Your adventure begins with a warm welcome at Victoria Falls Airport, where you are transferred to your lodge in the heart of this iconic destination. Known as one of Africa’s greatest natural wonders, Victoria Falls captivates with its thunderous cascades and mist-shrouded rainforest. The town itself is vibrant, offering everything from bustling markets to thrilling adventure activities, setting the perfect stage for the start of your Southern Africa journey. The afternoon of arrival is yours at leisure, with time to settle in and begin exploring at your own pace. You may wish to browse the colourful local markets, where handcrafted curios and artwork provide both keepsakes and a glimpse into Zimbabwe’s rich cultural traditions. Alternatively, consider booking a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. As the sun dips below the horizon, elephants, hippos, and crocodiles are often spotted along the riverbanks, while the sky glows in spectacular hues. The following day is free to enjoy more of Victoria Falls and its surroundings. Take a scenic helicopter flight over the Falls for a breathtaking aerial perspective, or opt for heart-pumping adventures such as white-water rafting and ziplining. For a more reflective experience, a guided walk through the rainforest paths that border the Falls (own expense) reveals viewpoints where the spray creates shimmering rainbows. Whether you seek cultural encounters, natural beauty, or adrenaline-fuelled activities, Victoria Falls offers it all. This flexible start to your tour allows you to tailor the experience to your interests while soaking in the energy of one of Africa’s most famous destinations.

Your journey continues as you cross into Botswana, where you settle along the tranquil banks of the Chobe River. This remarkable region is celebrated for its breathtaking scenery, fiery sunsets, and extraordinary concentration of wildlife. From your lodge, the river’s shimmering waters and distant calls of birdlife set the scene for an immersive safari experience in one of Africa’s most celebrated wilderness areas. Chobe National Park awaits, offering encounters that highlight the magic of Botswana’s untamed landscapes. The following morning begins with an open 4×4 game drive into Chobe National Park. Renowned as one of Botswana’s premier wildlife sanctuaries, the park is home to vast elephant herds, prides of lions, and countless antelope grazing the floodplains. Early morning is the best time for game viewing, when predators are active, the light is soft, and the bush reveals its raw beauty. Your guide shares fascinating insights into the park’s ecosystems, ensuring a memorable and educational experience. In the afternoon, the pace shifts as you board a boat for a sunset cruise along the Chobe River. This unique perspective allows you to watch elephants wade into the water, hippos wallow in the shallows, and crocodiles bask along the sandy banks. Birdlife thrives here too, from African fish eagles to colourful kingfishers darting along the shoreline. As the sun sinks below the horizon, the river glows with golden hues, providing one of the most iconic photographic moments in all of Botswana. With its combination of land and water-based safaris, your time in Chobe offers a perfect balance of relaxation, discovery, and unforgettable wildlife encounters.

The adventure continues as you travel through Chobe National Park, crossing into Namibia and making your way to the remote eastern side of the Caprivi Strip. From here, the journey carries you back into Botswana, where you drive to your lodge set on the edge of the world-famous Okavango Delta. This extraordinary region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Africa’s last great wildernesses, a pristine oasis where land and water blend to create unmatched safari experiences. The next morning, you board a boat for a 30-minute journey deep into the Delta’s Nxamasire area. This watery paradise, made up of labyrinthine channels, floodplains, and lush islands, reveals the softer, more tranquil side of safari. Traditional mokoro excursions—gliding silently through the reeds in dugout canoes—offer intimate encounters with the Delta’s wildlife. Along the back channels, you may see elephants wading through the water, hippos surfacing nearby, or dazzling birdlife, including malachite kingfishers and African jacanas, darting across the lily pads. In addition to water-based exploration, you’ll have the opportunity to step ashore for guided game walks on smaller islands, conditions permitting. These walking safaris provide a unique perspective, connecting you more closely with the land and its rhythms. Your guide interprets signs in the sand, identifies tracks, and shares fascinating details about the Delta’s delicate ecosystem. Days here unfold at a slower pace, combining quiet reflection with rich discovery. With its blend of mokoro trips, boat safaris, and walking adventures, your time in the Okavango Delta promises both serenity and unforgettable encounters with one of Africa’s most iconic wilderness landscapes.

After the unique experiences of the Okavango Delta, your journey continues as you cross back into Namibia. Traveling through the Caprivi Strip, one of Southern Africa’s most ecologically rich and lesser-explored regions, you arrive at your lodge for the night. Nestled in lush riverine vegetation, the property overlooks the Okavango River and across into Angola, offering a tranquil setting where water, wildlife, and wilderness come together in perfect harmony. The Caprivi Strip, a narrow corridor of land stretching between Angola, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, is unlike anywhere else in Namibia. Its fertile soils, flowing rivers, and abundant greenery make it a striking contrast to the country’s arid deserts. Here, the Okavango River meanders peacefully through a mosaic of wetlands, attracting hippos, crocodiles, and a dazzling array of birdlife. The lush surroundings provide a serene backdrop for relaxation after a day on the road. Your lodge offers the perfect vantage point to appreciate this riverine paradise. Spacious rooms or chalets are designed to blend into the natural environment, with private verandas where you can sit back and watch the river’s ever-changing light. The sounds of water birds, the sight of fishermen casting nets, and the possibility of hippos surfacing nearby create a sense of being immersed in nature’s rhythm. As evening falls, enjoy a leisurely dinner while gazing out over the water, with the lights of Angola twinkling in the distance. This stop along the Caprivi Strip highlights a quieter, more contemplative side of your safari, where the beauty of the Okavango River is the main attraction.

Today the journey takes you into one of Africa’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries, Etosha National Park. Known for its vast salt pan visible even from space, Etosha offers landscapes unlike anywhere else in Southern Africa. Here, open grasslands, mopane woodlands, and waterholes scattered along the pan attract extraordinary concentrations of wildlife. From your lodge located just outside the park, you’ll explore this iconic reserve, where every drive promises new sightings and unforgettable encounters with Africa’s wild heart. Etosha National Park is celebrated as one of the most important game reserves on the continent. Its name means “Great White Place,” a reference to the shimmering expanse of the salt pan that dominates the centre of the park. Around its edges, permanent and seasonal waterholes provide vital lifelines that draw thousands of animals. Blue wildebeest, springbok, zebra, kudu, and giraffe are seen in abundance, while predators such as cheetah, leopard, and lion patrol the savannah in search of prey. Elephants, some of the largest in Africa, are a common and thrilling sight, especially as they gather at the waterholes during the heat of the day. On Day 8, you set out on a full day game drive in open 4×4 vehicles, perfectly designed for photography and unobstructed views of wildlife. The park’s network of roads takes you past a variety of habitats, where your guide helps interpret the behaviour and ecology of the animals you encounter. Stopping at waterholes offers some of the best chances to observe the interactions of different species up close, from herds of antelope drinking cautiously to lions lurking nearby. Evenings at your lodge provide time to relax, reflect, and share stories of the day’s adventures, with the sounds of the bush as a constant reminder that Etosha is truly one of Africa’s natural treasures.

This morning begins with a game drive inside Etosha National Park aboard the custom-designed Kiboko truck, offering excellent visibility for spotting wildlife. As the sun rises over the shimmering salt pan, you’ll have a final chance to encounter elephants, lions, or herds of antelope gathered at the waterholes. Leaving Etosha behind, the journey continues into Damaraland, one of Namibia’s most dramatic and scenic regions. Here, ancient landscapes unfold in rugged beauty, and your lodge awaits on a mountaintop with sweeping views. Damaraland is often described as the wild heart of Namibia, a place of striking contrasts where desert-adapted wildlife roams against a backdrop of geological wonders. Prehistoric riverbeds cut through vast plains of grassland, while towering granite koppies rise from the earth like monuments to time. The scenery is defined by its raw beauty—deep gorges, sandstone cliffs, and endless horizons stretch out in every direction. Along the way, keep an eye out for desert elephants, oryx, and springbok, species uniquely adapted to survive in this arid environment. By afternoon, you arrive at your lodge, perched high on a mountain ridge. The elevated position offers panoramic vistas across the valleys and plains of Damaraland, an extraordinary setting that blends seclusion with breathtaking natural beauty. Here, you can relax and soak in the atmosphere—whether from the pool, the outdoor terrace, or your room with its sweeping views. As the sun sets, the surrounding koppies glow in shades of red and gold, while the vast night sky emerges with brilliant clarity. The lodge’s mountaintop location ensures a tranquil evening, perfectly suited for reflection on the day’s adventures in Namibia’s most scenic landscapes.

Departing from the dramatic wilderness of Damaraland, today’s journey carries you south through one of Namibia’s most rugged and striking regions. Vast mountain ranges give way to sweeping gravel plains, which stretch endlessly into sandy riverbeds lined with hardy vegetation. As the scenery shifts from untamed desert landscapes to the cool Atlantic coast, you arrive in Swakopmund by early afternoon. This charming town, rich in German colonial history, offers a refreshing contrast to the remote wilderness you’ve just traversed. Swakopmund is often described as Namibia’s adventure and leisure capital, a coastal oasis nestled between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean. The town retains much of its Bavarian character, with half-timbered houses, palm-lined avenues, and a seafront promenade that recalls its colonial past. Wandering through its streets, you’ll encounter quaint cafés, boutique shops, and local craft markets, each offering a unique flavour of this seaside escape. For history enthusiasts, the Swakopmund Museum provides insight into the region’s cultural and natural heritage, while landmarks like the historic Woermannhaus and the iconic Swakopmund Lighthouse reflect the town’s storied past. Alternatively, the oceanfront offers a chance to simply stroll along the jetty, breathe in the crisp Atlantic air, and watch waves crash onto the shore. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore at your own pace. You might choose to relax in one of the town’s restaurants sampling fresh seafood, or book an optional excursion—perhaps a desert tour, sandboarding on nearby dunes, or a scenic flight over the Skeleton Coast. As the sun dips below the Atlantic horizon, Swakopmund’s blend of coastal beauty and colonial charm ensures a delightful end to your day.

Today’s journey carries you south through Namibia’s striking and ever-changing landscapes, from rugged mountains to wide open plains that gradually give way to the red sands of the Namib Desert. By late afternoon, you arrive at your lodge on the desert’s edge, perfectly positioned for tomorrow’s exploration. Here, tranquillity surrounds you, with sweeping views of the vast desert horizon offering a taste of the wilderness adventure to come in one of Namibia’s most iconic destinations. An early start the following morning takes you into the heart of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, home to Sossusvlei, where towering sand dunes rise dramatically against the deep blue sky. These dunes, among the highest in the world, are a photographer’s dream as the morning light paints the sands in shifting shades of red, orange, and gold. Stopping in the dune belt, you’ll have the chance to witness this magical transformation before continuing on foot. A guided 5km walk leads you into the surreal landscapes of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. At Deadvlei, ancient camelthorn trees, preserved for centuries by the dry desert air, stand in stark contrast to the white clay pan and the fiery dunes that surround it—a scene both haunting and breathtaking. After lunch, your exploration continues with a visit to Sesriem Canyon. This narrow gorge, carved by centuries of water flow, reveals fascinating geological formations and provides a short but memorable hike. As you walk along its shaded paths, the cool canyon walls offer a welcome contrast to the desert heat. The Namib Desert experience blends awe-inspiring natural beauty with moments of quiet reflection, leaving lasting impressions of one of Africa’s most iconic landscapes.

After breakfast, we journey south through Namibia’s diverse landscapes, travelling into a region celebrated for its wide horizons and rugged beauty. By late afternoon, we arrive at our lodge, set in a scenically striking location that serves as the perfect base for exploring the legendary Fish River Canyon. This awe-inspiring natural wonder, one of the largest canyons in the world, is a geological marvel that captures the grandeur of southern Africa. Stretching over 160 kilometres long, up to 27 kilometres wide, and nearly 550 metres deep, the Fish River Canyon is second only to the Grand Canyon in scale. Its sheer rock faces reveal layers of ancient geology shaped across hundreds of millions of years. Standing on the rim, you’ll witness breathtaking views of twisted rock formations, sheer cliffs, and the winding course of the Fish River below. The silence here is profound, interrupted only by the wind and the calls of birds circling above. Late afternoon offers the canyon at its most magical, when the sun casts golden and rose tones across the escarpment. This is the ideal time for photography and reflection, capturing the timeless beauty of Namibia’s southern wilderness. After exploring the canyon, we return to the lodge to relax. Set against a backdrop of open plains, the property offers comfortable en-suite rooms, a swimming pool to cool off, and a restaurant where traditional Namibian cuisine is served. The evening is yours to enjoy stargazing beneath clear desert skies, a perfect conclusion to a day spent discovering one of Africa’s great natural treasures.

our journey today takes you deep into the Kalahari Desert, where vast red dunes and endless skies create one of Africa’s most dramatic safari landscapes. Entering the renowned Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a 3.6-million-hectare reserve shared between South Africa and Botswana, you’ll discover an untamed wilderness where sparse vegetation allows for excellent predator sightings. This park is particularly famous for its iconic black-maned lions, along with cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas that thrive in the open terrain. The morning begins with a scenic transfer into the park, where the silence of the desert is broken only by the cry of a martial eagle or the distant roar of a lion. As you traverse the red-sand riverbeds and camelthorn-dotted plains, look out for springbok, gemsbok, wildebeest, and giraffes moving gracefully through the arid landscape. Birdlife is equally prolific, with raptors circling high above and sociable weavers building intricate nests in the trees. In the afternoon, you set out on another game drive, when the heat softens and wildlife becomes more active. This is prime time for spotting predators on the move, especially the park’s legendary black-maned lions patrolling the dunes. With luck, you may also encounter elusive nocturnal species such as bat-eared foxes and aardwolves as the day draws to a close. Evenings are spent at your lodge in the heart of the Kalahari, where the vast skies fill with stars and the desert’s solitude becomes part of the magic. The Kgalagadi offers a safari experience unlike any other—wild, remote, and unforgettable.

Today’s journey takes you through a surprisingly lush oasis in the otherwise arid Northern Cape, where vineyards stretch along the banks of the Orange River. This fertile corridor, home to some of South Africa’s finest wine farms, provides a scenic contrast to the desert landscapes that surround it. By midday, you arrive at Augrabies Falls National Park, one of the country’s most dramatic natural wonders, where the mighty Orange River thunders into a granite gorge below. Augrabies Falls, known to the Khoi people as Aukoerebis or “the place of great noise,” is an awe-inspiring sight as 56 meters of cascading water plummet into a rugged chasm carved over millennia. The roar of the falls echoes through the valley, especially during high-water season when the river swells with power. Multiple viewpoints and wooden walkways allow you to take in this spectacle from different angles, each revealing the grandeur of South Africa’s sixth-largest waterfall. The park itself is more than just its namesake falls. Unique desert vegetation, including giant quiver trees, dot the rocky landscape, while klipspringer antelope nimbly navigate the steep cliffs. Bird enthusiasts can spot Verreaux’s eagles soaring overhead, while dassies bask on warm rocks nearby. The geological formations of the gorge provide endless fascination, highlighting the dramatic forces that shaped this region. The afternoon is devoted to exploring the falls and enjoying the tranquility of the surrounding park. As the sun begins to set, the granite cliffs take on golden hues, and the sound of rushing water blends with the quiet of the desert evening. Augrabies is a place where raw natural power meets serene beauty, offering a memorable stop on your journey through South Africa’s wild heart.

The road leads us into the heart of Namaqualand, a region famed for its striking beauty and rugged charm. Known across the world for its annual wildflower display, this arid landscape transforms into a breathtaking carpet of colour between August and October, drawing nature lovers and photographers alike. Tonight, we overnight at the base of the Van Ryns Pass, surrounded by scenery that epitomises the raw, untamed appeal of South Africa’s Northern Cape. Namaqualand is a land of contrasts. For much of the year it appears stark and dry, with hardy vegetation clinging to its rocky hillsides. Yet come spring, seasonal rains breathe new life into the soil, carpeting the valleys and slopes with daisies, vygies, lilies, and countless other endemic species. The explosion of orange, yellow, purple, and pink blossoms stretches to the horizon, creating one of the most remarkable natural spectacles in Africa. Even outside the peak bloom, Namaqualand offers unique flora, striking granite outcrops, and a deep sense of solitude. Our overnight stop offers more than just spectacular views. Nestled at the foot of Van Ryns Pass, the guesthouse provides a warm welcome and a tranquil retreat after a day of travel. Here you may take the opportunity to join a local wine tasting (own expense), sampling varietals from nearby vineyards that thrive in this dry yet fertile corner of the Cape. As evening falls, the light softens over the surrounding hills, highlighting the dramatic landscape in golden hues. The quiet beauty of Namaqualand, whether ablaze with wildflowers or serene in its arid splendour, leaves a lasting impression and marks another memorable chapter on your South African journey.

Our journey continues via the spectacular Van Ryns Pass as we make our way to Cape Town, arriving in the mid-afternoon. Nestled at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town is often regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Blending natural splendour with a vibrant cultural and historical character, the city provides the perfect finale to your South African adventure, offering endless opportunities to explore, indulge, and discover. Cape Town enchants with its mix of ocean, mountains, and cosmopolitan energy. From golden beaches and bustling markets to museums, galleries, and wine estates, the city caters to every traveller’s interests. On Day 19, we set off at 08h00 for a full-day Cape Peninsula tour. The route traces the Atlantic seaboard, passing the charming fishing harbour of Hout Bay before following the breathtaking Chapmans Peak Drive, one of the most scenic coastal roads in the world. Continuing south, we enter the Table Mountain National Park and reach Cape Point, traditionally considered the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. After time to take in the dramatic views, our journey returns north along the Indian Ocean coastline, passing through Simon’s Town and the False Bay region before arriving back at our hotel conveniently located at the V&A Waterfront. A highlight of any Cape Town visit is the chance to ascend Table Mountain by cable car (weather dependent). This included experience offers panoramic views across the city, Robben Island, and the Cape Peninsula. In the evenings, the lively Waterfront provides endless dining options at your own expense, from fresh seafood to world-class international cuisine.

After breakfast, your South African adventure comes to a close as you prepare for your onward journey. Surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of Cape Town, there’s time to reflect on the memories you’ve created, from wildlife encounters and natural wonders to the vibrant culture of the Mother City. With your bags packed and your experiences still fresh in mind, you’ll be transferred to Cape Town International Airport for your departure flight, carrying home stories to last a lifetime. Cape Town International Airport is South Africa’s second-busiest hub and offers excellent onward connections to destinations across Africa, Europe, North America, and beyond. Your transfer is arranged for comfort and convenience, ensuring a seamless end to your journey. Whether you are continuing on an international long-haul or a regional flight, the airport is modern, efficient, and well-equipped with a range of amenities including shopping, dining, and lounges where you can relax prior to boarding. Though the tour ends today, many travellers find themselves longing to return, drawn by the landscapes, wildlife, and warm hospitality. Your African adventure may be concluding at Cape Town Airport, but the memories are only just beginning their journey with you.