Sol del Sur | 22 días por tierra de Ciudad del Cabo a las cataratas Victoria

Today is spent exploring the Mother City with an included tour of Cape Point.  We take some time to take in the natural beauty of Cape Town, including the spectacular fynbos plants and growth - we might even see some baboons loitering around in the area! We will spend the night in dorm rooms at Never@Home (or similar) with shared ablution facilities. 

As we get moving, we head around Table Bay and continue north through the wheat growing ‘bread basket’ of South Africa.  We cross the Piekenierskloof Pass into the rich fruit growing area along the Olifants River, named for the vast Elephant herds that used to roam in this fertile valley. Our first night is spent in a picturesque campsite called Highlanders (or similar) using shared ablution facilities, with a view of the surrounding wine farms. Tonight, camping clients camp under a canvass of stars – the perfect way to begin our African adventure.

From the Cederberg, we travel further north through the region known as Namaqualand, well known for its prolific display of Namaqua wildflowers that occur each spring.  After stopping for supplies in the small town of Springbok, we continue on through the desert area of the Richtersveld to the Gariep River, the natural land border between South Africa and Namibia, where our camping clients will camp at a beautiful campsite with shared ablution facilities (or similar) on the South African bank of the river.

Today we cross into Namibia where, after a short drive, we reach the Fish River Canyon.  At 161 km long, 27 km wide and about 550 m deep, it’s the second largest canyon in the world.  The outer canyon was formed by tectonic activity, while the erosion of the Fish River formed the inner canyon.  A road follows the eastern rim, giving us access to several viewing points from where we can take in the spectacular vistas.  We will camp at Canyon Roadhouse (or similar) with shared ablution facilities.­ ­

An early start today, heading north we enter the area of the Namib-Naukluft desert, one of the oldest in the world.  We base ourselves at Sesriem, a good place to experience the Namib and its many moods.  A short distance away is Sossusvlei, surrounded by a dramatic array of sand dunes reputed to be the highest in the world.  Magnificent views of the desert can be seen from the top of the dunes, some over 300 m high.  Make sure you look up at the stars tonight; the desert puts on a show like nowhere else in the world! Tonight and tomorrow night we camp at Oasis & Desert Camp (or similar)with shared ablution facilities.

This morning we enter the Namib-Naukluft National Park where we spend the morning exploring this amazing area.  We take some time to climb to the top of Dune 45 - a truly memorable experience.  Following our once in a lifetime experience you will take the desert shuttles a further 5kms into the desert where you can take a walk to Sossusvlei and explore the surrounding area.

This morning after breakfast we head off in a north-westerly direction to meet the Atlantic Ocean at Walvis Bay. Our drive takes us across the Tropic of Capricorn – the ‘imaginary line’ that shows the southernmost point of direct sun, and signals the southern hemisphere’s mid-summers day. From Walvis Bay, we follow the coast for some 35 km to arrive at Namibia’s prime holiday resort – Swakopmund, where we enjoy 2 nights of rest, relaxation and a little bit of adrenalin for those that are keen!  Accommodation will be at Amanpuri Lodge (or similar) in dorm rooms with shared ablution facilities. 

Founded by the Germans in 1892, their colonial influence is still evident today.  Swakopmund has a selection of excellent coffee shops, restaurants & bars as well as many arts and crafts shops selling Namibian curios.  There are fine beaches to walk along as well as a great museum, aquarium and galleries to visit.  Alternatively, the lovely beach and promenade make for a great relaxing walk – though bathing in the ocean waters may be somewhat chilly! 

Optional Activities: Sky diving, quad biking, sand boarding, scenic desert flights, dolphin cruises, fishing trips, golf, horse riding and more. An activity briefing will be held on arrival in Swakopmund 

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Our departure from Swakopmund takes us through the ‘Matterhorn of Namibia’ - Spitzkoppe.  The 1728m high rock formation, one of Namibia’s most recognised landmarks, is well known as an ancient San sacred site. Explore the surrounding area and its San rock paintings or simply enjoy the magnificent views.  After our visit to Spitzkoppe we head off to our next destination – Brandberg. 

The Brandberg is famous for numerous rock paintings by indigenous African people, The San. The San are also known as the Bushmen.  Some of the painting are up to 4000 years old.  The painting feature warriors, hunters and many different animals. Tonight we will be camping at Brandberg Rest Camp (or similar) with shared ablution facilities.

Today’s drive takes us further north through the Namibian countryside to our campsite, located in the vicinity of the National Park. Covering 22 700 km2, Etosha is Namibia’s premier nature and wildlife reserve. Situated around the Etosha Pan with a large variety of animal and bird life, the extensive network of gravel roads affords us the opportunity of accessing even the most remote areas of the park. 

We spend the day exploring the park. Keep an eye out for the striking Oryx and Springbok as these are endemic to desert National Parks! We make our way across the park, keeping a look out for the many different mammals, reptiles, birds and insects in the various regions. As the vegetation types change, so does the animal and bird life that relies on it, and so different sections of the Park offer a variety of different game options. After a full day of game viewing, we spend the evening relaxing at our camp.  After dinner why not head to the waterhole where you can sit and observe the animals may come to drink in the evenings. These nights we spend camping at Etosha Villlage campsite (or similar) with shared ablution facilities.

After our breakfast, we head out of the park while doing a game drive. Today’s drive will take us through small rural towns and scenic landscapes. Nestled between the hills, Windhoek is a rather small capital city but has many places of historical interest. This afternoon is spent at your leisure with time to visit the local museum or haggling at the street side markets. There are also many shops for those in need of a bit of retail therapy.  Tonight we stay at Avani Hotel (or similar) in twin share rooms with en-suite bathroom facilities.

BOTSWANA

The size of this successful country can be compared to countries such as Kenya or France, and fairly smaller than Texas. Botswana is a landlocked country with borders such as South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe which can all be crossed overland. For such a small country, it boasts an array of spectacular game viewing opportunities such as, hundreds of elephants splashing in the Chobe River and the Okavango Delta and its maze of lagoons. 

This morning we depart early as we prepare to leave Namibia behind us as we enter into the beautiful Botswana. Ghanzi is a town in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. Optional activities include a number of activities to interact with the San / Bushman, and to discover how they survived in the Kalahari. Camping clients will camp at Tautona (or similar) with shared ablution facilities.

Maun is the starting point for travel into the Delta and it is from here that we set off to explore the Okavango Delta. Your trip leader will brief you fully on what is needed, and what to expect prior to your day trip to the Delta. Tonight we camp at Sitatunga (or similar) with shared ablution facilites.

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OKAVANGO DELTA

The Delta is a huge expanse of water, which has travelled from the Angolan highlands, spreading out to form the largest inland delta in the world.  Studded with exotic islands, The Delta is renowned for its incredible variety of bird life and animals and is unique to Southern Africa. 

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All you have to do is sit back, relax and have your camera as you get guided through the dozens of mazes. The Okavango Delta is a bird lover’s paradise enjoyed by all, best explored by foot and mokoro. With over 400 species of birds, 70 species of fish and an abundance of wildlife, your experience in the delta will leave you wanting to explore the whole of Africa.

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The Delta region is studded with many local villages where many families live in a traditional way. Some of the villages are very remote and can only be reached by the traditional mode of transport – the Mokoro. Mokoros are dugout canoes manoeuvred through the waterways by local guides who “pole” them through the reeds. At the Mokoro station, we meet our ‘Polers’ and pack our supplies before heading out into the waterways. 

After our Mokoro ride and vehicle transfer, we arrive back and have the chance to complete our picture of the Okavango Delta by taking an optional scenic flight over The Delta (dependent on weather conditions & availability). Tonight is our last night staying at Sitatunga (or similar).

We leave this beautiful part of Botswana behind us this morning.  Our drive will take us through a very unpopulated landscape where the donkeys roam freely. From Botswana, we head to the lush campsite called Elephant Sands (or similar) with shared ablution facilities. At our campsite plenty of different types of wildlife roam freely, it is truly the experience of a lifetime to see such a diverse collection of wild animals.  This is an elephant-lover’s paradise and elephants can frequently be spotted at the waterhole.  

We travel north to the town of Kasane where we set up camp on the banks of the Chobe River.  The Chobe River forms a border between Botswana and Namibia and Zambia and is the main water source to the Chobe National Park.  Elephant, hippo and many bird species can be viewed from the campsite while we watch another glorious African sunset.  Listen out for the resident hippos!  Tonight we spend camping at Thebe River (or similar) with shared ablution facilities, after our Chobe sunset cruise

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ZIMBABWE

This landlocked country is situated in the southern part of Africa, between the mighty Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. The word Zimbabwe is believed to have two meanings, 1) it is believed the word Zimbabwe is derived from dzimba-dza-mabwe, which means “large house of stone” in the Shona (Karanga Dialect) language. 2) It is also believed to be derived from the word dzimba-hwe which means venerated houses in the Zezuru dialect of Shona.

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Once returning to camp, we get back on our truck and continue to the border of Zimbabwe. Once we’ve completed border formalities, we have a short drive to the nearby Victoria Falls. Named after the famous World Heritage site and Water Falls, the town of Victoria Falls is situated on the Zambezi River and surrounded by the Victoria Falls National Park. Our lodging is conveniently situated in the centre of town, and within walking distance of the adventure booking agents, restaurants and shops. 

The next 2 days are spent relaxing or participating in a myriad of Optional Excursions.  

A short walk down the main road takes you to the entry point to view the falls, which are situated between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders), was named by David Livingstone on his explorations, and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Your trip includes entry to the Victoria Falls National Park. 

At 1700m wide and around 100m high, this is the world's largest sheet of falling water and a memorable sight on any African Safari!  After our adventure activities briefing, the afternoon is spent relaxing at the campsite, viewing the Victoria Falls, or exploring the many sights and delights of this town!  The last nights of our trip we camp at Shearwater lodge (or similar) with shared ablution facilities.

Our trip ends this morning, with enough time to exchange numbers before we all go on our separate ways. 

Optional Activities: Adrenalin junkies can bungee from the Victoria Falls Bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia or abseil down the Batoka Gorge - neither activity is for the faint hearted!  All year round, flights in fixed wing, micro light and ultra-light aircraft or helicopters provide an aerial perspective over this magnificent World Heritage Site.  White water rafting on the Zambezi is world class.  Beside the excitement of the Grade 5 rapids, there are the "floats," where there is time to admire the scenic cliffs and the occasional wildlife on the riverbanks.