Africa, Delta to Gorillas - Tour across 9 countries

Departure from Johannesburg and heading north, crossing the border into Botswana. Our accommodation tonight is situated in the area known as the Tuli Block, a narrow piece of land between Botswana and Zimbabwe, famous for its geographical features.

Upon arrival, we will enjoy a game drive through the reserve, home of many species of animals including giraffe, hippo, hyena, zebra and gemsbok.

Early morning departure for Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. In the afternoon you will prepare for the Okavango Delta excursion. Your guides will provide you with a briefing about the next days’ activities.

Optional activities:  2 hours horseriding incl. transfer (min 2 pax), scenic flight over Okavango Delta (7 seat plane – time permitting).
 

Journey north to Etsha to reach our camp on the banks of a beautiful lagoon. Boat cruise to Seronga via the winding channels of the Delta. Transfer at our base for the next two nights. 

In the afternoon, mokoro trip that ends with sundowners overlooking the waterways of the Delta. Evening around the campfire.

Early departure for the crystal clear waters of the Okavango.  Water lily beds and palm islands make for the most scenic of experiences. We will make our way to one of the larger islands for a nature walk, where we have the chance to see some of the abundant wildlife. Breakfast is served upon arrival.

Return to camp and relax before a sunset cruise in the afternoon. 

Today we will say goodbye to the Delta and head north, entering Namibia. Our overnight is located on the banks of the Okavango River in the Caprivi Strip of north-eastern Namibia.

In the morning journey through the Caprivi Strip and onto Kasane. Sunset boat cruise in the afternoon on the Chobe River.

Established in 1968, Chobe National Park covers approximately 11700 sq kms, encompassing floodplains, swamps and woodland. Early start for a game drive through the park, in search of elephants and antelopes including the rare sable.  After our game drive, we will pack our bags and head to Victoria Falls.

Optional activities: Zambezi sunset cruise, dinner out in Victoria Falls.

Free day for relax and exploring the magnificent town of Victoria Falls, visiting the markets to buy some curios. You can also participate in one of the many optional activities available here.

Optional activities: Zambezi sunset cruise, bungee jump – solo, dinner out in Victoria Falls, helicopter flights, white water rafting.

Journey towards the bustling Zambian capital of Lusaka, passing through Livingstone. Notice the vegetation becoming sub-tropical and the roads a little rougher.

Today is a long drive through lush country, crossing rivers en-route to Petauke, gateway to the South Luangwa National Park. Zambia is truly African if compared to the southern part of the continent and its more western ways. 

Early in the morning drive from Petauke to the border of the South Luangwa National Park where we will spend the next two nights on the banks of Luangwa River. It is often possible to see hippos and other animals from the camp bar.

In the afternoon, sunset game drive in the South Luangwa National Park.

In the morning you will have the chance to take an optional game drive through the South Luangwa National Park, famous for its high concentration of leopards and hippos. After lunch, visit to the community run tribal textile project and a local village.

Optional activities: Safari walk and morning game drive in South Luangwa National Park.

Journey to the bustling city of Lilongwe, Malawi. En route, stop at a local market to experience the culture and life style of the Malawian people.

Journey from Lilongwe to Ngala Beach which lies on the shore of Lake Malawi and is a town of considerable historical note. We will stay here for the next two nights and you will have time to explore this area and participate in the numerous optional activities on offer here.

For much of the 19^th century, it was the busiest slave-trading centre on Lake Malawi and by the 1850s, Nkhotakota had become the main terminus from which 20,000 slaves were shipped annually across the lake from present-day Malawi to the Indian Ocean port of Kilwa Kivinje (Tanzania).

Experience the Slave Trade & Historical tour, gaining insight on how the Arab traders organized the slave trade to Zanzibar. The tour includes the trees where Livingstone negotiated with the slave traders, the church built by the first missionaries and the pool in the hills where enemies of the Arabs magically escaped.

Journey north to the Karonga region and our accommodation stop for the night, situated on the shores of Lake Malawi. Free afternoon to participate in the various optional activities on offer.

Today we will leave Malawi and enter Tanzania. We will ascend out of the Great Rift Valley through some spectacular mountain passes, passing vast tea plantations in the highlands before arriving at our camp outside Iringa.

In the evening, traditional Kihehe dinner in a Kihehe hut (local tribe) or dinner in the famous Mud Ruins restaurant.

Journey north to Mikumi National Park,  home to lion, zebra, wildebeest, impala, buffalo and elephant. You can enjoy an optional afternoon game drive through the park.

Optional activities: Mikumi National Park game drive (min 6 clients).

Drive out of the cool highland region to the humid Indian Ocean coastal city of Dar es Salaam. Meaning ‘house of peace’ in Arabic, Dar es Salaam is the economic and trade capital of Tanzania, but inland Dodoma remains the official capital city.

Local ferry from Dar es Salaam (where we will leave the truck) to Zanzibar. Transfer to the northern part of the island where we will spend our time relaxing on the beach.

Optional activities: Zanzibar meals, swimming with dolphins – full day (min. 2 people), scuba diving.

Free day for relaxing. Enjoy your time on Zanzibar at the beach or exploring, snorkeling, scuba diving or taking a sunset boat cruise through the waters. 

Optional activities: Zanzibar meals.

Drive south to Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar, where we will spend the night. Here we have time to explore its historical and unique architecture. There are also interesting spice and seafood markets to discover.

Optional activities: Zanzibar meals, spice tour - half day (min. 2 people).

Early departure from Zanzibar in the morning and ferry to Dar es Salaam. It is a fairly short drive on our truck to reach our next destination, Bagamoyo, whose name goes back to the days of slavery and means “lay down your heart”.

We will settle into our overnight accommodation on the beach. Free afternoon to step into the inviting Indican Ocean or laze on the beach and enjoy views across the ocean. The town of Bagamoyo is a short walk away and you can explore this vibrant town on foot.

The city of Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa’s most famous landscapes and national parks. Situated below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, the city is close to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro and Arusha National Park. 

The following days are set aside for the 3-night optional camping excursion into the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. This area has one of the most densely inhabited large animal populations in Africa.

The Serengeti excursion takes place on an open topped 4×4 safari vehicles in order to tackle the challenging side roads in the parks. We leave our accommodation in the morning and drive to the Serengeti. On arrival we will start with our first game drive.

Optional activities: Tips for guides, Serengeti 4-day camping excursion (min 4 people), ballooning over Serengeti National Park. 

Full day game driving through the Serengeti. The route will be decided according to the movements of the game and sightings.

Exploration of Serengeti and famous Ngorongoro Crater. Drive down to the bottom of the crater to view animals. 

Today the group will meet up again and have the chance to exchange stories of the various adventures. Aftrenoon visit to the local Masai Mara Museum.

Crossing the border into Kenya and journey towards Nairobi. Founded by the British in 1899 as a simple rail depot, the town quickly grew to become the capital of British East Africa and eventually the capital of Kenya in 1963. Usually we enjoy a group meal out at one of Nairobi’s excellent restaurants.

Optional activities: Dinner out in Niarobi.

Drive to the Masai Mara, famous for its endless plains of wild animals and spectacular beauty. In the afternoon, we'll enjoy cultural experience as we visit and interact with Kenya’s native Maasai people.

The rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara offer ideal game viewing and photographic opportunities. Some of the animals that can be found here include elephant, black rhino, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, wildebeest, zebra and gazelle. Hippo and crocodile abound in the muddy brown waters of the rivers traversing this reserve.

Full day game driving through the Mara in search of all the animals.

Early departure for the final game drive through the Mara before heading to Lake Nakuru National Park for another afternoon game drive through the park. Lake Nakuru is home to large flocks of flamingos and pelicans as well as black and white rhinos, leopards, lions and numerous bucks.

Originally created as a bird sanctuary, Lake Nakuru was upgraded to National Park status in 1968.

Jinja is Uganda’s second largest city and is famous as the point where the Nile (officially the Victoria Nile) flows out of Lake Victoria and begins the 6695 kilometre journey to Egypt and the Mediterranean.

Free morning. You will have the chance to take part in the optional activities available in Jinja, including the popular Nile River rafting. In the aftrenoon, journey to Uganda’s largest city and capital, Kampala.

Optional activities: Nile cruises, Nile river rafting - half day.

Lake Bunyonyi is a small but attractive lake with steep sides and abundant birdlife. Ringed by mountains, the lake is best known for its dense otter population and stunning scenery. We will realx in this beautiful landscape the night before the final drive to the gorillas.

Optional activities: Canoe rental on lake Bunyoni, pygmy village visit. 

Mountain gorillas are highly endangered and while exact numbers vary it is widely assumed that there are only around 650 left. Visiting the gorillas is a great way to support their future on earth as the money spent on permits is used for their protection.

As permits granting permission to visit the gorillas are extremely limited we require flexibility in both the tour itinerary and where we actually visit them. The home of the mountain gorillas is completely at odds with man-made borders and so their range encompasses Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Whenever possible we choose to make use of the National Park in Uganda, but this depends on the availability of permits.

Should we not obtain permits to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda we will inform all passengers beforehand that the tour will travel to Rwanda or DRC.

On your free day in Bunyoni you will have the opportunity to participate in certain optional activities. You can also go hiking or explore the area on a mountain bike.

Even if two days are dedicated to gorilla trekking you will only spend one day on the trek. The other days serve to provide a large enough window in which to obtain permits and to allow the entire group to trek if there are more than 6 of you on the tour.

Today we will say goodbay to the gorillas and take the long journey back to Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

Murchison Falls, also referred to as Kabaraga Falls, is a waterfall found on the course of the great Nile and located within the Murchison National Park. The park is recognized as one of the best in Uganda.

Aftrenoon game drive through the park in search of wild animals including lion, buffalo, leopards, elephant and numerous bird species.

Budongo Forest is the biggest mahogany forest found in the whole of East Africa and is home to the largest number of chimpanzees throughout Uganda. Budongo boasts a high biodiversity of 24 species of small animals, 9 of which are primates.

It is believed that there are between 600 – 700 chimpanzees in Budongo and this morning we will meet up with our chimp guide who will take us on our trek through the forest in search of the chimps.

This morning you will have the chance to participate in an optional rhino trekking experience with trained rangers, who will guide you through the expedition. Then it’s off to Jinja and our final night in Uganda.

Optional activities: Rhino trekking.

Returning to Kenya we will visit Eldoret, the country’s 5^th largest city. The Great Rift Valley is still the dominant geographical feature of this region and the altitude at Eldoret is 2100 metres above sea level.

Return to our final destination Nairobi, the largest city in the East Africa region. There’s an optional dinner, where we can swap stories and exchange contact details.

Optional activities: Dinner out in Nairobi.