OVC06 - 21 Day Cape to Victoria Falls Explorer Camping Tour

An epic journey through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia covering the Fish River Canyon, the wildlife in Etosha Pan National Park, the Okavango Delta, Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert and the awesome Victoria Falls! 

           
Ending the tour in the Victoria Falls is definitely a highlight.

The Route
Cape Town - Cedarberg - Gariep River - Fish River Canyon - Namib Desert - Swakopmund - Spitzkop - Ugab Wilderness - Etosha National Park - Windhoek - Kalahari - Okavango Delta - Makgadikgadi Pans - Livingstone (Victoria Falls)

Departures
Tours depart Livingstone on Thursday at 08:00. Tour ends in Livingstone on Wednesday at 08:00. Scheduled departure dates can be found below.

Guests
Minimum 4 - Maximum 12 

Day 1 of the tour
Departing, after a tour briefing, from Cape Town at 08:00 we visit the African Penguin colony en route to Cape Point Nature Reserve and spend the rest of the day relaxing on Hout Bay beach. We sample some of Cape Town’s culinary wonders at a local restaurant in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour which takes between 6-8 hours

Overnight:     Guest House - Cape Town (Bed & Breakfast)

Day 2 of the tour
The Cedarberg is a massive rocky wilderness where giant sandstone boulders have been sculpted by wind and rain into bizarre and artistic shapes.  In the afternoon we explore the rugged landscape on foot.

Distance/ Time:     250km, +/- 3½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

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

Day 3 of the tour
We make our way into the more arid regions and entering Namibia, we camp at the Gariep River. You will have free time for swimming and relaxing or you can adventure down the river in canoes (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     500km, +/- 7 hours, exclusing stops for sightseeing and lunch

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

Day 4 of the tour
We make our way to the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. In the afternoon we watch as a spectacular sunset slips over the canyon’s rim.

Distance/ Time:     300km, +/- 4 hours, exclusing stops for sightseeing and lunch 

Overnight:     Camping - Fish River Canyon (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Days 5-6 of the tour
Towering red sand dunes of Sossusvlei form the gateway into the Namib Desert. We will walk to Sossusvlei, explore Sesriem Canyon and watch dramatic sunsets over the world’s highest sand dunes.

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

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

Days 7-8 of the tour
Lunar landscapes and the prehistoric Welwitchia plants surround 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) and overnight in a guest house.

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

Overnight:     Chalet - Swakopmund (2 x Bed & Breakfast, 1 x Lunch)



Day 9 of the tour
Two days of beautiful desert landscapes. We move north along the arid coast to the Cape Cross seal colony before heading inland to set up camp under the Spitzkoppe, huge granite domes rising out of the desert. Enjoy a magnificent sunset. We'll take a short walk to explore the area.

Distance/ Time:     250km, +/- 3½ hours, exclusing stops for sightseeing

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



Day 10 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. 

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

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

Days 11-12 of the tour
Etosha National Park, “the great white place of dry water”, in the game rich northwest corner of Namibia offers a variety of wildlife. We take game drive around the huge dry pan to find the elephants, herds of antelope and lions around the waterholes before we camp at Okaukuejo with its flood-lit waterhole. (Subject to animal movements we may use any of the 3 camps in Etosha.)

Distance/ Time:     400km, +/- 5½ hours, excluding stops for sightseeing plus 2x3 hour game drives per day

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



Day 13 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:     500km, +/- 7 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing and lunch

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



Day 14 of the tour
14 Day Cape to Namibia clients end their tour today at about 08:00 after breakfast. The rest cross into Botswana where we overnight in the heart of the Kalahari. We take a walk with the local San Bushmen to learn fascinating bush skills (Local guide may not be San due to nomadic lifestyle of San Bushman).

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

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



Days 15-17 of the tour
We camp in Maun for a night in preparation before journeying deep into the Okavango Delta on Makoro (dugouts) - an experience not to be missed. We camp wild on remote islands for 2 nights and enjoy game walks, swimming, the birdlife and game viewing in this pristine wilderness area.

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

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



Day 18 of the tour
Feel the vastness of Africa under a big sky sunset. After the rains the 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)



Days 19-20 of the tour
These two days will be at leisure to tour the Victoria Falls, a natural wonder of the world, plunging into the Zambezi Gorge. Enjoy a full day of white water rafting or a sundowner cruise on the mighty Zambezi river or a spectacular “flight of angels” over the Falls (own expense). You may even be more adventurous and attempt a 111m Bungi Jump (own expense).

Distance/ Time:     400km, +/- 5 hours, excluding border formalities and stops for sightseeing

Overnight:     Camping - Livingstone (Bed & Breakfast)



Day 21 of the tour
The tour ends today at 18:00. Transfers to local airports are available.

Distance/ Time:     N/A

Flights are available from Livingstone to Johannesburg or when available you can take a free transit return to Johannesburg with the tour vehicle (all meals and accommodation for own expense), 2 days, arrives Johannesburg at +/- 18:00 Thursday. Subject to availability. 

Please Note

• This tour is operated as a Scheduled 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.
• Please feel free to add on to this tour with any of the other possible tours we offer in the area.
• 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

The “Cape Town to Victoria Falls Explorer” can be combined after all “South Africa Scenic Route” departures to create a complete circular safari in Southern Africa.