Namibia to Falls - 12 Days

Swakopmund - Spitzkoppe. Leaving coastal Swakopmund early this morning we drive into the Damaraland region to Spitzkoppe. At this mountain peak, you can see incredibly well-preserved bushmen paintings and spectacular rock formations reaching 1800 metres above sea level. As the sun moves across the sky, the rocks change colour, a sight that is particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset. We'll be staying at a campsite at the base of the mountain where you can enjoy an incredible sunset.

b> Please note: Please arrive in Swakopmund at least one night before your tour. There will be a pre-departure meeting at 18:00 on the evening prior to departure and the tour departs at 8am on day 1. Refer to the Joining Instructions in the Trip Notes for more information. We can book pre tour accommodation in Swakopmund and a transfer from Walvis Bay Airport (WVB) upon request.

Spitzkoppe - Etosha National Park. The next two days will be spent exploring Namibia's iconic Etosha National Park. This 20,000 square kilometre reserve is dominated by a salt pan, which floods seasonally but is also home to a select few watering holes all year round. Wildlife is easy to spot as the animals tend to gather around these scarce water sources.

We spend two nights in the park, and our itinerary is flexible depending on the conditions and the location of wildlife. We'll generally enjoy a short game drive on day 2 before spending our first night at a camp with a floodlit watering hole. Here you may be lucky enough to spot elephants, giraffe, hyenas and even lions.

Day 3 is spent on a full day's game drive across the park, stopping whenever we see anything of interest. We will either return to our first campsite, or perhaps a different one, depending on your tour leader's decision.

Etosha National Park - Windhoek. Today we arrive in Namibia's charming capital. Windhoek is a tiny capital by global standards, with a population of just 470,000 people. It has lots of German architecture, a reminder of Namibia's early colonial past. Our camp is located on the edge of the city, and it is easy to head in to grab a bite to eat and have a wander around if you wish. We recommend a drink at Joe's Beerhouse, perhaps the most famous restaurant in Namibia.

Windhoek - Omaheke Region, near Gobabis. Say goodbye to Windhoek as we travel east to the city of Gobabis, near the Botswanan border. Today we meet some of the local San Bushmen. The San culture is one of the oldest surviving cultures in Southern Africa and we'll enjoy a bush walk and learn more about the way of life which has endured for centuries. The San people work with nature and manage their resources responsibly, something we could all learn from.

Omaheke Region, near Gobabis - Maun (Botswana). Today sees us travelling to Maun in Botswana, our base for exploring the famed Okavango Delta. If time allows, there is the opportunity for you to take a scenic flight over the delta - if we haven't got time today then this opportunity will be offered on day 8 instead.

Maun - Okavango Delta - Maun. On day 7 we enjoy our overnight excursion in specialized safari vehicles into the Okavango Delta. The delta is a natural wetland spread out over more than 1.6 million hectares, home to an incredible diversity of life. Reaching the mokoro polers station, we transfer to these traditional canoes and paddle along the waterways of the delta to our camp, which is located in the delta itself.

The following day we enjoy another mokoro ride back out of the delta before returning to Maun, where there is time for the optional scenic flight if we didn't have time for this on day 6. Horse riding is also offered, or you can simply relax by the pool at our camp.

Maun - Nata region. Today's drive takes us through a wildlife corridor between the desolate Nxai and Magkadigkadi pans. We'll stop en route to admire some of the region's towering baobab trees and arrive at our unfenced campsite in the afternoon. If you're lucky, you could see all sorts of wildlife, including elephants and antelope, come right up to camp.

Nata Region - Kasane. We make the journey to Kasane in Botswana's north. Kasane is the gateway to Chobe National Park and we'll enjoy a cruise on the Chobe River today. Chobe is home to huge herds of elephants, which we may be able to see down at the water's edge. Other species to look out for include hippo, crocodiles, buffalo and the rare African fish eagle.

Kasane - Chobe National Park - Livingstone (Zambia). This morning we transfer to specialized safari vehicles for a game drive in Chobe National Park, which is home to all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo), although rhinos are very rare here.

It's then time to say goodbye to Botswana as we board a ferry in our overland truck to cross the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers into Zambia. Our destination is the town of Livingstone, Zambia's base for exploring Victoria Falls.

Known as ‘Mosi oa Tunya’, the ‘Smoke that Thunders’, Victoria Falls is the world's largest falling sheet of water. There's an included visit to the waterfall today, and we set up camp at a campsite on the banks of the Zambezi River.

Our tour ends after breakfast, but we highly recommend staying a few more days in the area in order to explore the Victoria Falls area to the full. Apart from the adventure activities already mentioned check out the markets, volunteer a day in some worthwhile local projects, or simply relax at the beautiful waterfront and watch the Zambezi River flow quickly past on its way to Victoria Falls.