SOUTHERN AFRICA SAFARI
Overview
Looking for the ultimate safari adventure through Africa? This one doesn’t just explore the gorgeous city of Cape Town and thundering might of Victoria Falls – it also takes a wild safari through iconic Kruger, before exploring the breathtaking landscapes of Botswana and Namibia, with heaps of included game drives, luxe lodges with swimming pools, opportunities for helicopter wildlife spotting and interactions with indigenous communities. This is the ultimate African adventure, unfiltered, and once you’ve made memories like these under African skies, your life will never be the same.
Included/Excluded
- Your accommodation, essential trip transport, and a good handful of meals are included in the cost (on most trips we offer breakfast every day, plus a hand-picked selection of authentic and tasty meals)
- A number of meal times are left open for you to explore a region and its foodie offerings in greater detail, so budgeting for your taste in non-catered meals is important.
- Travel insurance and visas
- Flights to and from your starting and ending points
- We offer Free Time Add-Ons, which are additional experiences
- Meals not mentioned
Day 1Start Cape Town
Cape Town
Day 2Cape Town
Cape Town
Our time in Cape Town is dedicated to sightseeing and today is no exception! We’ll start at the very top with a cable car ride up Table Mountain, followed by a city tour of Cape Town’s key sights and historical attractions. After that, the rest of the day is yours. We recommend the V&A Waterfront (SA’s most visited attraction). You’ll also have the option to join our Township Tour & Amy Foundation Lunch, which gives you a locally guided insight into life during Apartheid. Tonight, you’ll get to know your new pals in the best way possible – with food, drinks and music in our MasterChef-style cooking class.
Day 3Cape Town
Cape Town
This is your day to take advantage of Cape Town’s myriad local excursions – after breakfast of course. Our fav is a scenic drive along the cliffs of Chapman’s Peak and down to Cape Point – the South-Western tip of Africa. In the afternoon, we’ll stop off at Boulders Beach to admire a colony of adorable African penguins – with a chance to go kayaking with them too! What next? Well, you can’t go wrong with wine tasting (and a view) to round off an incredible day touring the “fairest Cape in all the world.”
Day 4Cape Town to Kruger National Park via Johannesburg
Cape Town
Johannesburg
The Savannah is calling. We’ve got no time to waste! We’ll hop straight onto our coach and begin our journey through South Africa’s country side to Kruger.
Kruger National Park
Yup, it’s safari time! We’ll enter this wildlife Eden (the size of a small country) in the afternoon for a sunset game drive, and then make our way to the exclusive Contiki Safari Camp on the banks of the Sabie River. This Special Stay includes canvas tents, mattresses and linens – all set up in time for our arrival! We’ll spend tonight gathered round the open campfire, gazing up at the stars and listening to lions in the distance. 5 star accommodation? More like 5000 star accommodation.
Day 5Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Day 6Kruger National Park to Johannesburg
Kruger National Park
Rise & shine, explorers! Especially if you wanna choose to take the sunrise game drive (more game drives = more chances of ticking everything off that list). Or you could always choose to sleep in and catch a late brekkie. The game of hide and seek then continues one last time as we head back into the park, keeping our eyes open for any wildlife that’s evaded us so far (come on cheetah… where are you) and bid farewell to Kruger.
Johannesburg
We’ll head off to Johannesburg this afternoon. Order of business? Crash at the hotel before we fly to Victoria Falls in the morning!
Day 7Johannesburg to Victoria Falls
Johannesburg
Victoria Falls
We start off with the number one attraction around – the Falls themselves! Hike along the Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders and the largest waterfall in the world. You might want to pack your raincoat, as during certain times of the year you can get drenched from the rising spray, giving the falls its local name: ‘The smoke that thunders’.This afternoon, you’ll have the chance to jump, zipline or swing off the famous bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia over the Zambezi River.
Please note: From January to June this trip puts you in the Victoria Falls Waterfront Hotel, Zambia, with a riverside deck and bar that overlooks the spray of the thunderous falls. Travelling from July to December? Don’t worry, you’re not missing out: we’ll put you up in the Shearwater Explorers Village, Zimbabwe, just 400m from the falls – with bohemian cafes, curio markets and swimming pools to explore. It’s a win win, basically.
Day 8Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
Today you have the chance to try white water rafting along the Zambezi river. There’s also a locally guided village tour – get to know the locals and experience their way of life. End the evening with a magnificent sunset cruise including drinks.
Day 9Victoria Falls to Chobe
Victoria Falls
Chobe National Park
Tonight, you’ll truly experience the wilderness with a night out in the middle of the African bush. We have a private Contiki site just for us, with our own guides, cooks and a bonfire – all set under the stars. After dinner, you’ll get the chance to fall asleep to the sounds of Africa: a jackal calling in the distance, the loud whoop of a hyena, perhaps the roar of lions as they wake from a daytime slumber. Catch you later, city life!
Please note: Overnight Camping in Chobe won’t be available during the Summer from October to March. Instead, you’ll spend two nights at our lodge with Chobe Sunset and Sunrise Game Drives still included plus a buffet dinner.
Day 10Chobe
Chobe National Park
This morning we’ll wake up to watch the sunrise over the African bush with a light breakfast, before departing on a morning game drive to hopefully see some of the wildlife we may have heard the night before. We will arrive late morning to check into our new lodge and spend the rest of the day relaxing around the pool and swapping stories from the night before. On our last evening together you can opt for a wildlife cruise on the Chobe river. Surrounded by pods of hippos, crocs basking on the banks and all forms of African animals coming down to drink, this is truly one African sunset you’ll never forget followed by a buffet dinner tonight.
Day 11Chobe to Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
Chobe National Park
Dumela Botswana! We’ll head south today from Kasane to Gweta Lodge on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt pans.
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
Opt to cruise the salt pans in open safari vehicles in search of a meerkat colony while getting some funky perspective photos in one of the largest salt flats in the world. Tonights treat is sundower drinks under an icon of Botswana before retiring to the lodge for dinner and drinks at the bar.
Day 12Makgadikgadi Salt Pans to Okavango Delta
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
We will say goodbye to the pans (for now) and head on to the wildlife haven that is the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
Day 13Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
Day 14Okavango Delta to Maun
Okavango Delta
Another morning at the Delta (the struggle is real.) After coffee and breakfast at sunrise, it’s time for another morning game drive – eyes peeled for elephants – as we make our way out of this wildlife paradise.
Maun
Check into the lodge, chill by the pool and then take to the skies in an optional Okavango Delta helicopter flight. Hover just meters above the waterways or fly high for stunning views of this unique inland delta and of course, don’t forget your binocs for some wildlife spotting from the air. If you’ve got a head for heights, you won’t find views more spectacular than this anywhere in the world. Tonight, you’ll polish off your last night in Botswana with a night in the town. The Okavango Delta Brewery calls, offering a tour, tasting and dinner for you to enjoy.
Day 15Maun to Windhoek
Maun
Windhoek
Tonight we’ll check out the famous Joe’s Beerhouse – an (eccentric) cattle ranch style restaurant. There’s lots to choose from. But there’s nothing better than some earthy Namibian game meat to kick off our time in Namibia.
Day 16Windhoek to Sossusvlei
Windhoek
After breakfast, we’ll hit the road together to admire the beautiful countryside. Namibia’s main attractions are spaced far apart so expect some long drives with jaw-dropping views along the way. Beautiful desert scenery, as well as historical and cultural stops on the route – we promise the drives won’t be a bore. Our first stop will be for lunch near the Nauklauft Mountain Range on a vineyard, in the middle of the desert. Wine tasting anyone?
Sossusvlei
This evening, we arrive at our accommodation near one of Namibia’s most iconic attractions: Sossusvlei, a huge salt and clay pan framed by enormous dunes (some of the highest in the world). We’ll check in to our lodge and then get ready for a morning’s exploration with a big ol’ buffet dinner.
Day 17Sossusvlei to Swakopmund
Sossusvlei
We start out at the Namib-Naukluft National Park, keeping our eyes open for Oryx and other desert-dwelling wildlife. Soon we’ll jump off the vehicles and take a mesmerising walk into the sand dunes (barefoot of course) with cameras ready for 360 degrees views. Wandering along Big Daddy sand dune and down into Deadvlei, admiring the views, you’ll finally realise where your desktop background images come from.
Swakopmund
We’ll hit the long road again, admiring more scenery on our way to the coastal town of Swakopmund. After checking into our hotel take yourself for a sunset stroll and enjoy some of the local delicacies here.
Day 18Swakopmund
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is our adventurer’s paradise as we explore the ocean and the surrounding desert. Fancy a seal kayaking experience at Pelican point? You can catch glimpses of dolphins, whales, seals (of course) and other fascinating marine life. Then opt into hitting the Namib Desert for a spot of quad biking or sand boarding in the oldest dunes. If you’d prefer to keep things chilled then take a historic and cultural tour of Mondesa Township, meeting the locals and learning about the different ethnic groups followed by a home-made dinner in a traditional restaurant.
Day 19Swakopmund to Etosha
Swakopmund
Today we head back inland for our Namibian safari destination of choice – Etosha. Before we arrive, we’ll stop off in the Erongo Mountains to visit the San Bushmen of Omandumba. Here, we’ll learn some of their language and be wowed at their skills and crafts as they educate us on how to survive and thrive in harsh desert conditions.
Etosha National Park
Day 20Etosha
Etosha National Park
We’re up early for our first Namibian game drive in Etosha! From big cats to desert-savvy antelope, the wildlife viewing experience here is like nowhere else on Earth. At midday we’ll head back to the lodge for lunch and siesta by the pool. Tonight, on our last night together, we’ll treat ourselves to one last buffet dinner.
Day 21Etosha to Windhoek
Etosha National Park
Windhoek
We’ll say goodbye to new friends but cherish our lifelong memories.
Please Note: Do not book flights that depart before 14:30pm on the last day of the trip.
