Great Trans-African Lodge Safari

On arrival at Windhoek Airport, you will be met and transferred to your accommodation. The rest of the afternoon may be spent at leisure. This evening you will meet your guide and the rest of your group at the hotel at 18h00 for your pre-departure meeting.

Departure: 07h00
Distance: 280 km

Moving south you make your way towards the Namib Naukluft National Park and your accommodation for the next two nights, Agama River Camp. The park contains what is considered to be the oldest desert in the world. The next morning you need to wake up early to visit the world’s highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. These dunes, which can reach heights of over 300m, are absolutely spectacular and provide for a fantastic photo opportunity. With luck, there may even be water in the vlei (lake). We also stop to view the Sesriem Canyon, which was carved millions of years ago by the Tsauchab River. (BLD)

Departure: 07h00
Distance: 350 km

The day is spent driving through the Namib Naukluft National Park on your way to Swakopmund. The Namib-Naukluft Desert is an ancient land with an ageless spirit. It is home to some of the rarest plant and animal species in the world. Sightings of the unique fauna and flora are a must on a Namibian safari. The animals of this harsh landscape include the oryx, springbok and Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra. Enroute you will make a stop in the small town of Walvis Bay where you may spot a variety of birds including flamingo’s in the lagoon. You arrive at the charming coastal town of Swakopmund in the late afternoon, where you will have the opportunity soak up the atmosphere of this quaint, little German town and enjoy its beauty and beaches. Depending on the time of arrival, half day optional activities can be arranged. (BL)

On day 5 you will have the opportunity to visit a local urban sustainability centre and explore the ways in which they preserve energy, water, waste and biodiversity, on a semi guided tour. The rest of the day you will have the opportunity to partake in optional activities or alternatively just soak up the atmosphere of this little quaint German town and enjoy its beauty and beaches. (B)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 500 km

Leaving the cold Atlantic coastline behind, you continue your journey towards Namibia’s best-known highlight of the north – Etosha National Park. The first night is spent at your lodge neighbouring the park, situated on an outcrop of dolomite rocks and overlooking a forest of Mopane and white Seringa trees. Spend the afternoon relaxing at the pool, or take a leisurely stroll through the natural bush and gardens. Optional game drives are also available. (BD)

Departure: 07h00
Distance: 170 km

After breakfast you will enter the Etosha National Park via the Andersson gate, named after Karl Johan Andersson, one of the first European explorers to come across the Etosha pan, which means “Great White Place” in the Ndonga dialect of the Ovambo tribe. You will fill the next two days with game drives in the hopes of spotting lion, leopard, elephant and rhino as well as cheetah, giraffe, zebra and the numerous types of antelope the park has to offer. Your nights are spent at the flood-lit waterholes or viewpoints encountering the park’s various nocturnal animals that come to drink. Etosha was declared a National Park in 1907 and it is home to approx. 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish. (BD)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 595 km

Departing from Etosha you drive into Bushmanland and take a guided visit to the Living Museum of the Ju’Hoansi-San, a local Bushmen community who offer you the opportunity to participate in their daily activities. The Living Museum is an authentic open-air museum where guests can learn about the traditional culture and the original way of living of the San people. A walk is taken in the vicinity of the village with the hunters to search for bush food, watch them prepare snares and ropes and start a fire the Ju/’Hoansi way. After lunch in the shade of the trees, your journey continues to the town of Rundu as you make your way to Kaisosi River Lodge on the banks of the Okavango River. You will arrive in the late afternoon to relax by the pool with a sundowner listening to the sounds of Mother Nature. (BLD)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 210 km

This morning you travel eastwards onto your camp in the western Caprivi region, Nunda River Lodge. Before departure however, there will be time for optional activities such as an early morning boat cruise at the lodge or a visit to the Mbunza Living Museum, a traditional cultural school and communal business for the local Kavango people. Continue to your lodge situated on the banks of the Okavango River. In the late afternoon enjoy a sunset cruise to Popa Falls. (BLD)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 50 km

In the morning you drive to Mahangu, meaning ‘food of the local people’, which is situated next to the Okavango River. Enjoy a morning game drive in the Greater Bwabwata National Park, which extends from the Kavango River in the west to the Kwando River in the east and incorporates the Mahangu Game Reserve. Elephant, roan, kudu and buffalo are amongst the animals likely to be seen as well as prolific birdlife. In the afternoon return to your lodge and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. (BLD)

Departure: 07h00
Distance: 430 km

You leave the Caprivi and travel south to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. The name Maun is derived from the San word “maung”, which means “the place of short reeds”. The afternoon is yours to spend at leisure, either relaxing next to the pool at the lodge or if you are keen for some excitement, why not book a scenic flight over the Okavango Delta. (BL)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 100 km

After breakfast you will be picked up by your local Botswana guides and take a short drive to the mokoro station. From here, you will float in these traditional dug-out canoes through the thick vegetation of the Okavango Delta discovering a variety of birds and wildlife. Unlike other deltas, it flows into the Kalahari Desert without ever reaching the coast. After this spectacular excursion, you will make your way to your camp, which is situated in the Greater Moremi region. Once settled into your camp, you will enjoy dinner and embark on a night game drive in the private concession – a fantastic opportunity to spot some nocturnal animals that are more difficult to encounter during the day. (BLD)

Departure: 07h00
Distance: 150 km

You have the opportunity to spend the day on game drives. In your open 4X4 vehicle you will explore the Moremi Game Reserve on morning and afternoon game drives hopefully spotting a variety of game that frequent this region. This large area is renowned for its concentration of mammals and it is not unusual to see many different types of wildlife during just one game drive. Game viewing is seasonal; depending on the time of the year you may see different species in different areas. The best time for game viewing is the end of the dry season or spring from August to November. During this season, in order for the tour company to offer the best game viewing possible, extra driving may be required due to the animals migrating closer to the river. In the summer, birdlife can also be viewed in abundance with exceptional sightings of wildfowl and raptors. (BLD)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 420 km

You will leave the bush behind and travel east towards the Makgadikgadi Pans, once a large river fed lake, however the pans are now saline and empty. In the afternoon you visit the Nata Bird Sanctuary, where you will get the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent view over the Sowa pan, which is part of the Greater Makgadikgadi Pans (please note a visit to the pans is subject to the road conditions and water levels as well as time constraints). (BD)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 320 km

This morning you will head north to Kasane, the gateway to the Chobe National Park. Chobe, which is the second largest national park in Botswana and covers 10,566 square km, has one of the greatest concentrations of elephant found on the African continent. The afternoon is at leisure to partake in a number of optional activities or to relax by the pool. The next day you will get to see the wildlife of the Chobe National Park on a morning game drive, with the hope of spotting big game up close and also the possibility of an encounter with one of the large predators. In the afternoon you go on a cruise on the Chobe River, a truly unforgettable experience and one of the best ways to view the animals as they come down to drink, as well as the spectacular African sunset. (BD)

Departure: 08h00
Distance: 265 km

Today you make your way across the border into Zimbabwe and onto Hwange National Park where you spend the next two nights. Hwange National Park is one of Africa's finest havens for wildlife and is home to vast herds of elephant, buffalo, and zebra and has a very large concentration of giraffe. It is also home to many predators and endangered species plus varied birdlife. A full day game drive is included on the park on the second day. (BLD)

Departure: 09h00
Distance: 190 km

Continuing your trip, you turn northwards to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. In the afternoon you will have a relaxing sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River, basking in the afterglow of the day. The rest of the day may be spent at leisure or partaking in one of the many optional activities on offer (at own expense). (B)

Your safari ends after breakfast. You will be transferred to Victoria Falls Airport in time for your onward flight. (B)