25-day Kruger Victoria Falls to Cape Town Accommodated

Leaving the city of Pretoria behind, we travel to South Africas picturesque Mpumalanga province on our way to Hazyview on the outskirts of the central Kruger National ParkThis evening we enjoy an evening around the fire with the Shangaan tribe as they dance and sing.

Waking early, we board our open 4x4 safari vehicles and drive to the park gates. Kruger is home to over 505 species of birds, 148 species of mammals and many reptiles which we enthusiastically search for with binoculars and camera at hand during the morning and afternoon. Game drives in Kruger are conducted by local guides who know the many tracks, hideouts and the seasonal movements of the animals well. We take a well-deserved lunch break en-route before game driving out of the park to our accommodation for the night.

We leave Hazyview and the Greater Kruger area and travel north through South Africas lush and unique countryside to Tshipise, a town situated in the northern Limpopo province. Our accommodation is located at Forever Resorts. This resort is situated at the foot of one of Limpopos rolling koppies adjacent to the Honnet Nature Reserve and offers hot springs for swimming.

After a refreshing nights sleep, we make our way across the border to Zimbabwe and on to Matobo. We stop in Bulawayo for supplies before heading to our campsite.

After a refreshing nights sleep, we meet our local guides and board open safari vehicles for our adventure into Matobo National Park. The reserve has the largest concentration of Black and White Rhino in Africa and, provided conditions are right, our guides will lead us on foot to some of the more concealed places in search of these magnificent animals. The park also has the densest population of leopard and black eagle in the world and one of the most impressive amounts of rock art in Southern Africa dating back at least 13,000 years. Leaving the park, we make our way back to Bulawayo and our accommodation for the night.

Our journey continues north through the town of Victoria Falls across the border into neighbouring Zambia and the town of Livingstone. Our accommodation, The Victoria Falls Waterfront is situated on the banks of the Zambezi River and offers a restaurant and small deck/terrace overlooking the river and the booking point for the numerous optional activities available in the area. Staff will give a full briefing on what can be booked - whitewater rafting, canoeing, bungy jumping, abseiling, gorge swinging, horse riding, scenic flights and river cruises, just to name a few. Choose your activity at leisure, if time allows or else simply relax and enjoy the picturesque surroundings. A visit to the Mosi Oa Tunya National Park is included in your tour. At over a mile wide and some 100 metres deep the Falls at high water form the largest curtain of falling water in the world with spray visible from 20 kilometres away hence the local name Mosi Oa Tunya, or smoke that thunders.

We have a free day in Livingstone today to explore the optional activities, town and markets or simply relax by the poolside at the Waterfront. The perfect time to catch up on your social media and share your experiences.

This morning we leave Livingstone and travel the short distance to the Botswana border and onto the town of Kasane. This quaint town is the gateway to Chobe National Park. By size, Chobe is the third largest park in the country and is the most diverse - home to elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, hippo and prolific birdlife. In the afternoon we join a cruise on the Chobe River to view the abundance of wildlife coming into drink at the waters edge.

We head out to explore the Chobe National Park in an open vehicle game drive where we may have the opportunity to spot not only elephant that are so prolific in the park, but also lion and different antelope species. Moving on from Chobe we continue south and may still encounter elephant and buffalo alongside the road. We arrive to our camp in the afternoon. There are no fences and wildlife roams freely. Many groups report seeing elephant and antelope at close proximity from the campsite - a very relaxing way to view wildlife!

We leave Elephant Sands and make our way to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Although officially still a village, Maun has developed rapidly from a rural frontier town to a community and thriving tourist town that has spread along the wide banks of the Thamalakane River. This is an area where red lechwe antelope can still be seen grazing alongside local donkeys, goats and cattle. Our accommodation is based outside the town and its here we relax and pack for our nights adventure into the wilds of the Okavango Delta.

Leaving early, we begin our excursion into the Okavango Delta in an open 4x4 safari vehicles to the mokoro station. Here we will be introduced to the local Tswana Polers who will be our guides for our overnight expedition. We travel by mokoro dugout canoe amongst the giant lily pads in search of resident wildlife as we meander the labyrinthine of channels to our tented camp. The Okavango Delta is a natural wetland spreading over some 1.6million hectares and offers a perfect habitat for the many species of wildlife that roam here freely. We enjoy a late afternoon wilderness experience by foot to further explore our surrounds and overnight under canvas listening to the sounds of the African night for an unforgettable experience!

Rising to the sounds of the wild we enjoy our breakfast and then take an easy paced mokoro ride out of the Okavango Delta back to the polers station from where we will drive back to Maun. We aim to get back to Maun around lunch time allowing the opportunity to enjoy an optional scenic flight over this spectacular UNESCO world heritage site. Alternatively, the afternoon can be spent at leisure at the pool and bar area.

Today we make our way via Ghanzi, skirting the northern part of Kalahari Desert to Namibia. After formalities at the border, our accommodation is based a short distance from the entry post. Here, in this midst of seemingly barren terrain - we meet the San/Bushman and have a guided bush walk for a cultural experience and insight into these ancient peoples way of life. Around the campfire at night, you can experience the ancient dance rituals of the San/Bushman. On special occasions, this could be a healing or trance dance, which can continue all night and is an intense spiritual experience.

Today we make our way to the capital Windhoek. Windhoek is small compared to most capital cities with a population of around 200,000. The city centre is characterised by a proliferation of German-style buildings, a lasting reminder of Namibias early colonial history. Take the opportunity to enjoy a night out at one of the local restaurants or visit the famous Joes Beer House.

We travel north from Windhoek to Etosha National Park a vast reserve of over 20,000 sq km surrounding a central salt pan and home to over 114 mammals and 340 bird species. On arrival, we enjoy a game drive en-route to our accommodation, which is situated near a floodlit waterhole allowing us to game view from the camp after dark. Observers frequently see a range of night visitors including elephant, giraffe, zebra, even lion and hyena that come in to have a drink.

Today, we enjoy a full day game driving in this magnificent animal kingdom - taking in the parks main characteristic, the salt pan and the abundance of wildlife that drink at the waterholes that dot the park. After a full day game driving, we return to our accommodation in the evening to enjoy our last evening around the floodlit watering holes, observing natural animal behaviour at its best.

We game drive out of Etosha National Park and turn south making our way to the beautiful Damaraland region where we spend a night under canvas at the breathtaking Spitzkoppe . The giant boulder-like rock formations reach a peak at some 1800m above sea level and create a spectacular view. Take your time to explore the area where ancient bushman paintings are still visible at the Bushman Paradise and dont forget to keep an eye on the ever changing colour of the rock, especially during sunrise and sunset, when they acquire intense red shades.

With the mighty Spitzkoppe at our back, we make our way to the Atlantic coast and to Swakopmund. This quaint town offers exciting things to do and places to explore. Try some adventure desert-based activities like quad biking, sand boarding, skydiving weather permitting. For those seeking a quieter time here, enjoy the other side of Swakopmund shops, restaurants, museums, the aquarium, art galleries or simply walk along the promenade admiring the cool breeze of the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful German-style architecture.

Today is a free day to enjoy all this quaint seaside town has to offer - from the many optional activities to the German patisseries, cafs and restaurants.

Continuing south, we cross over the Tropic of Capricorn, stopping for a photo opportunity en-route to our desert camp where we will spend the night under canvas. Situated on the northern outskirts of the great Namib Desert, youll find the stars in this remote wilderness absolutely unforgettable! So grab your star-map-app and see if you can find the great constellations!

Rising early, we leave our camp and make our way to the Namib Naukluft National Park to trek to the top of the famous Dune 45, rising 170m high! Bring your camera the shifting colours of the desert as the sun climbs throughout the morning offers some brilliant photographic opportunities. After a well-earned breakfast, we continue deeper into the park for a short shuttle ride and nature walk to Dead Vlei, amidst the giant sand dunes. Departing from the dunes, we stop off at the smaller Sesriem Canyon where the multiple layers of rock and pebbles make for an interesting insight into what lies beneath this desolate area. Its then off to our accommodation for the night.

Moving on, we head south through barren and rocky landscapes and desert succulents to the worlds second largest canyon. Fish River Canyon is one of the natural wonders of Africa, some 500m deep and over 160km long and we spend time exploring the majestic views from the rim and visit the canyons infamous sharp river bend known as Hells Corner.

Leaving the majestic Fish River Canyon area we travel south to the Gariep Orange River. Our accommodation lies on the banks of the river on the Namibian side. On arrival, we have the opportunity to partake in an optional canoe safari on the river to see the striking Richtersveld scenery, or simply relax on the waters edge.

Crossing into South Africa, we continue south through rocky outcrops and the famous Namaqualand, well known for its prolific display of wildflowers that bloom in the spring best seen between August September. Our accommodation is nestled against a hill overlooking the Olifants River with views of the vast Cederberg Mountains. It is here we have the opportunity to sample some of the beautiful wines of the region and celebrate our last night together.

Packing for the last time, we drive to Cape Town where our tour ends. There are many things to do and see in Cape Town - we recommend booking a few nights post-tour accommodations to have an opportunity to explore these fully.