-viewing areas in the world with a recorded 560 species of birds! During the afternoon, we take a flat-bottom boat to explore the Okavango. Or you can go on a mokoro trip on the river.  I am sure we will see some hippos and a crocodile or two! (The activities you choose are for your own account).  350 km

 Day 8: Our rest-day we spend right here at Ngepi. Perhaps it is better to say - a peaceful day for shortly after breakfast we do some game viewing in the nearby Muhango Game Park. Usually we pack a picnic and spend the entire day in this magnificent Park with some of the most exquisite animals in Africa like sable antelope, roan antelope and buffaloes. 100 km

 Day 9: We depart early this morning for a hard 4x4 route into the Kalahari Desert. This is going to be tough even though the campsite in the Kaudom National Park is only about 260 km away – the sand is quite thick. If we are lucky, we should see hundreds of elephant and lots of other wildlife. It has an un-protected campsite and hopefully we’ll get a couple of jackal to visit – or perhaps even something bigger like hyena? Do not worry; you’ll be safe in your comfortable rooftop tent! Lunch is a picnic and supper we cook on our own campfire.

 Day 10: Another leisurely day for we only need to cover about 175 km to the next campsite. During the morning we can do some game viewing at nearby waterholes. Round about lunch time we should be ready to leave. We now enter the area known as “Bushmanland” – the traditional dwelling place of the San (Bushman) peoples. Tonight we camp in the settlement of Mangetti Dune to listen to the singing of the San in the dark. We prepare all our meals.

 Day 11: We leave quite early to drive via Grootfontein to the mining town of Tsumeb. Here we share a meal in a restaurant and do some shopping. Then on to the Etosha National Park and Namatoni campsite where we settle in for the evening. Hopefully the local pride of lions will give us a serenade during the night!  400 km

 Day 12: A lazy morning for enjoy a late breakfast and break camp. We slowly made our way from watering hole to watering hole searching for animals. Shortly after lunch we drive north through the Park and enter "Ovamboland" - the traditional tribal land of the Ovambo people. We make our way to Oshikati - the capital town, where we do some shopping. Then we drive directly east to the town of Ruacana where we meet up with the Kunene River and the Angolan border. We drive down the escarpment to our campsite right on the banks of the river. 370km

 Day 13: We have a late breakfast and depart shortly before lunch. We follow the river downstream to Swartbooisdrift. Then on to the Epupa Falls hidden away in the most northern point of Namibia where we should be by 16:00h. Around our campfire, we'll enjoy the mighty roar of the waterfalls and sleep peacefully under Makalani palm trees. 250 Km

 Day 14: After a lazy morning with a late breakfast/early lunch; we make our way back to Okangwati in Kaokoland and on to the Himba dwelling of Tjiposa. Here we make our camp under the Leadwood trees and the rest of the afternoon and evening we partake in the activities of the traditional Himba people. 96 km

 Day 15: Up early to share in the activities of the Himba people. After breakfast we drive to the major town in Kaokoland - Opuwo where do some shopping and have something to eat. Then on through the majestic Joubertsberge and the "Valley of the Giants" where many baobab trees grow. We now leave the Himba Highlands to drive down one of the steepest passes in Africa into the Namib Desert. By 16:00h we should be at our campsite near Twyfelfontein. It is not uncommon to have desert elephants feasting on the trees in the camp or giraffes peeking at our camp fire. 4x4 roads. 460 km

 Day 16: Up early to visit the World Heritage Site for rock art at Twyfelfontein. This is a very hot and dry area so we should complete the tour by 10:00h in order to escape the worst heat. We break camp and drive along the Aba-Huab River to Uis where we have lunch. Now we enter the "White Desert" as we drive to Hentiesbaai on the Skeleton Coast. Then on with the "Soutpad" - a road made of gravel and salt, to Swakopmund. Here we make our camp. Swakopmund is one of the most "German" towns outside of Germany and a real tourist gem surrounded by the cold Atlantic Ocean and the Namib Desert. 340 km. Supper will be in a restaurant.

 Day 17: A lazy morning to relax or do as you please. You can visit the many amazing sites in the town, do shopping, go fishing or take a quad-bike into the sand dunes surrounding Swakopmund. These activities are for your own account as well as lunch. We now drive over the desolate Welwitcia Plains towards the Kuiseb River and the "Landscape of the Moon". At Solitaire we refuel and buy some home-made bread - hopefully some "Apfelstrudel" as well. Then on to Sesriem where we make our campsite near the Sossusvlei National Park. Tonight we enjoy a lovely campfire whilst watching the antics of the jackal that roam around freely. 345 km.

 Day 18: Up long before day-break to drive the 80 km to Dooievlei. Sunrise should catch us on the dunes enjoying one of the most wonderful views in the world. After breakfast we slowly make our way back to Sesriem and break camp. Our southwards road takes us along the Rooi Rante on the Namib Rand road. In the Tiras Mountain Conservancy area we make our camp on a secluded and very unique campsite. 321 km

 Day 19: A lazy morning with a late breakfast and then on through the Tiras Mountains to Aus. Then on towards Rosh Pinah and eventually the South African border at Sendelingsdrift. After entering the Richtersveld National Park, we make our camp and enjoy our first campfire along the Gariep River and back in South Africa. 360 km

 Day 20: Depending on the weather and the time of year, we either drive along the coast or inland to view flowers. We have a picnic style lunch and drive further south towards Klawer where we have our headquarters on the farm “De Brug”. You will be accommodated in a lovely cottage right on the banks on the Doring River. The farm is situated in the world famous Cederberg Mountains and we are the last inhabited farm before it is totally mountainous. Tonight we’ll have a home-cooked meal typical of the Afrikaans tradition with lots of good local wine. 550 km

 Day 21: We travel via Leipoldville and the Verlorenvlei to Elandsbaai. We pass beautiful lagoons and marsh areas on the way. Then on to the quaint little settlement of Paternoster. Here, on this beautiful beach, a sailing ship belonging to the shipping line of Karl Stephan of Hamburg in Germany stranded many years ago and thus the place was named. Today it has one of the most amazing little eateries and we enjoy a last feast together. The total driving time of the 380 km should not take more than 4 hours so we have plenty of time to enjoy the last bit of the West Coast. Cape Town by 18:00 in time for any departing flight.

 Conclusion:

Total distance - 6, 500 km. Countries visited - South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Meals supplied - 61. Accommodation - Camp most of the time. B+B and cottages. Includes - Accommodation, food, soft drinks, entrance fees, activities, beers and sodas limited to 5 per day, local wines limited to 2 glasses per day. Excludes - Tips, more that the quota of drinks, hard liquor. Number of guests: 1 – 9 people in 3 vehicles

Total costs: 2 Persons - R39, 500 p/p. 3 - 9 Persons - R27, 750 p/p.      Single supplement  - R28, 810.     

NB:                                                                                                  1: We prefer to be paid in Rand seeing the volatility of the exchange rate   2: The vehicles used are luxury SUV's with air-conditioning and CD players.                                                                                            3: The clients need only to bring clothes and personal medicine and toiletries.                                                                                          4: Extra for the clients are bottled water, snacks or sweets, own shopping and the activities other than included in this itinerary.                            5: This same route can be done at a slower pace where you, our guest can determine if you would like to stay longer in a specific area. Naturally this will increase the total price but not with much seeing the fact that all traveling costs has been covered already. 

This is an economy type safari and it is expected of the guests to help with the pitching of the tents, the making of beds and some cooking and cleaning. We use I tour guide to 3 guests. Prices are in South African Rand but can be paid in any accepted currency, according to the existing exchange rate.