Today visit the spectacular Victoria Falls, viewing them from the various lookout points in the park. In the afternoon you will have time to do any optional activities such as a flight above the falls, Jet boat ride down the Zambezi, or a visit to The David Livingstone Museum.

Boarding the safari truck this morning, you will set off across the border into Namibia. This is a reasonably long day. Late afternoon arrive into the lively town of Katima Mulilo where there is the opportunity to do shopping and get local currency from ATM. Accommodation is on the outskirts of town, right on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River.

Today, drive through the Caprivi Strip, a narrow protrusion of Namibia bordered by Botswana, Angola and Zambia. The area is rich in wildlife and mineral resources and has been the subject of many a dispute over ownership. You will be able to look across the river to Angola from the grounds of the Lodge this afternoon.

Stop at Grootfontein in the morning for supplies before heading to Etosha National Park. Your camp tonight is within the grounds of an old fort originally built by the Germans in 1902. A floodlit waterhole next to the fort provides game viewing opportunities at all hours, there is also a swimming pool, bar/restaurant and gift shop (good place to buy map of Etosha). After a tent erecting demo we set up camp and unpack before taking an afternoon game-drive in the National Park. Etosha is a vast reserve of over 20,000 sq km. Wildlife is abundant - a haven for 93 mammal species and 340 bird species!

Etosha is a vast reserve of over 20,000 km² with abundant wildlife. It is one of the largest parks in Africa and has been a game reserve since 1907. The dominant Etosha pan covers over 20% of the park and is seasonally flooded creating many drinking holes for animals. Vast arid plains, pockets of woodland and thick scrub are home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Spend a leisurely day game driving.

Depart this morning, spotting game as you drive through to Okaukuejo Rest Camp where you will stay for the next two nights. Okaukuejo has a fantastic floodlit water hole where you can observe the game coming to drink at all hours of the night. Elephant and Rhino are regular visitors to this water hole.

Up early this morning for a game drive in the Park before returning to Okaukuejo for lunch. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool, game viewing at the water hole, or go out on an afternoon game drive.

This morning drive to Outjo for supplies before continuing on through scenic Damaraland. Stop for lunch at a Petrified Forest and take a guided walk through the site with a local tribesperson. It’s not actually a forest but huge tree trunks dating back 280 million years which have fossilized. You will also learn about Namibia’s fascinating centuries old desert plant – the Welwitschia. Continue on to Twyfelfontein and spend some time at the World Heritage site. The site has been inhabited for 6,000 years, first by hunter-gatherers and later by Khoikhoi herders then white farmers. Both ethnic groups used it as a place of worship and a site to conduct shamanist rituals. In the process of these rituals thousands of rock carvings and rock paintings were created.

An incredibly scenic drive today through to the Skeleton Coast Park. Stop at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home to over 80,000 seals before arriving at the Cape Cross Lodge. Take a sunset stroll along the wild Atlantic coast just metres from the Lodge, or perhaps visit the Lodge’s museum or art gallery.

An easy day as you make your way down the Skeleton Coast stopping to view some of the ship wrecks. Arrive into Swakopmund in the afternoon and settle into your accommodation. Tonight, dine out in a restaurant renowned for its fresh seafood (own cost).

Swakopmund is a seaside resort town with a German village feel to it. The Namib Desert around the town is the number one draw card offering countless exhilarating activities such as sand boarding, quad biking, scenic flights and fishing. For the more sedentary there are restaurants, cafes, art galleries, museums, a snake park, an aquarium and tours that will take you to a local town to learn about the Herero people (optional activities own expense). Swakopmund also has many great restaurants and cafes (lunch and dinner your own arrangements while here).

Today spot flamingos and pelicans in Walvis Bay over lunch before heading into the desert. The Namib Desert Park spreads over 50,000km² and is one of the largest conservation areas in the world. In the local language, ‘namib’ means vast and that’s exactly what you will experience today – huge vistas, picturesque rock formations, sand dunes, flat plains, and with a sharp eye you will also spot wildlife. Enjoy sundowners in the desert and an unpolluted sky full of sparkling stars.

This morning journey through to the giant sand dunes at Sesriem. Take an energetic walk/scramble up Dune 45 (over 80 metres in height) named from the fact that it is at the 45th kilometre of the road that connects the Sesriem gate and Sossusvlei. It is composed of 5-million-year-old sand that is detritus accumulated by the Orange River from the Kalahari Desert and then blown here – truly more stunning than you can imagine. Then take a 4WD trip further in to the park and enjoy a walk in to Deadvlei and have a photo stop at Sossusvlei and Big Daddy.

An easy drive in to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. This small city is located in a basin between the Khomas Highland, Auas and Eros Mountains and is 1,680m above sea level. With German-influenced architecture and a European café culture, it is a pleasant place to enjoy a stroll around.

Sit back and relax on a reasonably long day driving across the northern fringes of The Kalahari.

Arrive in Maun early afternoon and prepare for your trip into The Okavango Delta. Maun is the hub of the Delta safari industry and quite a bustling town with shopping centres and hotels. It still retains its raw edge with local tribesmen bringing cattle to sell, antelopes grazing the quiet river banks, and donkeys and goats wandering the main road.

Early morning transfer by 4WD to the Poling Station. The Okavango Delta is a natural wetland where the Okavango River fans out into the largest inland delta in the world. Load all our gear into the mokoros (dugout canoe) and be poled by local guides in to the Delta – an absolutely surreal experience. Set up camp on an island under shady trees. From here you can explore the myriad of waterways and stunning scenery on foot or mokoro. Hippo, crocodile, buffalo, giraffe and elephant are at home here, as are numerous species of bird. Enjoy the serenity amongst the swamps, lily pads and swaying delta grasses. Guided bush walks, great game viewing, stunning sunsets and entertainment around the bush fire this evening – just awesome!

After a morning nature walk you will have lunch back at camp, then hop into the mokoro’ s and pole out of the Delta. Look out for wildlife and birds along the way.

Day at leisure. This morning you have the opportunity to do a 45-minute flight over the Okavango Delta (own expense), have a look around the town or relax around the pool at the hotel.

Back onboard the truck and journey through to Elephant Sands Lodge, located near Nata. This is a fabulous place to enjoy viewing elephants at a natural waterhole right in front of the lodge’s bar and swimming pool. You will be wide-eyed watching these impressive creatures whilst they hang out at the waterhole just a couple of meters away from you. This is bush TV at its best! There is plenty of other wildlife around on an unfenced 16000 ha of private conservancy.

Continue to Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane where you are based for the next two nights. This upmarket lodge sits on the banks of the Chobe River and borders the world famous Chobe National Park.

Chobe National Park is the second largest national park in Botswana and covers a mere 10,566 sq kms! It also has one of the greatest concentrations of elephant found on the African continent. Its uniqueness in the abundance of wildlife and the true African nature of the region, offers an excellent safari experience - perfect for an early morning game drive by 4WD. Later this afternoon we board a boat for a 3-hour wildlife cruise on the Chobe River – an excellent chance to get up close to elephant, hippo, crocodile and other animals and birds. As the sunsets over the river, cruise back to the Lodge with a cool drink hand.

Leave Botswana and cross back to Zambia on the Kazungula ferry. It is only a short drive back to Livingstone where you spend the last night of the safari. In the evening there will be a sunset cruise on the Upper Zambezi & you can spend some time reminiscing about a memorable trip. Truly magical.

The safari ends today with a transfer to the airport.

• 24 nights’ safari accommodation (1 night camping)
• Meals as indicated (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner)
• Sightseeing as indicated
• Services of experienced driver/guide plus camp/cook assistant
• Fully equipped safari vehicle, with camping / cooking equipment
• All road tolls, vehicle taxes, National Park entry fees
• Airport transfers on Days 1 & 25 between the hours 0600-1800

• International Airfare
• Entry Visa to Zambia (approx US$40 double entry issued on arrival). Botswana US$30 Tourism Development Levy.
• No visa required for Botswana & Namibia for NZ passport holders
• Items of a personal nature (eg. drinks, souvenirs)
• Sleeping bag
• Gratuities
• Any optional activities you choose to take yourself
• Travel insurance – mandatory