Cape Town to Nairobi – 42 Days

After an early start, we continue north via the distant town of Springbok, best known for its diamonds, copper and spring flowers. We then proceed to our camp located right beside the Namibian border. The camp is situated on the riverbank that forms the border between South Africa and Namibia.

This morning there’s the chance to see the beautiful river valley by canoe or just relax at camp. After lunch we cross the border and travel to the Fish River Canyon. After a scenic walk along the edge of the canyon we enjoy our dinner while watching the sunset. This is also a fantastic photo opportunity.

We arrive at the Namib-Naukluft National Park and set up camp, then enjoy a short hike into the Sesriem Canyon. Tonight we enjoy the star-studded sky and enduring silence of the Namib Desert, only occasionally interrupted by the call of a Jackal or, a rather unique lizard, the barking gecko!

This is our earliest morning as we prepare for our hike up Dune 45 to marvel at the sunrise. After our hike, we will have the chance to visit Sossusvlei. Later we join a local expert on a guided hike and learn more about the unique desert ecosystem and how the Bushmen survived in the harsh desert conditions.

After a brief photo stop while crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, we travel onto Namibia’s Atlantic coast and the adventure capital, Swakopmund. Just before we arrive in Swakopmund, we stop at the Walvis bay lagoon en route, where there are often flamingos to be seen. You will be briefed on the many optional activities available here and there is time to explore the town before dinner out at one of the local restaurants

Leaving the coast we drive through arid landscapes to Spitzkoppe Mountain. The enormous granite monoliths dominate the otherwise flat landscape and we set up camp in the wild plain at the base of the mountain. This afternoon our guide will take us on a guided walk to explore the unique rock formations. The more adventurous among us may want to try some mountain climbing for some stunning views of the landscape.

We visit a Himba community close to Kamanjab where you will have an opportunity to interact with the people who live there. This is a working village and is only a representation of a larger group of nomadic pastoralists.

The semi-nomadic Himba people are extremely susceptible to Western influence and have lost a large portion of their land to farmers, engineers, miners and many were displaces during the wars that raged in Angola. The dwindling number of pastoralists that still exist in their natural environment are protected as far as possible by creating a “buffer zone”, or an “educational tribe” where tourists who would like to get a better understanding of the way of the Himba, their lifestyle and their traditions, can do so without interfering with those still living in their natural environment.

Visiting the Himba tribe can be a controversial topic that gets discussed at the camp fire, however not so much if the reason for visiting this particular tribe is understood beforehand.

The income that this specific tribe generates from the visits goes towards the education of orphaned Himba children and assists the tribe in giving them a chance to learn about their own culture and heritage.

There is a market at the end of your visit, this is a way for the women to establish a small income, used for their own private expenses, and it is up to you whether you’d like to purchase anything or not.

Today we journey north towards Etsha and venture into the bush and our overnight camp on the banks of a beautiful lagoon.

After a leisurely breakfast we depart on our boat cruise to Seronga via the winding channels of the Delta. A vehicle transfer sees us arrive at our base for the next two nights, where we settle in and prepare for our afternoon mokoro trip that ends with sundowners overlooking the waterways of the Delta. The evening is spent around the campfire.

An early start sees us head off on the crystal clear waters of the Okavango. Water lily beds and palm islands make for the most scenic of experiences. We stop at an island for a nature walk, where we have the possibility of seeing wildlife. After breakfast, we return to camp to relax before heading out onto the water for a sunset cruise.

Today we bid farewell to the Delta and head north. After being re-united with our truck, we enter Namibia and travel through the Caprivi Strip, crossing three parks enroute to Chobe National Park. This area is an important migration route from Botswana to Angola for many game species. We arrive in the late afternoon where we will set up camp for the next 2 nights.

This morning you will have the opportunity to participate in a game drive in Chobe and in the afternoon we enjoy a sunset river cruise in the park where elephants, hippo, crocodile, eland and many other creatures abound. Today is all about game-viewing in this wildlife mecca.

On arrival in Victoria Falls town, we have time to plan the next day’s adventure activities before we visit the spectacular Victoria Falls and experience the thundering of the mighty Zambezi. An optional dinner out is a friendly way to spend the evening with all the new friends you’ve made along the way.