Self-Drive Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe: including the Okavango Delta – 25 days (Camping)

Start: Windhoek
End: Victoria Falls
(Itinerary can be done in reverse)

• 4×4 hire – 4×4 single cab with 1 rooftop tent including all camping equipment (Toyota Hilux or similar). Pick up Windhoek International (Hosea Kutako) Airport, drop off Kasane Airport.
• 4×4 hire vehicle cover – unlimited kilometres, collision damage waiver (Zero excess), tyre and windscreen cover, second driver, airport transfers, taxes and tourism levies
• Accommodation as indicated below.
• Meals as indicated below.
• 3 day / 2 night guided mobile camping safari to the Eastern Okavango Delta.
• Road transfers: Kasane – Victoria Falls & Victoria Falls hotel to airport.
• Tour of Victoria Falls.
• Zambezi Sunset Cruise.
• Relevant Travel Africa Information sheets.

• Airfares.
• 4×4 hire contract fee (NAD$100); refundable rental deposit (NAD$6,500); one way drop-off fee (NAD$8,100); rental company cross border permit (NAD$575); all cross border fees imposed by each individual country (i.e third party insurances, road taxes, carbon taxes etc) – all paid locally.
• Fuel.
• Entry fees to national parks and places of interest.
• All activities unless indicated below.
• All meals unless indicated below.
• Gratuities.
• Visa fees.
• Personal insurance.

Enjoy the stunning scenery on the drive to Sesriem, the main campsite and entry to the famous sand dunes of Sossusvlei, perhaps take a walk to the nearby Elim’s Dune for sunset. The following day rise early to venture into the world heritage Sossusvlei dune fields (recommend leaving before sunrise to ensure you are in the dune sea for sunrise). Ensure you visit nearby Dead Vlei, where the ancient and skeletal camel thorn trees stand on the white pan with the backdrop of orange sand dunes and blue sky – a photographer’s delight. Return to camp and later this afternoon visit the nearby Sesriem Canyon

Stay at:
Sesriem Campsite or similar

Drive through the desert to Swakopmund, stopping at Walvis Bay on the way to visit the lagoon, a protected RAMSAR wetland site, where you may see many species of birds including greater and lesser flamingos, pelicans, avocets, plovers and the endemic Damara tern. From here it is a short coastal drive to the historic seaside town of Swakopmund where the German colonial influence still permeates. Soak up the atmosphere or participate in one of the many adventure activities on offer in the surrounding desert such as quad biking, sand boarding or for the less adventurous join a living desert tour to discover how animals and retiles survive in such an arid environment.

Stay at:
Brigadoon Cottages Guesthouse or similar (camping not recommended as Swakopmund can get very cold and foggy)

Drive north along the Skeleton Coast, stopping at a shipwreck close to Henties Bay and visiting the Cape Cross Seal Colony, where thousands of seals congregate on the beach. Turning inland brings to /Ui-//ais, also known as Twyfelfontein, a World Heritage site with one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings (petroglyphs) in Africa. Over 2,500 engravings over 2,000 years old are set on a stunning hillside amongst red sandstone boulders. Guides take visitors to view the amazing engravings including elephants, lion, giraffe and kudu – all which once drank from the spring (fontein) found at the base of the hillside. Close by are the interesting geological formations of ‘The Organ Pipes,’ ‘Burnt Mountain’ and the Petrified Forest.

Stay at:
Madisa Campsite or similar

Spend 2 nights at the Hoada Community Campsite – 100% owned by the community. Optional activities include desert elephant and black rhino tracking, Himba community visits, nature drives, hiking and horseriding. The stunning campsite is set amidst granite boulders and mopane trees.

Stay at:
Hoada Community Campsite or similar

Onward to Etosha National Park, a place of unspoilt nature and wildlife. Enjoy your first game drive to the rest camp perhaps stopping at a waterhole en-route, later you can relax by the floodlit waterhole and see what wildlife comes to drink. During the dry season, Okaukuejo waterhole is generally very active with hordes of animals such as springbok, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and kudu congregating and drinking. Around sunset it’s common for herds of elephant, as well as the endangered black rhino to enter the fray. Lion and other predators are, of course, frequent visitors as well. Spend two days in search of the wildlife in the area, perhaps spending time at one of the many waterholes or heading out for views over the vast Etosha Pan, before continuing to the eastern sector of the park to stay at Namutoni built around an old German fort.

Stay at:
Okaukuejo Rest Camp (2 nights) and Namutoni Rest Camp (1 night) or similar

Head north east from Etosha into the dry northern Kalahari to the Nyae Nyae Conservancy home to the Kalahari Bushmen, southern Africa’s original inhabitants. Spend two nights in the area at a campsite that is owned and operated by the local community so benefits them directly. During your stay here, there are many optional activities to enjoy where you can learn more about the Bushmen through cultural village visits (you may even stay overnight in the village), cultural dance performances and learning the traditional ways of hunting. In addition there is the possibility of seeing wildlife as elephant, kudu, eland, hyena and a wide variety bird species call the conservancy home. Heading out on tour to the Nyae Nyae Pans or the Khaudom National Park, a very remote and difficult to access park on the border of Botswana, gives you a chance to experience this wildlife.

Stay at:
Tsumkwe Lodge campsite or similar

Cross the border into Botswana and skirt the edge of the Okavango Delta as you drive to Maun – the gateway to the Delta. This is a good time to do some laundry and stock up with food, water and fuel for the final leg of your journey up to Chobe. But before you leave Maun you firstly have a trip into the Okavango Delta to experience!

Stay at:
Audi Camp or similar

Mid-afternoon you will arrive at your mobile tented camp and meet the camp staff who will hosts during your stay.  A brief introduction to the camp will show you your dome tent with twin beds and a bush en-suite bathroom – long drop toilet and a bucket shower – and the mess tent where you can relax and where you will take your meals. Activities at the camp include mokoro trails and guided walks.

Most days follow a similar pattern, up before the sun, you set out on foot, to explore the area in search of game before returning for  breakfast and time to catch up on your reading or view the birdlife from the mess tent. After lunch, the time is yours to relax or have a go at poling the mekoros or ask the guides to find a swim spot for you, before your afternoon activity. Return to camp in the late afternoon for a sundowner while your dinner is being prepared.

During the evening your hosts can be encouraged to share stories around the fire of their lives and lands. Be prepared as if your Botswanan hosts put on a song for you they will expect one in return! As the evening draws to a close lay back and listen to the music of life – the sounds of the African bush!

On your last morning there is time for a final activity before meandering down the pristine channels back to the polers station whee it is time to bid farewell to your Delta friends as you return to Maun.

Stay at:
Mobile tented safari camp in the Okavango Delta (includes full board meals and all safari activities)

Stay at:
Audi Camp or similar

These enormous salt pans located in the middle of the dry savannah of north east Botswana are some of the largest salt flats in the world. These vivid landscapes consist of a dry salty clay crust most of the year. However, when the annual rains fall they become covered with grass and water and are transformed into a refuge for birds and animals including wildebeest, one of Africa’s largest zebra populations and of course the large predators that prey on them. The wet season also brings migratory birds including Great White Pelicans and one of only two breeding populations of Greater Flamingoes in Southern Africa. Whilst at your camp consider joining one of the optional activities on offer: a full day guided safari to Nxai Pan, sundowner baobab walk, quad-biking and meerkat visit on Ntwetwe Pan or a cattlepost visit with village tour.

Stay at:
Planet Baobab campsite or similar

Kasane is a great base for exploring one of Africa’s major highlights – Chobe Riverfront. Chobe Riverfront has very high concentrations of animals – especially in the dry season when the animals are drawn to the river. Chobe is famous for its huge herds of elephants which together with massive herds of buffalo often delight visitors. A sunset cruise on the Chobe River is a wonderful option – cruise amongst the grunting hippo or watch the elephants wade amongst the reed beds.

Stay at:
Chobe Safari Lodge Campsite or similar

The Victoria Falls is a sight not to be missed – the clouds of spray generated by this thunderous descent have resulted in a lush rain forest full of stunning wild flowers. This is truly one of Africa’s most spectacular sights and the Victoria Falls village in Zimbabwe is the perfect base from which to appreciate it.

The Zambezi River has two characters – the wide gentle river above the Falls is a magic spot for sunset boat cruises or gentle canoeing, whilst below the Falls, the more adventurous can enjoy serious white-water rafting or river-boarding. A host of activities are centred on three separate delights: the Falls, the magnificent Zambezi River and the surrounding Zambezi National Park. The ‘Flight of Angels’ helicopter flights gives you an amazing overall impression of the Falls. Game drives and horse riding are offered in the Zambezi National Park to view elephant and buffalo. Elephant back safaris are also available for those who want to get up close and personal with these mighty pachyderms. Children are not forgotten and canopy tours cater to all ages. A high tea amidst the colonial splendour of the Victoria Falls Hotel is a daily event and a carnivorous feast at the Boma Restaurant awaits the hungry.

Included during your stay are a guided tour of the Victoria Falls and a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River.

Stay at:
Amadeus Garden Guest House or similar