Kruger To Kenya - 33 Days

Tuesday. Welcome to South Africa! Upon arrival in Johannesburg, you will be met and transferred to the Mufasa Backpackers Lodge. There will be a pre-departure meeting at 17:00.

Jo'burg - Kruger. Today we depart for Kruger National Park, where our camp for the next two nights is located. Here in one of Africa's largest game reserves, we'll pass through part of the scenic Panorama Route, and hopefully spot some of the hippos, giraffes, zebras and impalas which call the park home. On day 2 we also take a night game drive. The following day we explore Kruger in our safari truck.

Kruger - Polokwane. A long drive today takes us past some of South Africa's best viewpoints, including the spectacular green cliffs of the Blyde River Canyon and breathtaking God's Window. We'll eventually reach Polokwane, the capital of Limpopo and a major transit point. Our campsite for the night is located just outside the city.

Polokwane - Tshipise. Today we continue our journey north toward the border with Zimbabwe. Sit back and enjoy the changing scenery on this long drive to the beautiful town of Tshipise. Located between rolling hills and well known for it’s natural hot water springs, Tshipise has various walking trails to enjoy or you can relax in the pools this evening.

Tshipise – Masvingo. We cross the border into Zimbabwe this morning, a truly beautiful country with incredible history and tradition. Arriving to the town of Masvingo, our stop for the night, we then head out to explore the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. According to legend these ruins were the capital of the Queen of Sheba and were inhabited by the Bantu civilization of the Shona between the 11th and 15th century. You’ll have an opportunity to explore these incredible ruins, including the 8 statues of stone birds carefully carved from soapstone, before we return to our campsite for the evening.

Masvingo – Bulawayo. Departing Masavingo we head north to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city. With wide sweeping roads and with several the buildings still retaining their British Colonial feel there is lots to see and do in Bulawayo. During your free time you might want to visit the Natural History Museum, the National Arts Gallery or the Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre.

This morning we head for Matobo National Park, one of the few remaining areas in the world inhabited with both Black and White Rhino. Within the park there is also a high concentration of the elusive leopard and impressive black eagle. The ancient San inhabitants of this area are also evidenced by some incredible rock paintings located within the national park. We’ll enjoy the day exploring this fascinating and often unique geological, ecological and historic area. Later we return to our campsite near Bulawayo.

Bulawayo - Hwange National Park. We head northwest today to Zimbabwe’s largest and longest running reserve, Hwange National Park, on day 9. Well known for it’s abundance and variety of wildlife including thousands of elephants and rare antelope species such as Sable and Roan Antelope. Hopefully you’ll spot some of these stunning creatures on our game drive today. On day 10 we’ll enjoy a full day exploring Hwange National Park. Covering an area of over 5,600 square miles, Hwange was founded in 1928 as a game reserve and became a National Park in 1961, it is home to 400 species of bird and 107 types of animal. On our game drives today we’ll hope to spot some of these animals, including lions, cheetahs, giraffe and hyenas.

Hwange National Park - Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe). This morning we continue to the border of Zimbabwe and our destination Victoria Falls. A 20 minute walk from our campsite takes you to the entry point of the falls. 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. Later we relax at the campsite’s swimming pool, view the Victoria Falls, or explore the many sights and delights of this town!

Enjoy the next two days at leisure in Victoria Falls, relaxing or staying active with a variety of optional excursions. Take a flight across the Falls, play a round of golf at the Elephant Hills Resort, try whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River, or maybe even bungee jump from the 111m-high Bridge if you're feeling a little brave!

Victoria Falls - Chobe NP (Botswana). We return to Botswana today, driving back to Kasane. After lunch, we depart for our overnight excursion in Chobe National Park. On a game drive, we'll keep an eye out for the majestic antelopes and elephant herds which inhabit the park.

Chobe NP - Livingstone (Zambia). We head out early to search for wildlife, before packing up and returning to Kasane. We then head for Livingstone, passing the farming towns of southern Zambia along the way. There will be plenty of photo opportunities as we see the Falls from the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, followed by the option of a sunset dinner cruise on the Zambezi River.

Livingstone - Lusaka Area. Early this morning we head north, passing through more villages and towns. Zambia's economy has recovered significantly since the decline of the copper industry in the 1970s, although there are still apparent gaps in development between the cities - boosted by foreign investment - and smaller towns.

Lusaka Area - South Luangwa NP. Moving east, we depart for South Luangwa National Park this morning. This stunning park, founded in 1938, has an area of over 9000 km2, enclosing lush vegetation and hundreds of animals such as giraffes, buffalos and elephants.

South Luangwa NP - Lake Malawi Beaches (Malawi). Today we cross the border and enter Malawi, a small landlocked country known as the 'Warm Heart of Africa' for its friendliness. After a stop in the capital Lilongwe, we head for Lake Malawi, where we'll camp first at the central Lake, and then in the northern area for the next 3 days. Spend your days learning the board game of bao from the locals, or watch the fishermen on the glimmering lake from the sandy beaches.

Lake Malawi Beaches - Iringa (Tanzania). Leaving Malawi, we cross the border at Songwe into Tanzania. Our drive will take us through the Tukuyu tea and banana plantations to Iringa, where our farmhouse campsite offers Amarula hot chocolates and warm showers!

Iringa - Dar es Salaam. An early start today takes us through Mikumi National Park to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest and most vibrant city. Enjoy a night of rest at our seaside campsite, preparing for tomorrow's optional excursion to Zanzibar.

Dar es Salaam - Zanzibar. Today marks the start of our 3-night excursion to the 'Spice Island' of Zanzibar, an important port for East African traders in the Middle Ages. Explore the Arabic-influenced historic Stone Town, make a day trip to a spice plantation or Prison Island, or indulge in fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean at one of the many markets & restaurants.

Zanzibar - Dar es Salaam. We leave this afternoon and return to Dar es Salaam for one more evening.

Dar es Salaam - Pangani - Arusha. On day 28 we drive north to the coastal town of Pagnani, and continue to Arusha the next day. Mountain ranges will be a major feature of the journey - we pass the Pare and Usambara ranges, as well as the town of Moshi, at the base of towering Mount Kilimanjaro. Tonight's campsite is located on the outskirts of Arusha.

Arusha - Serengeti & Ngorongoro . Our 3-day excursion to Ngorongoro Crater & Serengti National Park begins today from Arusha. The excursion takes us up the Rift Valley Escarpment to the village of Karatu, with its panoramic hill views and wheat farms, where we'll camp for the evening. The following morning we depart early for the Ngorongoro Crater, home to some of the best game viewing in Africa – and maybe find the elusive Black Rhino on a game drive. Our next stop is Serengeti National Park, where we game drive across the plains. Tonight's bush camp (with no ablutions) will be an unforgettable adventure in the wild. In the morning, another game drive will hopefully take us to see some of Africa’s ‘Big 5’!

Arusha - Nairobi (Kenya). Early this morning, we head for the Tanzania-Kenya border, continuing to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, where our safari ends. We recommend staying an extra night in Nairobi in case of delays, and to see the many sights the city has to offer.