UGANDA

Days 1 – 7

From here we head to camp by Lake Victoria and the option to take a Sesse canoe through to Ngamba Island. This 100 acre forested island provides a safe haven for 32 orphaned chimpanzees that are now free to roam the island. The focal point of the visit is the opportunity to get close to the chimps at the supplementary morning feeding, a raised walkway allowing for easy viewing. Following this we enjoy a traditional meal including locally caught fish. Returning by mid afternoon we drive through to Kampala, for a fun night out in the capital.  

Optional excursions: White water rafting, kyaking, voluntary work in a local school, quad biking, horse riding, cycling, Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

UGANDA – RWANDA

Days 8  to 11

Then to the gorilla parks, to trek the endangered mountain gorilla in its Afromontane forest home, a rare and special gentle giant living on the brink of extinction. We currently usually trek in the Parc Nacionale de Volcans in Rwanda where Dian Fossey worked for many years. As we set off on our gorilla trek through the plantations the local women can often be seen and heard singing as they work in the fields. Looking deep into a gorilla’s eyes brings home the bond that exists between us. We spend an hour with the gorillas, a once in a life time which is often over all too quickly...............

During our time in Rwanda we also stop over at the Genocide Museum, spend time visiting a local orphanage and as well enjoy some traditional dancing and singing and a night out in a local restaurant.

Optional excursions: Mountain gorilla trek, orphanage visit, golden monkey trek.

TANZANIA

Days 12 – 19

Across the border we are now travelling through rural Tanzania, heading through towns like Sigida with its impressive rock formations, getting a sense of real life in African towns and villages on route. Enjoy a game of football a beer in an African night spot lit by hurricane lamps, and a samosa bought at the side of the road.

Arriving into Arusha and civilisation again we enjoy a shower before heading out for game drives in the world famous Serengeti National Park in customised safari land cruiser with local guides. We camp in this 14,000 square kilometre park which is home to lion, leopard and cheetah pursuing the vast herds of wildebeest, gazelle, antelope and zebra on their seasonal migration. The herds usually start to return to the Serengeti in December heading for the southern plains of the Serengeti where they usually calve early in the year.

                  The Migration

                                                      For more information including

                                                      migration times click here... 

Descending 2,000 feet into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest extinct volcano, we can view lion,  zebra, impala, wildebeest, cheetah, rhino, hippo,  elephant, hyena, buffalo, monkey, ostrich and flamingo.

The Maasai living on the Crater rim still shun modern ways, continue to dye their hair with ochre and live on a diet of milk and blood obtained from their cattle. We visit a traditional Boma (village) during our safari in the region.

From the Crater we return to Arusha, via the village of Mto Wa Mbu, and opportunities to shop for spears, bead work and ebony carvings. Time in Arusha also allows for a camel safari and a group barbecue.

Dawn brings the possibility of views of Kilimanjaro on our way to the bustling city of Dar Es Salaam on the Indian Ocean. Arriving into Dar Es Salaam early evening we park up on the coast to enjoy a seafood barbecue and camp for the night listening to the waters lapping nearby. The next morning we transfer by ferry for four days on the exotic spice island, Zanzibar, the safari leader travelling over with the group.

Optional excursion: Game drives in The Serengeti National Park, camel safari.

TANZANIA – including 4 nights free time for a stay on Zanzibar Island

Days 20 – 24

Arriving in traditional Stone Town, the capital, you will find a maze of narrow, winding streets, coral brick houses and bazaars to explore. We take a spice tour for some history of the island, including a visit to a former slave camp and stay a night in the capital enjoying the evening seafood markets and sundowners at Africa House. From here a visit to the red colobos monkeys at Jozani Forest can be arranged or to Prison Island a popular snorkelling destination famous for its giant tortoise.

We then head to the beach to stay in cottages on the coast. It is a chance to relax on the palm fringed white beaches, enjoy fresh seafood, and the crystal clear coral waters in which to swim and snorkel.

The diving is some of the best in Africa, and the dive centre located beside the beach cottages can assist with your dive requirements if you enjoy diving. Zanzibar diving and snorkeling is amongst the most spectacular in the world with stunning coral gardens and more than 350 fish species recorded. The diverse aquatic life off Zanzibar's coast includes frequent sightings of turtles and dolphins, as well as occasional sightings of humpback whales and whale sharks.

Everywhere you turn there is a vibe and a buzz in the air on Zanzibar Island - from the maze of streets in Stone Town, the bustle of the seafood markets, the lush green plantations on the drive through to the beach. Zanzibar can work a charm on you. You won’t want to leave.  

We are now heading through southern Tanzania and Mikumi National Park. The giant baobabs line the road, and with a little luck we can view elephant, giraffe and antelope on route to Malawi.  

Optional stay on Zanzibar Island: Free time to travel over to magical Zanzibar island. Accommodation and transfers on Zanzibar can be booked prior, including a stay in the traditional capital, Stone Town, and at the beach. Additional excursions available on the island include a snorkelling trip to Prison Island and to Mnemba Atoll. Scuba diving. Swimming with the dolphins, Fishing, Red colobus monkey trek in Jozani Forest and other activities such as a spice tour.

MALAWI ‘Africa’s warm heart’

Days 25-30

We are now heading through southern Tanzania and Mikumi National Park. The giant baobabs line the road, and with a little luck we can view elephant, giraffe and antelope on route to Malawi.  

Travelling down the side of the lake, we make regular stops at the popular bays, the exquisite lakeside beaches providing excellent camping, another chance to bask in the warm African sun and also try a little fishing with the locals. 95% of the fish in Malawi's waters are found nowhere else in the world and there are approximately 400 species in the lake, including colourful tropical cyclids. We can take village walks and help out in a local school. There is always a welcome from the villagers for a meal and a game of foot ball!  Local craftsmen sell ornate hardwood carvings including traditional Malawi chairs.

Hiking is also popular in some of the most beautiful scenery on route in the unspoilt highland regions. The plateaus are filled with roaming herds of zebra and antelope and we can also enjoy a wide variety of water sports, including water skiing, scuba diving and canoeing on the lake.

Arriving in Lilongwe we camp over and can visit the Wildlife Centre.

Optional excursions: Water sports including snorkelling, wind surfing, water skiing and scuba diving, horse riding, village visits including traditional meal and dancing.

ZAMBIA

Days 31 – 41

Season pending we now head to the wilds of South Luangwa National Park for our next special highlight. South Luangwa reaches from the Luangwa River to the Mchinga Escarpment. Set in mainly mombo woodland, with also stretches of open grassland, game viewing is regularly spectacular, the park being home to lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, hippo, crocodile, impala, puku, zebra, giraffe, waterbuck and kudu. Evening game drives in particular provide a great chance to see leopard and other nocturnal creatures such as bushbabies and genet.

We then stop enroute in Zambia's capital city of Lusaka to replenish supplies. At Lake Kariba, the stay on a houseboat gives us a break from camping. The houseboat staff do the cooking and the boats are fitted out with a splash pool, and tender boat so we can get up close to game by the shore and enjoy a game walk on Chete Island. We can fish as well in the lake.

Following our relax on the houseboats we arrive by the mighty Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls is comprised of five separate water falls. In the flood season over 545 million litres of water crash down the 100 metre height of the Falls along a width of 1,688 metres.

White water rafting, on the Zambezi on what are regarded as some of the best rapids in the world, is a Must. Kyaking, riverboarding or more leisurely canoe trips are all on offer. A 'Flight of the Angels', over the Falls, offers a unique appreciation of one of nature's greatest wonders.

Also, for the ultimate rush you can bungee jump from a bridge across the river, or try the abseil/gorge swing. Later, a sundowner cruise is the perfect way to complete the day watching hippo loll in the Zambezi as the sun sets. Rhino treks, elephant rides, lion walks and horse riding are all available as well as interactive drumming.

Optional excursions: Evening game drive in South Luangwa, houseboat cruise on Lake Kariba, whitewater rafting, riverboard, jetboat, bungee, gorge swing and rap jump, 'Flight of the Angels', canoe trip, lion walks, elephant ride, horse riding, interactive drumming, a sundowner cruise.

BOTSWANA

Days 42 – 47

Travelling into Botswana, Chobe National Park is our next stop. Giraffes browse the treetops and elephants lumber through a park rich with game, the Chobe elephant comprising part of what is probably the largest surviving continuous elephant population. The park also boasts zebra, impala, tsessebe, roan, sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, warthog, eland and accompanying predators including lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox and possibly even cheetah and wild dog.

Via the Makgadikgadi Pans we come to Maun where we take either a one or two day safari into the Okavango Delta in a mokoro, the traditional dugout canoe of the Delta boatsmen. Poled through the tranquil, crystal clear waterways and beds of papyrus reeds, home to some of Africa's finest bird life and unusual flora, we camp on the islands and take guided game walks.

Optional excursions: Chobe National Park – game drives and game cruise, Okavango Delta mokoro safari, flights over the Delta.

NAMIBIA

Days 48 – 60

Following the Kavango River we travel to Rundu for a tranquil river camp, then on to the Hoba meteorite, the world's largest, before arriving at Etosha National Park. The local Owambo people call it 'the place of dry water.' The Pan's blinding white surface covers an area the size of Switzerland and in summer violent squalls transform it into a vast shallow lake, providing a breeding ground for thousands of flamingo. A vast array of animals exist around the Pan, including elephant, lion, gemsbok, zebra, black rhino, giraffe, cheetah and leopard. We camp within the park and take early morning and evening game drives, visiting floodlit water holes at night.

Leaving Etosha we visit a Cheetah Park, and then spend time with a local Himba tribe. From here we drive on to Twyfelfontein to view the rock paintings, and then camp out in the wild under the immense night sky of Africa.

Driving a small section of one of the loneliest stretches of coastline in Africa, the Skeleton Coast, flanked by bone-bleaching desert, we come to Cape Cross, and the Seal Colony, a breeding colony of 200,000 Cape fur seals.

And then to Swakopmund, home to some of the finest open sea fishing in the world with the option of flights over the Namib Desert and the Skeleton Coast. We stay in a lodge to give us a break from camping and for the adrenalin junkie there's also quad biking, sand boarding, dune buggies and tandem skydiving. Go karting is always fun. Township tours are also available as well as a dolphin cruise.   

The Namib Desert, our next big highlight, is a desert wonderland. Sossusvlei, Namib Naukluft National Park, offers thousand foot sand dunes to explore. Guided walks give us a fascinating insight into the world of the desert,and some of the rare inhabitants of this barren environment such as the toktokkie, Skoog's lizard and the hairy -footed gerbil.

Fish River Canyon, situated on the lower reaches of the Fish River, is reputedly the second largest in the world. The enormous gorge meanders along a distance of approximately 160 kilometres through the fissured Koubis Massif all the way down to Ai-Ais.

From here we stop in Ai-Ais Hot Springs, with its weird lunar landscape, to relax in thermal pools created by the hot springs, before stopping over for a river camp by the wild and beautiful Orange River.

Optional excursions: Hoba Meteorite, rock engravings, Seal Colony, quad biking, sandboarding, skydiving, go-karting, township tours, horse riding, balloons and flights over the Desert, a guided walk on the Dunes.

SOUTH AFRICA

Days 60  to 63

Through the wine areas of Cape Province, we visit the historic town of Stellenbosch for a wine tour before reaching our our journey's end at Ashanti Lodge, Cape Town.

The Travel Shop can assist you with all you may now wish to do - including the Garden Route, visiting Robben Island, diving for the Great White, wine tours, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, excellent surfing and so much more. We have our last meal together against the extraordinary backdrop of the 1,000 metre high Table Mountain.

Optional excursion: Wine tour