19 Day South West Overland Tour - Livingstone to Cape Town
Highlights of the South West Overland Tour include: The white water spectacle of Victoria Falls. Huge elephant herds along the Chobe River. Mokoro trails through the watery Okavango Delta Cultural exchanges with the Kalahari Bushman. Game drives in Etosha National Park. Giant canyon and dunes in wild Namibia. Cape Town Township Tour.
Itinerary
DAYS 1 to 3: Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park
Before leaving Livingstone we visit the impressive 'Falls' themselves. From Livingstone we return to Botswana and visit Chobe National Park for an early morning game drive, hoping to see lephant, buffalo, lion and some of the park's array of birdlife. Relax during the heat of the day before an afternoon game viewing cruise on the Chobe River to watch hippos wallowing, kingfishers feeding, and the African sun slipping below the horizon.
DAYS 4 to 6: Okavango Delta
Further south is the Okavango Delta, a natural wetland where the Okavango River fans out into the largest inland delta in the world. Explore the myriad of waterways and stunning scenery on foot and by makoro (dugout canoe) and perhaps catch a glimpse of hippo, crocodile, buffalo and elephant. We camp on river islands and enjoy the peace amongst the swamps, lily pads and swaying grasses of the delta.
DAYS 7 to 11: Etosha National Park
We cross into Namibia and join bushmen for an informative walk before continuing to Windhoek and Etosha National Park in Namibia. This vast reserve of over 20,000 sq km surrounds a central salt pan. We spend two days tracking game in this vast arid region. From Etosha we travel into Damaraland, an area of eerie landscapes and barren rocky outcrops, and camp in the tranquil area of Spitskoppe, known as the Matterhorn of Africa. We have the opportunity to see ancient bushman paintings here.
DAYS 12 to 15: Cape Cross, Swakopund, Namib-Naukluft Park
We reach the Atlantic coast and visit Cape Cross Seal Colony, home to 80,000 seals. Further south, sandwiched between ocean and desert, is Namibia's premier coastal getaway, Swakopmund. Kick back and lap up the town's cafe culture or get the adrenaline pumping with optional activities such as quad-biking, sand- boarding and skydiving over the dunes! We continue south and reach the world's oldest desert. At dawn we enter the Namib Naukluft Park, containing the world's highest sand dunes, and witness sunrise over the vast sand sea before taking a guided walk through the dunes.
DAYS 16 to 19: Fish River Canyon, Orange River, Cape Town
Further south we visit another natural wonder of Africa - Fish River Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the world. We finally cross into South Africa and have a relaxing night camping on the banks of the Gariep (Orange) River before arriving in the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. Cape Town is one of the world's most attractive cities. We take a cultural visit to a local township and enjoy a traditional lunch before our South West Safari ends.
