OVC08 - 21 Day Namibia, Botswana Desert & Delta Camping Tour

An all encompassing journey starting with Victoria Falls, a Zambia tour, the highlights of Namibia and a Botswana tour. This is an adventure through some of the most spectacular areas in Southern Africa.

          
Group photo in Namibia.

The Route
Livingstone (Victoria Falls) - Caprivi Strip - Rundu - Etosha National Park - Ugab Wilderness - Spitzkop - Swakopmund - Namib Desert - Windhoek - Kalahari Desert - Okavango Delta - Makgadikgadi Pans - Chobe National Park - Livingstone (Victoria Falls)

Departures
This Southern Africa tour departs Livingstone on Sunday at 14:00. Tour ends in Livingstone on Saturday at 12:00. Scheduled departure dates can be found below.

Guests
Minimum 4 - Maximum 12 

Days 1-2 of the tour
The group will meet in Livingstone, in Zambia, at 14:00. We have 2 days to explore Victoria Falls, a natural wonder of the world, plunging into the Zambezi Gorge. Adventure activities abound, white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi, or an 111m bungee jump (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     N/A

Overnight:     Camping - Livingstone (Bed & Breakfast)

Days 3-4 of the tour
Heading out of Livingstone we cross at Sesheke into the Caprivi, a narrow strip of Namibian land that extends between Angola, Zambia and Botswana. An abundance of large rivers attracts a variety of animals and birds and we have 2 days to explore this remote and beautiful region.

Distance/ Time:     Day 3: 300km, +/- 4 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch
Distance/ Time:     Day 4: 200km, +/- 3 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

Overnight:     Camping - Caprivi Strip (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 5 of the tour
After a morning enjoying the abundant birdlife that surrounds the camp, our road takes us directly west along the Kavango River. Villages of grass huts and local wooden crafts and carvings are a common sight. We stop for the night at our riverside camp in Rundu with a spectacular sunset.

Distance/ Time:     210km, +/- 3 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch

Overnight:     Camping - Rundu (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 6-7 of the tour
Etosha National Park, “the great white place of dry water”, in the game rich north-west corner of Namibia offers a variety of wildlife. We take game drives around the huge dry pan to find the elephants, herds of antelope and lions round the waterholes before we camp at Namutoni and Okaukuejo with its flood-lit waterhole. (Subject to animal movements we may use any of the 3 camps in Etosha).

Distance/ Time:     420km, +/- 5 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch

Overnight:     Camping - Etosha National Park (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 8 of the tour
Our next stop is the Brandberg where we camp next to the dry Ugab River bed, home to the rare desert elephants. We explore the mountains on foot with our local guides, who lead us through this region adorned with rock art including the “White Lady”.

Distance/ Time:     600km, +/- 7½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch

Overnight:     Camping - Ugab Wilderness (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 9 of the tour
Our journey covers some beautiful desert landscapes as we move south towards the huge granite domes that rise out of the desert at Spitzkoppe. We set up camp at the foot of these massive domes, and take a walk to explore the area. The silence and wide open spaces add to the mystery and we enjoy a magnificent sunset.

Distance/ Time:     170km, +/- 2½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

Overnight:     Camping - Spitzkop (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 10-11 of the tour
We cross flat open plains to the coastline where we visit the Cape Cross seal colony. Further south is the coastal town of Swakopmund. Day free to explore the town or try sea kayaking/ dune boarding (own expense).  We enjoy evening restaurant meals (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     250km, +/- 3½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing
 
Overnight:     Chalet - Swakopmund (1 x Lunch, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 12-13 of the tour
The Lunar landscapes surround the town of Swakopmund and we visit these as we leave and head into the Namib Desert with its towering red sand dunes. We will walk to Sossusvlei, explore Sesriem Canyon and watch dramatic sunsets over the world’s highest sand dunes.

Distance/ Time:     350km, +/- 5 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

Overnight:     Camping - Namib Desert (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 14 of the tour
The charm of the city of Windhoek lies in its harmonious blend of African and European cultures and the friendliness of its people. We visit the cosmopolitan capital and enjoy a restaurant meal (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     345km, 4½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch

Overnight:     Guest House - Windhoek (Lunch, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 15 of the tour
Crossing into Botswana we overnight in the heart of the Kalahari. We take a walk with the local San Bushmen to learn fascinating bush skills.

Distance/ Time:     550km, +/- 7½ hours, excluding border formalities and stops for sightseeing and lunch

Overnight:     Camping - Kalahari (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 16-18 of the tour
We camp in Maun for a night in preparation before journeying deep into the Okavango Delta on Makoro (dugout canoes) - an experience not to be missed. We camp wild on remote islands for 2 nights and enjoy bush walks, swimming and the birdlife in this pristine wilderness area.

Distance/ Time:     300km, +/- 4½ hours (Kalahari-Maun), Okavango transfer in 4WD 2 hours each way

Overnight:     Camping - Okavango Delta (3 x Lunch, Bed & Breakfast, 2 x Dinners)

Day 19 of the tour
Feel the vastness of Africa under a big sky sunset. After the rains the Makgadikgadi Pans fill with water and attract thousands of water birds and herds of zebra, wildebeest and springbok.

Distance/ Time:     320km, +/- 4 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

Overnight:     Camping - Makgadikgadi Pans (Lunch, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 20 of the tour
We turn north through the Chobe Forest Reserve to Kasane where we set up camp. Chobe National Park is famous for large herds of elephant and buffalo. Our afternoon is spent on an exciting wildlife boat cruise in the Chobe National Park.

Distance/ Time:     300km, +/- 3½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch

Overnight:     Camping - Chobe National Park (Lunch, Bed & Breakfast)

Day 21 of the tour
This morning we transfer to Livingstone where the tour ends today at 12:00. 

Distance/ Time:     N/A 

Please Note

• This tour is operated as a Scheduled African Tour. Departure dates can be found below.
• There are only two single tents available for this tour, which attracts the single supplement charge. On the nights that the camping tours stay in Guest Houses or Chalets the single travellers will be roomed with another same sex single traveller. Should there be no single tents available single guests will pay the sharing rate and then be accommodated in a twin share tent with another traveller of the same sex.
• The accommodation specified in the itinerary is a guide only and subject to availability. Alternatives will be of a similar standard if required.
• The Euro rate is just an indication of the price at the current exchange rate, it cannot be guaranteed until a confirmed booking is made.

Important Medical Note
In May 2011 the World Heath Organisation (WHO) revised the Yellow Fever vaccination recommendations for Africa. The South African Department of Health has subsequently issued a statement that as of 01 October 2011 all travellers from Zambia going to South Africa, and travellers that have recently visited Zambia, will now require proof of a yellow fever vaccination. Previously, this was not required. All in-transit passengers between the two destinations, irrespective of the time period in transit, will also require proof of yellow fever vaccination.

Scheduled Departure Dates 2012