2011-04-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

The tour for 2011 is closed!
Please watch for new dates in 2012,
including alternative photo tours/safaris to South Africa.

click on image to enlarge:

Itinerary

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

OCT 3: ARRIVE WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA

On arrival into Windhoek Airport you are met by your guide and are transferred to your Guest House in Windhoek for your overnight stay.

Olive Grove is a contemporary 11 room guest house in a quiet location close to the centre of Windhoek. Rooms in the main house are spacious with a North African influence and earthy décor.
Dinner- Breakfast next day.

OCT 4 & 5: WINDHOEK / SOSSUSVLEI DUNES

Today you are picked up from the hotel and driven to Sossusvlei for your 2 night stay.

Kulala Desert Lodge is a small and intimate lodge with particularly fine French cuisine. Both the design and decor are imaginative and sensitive to the fragile ecosystem of the area. Each suite or 'kulala' has cool clay walls and a private veranda to view the stunning sunsets. Above is a delightful rooftop sleeping area for sleeping out under the stars of the desert sky if you wish. Kulala's private entrance to the Park is the closest to Sossusvlei, with some of the highest sand dunes in the world, and is used for their 4x4 guided dune excursions.

SOSSUSVLEI AND THE NAMIB DESERT

Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert rivals a visit to Etosha as the highlight of a Namibian holiday. Surrounded by towering, wavy crested dunes of reddish-orange sand, Sossusvlei is especially breathtaking in the early morning, when the dunes are transformed into explosions of colour by the first rays of the sun. Typically you rise with the sun to see this exhilarating sight. This is paradise for the photographer, as the shadows create a magnificent contrast of colours.

Kulala Desert Lodge (Fully Inclusive) - Standard Room

OCT 6: SOSSUSVLEI DUNES / WALVIS BAY / SWAKOPMUND

Drive to Swakopmund for your overnight stay and stop at Walvisbay en-route.

SWAKOPMUND,

Swakopmund has a distinctive continental atmosphere and many picturesque reminders of the German colonial era, somewhat incongruous in the midst of the Namib Desert! This charming town, with its palm-lined streets, provides a welcome resting place where you can stroll along the beach, enjoy superb seafood or marvel at the High German architecture.

There's plenty to do and see such as visiting the Seal Colony at Cape Cross, the flamingos at Walvis Bay and Sandwich Bay or exploring the Welwitschia "forest". Visit the surreal landscape of the 'Moon Mountains', an area of deep chasms and interesting geological features, or perhaps try some sand-boarding, quad-biking or riding a camel into the desert.

Villa Margherita - Standard Room, Dinner, Breakfast & Packed Lunch

OCT 7 & 8: SWAKOPMUND / ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Drive to Andersson's Camp for your 2 night stay.

Andersson's Camp is an exciting example of sustainable tourism on the edge of Etosha National Park.

It lies in the private 30,000 hectare Ongava Game Reserve which is adjacent to Etosha National Park Namibia's premier wildlife destination and is certainly one of Africa's largest game parks.

Andersson's Camp has 16 tents and 4 family tents. The tented accommodation comprises canvas tents raised on wooden decks with double doors to allow for pleasant views of the bush each with covered small veranda. Each tent has natural stone en-suite bathroom facilities, with a unique open-air private shower. A diesel-powered generator provides the camp's power. The solar geyser outside each tent provides the heated water for shower.

Guided trips into Etosha in open 4x4 safari vehicle are on offer as well as a guided walk in the Ongava Reserve.

Etosha National Park

The ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK covers over 22,000 km and is one of the finest game parks in Africa. It encloses a vast saltpan that becomes an immense, shallow lake in rainy periods, attracting great numbers of flamingos and other water birds. The open plains are home to tens of thousands of animals with large herds of springbok, gemsbok, zebra, wildebeest, elephant and, of course, the predators - particularly cheetah and lion. Another attraction is the vast Etosha pan itself, once the inland delta of the Kunene River, whose course was changed millions of years ago, leaving behind a salt encrusted barren, shallow depression.

Andersson's Camp (Fully Inclusive) - Tented Room

OCT 9: ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK / JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Drive back to Windhoek Airport and bid farewell to your Namibian guide. Board your scheduled flight to Johannesburg. They will transfer you from the airport to your airport hotel, the deluxe five star D'Oreale Grande Hotel - Classic Room, Dinner.

OCT 10 & 11: JOHANNESBURG / OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA

Our representative will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to the OR Tambo (Johannesburg) Airport. Board your scheduled flight to Maun.

You are met on arrival and transferred by light charter flight (seat in plane) from Maun Airport to your Delta lodge for your 2 nights stay

Camp Moremi is shaded by giant ebony trees and overlooks the Xakanaxa Lagoon, in the heart of what is reputedly Africa's most beautiful reserve - the Moremi Wildlife Reserve. The camp offers a diversity of habitat and animal life, which is unrivalled in Botswana. Here where the Okavango meets up with the vast Kalahari desert, ancient Mopane forests, open grassland and seasonal floodplains have formed. Trained resident naturalist guides will share their knowledge and deep love of the wilderness with you on game drives where sightings of wild dog, cheetah, leopard, lion, elephants and buffalo are possible. The famous elevated Moremi Tree Lodge is the stunning focal point of this camp and houses the luxurious main lounge, a wildlife reference library, dining room and cocktail bar, all cooled overhead by fans.

MOREMI GAME RESERVE,

The Moremi Wildlife Reserve is protected tribal land, which forms the eastern boundary of the Okavango Delta. It is often described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. It combines mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons and this great diversity of plant life attracts the abundance of animal life for which Moremi is so well known. The largest island in the delta, Chief's Island, is located within the Moremi. The Moremi is famous for its predators, both of the mammal and feathered variety. Please note that night drives and armed game walks are not permitted here (given it is a National Park) but the superb quality of the game-viewing more than makes up for this. Game activities will be mostly land-based in the Moremi.

Camp Moremi – Standard tent, Fully Inclusive

Camp Moremi (photos)

OCT 12 & 13: OKAVANGO DELTA / CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

You are transferred by light charter flight (seat in plane) from your Okavango Delta game lodge to Kasane airport for your 2 night stay at Chobe Game Lodge.

On arrival at Kasane, you are met by the lodge staff for the short transfer back to the lodge.

Chobe Game Lodge is an established luxury game lodge of attractive Moorish architecture. It has a superb location - the only permanent lodge within the Chobe National Park. The lodge and attractive pool surrounded by gardens overlooks the perennial Chobe river and Caprivi floodplain. Unsurpassed wildlife opportunities are offers with guided game-viewing either by vehicle, boat or on foot. Game-viewing on the river is by small shallow and highly maneuverable boats piloted by expert boatmen.

CHOBE RIVER,

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK lies in the northeast of Botswana, teeming with animals, in particular with huge herds of elephant and buffalo. Chobe's animal migrations follow an ancient pattern, only partly understood by man. However, broadly speaking, the game is drawn to the Chobe River during the dry winter season and spreads out to the open grasslands of the Savute marsh and pans during the wetter summer months.

The Chobe/Linyanti river system is known for some of the best elephant viewing in Africa in the winter months (May to October), with huge herds of up to 500 or more at the end of the dry season. Lion are common, and almost expected, with buffalo, cheetah and an amazing variety of antelope often sighted. The river is alive with crocodile and hippo and marvellous birdlife, including kingfishers and bee-eaters. Languorous sunset cruises are a speciality of the area. Staying on the Chobe riverfront is therefore popular, given its abundant wildlife and ease of access to Victoria Falls (1½ hours by road) and the Okavango Delta.

Chobe Game Lodge – Standard room, Fully Inclusive

OCT 14: CHOBE NATIONAL PARK / VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE

This morning, after a final early morning activity, you are transferred across the Botswana border to Victoria Falls for your 2 nights stay.

The Victoria Falls Hotel has the best

location in town. It lies in the Victoria Falls National Park, a World Heritage Site. This venerable five star hotel, built in 1904, was recently refurbished and now combines the charm of the old with the convenience of the new.

SUNSET CRUISE

Zambezi River Cruises (Zim): The Zambezi River is the 4th largest in Africa after the Nile, Zaire and Niger respectively. Its source is in North Western Zambia and flows approximately 2800km to its mouth in Mozambique into the warm Indian Ocean. It is a wide, attractive River dotted with islands and sandbanks and the stretch of River preceding the Falls is bordered on the Zimbabwean side by the Zambezi National Park.

VICTORIA FALLS (ZIMBABWEAN SIDE),

The Victoria Falls is a dramatic scenic contrast and a change of pace from the private game reserves. It is a sight not to be missed - the clouds of spray generated by this thunderous descent have resulted in a lush rain forest full of stunning wild flowers. A host of activities are centred on three separate delights: the Falls, the magnificent Zambezi River and the surrounding Zambezi National Park.

Game drives and horse riding are offered in the Zambezi National Park to view elephant and buffalo. Visitors can also sample elephant back safaris and take part in their grooming and feeding activities at the Elephant Camp.

Victoria Falls Hotel - Dinner, Breakfast, Standard Room

OCT 15: VICTORIA FALLS

TOUR OF VICTORIA FALLS (ZIMBABWE) - Scheduled tour,

This morning you enjoy an awe-inspiring tour which takes the form of a walk in the natural rainforest to the Victoria Falls. A knowledgeable and informative local guide accompanies you. The Victoria Falls is one of the most spectacular natural sights in the world. The recommended season for seeing the Victoria Falls is January to September. The tour excludes the $30 per person park fee (subject to change) which is payable on site.

Victoria Falls Hotel - Dinner, Breakfast, Standard Room

OCT 16: VICTORIA FALLS / JOHANNESBURG / DEPART

Our representative will collect you at your hotel and transfer you by road to Victoria Falls Airport. Board your scheduled flight to Johannesburg where you connect with your onward flight home later this evening.

(B)

Tim Hauf Photography