Visit Africa and travel through Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa on a tour from Windhoek to Johannesburg. Embark on a journey through bountiful Botswana, rich in natural beauty, thrilling wildlife encounters, and fun local interaction. Experience exciting safaris, enjoy life aboard a houseboat, see ancient rock art and feel the power of Victoria Falls. Continue south to Hwange National Park, known for its elephant population, Matobo National Park to track rhinos, visit a 13th-century grave site and head out on a night safari to see some nocturnal wildlife around Mapungubwe National Park and, finally, visit the famous Kruger National Park in search of Africa's iconic wildlife.
- Day 1 - Windhoek
Welkom! Welcome to Namibia. Your adventure begins in Windhoek, where you‘ll be met by an Intrepid representative and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early, maybe wander the old German architecture in the town, passing the Tintenpalast (Ink Palace) and the Christuskirche (church). Tonight, you’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm to get to know your local leader and fellow travellers. After, you might want to join your group for an optional welcome dinner.
Special information: It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
The arrival transfer is only valid if arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-trip accommodation through Intrepid. Please provide your flight details at the time of booking, or at a minimum 14 days prior to travel, as we may not be able to confirm a request made within 14 days of travel.
- Day 2 - Ghanzi/Central Kalahari
Today is a bit of a long travel day as you cross the border into Botswana and make your way to Ghanzi – known as the ‘Capital of the Kalahari’. Take the opportunity to grab a window seat and watch the landscape pass you by or get to know your fellow travellers a little better with some road trip games. When you arrive, settle into your lodge accommodation and soak up some Botswana sunshine or cool off in the pool.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 8 hours.
- Day 3 - Okavango Delta Panhandle
This morning, you’ll head to the Okavango Delta – known for its sprawling grassy plains that flood seasonally, making the delta a lush animal habitat. When you arrive, board speedboats and make your way to your home for the next two nights – a houseboat in the Okavango Delta Panhandle. You can chill out on the deck or grab a few friends and attempt one of the onsite board games. For dinner, your captain will serve dinner on the deck, and you can watch the sunset while you eat and listen to the sounds of the nearby hippos on the water's edge.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 7 hours.
You’ll need to pack a small bag or backpack for this trip, as you won't be taking all your luggage with you. Your floating home has twin-share cabins with bedding, towels and mosquito nets provided (no single supplement is available on these nights). Cabins are very small and basic with shared facilities.
- Day 4 - Okavango Delta Panhandle
After breakfast, take a speedboat and a 4WD to a nearby polling station. From here, you can explore the waterways in mokoros (traditional dugout canoes) with a local guide. Your guide will take you on a short nature walk around one of the many islands in the Delta Panhandle. Then, return to the houseboat where you can relax, read a book or do some fishing. This evening, grab a sundowner, pull up a chair and watch the often striking sunset.
- Day 5 - Maun
Leave your houseboat behind and again board the speedboats that take you back to dry land. Drive on to Maun – the gateway of the Okavango Delta. For those seeking an extra adventure, there's an opportunity to fly over the delta in a helicopter for a bird's-eye view! Your leader can give you more information on this activity and how to book, so just ask them if you’re interested. Alternatively, the afternoon is free for you to sit by the pool and take a breather when you arrive in Maun.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.
Today's optional scenic flight is very popular, so we strongly recommend you speak with your leader at the beginning of your trip to book your spot in advance. Flight prices are dependent on the number of passengers in the helicopter.
- Day 6 - Makgadikgadi Pans
Head to the Makgadikgadi Pans – the world’s largest prehistoric inland salt lake, in the middle of the dry savanna and now all that remains of the former Lake Makgadikgadi. Today you'll have an excursion in open 4WDs to spend time with a local meerkat community. Get close to them without disturbing their natural habitat and watch as they play together. Then, take a bush walk with one of southern Africa's oldest inhabitants and learn their way of life within the Kalahari Bushman group. They will teach you how they interact with nature, keeping a well-balanced relationship with the local land. After, you'll head under the baobab trees for a night of dining under the stars. Known as the 'Tree of Life' or the 'Ancient Giants,' the iconic baobab tree is a defining feature of the Botswana Bushveld, particularly in the Makgadikgadi basin where they're densely populated. Tonight's three-course barbeque will be traditionally cooked over hot coals, so you can enjoy the delicious smells of your dinner in the open air, while you stargaze under the African sky.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Your accommodation tonight is simple but comfortable rondavels, which are equipped with ceiling fans, tea and coffee facilities, mosquito nets and an outdoor enclosed shower and toilet.
During the wetter months, the pan sometimes floods, and the meerkat activity may not be available. In these instances, this activity will be replaced with an afternoon game drive at Chobe National Park the following day.
- Day 7 - Chobe National Park
This morning, make tracks towards Kasane, which sits on the edge of Chobe National Park. The stretch of road between Nata and Kasane is known as the 'Elephant Highway'. With no fences, elephants are free to move between Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and Botswana. So, this is the perfect time keep your eyes peeled for roadside elephants during your drive! When you arrive in Chobe National Park – Botswana's first national park, known for its high concentration of elephants – settle into your lodge on the banks of the Chobe River and soak in the sounds of the wildlife.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 7 hours.
- Day 8 - Chobe National Park
Wake up nice and early this morning to take a dawn game drive in Chobe National Park. In the park, you might see the resident elephants drinking at the waters' edge, large herds of cape buffalo or one of the many impalas that call this place home. In the afternoon, you’ll take a scenic cruise on the Chobe River – ideal for spotting local bird life such as saddle-billed storks, malachite kingfishers, fish eagles and beautiful bee-eaters. As well as birds, look out for hippos, crocodiles and large families of elephants. There will also be an opportunity to enjoy a drink and watch the sunset over the river after the boat cruise.
- Day 9 - Victoria Falls
Travel on to Victoria Falls, crossing the border into Zimbabwe. Arrive in time to have lunch on the banks of the Zambezi River. Victoria Falls is one of the world's natural wonders, and when in full flow, it forms the largest sheet of falling water on Earth. After visiting the falls, the rest of the day is yours to relax, or take part in the many optional activities available in Victoria Falls. This evening, why not share a final dinner with your travel crew, and keep the night going to celebrate a trip well-travelled.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.
We have not risk-assessed all activities on offer in Victoria Falls and only those listed in our trip notes are recommended. It’s against company policy for leaders to facilitate the booking of any activities that have not been risk-assessed or do not adhere to our company’s Responsible Travel policy and ethos. This includes organising transport to and from these activities in our vehicles.
You may notice businesses offering an optional 'Walk with the Lions' experience. We ask all Intrepid travellers to avoid this activity as it is contrary to our Responsible Travel policy. While wildlife viewing is a big part of many of our itineraries, we strive to only view animals in their natural habitats and to do so with the greatest level of respect. The lion walking industry directly contributes to the captive breeding and canned hunting of lions.
Read more about animal welfare and our ‘Born to Live Wild’ pledge here:
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/purpose/animal-welfare
- Day 10 - Victoria Falls
Spend the day soaking in the sights and sounds of Victoria Falls until your next welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. Maybe explore the magnificent falls – a thundering curtain of water approximately 1.5 km wide, falling 108 m into a narrow gorge below. In the wet season, the spray created can rise to an incredible 400 m, and the falls become a raging torrent. In the dry season, the view of the falls is unobstructed by spray, and you can see little islets in the river below. After the meeting, why not grab dinner with your new group and get to know each other.
Special information: As this trip is a combination of shorter itineraries, the travellers in your group and your group leader are likely to change today.
Today you may have to move to a different hotel in Vic Falls for the next section of your trip. Your leader will let you know if this is the case and will help with the transfer to the next hotel.
- Day 11 - Hwange National Park
Depart Victoria Falls and travel to Hwange National Park. This afternoon, head out on a game drive in 4WDs to explore the park’s diverse landscapes and wildlife. Hwange is the largest national park in Zimbabwe and was designated as such in 1929, after previously serving as the royal hunting grounds of Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th century. The park is renowned for its elephants—one of the largest populations in the world—as well as an impressive variety of wildlife, including over 100 mammal species and nearly 400 types of birds.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.
- Day 12 - Matobo National Park
Leave Hwange as you make tracks for Matobo National Park. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Painted Dog Conservation Centre. Learn how the loss of quality habitats and poaching are driving the painted dogs towards extinction, and how the centre protects painted dogs and the Hwange ecosystem. After, it's onto Bulawayo – Zimbabwe's second-largest city. Take a stroll through the streets and stop in at a local restaurant for lunch. Continue to Matobo, where you'll spend the next two nights. The rocks balanced in Matobo Hills are thought to be the seats of God and ancestral spirits. The park is home to the grave of Cecil John Rhodes, founder of Rhodesia and the De Beers diamond company, and is especially known for its rhino population.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.
- Day 13 - Matobo National Park
Enjoy an unforgettable day of tracking rhinos on foot with your local guides. You'll learn about the local plants and trees and their traditional uses, and there'll be plenty of chances to spot wildlife other than rhinos. The park is home to leopards, hippos, antelope and more! Learn about the San people who have called this area home for thousands of years and visit their rock paintings in the hills. In the afternoon, continue to Whovi Game Park, an intensive protection zone for rhinos where you'll have a chance to spot the endangered black rhino.
- Day 14 - Mapungubwe National Park
Say goodbye to Zimbabwe and cross the border into South Africa. Your bush lodge for tonight sits inside Mapesu Private Game Reserve – a 12,500 hectares property surrounded by unique sandstone formations, woodlands and wildlife. The reserve focuses on biodiversity, conservation and the protection and reintroduction of species including efforts specifically on endangered animals. When you arrive, have dinner here with your group and watch the night sky come alive with stars.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.
- Day 15 - Mapungubwe National Park
Today, you’ll explore Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site – home to South Africa’s most significant Iron Age site. Visit the 13th-century grave site on Mapungubwe Hill, which contains ornaments, jewellery, bowls and amulets covered in gold foil. The most spectacular of these pieces is a small, gold-covered rhinoceros. Apartheid kept this discovery a secret as the regime attempted to suppress any historical information that proved black cultural sophistication. Later, you have free time to relax at the lodge or you can take an optional game drive in through the park. Tonight, you’ll head out on a night safari in Mapesu Private Game Reserve. Look out for bush babies (galagos), bushpigs, hyenas, genets and tiny chameleons – all of which don’t come out much during the day. Maybe you’ll even get lucky and encounter a leopard!
- Day 16 - Kruger National Park
Wake up early this morning and drive to Greater Kruger National Park, stopping at the Black Mambas headquarters along the way - the world’s first all-female anti-poaching unit made up of courageous African women. With support from the Intrepid Foundation, the Black Mambas are challenging the norms of a male-dominated field and taking an unconventional approach to protecting Kruger National Park’s wildlife. Learn how they patrol the park’s boundaries, run roadblocks, and dismantle snares left by poachers, before stepping inside their operations room for a special behind-the-scenes look.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 5.5 hours.
- Day 17 - Kruger National Park
Start the day early and head into Kruger National Park – one of the largest game reserves in Southern Africa and home to over 500 bird species, 100 species of reptile and 150 mammal species including all the big cats. Your wildlife experience begins as soon as you enter the park, as you're taken into prime viewing areas. Enjoy a picnic breakfast here before spending the rest of the day wildlife-spotting in the park, watching game, birds and stopping at various waterholes as you go. The group will leave the park in the late afternoon and return to the lodge for another relaxed evening.
- Day 18 - Johannesburg
Enjoy the scenic route back to Johannesburg filled with beautiful views of stunning landscape. Along the way, you’ll visit the breathtaking Three Rondawels Viewpoint and the impressive Bourke's Luck Potholes, perfect stops to break up the drive and enjoy the scenery. When you arrive in Johannesburg, your adventure comes to an end. If you’d like to extend your stay here, and it’s recommended that you do, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.
Special information: Your travel time today will be approximately 10 hours.
If you’re flying out tonight, please do not book any international flights before 10 pm.
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info@mondotravel.co.nz
