Africa Encompassed Southbound

63 Days | A mighty exploration of wildlife, cultures and incredible nature

5 out of 5 based on 1 reviews submitted.
Overland
Wildlife
From
NZD $19,640

Looking for Africa with the lot? Ask and you'll receive on this epic trip across ten countries in 63 unforgettable days. Get breathtakingly close to animals more often seen in zoos and nature documentaries, from endangered mountain gorillas and lumbering elephants to ferocious lions and tiny dik-dik antelope. Along the way, meet people from various cultures and communities: Zanzibar spice growers, Lake Malawi fishermen and San people. Nairobi to Cape Town and all the adventure in between – this trip will leave you amazed by the breadth of life and culture and the beauty of nature gracing this spectacular continent.

Trip overview

Map of Africa Encompassed Southbound including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, United Republic Of, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Start
Nairobi, Kenya
Finish
Cape Town, South Africa
Theme
Overland, Wildlife
Destinations
Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi
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
Basix
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 22
Trip code
YXOEC
This trip generates 20 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
  • With permits included in your trip, seek out the rare mountain gorilla on a trek through Uganda's steamy forests and spend an unforgettable hour in their presence.
  • Get the chance to spot and get close to all of the Big Five and more in Masai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Etosha National Park and Chobe National Park, among others.
  • Join an expert guide to track rhinos on foot in Matobo National Park. Discover black and white rhinos and other game while learning about the cultural and spiritual importance of the many ceremonial sites, San paintings, and rock formations.
  • Chill out on the northern beaches of Zanzibar enjoying white sand and sparkling blue sea of the Indian Ocean, and cross over to Africa's Atlantic coastline for seafood spreads and dune bashing experiences.
  • Meet with village communities during your African adventure, including the colourful Maasai tribespeople, the hunter-gatherer traditions of the San communities, and local fishermen on Lake Malawi.

Is this trip right for you?
  • Tracking gorillas in the dense forest can sometimes be wet, muddy and uncomfortable. The terrain is by no means easy either, so it can be pretty strenuous and often humid. But the sheer thrill in coming across a habituated group of gorillas, dominated by a great male silverback more than outweighs any difficulty. You must be prepared and fit enough to walk up to 4 hours up and downhill. A top tip is to pack gardening gloves to assist in uphill climbs. See https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/gorilla-trekking for more information.
  • Camp in the Serengeti National Park itself without fences between you and the animals. Your leader will brief you on the safety measures the group will need to take for the two nights spent in the park.
  • We use mokoros (small dugout canoes) to pass through the shallow waterways of the Okavango Delta to get to our campsite for the night.
  • We use our purpose-built overland vehicles for the duration of this trip. This multi-purpose truck allows for great game viewing with large sliding windows. This means the trucks do not have air-conditioning and conditions can get dusty and hot.
  • This is a participatory camping trip. You will be expected to set up and take down your own tent as well as assist with food preparation and cleaning. This makes it quicker, more accessible, more fun and will bring the group closer together.
  • 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.

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

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2025 - 31 December 2025

Itinerary

Map of Africa Encompassed Southbound including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, United Republic Of, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Inclusions

Meals

58 breakfasts, 41 lunches, 50 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle, 4x4 Safari Vehicle, Ferry, Minibus, Mokoro

Accommodation

Camping (with facilities) (48 nights), Hotel (3 nights), Hotel with shared facilities (1 night), Camping (with basic facilities) (3 nights), Bungalow (2 nights), Camping (without facilities) (1 night), Chalet (3 nights)

Activities
  • Lake Nakuru - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Lake Nakuru - Morning Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Bwindi National Park - Mountain Gorilla Permit & Trek
  • Kericho - Tea plantation visit
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Loita Hills - Maasai Village Visit
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - Full Day 4WD Safari
  • Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Serengeti National Park - Morning 4WD Safari
  • Mto Wa Mbu - Village walk & local dinner
  • Irente - Lushoto hike
  • Irente - Local lunch
  • Mikumi National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
  • South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Dawn Game Drive
  • South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Evening Game Drive
  • South Luangwa - Anti-Poaching Jewelery Project
  • Masvingo - Great Zimbabwe Ruins guided visit
  • Matobo National Park - Rhino Tracking, Park Visit & San Rock Paintings
  • Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (The Intrepid Foundation partner) visit
  • Chobe National Park - Dawn 4WD Safari
  • Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari
  • Okavango Delta - Nature Walk
  • Grootfontein - San Bushman cultural experience
  • Etosha National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Cape Cross Nature Reserve - Cape Cross seal colony
  • Sossusvlei - 4x4 Tour
  • Sesriem - Sand dunes visit
  • Fish River Canyon - Canyon entrance
Optional activities
  • Nairobi - City Experience Urban Adventure - USD55
  • Kalinzu Forest - Chimpanzee Trekking - USD205
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park - Kazinga Channel boat cruise - USD30
  • Kisoro - Golden Monkey Trekking - USD160
  • Kisoro - Rwanda Day Excursion - From - USD75
  • Kisoro - Batwa Village Visit - USD35
  • Kisoro - Coffee Farm Tour - USD35
  • Jinja - River Nile whitewater rafting (full day) - USD140
  • Jinja - Nile Boat Cruise - USD40
  • Jinja - Source of River Nile tour - USD45
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - Balloon ride (from price) - USD470
  • Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) - USD800
  • Stone Town Tour - Dharajani Market, Joseph's Cathederal, Palace Museum, Forodhani Food Market - USD20
  • Zanzibar - Prison Island Tour - USD25
  • Stone Town - Handicraft & Music Urban Adventure - USD50
  • Zanzibar - Spice tour - USD25
  • Zanzibar - Snorkelling - USD50
  • Zanzibar - Dhow Trip - USD35
  • Stone Town - Culinary Urban Adventure - USD29
  • Lake Malawi - Guided village walks - USD15
  • Lake Malawi - Pedalos - USD25
  • Lake Malawi - Canoe Hire - USD10
  • Lake Malawi - Bike Hire - USD25
  • South Luangwa National Park - Game Walk - USD50
  • Balawayo - Natural History Museum - USD10
  • Bulawayo - Railway Museum - USD5
  • Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls entrance - USD50
  • Victoria Falls - Canoe trail (full day) - USD185
  • Victoria Falls - Flying fox - USD50
  • Victoria Falls - Gorge swing - USD103
  • Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight of the Angels (12 mins - Excludes US$25 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD150
  • Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight (25 mins - Excludes US$30 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD284
  • Victoria Falls - Village & township tour - USD61
  • Chobe National Park - Boat Cruise - BWP270
  • Bagani - Sunset Cruise - USD25
  • Etosha National Park - Evening Game Drive - ZAR750
  • Spitzkoppe - San People rock painting guided walk - ZAR50
  • Swakopmund - Swakopmund Museum - USD2
  • Swakopmund - Seal and dolphin cruise - USD60
  • Swakopmund - Horse riding - USD65
  • Orange River - Canoe trip - NAD550
  • Klawer - Winery visit & tasting - ZAR140
  • Cape Town - Harbour cruise - ZAR200
  • Cape Town - Table Mountain Hike - ZAR1600
  • Cape Town - Table Mountain Aerial Cable - ZAR380
  • Cape Town - Robben Island tour - ZAR550
  • Cape Town - Best of the Cape Combo Tour - Full Day - ZAR2000
  • Cape Town - Cape Peninsula and SUP Tour - Full Day - ZAR2100
  • Cape Town - Robben Island Ferry & Table Mountain Tour - Full Day - ZAR1800
  • Cape Town - Winelands Tour - Full Day - ZAR1800
  • Cape Town - Winelands Tour - Half Day - ZAR1350
  • Cape Town - Cape Peninsula & Table Mountain Tour - Full Day - ZAR2000
  • Cape Town - Cape Malay Cooking Tour - Half Day - ZAR1200
  • Cape Town - Township Experience - Half Day - ZAR965
  • Cape Town - City and Waterfront Tour - Half Day - ZAR1100
  • Cape Town - Cape Peninsula & Kirstenbosch Tour - Full Day - ZAR2000
  • Cape Town - District Six & Bo-Kapp Cultural Tour - Half Day - ZAR965

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 excludes Day 48 (Camping with facilities) and Days 55 to 57 (Chalet) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2.This trip requires a higher non-refundable deposit (AUD 1000, USD 1000, EUR 800, NZD 1250, GBP 650, CAD 1000, ZAR 8000, CHF 900) in order to secure the included gorilla permit. Please note that we need to confirm availability of a gorilla permit if you are booking within 45 days of departure. The additional deposit paid at time of booking will be credited to the final balance of your booking.
3. Optional sunrise balloon rides in the Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve are possible on this itinerary. Please see the itinerary above for full details of this activity. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and we recommend you book in advance. Please inquire when booking your trip to book this optional activity.
4. This trip is a combination of YXOG, YXOP, YXON, YXOR and YXOF our most popular itineraries. As such the make up of your group and your leader may change on days 16, 24, 27 and 42..
5. The Zanzibar portion of your itinerary may have a few more passengers than the maximum group size of 22 as we have a crossover of trips starting and finishing in Zanzibar.
6. This trip finishes upon arrival in Cape Town on Day 63. Please do not book any flights until after 7 pm this evening.
7. Some governments currently have increased foreign travel advice around security in place for Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Please check your government’s foreign travel advice before departure and ensure your travel insurance covers all destinations and activities on your itinerary.

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

5 out of 5 based on 1 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Paul · Traveled September 2023
Review submitted 14 Nov 2023
Africa Encompassed Southbound
From
NZD $19,640