Safari Quick Facts

A very early start is rewarded with a stunning sunrise over the worlds largest sand dunes in Sossusvlei. Climb Dune 45, taking your camera with you to capture some amazing shots. Animals in the area range from the orex through to the dancing spider and the golden mole. We return to the camp for lunch and a dip in the pool. Later as the afternoon cools we visit the Sesriem canyon. Again we camp in our tents.

We take a five hour drive through high mountain passes and open desert plains to the coast where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Namib desert, to Swakopmund. Explore the town in the afternoon and plan for the next days activities. Our evenings accommodation a Lodge or similar.
The town of Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and is a German colonial town in the middle of a desert. It has some wonderful old German buildings of which one of the most beautiful is the prison (it is still used as a prison).
The town itself is generally cool as it is covered by a mist created by the cold air off the Atlantic mixing with the hot air of the desert.
There are lots of optional excursions available in Swakopmund including venturing over the sand dunes in a beach buggy or on a quad bike, sand boarding, scenic flights & skydiving, game fishing or you can take a fantastic cultural tour of the nearby township area. The town itself proves popular on our tours and don't forget to enjoy the authentic German bakery.

After breakfast you have a free day in Swakopmund to sample some of the many optional activities available to you and you will probably return exhausted but happy to the lodge.

Leaving Swakopmund we drive 2 hours to the Cape Cross seal colony which is home 20,000 to 100,000 (depending on the season) cape fur seals. Regardless of the season, it is always possible to get a close look at lots of seals. We then travel onwards to the Otjitotongwe Cheetah Sanctuary. Viewing the Cheetahs as they are fed allows fantastic photo opportunities. This evening is spent in our tents at the Cheetah Park campsite.
Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park. What makes this farm unique from other farms in the region is that this farmer has allocated 2,000 acres of the family property as a sanctuary for cheetah. This has not really endeared them to all their neighbours who view the cheetah as vermin and a real threat to their livestock; hence the area is fenced off. It is rare to get so close to them anywhere else.
Highlights include his over excitable son feeding them by hand (something that shouldn’t be missed, while he still has a hand) and sitting amongst the few that are hand reared and therefore tame. These young tame cheetahs were abandoned when they were young and consequently cannot be let to run with the other cheetah. They usually allow us 30 minutes with these animals and it is quite an experience to have cheetah walking amongst us.

After breakfast we take a drive to Etosha National Park. The name, meaning 'Great White Place of Dry Water', describes perfectly this vast pan that seasonally floods bringing life to this very arid region. This Park is one of Africa’s largest (roughly the size of Wales). It has some very good facilities and a very good network of roads and waterholes, which enables good game viewing.
The park contains 114 mammal species as well as over 340 bird species. We spend these days exploring by vehicle the park of over 23000 sq kms, and evenings at the campsite viewing the action at the floodlit waterholes. In the heat of the day we can relax and cool off in the camp area swimming pool.

See day 7 for Itinerary

Today we leave Etosha National Park behind us, and set off towards Rundu and the Caprivi Area on our way to Botswana. We camp tonight at Rundu at a local campsite.

Today we cross the border into Botswana and drive to Maun - gateway to the Okavango Delta. Maun is a bustling frontier town and after setting up camp at the beautiful Sitatunga Campsite, we have a relaxing afternoon at the swimming pool and (time permitting) we can take an optional visit to the properties commercial crocodile farm. The campsite we generally use has a pool, bar and restaurant.

This morning we take a relaxing drive into the Okavango Delta and you will be amazed as the desert transforms to delta before your eyes. At the river we meet the guides and Mokoro polers who will be your hosts for the day, and you then continue on by traditional wooden dugout canoe or ‘Mokoro’. Gliding along the pristine channels, the guides will stop the mokoros along the journey to point out things of interest and to discuss animal behaviour.
The Mokoros travel up the channels that are created during the dry season when the wild animals walk in herds in a straight line, creating trails that are devoid of vegetation. When these areas flood they fill with water and form channels suitable for the Mokoros. Quite often the channels are still used by wild animals, especially wandering elephant and herds of water loving antelope such as red lechwe. The channels divide the Delta into small islands.
Your guide will find a large tree for you to relax under while lunch is prepared. Following lunch, in the lazy heat of the afternoon you can cool off in the river, perhaps ask your guides if they can teach you how to pole their Mokoro’s, but be prepared for an unexpected swim….
Your guides will then organise you back in your Mokoros and you will cruise back down the crystal clear channels of the Boro to your pick up point. After farewells to your guides and polers we transfer you back to Sitatunga Camp.

After a leisurely breakfast we take a later start to the day and head towards the shimmering saltpans of Makgadikgadi. The pans are the size of Switzerland and most of the time, appear as white, endless plains.
We head out on the pans for a night of wild bush camping in this expansive wilderness and catch a magnificent sunset.

Up early for sunrise over the pans and then we head to Kasane in time for an afternoon boat cruise in the Chobe National Park. The Cruise is approximately 3 hours and follows the Chobe River as it flows lazily along the northern boundary of the Chobe National Park attracting some of the largest herds of elephant and hippos in Africa. At the end of the cruise we return to the campground for dinner and to discuss todays adventures.

This morning we have an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park.
Then we cross the mighty Zambezi River by ferry and into Zambia. We undertake border procedures at the Kasengula Border as we depart Botswana and enter Zambia, and then continue on towards the historical town of Livingstone where we camp on the banks of the Zambezi River.
Enjoy a spectacular walk through tropical vegetation to the very edge of the "Mosi oa Tunya" or "the smoke that thunders" - Victoria Falls. There are opportunities here to do many varied activities.
You may wish to book some post tour accommodation to give you more time to take some of the many optional activities before you depart from Livingstone.

The tour ends after breakfast in Livingstone.