Take the scenic route from Cape Town to Johannesburg
Get set for an adventure packed with majestic wildlife, remote desert landscapes and natural wonders in southern Africa. From the stunning beauty of Cape Town and burnt orange sunsets over Namibia's Fish River Canyon to a river cruise through Chobe National Park, this Lonely Planet Experience, powered by Intrepid, is the ultimate small-group adventure. Get set to canoe down the Okavango Delta, embark on a game drives in Kruger and Etosha national parks and admire the raw power of Victoria Falls from multiple angles. With plenty of time allocated to explore at your own pace, plus a local crew with all the best advice, see this chunk of Africa with ease and independence in 30 unforgettable days.
Listen to the songs and stories of Namibia’s San people, the oldest inhabitants of Southern Africa, and gain an insight into their traditional hunter-gatherer customs and beliefs.
Glide through the lily-pad clad waterways of the Okavango Delta on a mokoro (a small dugout canoe) and escape civilisation at with an overnight stay at your island camp.
Take an optional cruise down the Chobe River for the opportunity to get up close (but not too personal!) with cheetahs, crocodiles and the Chobe icon – the African elephant.
Visit the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, human-wildlife conflict and anti-poaching efforts, after seeing the cascades in all their glory.
Track rhinos on foot with an expert local guide in Matobo National Park, and camp under a starry African sky within Kruger National Park.
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, 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/africa/overland
To get to your Okavango Delta campsite, you'll travel by mokoro (a dugout canoe) to pass over the shallow waterways. Mokoros are small but stable, and local tribesman will be there to guide you.
The Limpopo Province stay, where you will meet and interact with the Hananwa people and their traditions, is a heavily culture-based activity. This is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in the local way of life – so keep an open mind.
Wildlife viewing requires some sacrifice, like getting up before day break for dawn game drives. However, the lack of sleep is worth it for the exhilaration and excitement of spotting your first lion or rhino!
Trip departures are unavailable.
There are currently no scheduled departures on our Southern Africa Adventure trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 7, 8 and 9 (Chalet), Day 17 (Camping) and Days 26 and 27 (Homestay) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. This is a combination trip made up of two shorter trips. This means the composition of your group will change in Victoria Falls as your crew and some group members leave and new ones join you.
3. This trip finishes upon arrival in Johannesburg on Day 30. Please do not book any flights until after 10 pm this evening.
4. On occasion, especially during the peak months of May to September and December we are not able to secure campsites within the Kruger National Park. In this instance we will camp at a backpackers outside the park.
5. Our operator has advised that customers with the J&J vaccine and no booster may have difficulty crossing the border into Botswana (and potentially Zimbabwe) without a negative test result. This information conflicts with various government travel advice websites. We recommend you check with your local consulate before travel to ensure you have the most up to date information.
6. 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.
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.
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