Trip Highlights

Days 1 - 12 - Leaving Cape Town we head out across the Great Karoo; a beautiful semi arid area. Crossing the Orange River our first stop in the “The Big Hole” in Kimberley three tons of diamonds have been dug from 40 million tons of rock over the years just to make small rings to trap foolish men into marriage. Next is Johannesburg – “the city of gold”. Take the SOWETO tour or go deep into a gold mine on the rand. Good cinema and restaurants before heading into “the real Africa”.  Leaving Johannesburg we leave the city behind us and head off into Botswana and the small town of Palapye where we camp for the night.  This day includes the border crossing, so passports at the ready.

From Palapye we head out across part of the Kalahari Desert, the Magkadikadi and Nxai Salt Pans, a once migration route for elephants.  Entering Maun, a small town on the edge of the Okavango Delta, and prepare for the wilderness experience to come.
Pack up your own kit along with food, water and cooking and camping equipment and you’re off.  A short truck ride to the dugout canoes, called Mokoros, and you gently punt out into the delta down reed lined waterways.  Find a spot for the night and set up camp.

Up early and it’s off for a walk with the guide.  This is a rare chance to see game on foot with anything from elephants to herds of grazing zebra.  If you’re really lucky you might catch a glimpse of the red lechwe or the incredibly shy Sitatunga.
Maybe try learning how to “pole” your mokoro, or try to catch a catfish.  The guides make it look so easy, but it’s really not.  Then maybe a last swim before heading back to the truck and then the campsite for a well earned shower and a cold drink.

An early start and a stunning drive through some very arid landscape and a different perspective from the lush Delta.  One turn to the left and the country becomes more bushy and then lush again as we approach the Chobe River, where we head onto a viewing boat for a cruise along the river banks.

Another early start (animals eh?) and around the Chobe National park for a game drive in small 4x4’s then back to pack up camp.  A short drive and a border crossing bring us into the Zambian town of Livingstone.  Mosi-oa-Tunya means the “Smoke that thunders”, and you can see it as you approx the town.

Days 13 - 19 - A full day to enjoy the many activities in the area, of which there is something for everyone.  There are also a number of good restaurants to choose from many curio markets to keep you busy and bartering.  From Livingstone we then head North up through the sugar plantations to the Capital city of Lusaka.  A chance to visit the National Museum and stock up on food before the campsite at the beginning of the Great East Road.  Then passing the every changing and beautiful scenery we head up to the small town of Chipata, this is our overnight stop before we head down to the wonderful South Luangwa National Park.

The truck will stay outside of the park at the campsite, which sits on the edge of the park so expect some visitors at any time.  Maybe take your first taste of the park at night for all the nocturnal critters.  A full day to enjoy as many game drives as you like through this largely unspoilt area of wildlife and beauty.  Don’t forget the myriad of birds, especially the Carmine Bee Eaters with their iridescent colours.

Back up to Chipata today and our last day in Zambia before the border crossing in the morning.  Enjoy the hospitality of the local campsite and get ready for the next country. Over the border into Malawi and to another capital city of Lilongwe.  Take the opportunity to visit one of the many tobacco markets, but keep your hands down at the auctions!  A chance to stock up on essentials before heading to the lake the following day, and any personal stuff you may need, or snacks you can’t live without

Days 20 - 26 - A beautiful and scenically stunning drive out of the city,  through to the lake shore at Kande.  This campsite started life as a cooler box under a tree, and has now become a popular venue for many things.

A full day on the beach to do as little or as much as you want. There are a number of activities to choose from including scuba diving, horse riding, canoeing, sailing or snorkelling.  The lake is home to over 500 different types of freshwater Cyclid and these are very colourful and cheeky.

A short drive up the lakeshore to Chitimba, situated at the base of the Livingstonia escarpment, which you can hike to get some amazing views across the lake to Mozambique.

A fairly early start in order to get to the border with Tanzania and head up to Iringa for a bit of shopping and then it’s into the long and winding road through the valley of Baobab trees.  These amazing trees are huge in their stature and only flower for 24 hrs once a year.

Get your cameras at the ready as this drive takes you through the Mikumi National Park, famous for its Pygmy Elephants, and herds of buffalo due to the close proximity with Selous National park.  The day then ends at Dar es Salaam on a beach with the Indian Ocean lapping the shore.

If you wish to go you can take the ferry over to the Spice Island of Zanzibar, and walk the narrow streets of Stone Town.  Visit the House of Wonders which had electricity before London and marvel at the cornucopia of seafood at the evening market.
Take the transfer up to the North Beach at Nungwi and spend the day wafting through the azure waters and admire the starfish, but watch out for those urchins....ouch!  Sunset Dhows rides are a must and if you Scuba, go to the Mnemba Atoll to spot the whale sharks.

Days 27 - 33 - this is your last chance to get the sand in your toes, and enjoy the relaxed life island style.  Enjoy the super fresh pineapples and other fruits and don’t forget to visit the turtle sanctuary near the lighthouse.

Back to Stone Town and one more look around the beautiful things on offer, then it’s the afternoon ferry back over to the Mainland and a final night of seafood on the beach.  Catch an early night as tomorrow is the biggest drive of the trip.

This is a long day, although the scenery is very diverse as you climb in altitude and pass both mountains and plains, through sisal plantations and hopefully catch a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro.  More elusive than the cheetah.

You now have the option of going into the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area to see the collapsed volcano that now holds its own ecosystem supporting a huge amount of wildlife.  The only things that are not in the crater are giraffe.

Your trip into the crater can continue into the Serengeti National Park if you wish, where you will pass pride rock, the inspiration for the Lion King, and get the chance to see where the great wildebeest and zebra migration prepares to head off to the Masai Mara in Kenya.

After a final game drive around the Serengeti you’ll head back out, through the conservation area and back down to the Snake Park.  Here there is a cultural Masai museum, a chance to see a true Masai village from the back of a camel and see the snakes of Africa.
From Arusha we head North and cross the border into Kenya, and across the plains to the leafy suburb of Karen on the outskirts of Nairobi for a week away from the truck and travelling

Days 34 - 40 - Leaving Nairobi we stop at the Rift Valley scenic lookout at 8,000 feet high, overlooking Mount Longonot and Lake Naivasha. We pass from the dramatic landscape of the Rift Valley to the highlands and spend our first night near Nakuru, where you can end your day sipping beer at Kembu Campsite.

We have an early start, crossing over the Ugandan border at Malaba or Busia. The scenery changes to tropical rain forests and tea and sugar plantations. We catch our first glimpse of Lake Victoria on route to Uganda’s capital city, our overnight stop.

Stopping for photos as we cross the equator, we continue southwest to Kabale town, gateway to the Mountain Gorilla Reserves. We spend this evening camped on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi the deepest Crater Lake in Uganda.

Climbing through lush terraced hills to Kisoro, there are panoramic views of this unique Ugandan landscape on every turn. From the road we have outlooks over three countries - Uganda, Republic of Congo, Rwanda; and the Virunga Mountains - Mountains of the Moon, the home of the rare mountain gorillas.

Kisoro is situated under the peaks of the Mufumbiro Mountains making a stunning base for the next two to three days, which are set aside for trekking the famed mountain gorillas.

In groups of six to eight people with two guides we trek deep into the forest to find one of the gorilla families. The trek is an experience in itself, following your guides as they cut a path through the thick vegetation. The guides track the gorillas almost every day but even so, sometimes it can take eight hours to find them. You will be rewarded though by the sight of these human-like giants playing with their young, feeding, grooming and staring curiously back at you. We spend an hour observing these amazing animals - bring plenty of film.

As the groups going to the gorillas are small, it takes a couple of days for everyone to do the trek.  Whilst others are searching for the great apes, you can take in the local markets; walk to the nearby mountain lakes, or enter the Magahinga National park for a day hike up a volcano or a guided nature trail.

Still on a high from our time spent with the gorillas, we head back to Lake Bunyonyi meaning “place of little birds”. It is known, not only for its water birds, but also for its fresh water crayfish population. Lake Bunyonyi is a great place to relax, or for the more energetic you can canoe to one of the many islands dotting the lake, swim, or take in the scenery on mountain bikes.

Days 41 - 48 - We return to Uganda’s capital. Kampala is a modern bustling city leaving you no shortage of things to see and do. You may wish to visit the National Museum, the Kasubi Tombs of the Buganda people.

Crossing the Owen Falls dam we arrive at Jinja on the shores of Lake Victoria. Our campsite for the next few days above Bujagali Falls is a welcome break from travelling, and we have a lazy afternoon to put up our tents on the grassy terraces overlooking the Nile River.

You can spend an action-filled day white water rafting down the Nile. As well as grade 5 rapids, this river has a lot of bird and wildlife to view while drifting between the rapids. The rafting is rounded off with a sunset BBQ and drinks, then back to camp to re-live it on video.

There is no shortage of other activities in Jinja; head off on a quad bike, bungee jump, fish on Lake Victoria, take a guided village walk or give up a day of your holiday to volunteer for the local community education project.

Leaving Uganda, we head back into Kenya and onto Nakuru Town, the capital of the Rift Valley Province. We spend the next few nights at Kembu Camp, a working farm. You can visit the local weavers and school or take a tour of the farm.