Tour Itinerary
Days 1-2 Livingstone/Victoria Falls
Muli shani! Welcome to Zambia.
You can arrive at any time on day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting at 1pm this afternoon. Please ensure you arrive in time for this meeting. It is a good idea to have lunch prior, as we head out after the meeting. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where this important meeting will take place. Please ask a member of reception for this information. Your leader will collect your local payment at this meeting.
This afternoon it is straight into action with a visit to the amazing Victoria Falls. The falls are an enormous curtain of water, about a mile wide, falling 108 m into a narrow chasm below. In the wet season, the spray created can rise up an incredible 400 m and the falls are an impressive raging torrent. In the dry season, the view of the falls is unobstructed by spray and it's possible to see little islets in the river below.
Day 2 is free for you to enjoy the range of activites this region has to offer. This charming town is quickly becoming known as Africa's adrenaline capital with bungee-jumping, white water rafting, microlighting and abseiling being just a handful of the activities on offer.
Our accommodation for these nights is in tents. There are ablution blocks with hot and cold showers and flush toilets.
Day 3 Northern Botswana
Departing around 8am, we begin our drive, heading towards the border post where we cross the Zambezi river by ferry. From there we drive through the vast grasslands of Botswana towards Nata. There may be the chance for some great wildlife viewing on our drive as we drive through the Chobe Forest Extension.
Tonight we camp in Northern Botswana. Our campsite has a swimming pool as well as a fully stocked bar.
Distance travelled: 75 km from Livingstone to Ferry at Kazangula, 300 km from Kasane to our campsite
Time travelled: 6-7 hours depending on ferry crossing over the Zambezi River
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Notes: Please note that this ferry crossing at Kazangula can get very busy due to the trucks travelling up and down Africa. The trucks use this ferry crossing because of the weight restriction over the Victoria Falls bridge as well as the political situation in Zimbabwe. Normally there are two ferries operating but most of the time only one is operational. In cases like this we might expect some delays crossing the ferry into Botswana
Day 4 Polokwane Game Reserve
On day 4 it's time to enter South Africa and after a long driving day we reach Polokwane. We drive approximately 460kms to the border via Francistown, taking our lunch break here (approx. 6 hours). It is another 250km from the border to Polokwane (approx. 4 hours), giving us an approximate arrival time of 5pm in the afternoon.
Tonight's campsite has hot water ablution block and washing facilities.
Distance travelled: See notes above
Time travelled: 10 - 12 hours depending on the time spend at the border post at Martins Drift.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Note: Please note today is a long driving day with a border crossing to negotiate at Martins Drift
Days 5-6 Kruger National Park
This morning we begin the day with a dawn game drive in Polokwane Game Reserve. There is the chance to see white rhino, eland and sable - quite rare antelope species!
After breakfast we continue to southern Africa's most famous premier game reserve, the Kruger, where we spend two nights. The distance is about 280km, approximately 3.5 hours on a scenic mountain road. We enter Kruger through one of the central gates and immediately begin game driving enroute to our campsite.
Distance: 280km from Polokwane to Kruger National Park
Time travelled; 3 - 4 hours
Meals: Brweakfast, Lunch, Dinner
On day 6 we explore the diversity of the Kruger landscape ranging form rolling hills with granite outcrops to savannah grasslands during a full day game drive. In the evening, there is the option of taking an additional night drive with park authorities to spot nocturnal animals and perhaps even night-time predators.
Our campsite for these nights has hot water and flush toilets.
Distance: 250 km on game drives in Kruger National Park
Time travelled: We spend all day on game drives spotting of at various rest camps en-route to relax in between game drives
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Please note that trips departing on the 21st and 28th of June 2009 will camp in a bordering game reserve rather than the National Park.
Day 7 Shangaan Village
We spend most of our day doing game drives and exploring Kruger National Park before we exit the park and head for Mafunyani Cultural Village, arriving in the late afternoon. We enjoy an exciting evening of tribal interaction in the local "boma" and a traditional African dinner.
We overnight tonight in the traditional huts of the village. Mattresses are provided. There are flushing toilets and cold showers provided in rustic ablution blocks.
Distance travelled: We spend most of the day doing game drives and drive about 100km to the cultural village once we exit the Park.
Time Travelled: 1 - 2 hours once out of the Park
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 8 Johannesburg
Today we head for the bright city lights of Johannesburg. There's plenty of time to stop and explore along the way. We stop at the viewpoint over the awesome Blyde River Canyon and take in amazing views over the region.
Our tour ends in Johannesburg in the late afternoon/early evening of day 8 (approximately 6pm). On arrival in Jo'Burg you can be dropped at the airport or at Amadwala Lodge.
Please note accommodation is not provided to tonight - post tour accommodation is available at Amadwala Lodge, please ask at time of booking.
Distance travelled: 600 km
Time travelled: 8-9 hours including stops
Meals: Breakfast
