Southern Africa Adventure

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 · Cape TownCape Town

   

   Arrive in Cape Town for a welcome meeting at 6 pm. Before then, explore the city on foot—Newlands Forest, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, and the Cape Town Stadium at the waterfront are all worth visiting. Your leader will point you toward the best dinner spots for a group meal.

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   Day 2Western Cape

   Travel through the Western Cape countryside and stay on a working farm. The landscape here is remote and best explored on foot, so wander around the nearby mountains and farms if time allows before settling in for the evening.

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   Day 3 · NamaqualandOrange River

   Journey to the Orange River, which forms the natural border between South Africa and Namibia. On the way, pass through Namaqualand, famous for wildflowers blooming from late July to mid-September. The Orange River stretches 2200 km from the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho to the Atlantic at Alexander Bay.

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   Day 4 · Orange RiverFish River Canyon

   Start with an optional canoe adventure on the Orange River, drifting leisurely downstream. Then head west into Namibia's desert toward Fish River Canyon—500 m deep and over 160 km long, one of the world's largest canyons. Watch the granite rocks shift colour at sunset.

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   Day 5 · SesriemSesriem

   A long driving day toward Namibia's famous dunes. Stop at a market to stock up on supplies for the bush camp ahead. Arrive at Sesriem, in the heart of the Namib Desert near the spectacular dune fields, and get an early night before tomorrow's dawn hike.

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   Day 6 · SossusvleiSossusvlei

   

   Wake before dawn to scramble up the dunes for sunrise across a vast sea of sand. Some of the world's highest dunes shift colour as daylight arrives. After brunch, jump in a pickup truck to Sossusvlei, a salt and clay pan nearby, then drive to your bush camp in the Namib Desert.

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   Day 7 · SwakopmundSwakopmund

   Continue to Swakopmund, boxed in by the Namib Desert dunes and the Atlantic Ocean. The town has a distinctive German-Namibian atmosphere. Browse the Swakopmund Museum, Namibia's largest private museum, which covers zoology, geology and technology.

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   Day 8 · SwakopmundSwakopmund

   A free day in Swakopmund. Explore the Germanic architecture and shop for souvenirs, or visit the lighthouse and museum for history and culture. Adventure-seekers can take advantage of the town's outdoor activities—it's Namibia's adventure-sports capital.

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   Day 9 · SwakopmundSwakopmund

   Another free day in this seaside town for reading, relaxing and swimming. Alternatively, visit the Okakambe Trails or Camel Farm, both about 12 km east of town. A horse or camel ride offers a different perspective on the desert.

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    Day 10 · Cape CrossSpitzkoppe

    

    Travel to Spitzkoppe, also called the Matterhorn of Namibia, along the Atlantic Coast. Stop at Cape Cross to see thousands of olive-coloured seals. Hike around Spitzkoppe's wild landscape and view ancient Bushmen rock art paintings. Watch the dazzling sunset from your bush camp.

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    Day 11 · Etosha National ParkEtosha National Park

    

    Head to Etosha National Park, one of the world's best wildlife viewing destinations. Black rhino, Hartmann's mountain zebra, black-faced impala, roan antelope and tiny Damara dik-diks roam freely. An optional evening game drive precedes your night at Okaukuejo Camp, which overlooks a floodlit waterhole.

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    Day 12 · Etosha National ParkEtosha National Park

    Spend a full day on a game drive in Etosha. Constructed waterholes and large, sparsely vegetated pans make wildlife viewing relatively straightforward. Protected against poaching, the park holds significant populations of elephants, antelope and other herbivores. Sleep at Namutoni Camp.

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    Day 13 · Etosha National ParkGrootfontein/San People

    Leave Etosha and drive to camp 50 km outside Grootfontein, your base for meeting the San people tomorrow. Settle in, swim if you like, and relax with your group.

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    Day 14 · GrootfonteinGrootfontein

    Take a 180-km round-trip walk with the San people. Listen to their stories and songs, and hear their unique Khoisan 'clicking' dialect. The San are southern Africa's oldest ethnic group, having lived here for roughly 20,000 years. Around 2000 still follow a traditional way of life in Namibia today.

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    Day 15 · BaganiBagani

    Head to Bagani, a small, friendly town where you'll camp. Relax and watch the sunset over the Okavango River. You may spot hippos grunting as they emerge from the water to graze. This area is the homestead of the local Mbukushu kings.

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    Day 16 · Okavango DeltaOkavango Delta

    

    Cross the border into Botswana and drive south along the Okavango Panhandle to Sepopa. Leave your vehicle and travel by boat into the delta to an island bush camp. Punt past birds and lily pads while hippos grunt peacefully around you.

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    Day 17 · Okavango DeltaOkavango Delta

    After breakfast, board a mokoro—a small dugout canoe poled by a local tribesman—to explore the delta's meandering waterways. Take a short guided nature walk to learn about the area's history and spot birds and occasionally elephants. Return by boat to Sepopa Camp.

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    Day 18 · BaganiBagani
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    Day 19 · BaganiChobe National Park

    
20. 20
    Day 20 · Chobe National ParkChobe National Park
21. 21
    Day 21 · Victoria FallsVictoria Falls

    
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    Day 22 · Victoria FallsVictoria Falls
23. 23
    Day 23 · Victoria FallsHwange National Park

    
24. 24
    Day 24 · BulawayoMatobo National Park

    
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    Day 25 · Matobo National ParkMatobo National Park
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    Day 26 · TshipiseTshipise
27. 27
    Day 27Makushu Village
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    Day 28 · Kruger National ParkKruger National Park

    
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    Day 29 · Kruger National ParkKruger National Park
30. 30
    Day 30 · Blyde River Canyon Nature ReserveJohannesburg

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: 26 breakfasts, 16 lunches, 23 dinners
• Activities: Fish River Canyon - Canyon Entry Sossusvlei - 4WD Tour Sesriem - Sunrise Sand Dune Visit Cape Cross Nature Reserve - Seal Colony View Point Etosha National Park - Overland Vehicle Safari Grootfontein - San Bushman Cultural Experience Okavango Delta - Boat Safari Okavango Delta - Mokoro Safari Okavango Delta - Nature Walk Chobe National Park - Dawn 4WD Safari Victoria Falls - Visit Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (The Intrepid Foundation Partner) Hwange National Park - Guided 4x4 Game Drive Hwange - Painted Dog Conservation visit Matobo National Park - Rhino Tracking Matobo National Park - San Rock Paintings Matobo National Park - Whovi Game Park Makushu Homestay - Beading, Cooking or Dancing Kruger - Visit to Black Mambas HQ Kruger National Park - Full Day 4WD Safari Panorama Route - Bourke's Luck Potholes
• 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, 4WD Safari Vehicle, Mokoro
• 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., If you require a Sleep Apnea Machine to sleep please ensure that it is battery operated. Lodges and Permanent Tented Camps are often powered by generators which are turned off during the night. Camping (with facilities) (21 nights), Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night), Camping (without facilities) (1 night), Camping (with shared facilities) (1 night), Chalet (3 nights), Hotel (1 night), Homestay (1 night)

How travellers rate it

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