Desert and Delta - South  

  Duration12 Days

Day 1 – Victoria Falls

Today is your arrival day in the town of Victoria Falls, home to the spectacular Victoria Falls.  The bustling adventure town of Victoria Falls also offers a range of optional activities for those wanting a dose of adrenaline.  If you wish to participate in the various activities available, please visit the offices of Shearwater, our preferred supplier (https://www.shearwatervictoriafalls.com/experience/, to book your activities. For the more relaxed traveller there are craft markets to explore and a delicious high tea is on offer at the Victoria Falls Hotel.   You will meet your crew in the reception area of Shearwater at 17:00pm

Day 2 – Victoria Falls – Kasane – Chobe National Park

This morning you will have the opportunity to participate in the many optional activities on offer in the town of Victoria Falls.  After lunch, we travel the short distance to the Botswana border, crossing into Botswana and will arrive at our accommodation in the late afternoon, to set up camp on the banks of the Chobe River.

Day 3 – Kasane to Nata

We leave the banks of the Chobe River, and head south into the Kalahari Desert. You’ll notice the ‘bushveld’ change as you get closer to Nata, our overnight stop close to Botswana’s famous salt pans. This afternoon, after our arrival in Nata, we enjoy a guided drive to the Nata pans, which forms the breeding ground for a host of water birds including pelicans and flamingo in their thousands (birds dependant on seasonal migratory patterns).

Day 4 – Khwai Conservation Area

You will be separated from your Nomad truck for the next 2 nights and it is therefore important that you pack/gather your personal belongings which you may need, before we depart camp today.  Please pack lightly and only take what you need for the following two nights.   Today we make our way towards the Okavango Delta. Upon arrival in Maun, you will have the opportunity to go on an optional scenic flight over the Delta (time and weather permitting). After your optional flight, you will be collected from Maun and will be transferred to the Khwai Conservation area in smaller 4×4 safari type vehicles.  Our guide will prepare us on what to expect for our afternoon mokoro excursion into the Okavango Delta.

Day 5 – Moremi Game Reserve
Today is a full day game drive as we spend most of our day on safari in the Moremi Game Reserve in search of the species that roam the plains.  Expect some bumpy roads as we traverse this wilderness area in our 4×4 vehicles.  Offering habitats from wetland, open water to the grasslands and Savannah woodland, we hope to see as many species of fauna and flora possible.  This evening we arrive back at Khwai to share and compare all the amazing sightings while on safari.

Day 6 – Khwai to Maun

We will depart early this morning in our 4×4 vehicles and make our way back to Maun, where we will overnight, before heading for our next adventure in Namibia.                                                                                           

Day 7 – Maun to Divundu

We start early this morning as we continue north-west and cross the border into Namibia, venturing towards the Kavango River for our overnight stop in Divundu. We will stay at our lodge and enjoy a leisurely boat cruise on the beautiful Kavango River.

Day 8 – Divundu to Etosha

This morning we depart for the gates of Etosha National Park. With vast salt pans, savanna and woodland, Etosha is one of Africa’s finest game parks. At 18 000 sq km, it is one of the biggest Parks in Southern Africa. Etosha means “great white area”, which refers to the large dried pan in the middle of the Park. We will enjoy our first game drive as we enter the park and travel the short distance to our overnight rest camp for the night.

Day 9 – Etosha National Park

We will head out of camp this morning to explore the surrounding plains in search of the many animal species that call Etosha home.  After enjoying our lunch back at camp, you can choose to relax at the waterhole, climb the Okaukuejo tower or join the guide for an afternoon game drive in the Nomad truck.

Day 10 – Etosha National Park

Our third day in Etosha allows for a full day of exploration of the park. No day on safari is ever the same and the suspense before that special sighting is the motivation that keeps our eyes wide open.  We explore the edges of the Etosha Pan in search of the abundant wildlife that occur in the park. 

Day 11 – Etosha to Khorixas

This morning, we set off from Etosha National Park.  After a final morning of exploration as we exit the park, we’ll leave the park and head towards Khorixas in our Nomad Truck. Along the route, we’ll stop by the Petrified Forest, a national monument featuring fossilized prehistoric tree trunks. These remnants were once massive trees carried down by a river and ultimately trapped in alluvial sands, thus becoming a fascinating piece of the past. Our final destination of the day is the enchanting Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings in the Kunene Region, where a local guide will escort us. This area, which was inhabited by the Khoi San for 6000 years, features one of the highest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa. The ancient inhabitants used this site for shamanist rituals, resulting in the creation of 2500 rock paintings. After a full day of exploration, we’ll end our day in Khorixas.

Day 12 –Swakopmund

Today we depart Khorixas to where the hot desert sands meet the cool waves of the Atlantic. On our way, we’ll make a stop at the renowned Seal Colony at Cape Cross, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Here, more than 200,000 Cape Fur Seals can be seen hugging the shore. The spot is also of historical significance as it marks the area where the first European explorer set foot on the Namibian coast in 1486. Diego Cao erected a cross here in honour of the king of Portugal at that time. (Please note that sometimes Cape Cross Colony may be inaccessible, which would prevent us from visiting the seals.) Our journey continues with a visit to the Lichen Fields. Your guide will give a captivating talk about the intricate Lichen Colonies that blanket the area. It’s an exceptional opportunity for some unforgettable photographs. Our final stop before reaching Swakopmund is the seaside holiday town of Wlotskasbaken. This charming town offers a fantastic photo opportunity with its quaint houses and scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean. After capturing these memories, we’ll complete the final leg of our trip and arrive in the beautiful coastal city of Swakopmund, ending an exciting day of exploration.  Your tour comes to an end upon arrival in Swakopmund.