Okavango & Beyond

9 Days | Travel from Zimbabwe to South Africa via bewitching Botswana

4.7 out of 5 based on 16 reviews submitted.
Overland
Wildlife
From
EUR €1,964
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Soak up the sights and sounds of peaceful waterholes, meandering creeks and mighty rivers on this refreshing African adventure. Some of the continent's most iconic animals call Southern Africa home, including elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles and ostriches. Explore the remote waterways of the extraordinary Okavango Delta in Botswana, be awed by the thunder of Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls and travel down the Chobe River at sunset as animals come out to play. The contrast of Africa's wild plains and bustling cities makes for an enriching and thrilling travel experience.

Trip overview

Map of Okavango & Beyond including Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe
Start
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Finish
Johannesburg, South Africa
Theme
Overland, Wildlife
Destinations
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 16
Trip code
YBSB
This trip generates 36.93 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Besides being one of the world's most dazzling waterfalls, Victoria Falls offers a range of exciting activities, from nature walks to breathtaking scenic helicopter flights.
  • Visit the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, human-wildlife conflict and their role in anti-poaching.
  • A sunset cruise is the ultimate way to soak up the ambience of the Chobe River. Keep an eye out – and a camera at the ready – for elephants, cheetahs and lions frolicking on the shore.
  • Experience the untouched wilderness of Botswana's Okavango Delta, staying on a remote island bush camp. As night falls, the sounds of the African bush are like nothing else.
  • Support local conservation efforts by joining local rangers in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, the only place left in Botswana where both black and white rhinos reside.
  • Cycle through the colourful streets of Soweto and hear first-hand stories of the township’s colourful history.
  • On this trip you will be accompanied by 3 crew members - Group Leader, Driver and a cook. Your crew are responsible for setting up camp and preparing your meals so you can take extra time to relax at the end of your day.
  • Camping beds/stretchers, sleeping bags, blankets and pillows are provided for camping nights to provide an extra level of comfort.

Is this trip right for you?
  • This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent (unless you’re on an Original or Comfort style trip), occasionally roughing it in the bush with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of the ‘big five’. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/africa/overland
  • Camping out in the amazing Okavango wilderness means digging a bush toilet and going without a shower. It's all part of the delta experience.
  • You will need a reasonable level of fitness for the cycle tour in Soweto, as the town isn't totally flat.
  • The African wild comes alive at sunrise, so there will be some early starts for game drives. The thrill of spotting your first lion or rhino is well worth any loss of sleep!
  • As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.
  • Some passengers on this trip will have been travelling together prior to the start of your trip. To see what you're missing out on check out our Experience Southern Africa trip.
  • You may also want to check out Experience Southern Africa trip if you have more time to explore in southern Africa.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2023 - 31 December 2023

Map of Okavango & Beyond including Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe

Inclusions

Meals

8 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle, Boat, Mokoro, Open Safari Vehicle

Accommodation

Permanent Tented Overland Camp (1 night), Camping with facilities (2 nights), Hotel (2 nights), Basic Camping with no facilities (2 nights), Guesthouse (1 night).

Activities
  • Chobe National Park - River cruise
  • Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Visit
  • Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari
  • Okavango Delta - Sunrise Walk
  • Khama Rhino Sanctuary - Sunset Game Drive Open Vehicle
  • Soweto - Cycle tour
Add on activities
  • Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight of the Angels (12 mins - Excludes US$25 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD150
  • Victoria Falls - Flying fox - USD50
  • Victoria Falls - Gorge swing - USD103
  • Victoria Falls - Canoe trail (full day) - USD185
  • Victoria Falls - Village & township tour - USD61
  • Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight (25 mins - Excludes US$30 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD284
  • Chobe National Park - Open Safari Vehicle Morning Game Drive - BWP580
  • Okavango Delta - Helicopter Scenic Flight - From USD220-USD450 - USD450
  • Okavango Delta - Plane Scenic Flight - From USD100-USD390 - USD390
  • Johannesburg - Art Gallery - ZAR60
  • Johannesburg - Gold Reef City And Heritage Mine Tour - ZAR360
  • Johannesburg - Museum Africa - ZAR40
  • Johannesburg - Apartheid Museum - ZAR100

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

2. This trip includes a mixture camping and other accommodation. While camping, tents, sleeping mats and sleeping bags will be provided and set up for you by our crew.

3. This trip finishes in Soweto on Day 9 after our cycle adventure. Please don't book any international flights until after 8pm this evening.

4. Border crossing delays in the region have been sporadic and difficult to predict as travel rebounds. What takes an hour one day may take four hours the next. This may affect the order of activities in the itinerary. We understand this uncertainty can be frustrating, and we strongly recommend packing a bit of patience and flexibility.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 based on 16 reviews submitted.
While we try our best to display all reviews, removal may be due to the following: privacy concerns, profanity/inappropriate content or it is unrelated to this trip. We welcome honest feedback and will directly respond to negative reviews.

Filter by rating

Tanya · Traveled August 2023
An incredible trip. Highly recommend! Joseph the tour lead was the epitome of professionalism and has an enormous wealth of knowledge making this trip the most enjoyable and special trip ever! Joseph, Clayton (driver) and Amoor (chef) were an amazing team and ensured that we all had a trip to remember..The Dream Team!! The food exceeded my expectations on all levels and as a female solo traveler I felt safe the entire trip. A special thanks to Clayton’s expert driving as well as his great company. I’m already missing our chats. The itinerary was perfectly balanced and well planned. I’m still buzzing and feel that I have filled my cup! Thanks Intrepid
Review submitted 29 Aug 2023

Luana · Traveled August 2023
Unforgettable experience. A great mix of activities and different accommodations. Very friendly local guides with a lot of knowledge. A trip that shows you different sides of southern Africa, you will be close to nature in the Okovango Delta and also see the vibrant life in Soweto. I can only recommend doing this trip.
Review submitted 30 Aug 2023

Brittany · Traveled June 2023
A great way to get up close to the animals especially in the Okavango, expect long drives, early starts and basic camping (in the okavango) but all worth it for the experience! The mokoro rides and bushwalk was fantastic, and we had elephants all around our camp about 20 metres away at times in the okavango! The hotel in Maun is lovely and a nice place to relax, and the rhino sanctuary allows you to see rhino with horns intact which is rare to see now sadly due to poachers. Soweto was a fun way to end the trip with some culture. I enjoyed this trip very much!
Review submitted 30 Jun 2023

Jason · Traveled June 2023
Intrepid provided the real African experience which gave us the trip of a lifetime. Highly recommended.
Review submitted 20 Jun 2023

Melanie · Traveled May 2023
The "Experience Southern Africa" is a trip full of nature and wildlife. You'll see so many animals it'll blow your mind! That 's the focus of this trip and there are very little cultural aspects. Be prepared for some very basic camping. The beds and matresses were quite comfortable, though. Sometimes, upgrades were available and very nice. Some accomodations such as Nata Lodge, Shearwater (with upgrade, ca. 70 USD) and Sedia Hotel in Maun were beautiful places! If you have the financial possibility, spoil yourself with a helicopter flight across the Victoria Falls as well as a flight over Okavango Delta- both highly recommended! Bring some warm clothes for chilly nights and early morning starts as well as waterproof bags for your belongings (especially mobile phone etc.) when walking through Victoria Falls Park. Also, be prepared for some very long bus rides and download some podcasts, if you're into that. If you love nature and wildlife, this trip is for you! Enjoy!!!
Review submitted 05 Jun 2023
Okavango & Beyond
From
EUR €1,964