18 to 35s Real Southern Africa

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

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   Day 1 · JohannesburgJohannesburg

   Land in Johannesburg for your welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you're early, the Apartheid Museum offers essential context for understanding the region. After the briefing, head out with your group for dinner and local recommendations from your leader.

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   Day 2 · Khama Rhino SanctuaryKhama Rhino Sanctuary

   

   Cross into Botswana and reach Khama Rhino Sanctuary on the Kalahari Desert, a former hunting ground now protecting black and white rhinos alongside zebras, giraffes, leopards and wildebeest around natural waterholes. At sunset, take a jeep out to see rhinos at their most active across the 400-hectare community conservation site.

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   Day 3 · MaunMaun

   

   Drive early to Maun and stock up on supplies before exploring the Okavango Delta, a 16,000 sq km wetland maze of waterways, islands and plains teeming with hippos, crocodiles, elephants and big cats. Stay at a simple campsite on Maun's outskirts with shared facilities and wi-fi.

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   Day 4 · Okavango DeltaOkavango Delta Pan Handle

   Travel northwest to the Okavango Delta Pan Handle, switching to 4WD for the final 12 km to your bush campsite on Guma Lagoon's edge. Set up camp, soak in the Delta views and fall asleep to distant hippo sounds under unpolluted stars.

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   Day 5 · Okavango DeltaOkavango Delta Pan Handle

   Paddle the Delta in a traditional mokoro dugout canoe through papyrus and reed beds to lily lagoons, watching for elephants, lechwe, warthogs and sitatunga. Walk on an island, swim, then return to camp. Optionally join your cook for a Southern African cooking class before dinner.

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   Day 6 · MaunMaun

   Wake to Delta sounds, return to Maun and relax. Take a helicopter flight over the region if you missed day three, or simply rest and prepare for what's ahead.

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   Day 7 · GwetaGweta

   Drive to Gweta near the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Earth's largest at 12,000 sq km. At sunset, join a local guide for a bush walk through baobab forest learning about the ecology and geology of this ancient saltpan that was once freshwater, ending with drinks by the campfire.

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   Day 8 · Chobe National ParkChobe National Park

   

   Arrive early at Chobe National Park, home to 70,000 Kalahari elephants—the world's largest elephant subspecies—alongside massive buffalo herds, lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes and countless birds. Free evening to rest or opt for a sunset game drive or river cruise.

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   Day 9 · Victoria FallsVictoria Falls

   

   Game drive through Chobe National Park this morning for a final look at Botswana's wildlife, then cross into Zimbabwe and arrive at Victoria Falls town early afternoon. Meet your new group members at 6 pm ahead of the second half of your trip.

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    Day 10 · Victoria FallsVictoria Falls

    Join a leader-led orientation walk through Victoria Falls town, then spend the day choosing your own activities—gorge swing, whitewater rafting or simply taking in the mile-wide cascades falling 108 m into the gorge below. Finish with a traditional Zimbabwean dinner and cultural performance by White Star.

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    Day 11 · Hwange National ParkHwange National Park

    Leave Victoria Falls and head to Hwange National Park, stopping at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust to learn about wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and anti-poaching work. Explore Hwange's 100-plus mammal species by open 4x4, a former royal hunting ground made a national park in 1929.

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    Day 12 · Matobo National ParkMatobo National Park

    Detour through Bulawayo's Victorian buildings en route to Matobo National Park for two nights. Track black and white rhinos on foot, visit Cecil John Rhodes's grave, and explore sites of ongoing local ceremonies and spiritual significance. Optionally join a cooking class with your cook.

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    Day 13 · Matobo National ParkMatobo National Park

    Spend the day on an optional rhino tracking tour through Matobo Hills with a guide, spotting klipspringers, leopards, warthogs and springhares while learning about local flora, bushman paintings, rock formations and regional history.

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    Day 14 · TshipiseTshipise

    Cross the busy Zimbabwe-South Africa border and arrive by late afternoon at your campsite on Honnet Nature Reserve's edge. Unwind using the extensive facilities: indoor and outdoor pools, putt-putt course and nature trail.

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    Day 15 · Kruger National ParkKruger National Park

    

    Head to world-renowned Kruger National Park, famous for Africa's Big Five—lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino—plus 336 tree species and vast ecosystems across its sprawling landscape.

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    Day 16 · Kruger National ParkKruger National Park
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    Day 17 · JohannesburgJohannesburg

What's included

• Guide: You will be accompanied by 3 crew members - Group Leader, Cook and Driver. Your Group Leader’s role involves organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip, managing trip logistics, coordinating the tipping kitty (where applicable) and will form work groups to take turns cooking, cleaning and shopping (from time to time your leader may drive as well). Your Group Leader will work towards making the trip as safe and enjoyable as possible for all travellers. Intrepid trips are built around the co–operation and participation of all the group members under the supervision of the group leader. The group leader will show the group how to set up and use the equipment. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting, especially when tracking and identifying game - we think it's the best of both worlds. Regardless of the country of origin, our Group Leaders are chosen for their leadership skills and are wonderful ambassadors for our company and our beautiful continent and its people. Your Cook is responsible for the cooking and will help to coordinate the work groups for preparing the meals and washing up! Cooks are also responsible for organising food shopping (they are always happy to have you on board) and most importantly, they make sure high hygiene standards are kept at all times while camping. Your Driver’s main responsibility is to get you to your destination safely; they are also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles along the way. Everyone is expected participate and carry their share of the workload/duties, making camp chores easier. The duties rota system is adopted where all members share in general camp duties – cooking, shopping, washing up etc. If the whole group participates it will be quicker, easier, and more fun. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders.
• Meals: 16 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 14 dinners
• Activities: Khama Rhino Sanctuary - Sunset Game Drive Open Vehicle Okavango Delta - Mokoro Safari Gweta - Sundowner Bush Walk Victoria Falls Town - Leader-led orientation walk Chobe National Park - Open Safari Vehicle Morning Game Drive Victoria Falls – Traditional Zimbabwe Dinner Hwange National Park - 4x4 Game drive Victoria Falls - Visit Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (The Intrepid Foundation Partner) Kruger National Park - Overland Vehicle Game drive Kruger National Park - Full Day 4WD Safari
• Transport: Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. In Southern Africa some departures may use vans and luggage trailers subject to group size and vehicle availability. It is also important to note that our overland vehicles are not air-conditioned, but all vehicles have windows that can be opened to allow for fresh air. There are many early starts with long hours spent driving on rough roads on all African itineraries. While most people love the chance to watch the changing landscape and daily village life, feedback shows that long periods of inactivity does not appeal to all clients. We provide the approximate distance covered each day and how many hours this normally takes to drive so that you can choose the safari experience that is right for you. African conditions are extremely tough on vehicles. While we fastidiously maintain our vehicles at our workshops, you should not expect Africa to be your traditional touring experience. While it's certainly our aim to avoid them, it's important that you set off on your trip knowing that the occasional breakdown can happen and are best treated as part of the African adventure. Due to wet weather there may be times when we have to take an alternative route which will mean longer travel times. Overland vehicle, Mokoro, 4WD safari vehicle
• Accommodation: Accommodation on this trip is mainly in two-person canvas dome tents with camping mattresses supplied. The type and variety of accommodation are determined by conditions on each of our routes. Each route is different - on some, we use a mixture of campsites and wild camps; on others, we also use hotels. In Africa, it's not usually practical to camp when staying in towns and cities, so we use hotel accommodations and eat out in local restaurants. There may be the occasional night stop when we stay on the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite, which may also have rooms/cabins available. In this case, there may be a choice of camping or upgrading to a room. Rooms cost approximately USD : 40-100 per room per night for a twin room and cannot be pre-booked. Standards of these rooms vary greatly, and we recommend viewing the room before purchasing the night's accommodation. The day-by-day itinerary advises when upgrades may be possible (subject to availability). Keep in mind that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you may have to share with other passengers or be split into same-sex rooms. Campsites do have facilities, but they usually aren't to the same standard you would find in Western countries. For example, the bathroom facilities can be very basic. Toilet paper is rarely provided, and shower facilities can be as simple as a hose pipe spurting out cold water. Wild camps have no facilities at all. At times, there may be spare tents in the vehicles. Unfortunately, these cannot be used without the purchase of a single supplement. This is to ensure the tents avoid wear and tear or are clean and ready for the customers arriving on the next section of the trip. Hotel (1 night), Camping (with facilities) (13 nights), Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights)

How travellers rate it

Your free day in Johannesburg

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Common questions