Victoria Fälle, Etosha & Okavango Delta

[die Tourbeschreibung ist momentan nur auf Englisch verfügbar]

Day 1: Cape Town
Our adventure begins in Cape Town, the third most populous city in South Africa nestled on the seaside. There are many things to do here: explore the townships and wineries, climb Table Mountain and check out some jazz bars. Be sure to allow some extra time before the tour begins to see and do everything you want in Cape Town and the surrounding regions.
Day 1 is an arrival day so you can arrive at any time. Your tour leader will usually hold a group meeting at approximately 6pm (check the notice board in the reception of your joining site for the exact time and location). At this meeting, your tour leader will give a briefing about the tour, outline the plan for the next few days, answer any questions and collect your ‘Local Fund’ payment in full in US$ cash. Then there will usually be the option for everyone to go out for dinner and drinks to start to get to know one another.

Day 2-3: Orange River
We leave Cape Town and travel north via Citrusdal to the Orange River, passing some of South Africa’s most beautiful areas and wine-growing regions along the way. Orange River forms the border between Namibia and South Africa, and you have the option to go on a canoe safari on the river here.

Day 4: Fish River Canyon
Our next stop is Fish River Canyon, one of the world’s largest canyons, boasting vistas and world class walks. The canyon is 160km long and 500m deep and to walk it entirely takes 5 days and is seasonally dependent. We will park at the viewpoint and from there you can take several short easy walks around the top of the canyon stopping along the way for photos. Descending into the canyon for a day visit is now prohibited. Weather depending we will have lunch or an arly sunset supper at the viewpoint.
by truck we head into the national park to watch the sunrise over the famous dunes. Dune 45 is reputed to be the best of the dunes, but they are all magnificent and spectacular to film. After we have exhausted our memory cards on the sunrise we will travel further into the dune field to the two wheel drive truck park. From here you can either walk or take a optional 4 wheel drive or walking tour into Sossusvlei and explore the hot, dry depths of this huge clay pan which is enclosed by giant sand dunes. Some of the spectacular hills of sand are at a height of 300 metres - the highest in the world. Only in the rare event of a heavy rainfall does the vlei (wetland) fill with water. As the clay layers hardly allow any water infiltration, a turquoise lake will remain for quite some time. It can be very hot here and there is no shade, so remember to bring sunscreen, hats, etc. In the afternoon we head back to camp where you can try and beat the heat next to the swimming pool.

Day 7-9: Swakopmund
Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Ocean and is Namibia’s most popular holiday destination. It is an old German colonial town surrounded by desert.
Once in Swakopmund, we have two full days to fuel our thirst for an adrenaline rush with a range of optional excursions, such as sandboarding (stand up or lie down on a waxed hardboard and hurtle down the dunes), quadbiking (suitable for beginners), tandem skydiving, game fishing and many more. The town has a selection of good bars and restaurants, and you can spend the evening watching extreme videos of activities you did during the day over a cold beer or two. It’s a great place for a few nights and a lot of fun.

Day 10: Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park
Travelling north, we stop for one night at the famous Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park, where you’ll get up close and personal with these beautiful animals. You can hold and stoke the babies and hand reared cheetahs, and watch the owners hand-feed the older ones. The tame cheetahs were abandoned when they were young and consequently can’t be set free in the wild as they wouldn’t survive. The park itself is 2,000 acres and it is fenced off for obvious reasons. You can watch the cheetah being fed from a truck, and there are tame kudu and meerkats wandering about the place. The park is a great place to see these big cats clearly in an almost wild environment.

Day 11-13: Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s largest and is roughly the size of Wales. We have two or three nights here to explore this immense park (and BEX staff favourite). All of Etosha’s campsites have floodlit waterholes, meaning that, when park law restrictions limit us to our campsite in the evenings, it is still possible to view game at all hours - you can stay up all night if you wish, glimpsing wild animals coming down for a drink at the water’s edge! Just remember to be quiet for ample viewing opportunities.
We will spend our two/three nights camping in the park split between Okaukuejo in the South, Halali in the middle and Namutoni in the north depending on where the game is. All the campsites are very well equipped with great facilities and the game drives along with the waterholes make Etosha one of the most memorable places you will visit on this trip. Africa’s ‘big five’ (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) can be found in the park as well as zebra, giraffe, gazelle and many different species of Southern African birds. You may notice differences in the animal species here to those you will see in East Africa - pay particular attention to the stripes of the zebras!

Day 14: Ngepi
Travelling east across Namibia, we head towards Botswana. Tonight we camp on the banks of the Okavango River on our way to the mighty Okavango Delta.

Day 15-18: Maun and the Okavango Delta
Our next stop is the town of Maun, where we will prepare for our optional safari into the Okavango Delta, a beautiful wetland.
The Okavango Delta is a huge area of very slow flowing water that comes from the Okavango River, fans out and evaporates over the sands of the Kalahari Desert. There are many fresh water channels that give life to the abundant wildlife of the area. We travel in hand crafted Mokoros (small boats similar to dugout canoes) which glide silently along the river, steered by stealth polers who earn their living transporting tourists along the Delta. There is no better way to explore the tranquil waterways and lily fields, glimpsing the diverse range of birds and amphibians such as speckled frogs which inhabit the papyrus.
We spend two nights camping on small islands in the bush, with our exact camp spot determined by the water level at the time. Returning to dry land and showers, we spend one more night in Maun. From here you also have the opportunity to take a scenic flight over the Delta to see it in all its vastness from above.

Day 19-20: Chobe National Park
Leaving Maun, we drive to Chobe National Park. Our campsite is on the river’s edge, providing great opportunities to spot wildlife and admire the sounds and sights of the African wilderness. You have free time in the national park to take an optional river cruise or game drive to see crocodiles, hippos, elephants and other wildlife found in abundance here. Chobe is one of the largest game concentrations in southern Africa so the viewing options are definitely plentiful.

Day 21-24: Livingstone
Leaving Chobe and crossing the Zambezi River by ferry we head east to Livingstone. Zambia’s adrenaline capital and adventure playground. Located around 11km from the Zimbabwe border to Victoria Falls, the town is named after the Scottish explorer and most famous European explorer of Africa, David Livingstone. Victoria Falls are some of the most famous waterfalls in the world. Admire the plummeting falls crashing dramatically into the river below (111m) and take in a variety of optional activities. One of the most popular is white water rafting on the lower Zambezi River, which has a series of 23 rapids all graded 3 to 5 depending on the time of year and the water level definitely not for the faint-hearted! Other popular activities include bungee jumping, River Boarding, Jet Boating, canoeing or try sitting in the Devils armchair. You can also take a helicopter ride and admire the raging falls from above. Please note: all the activities on the river including the devils armchair are subject to the level of the river and may not be available.

Day 25-26: House Boats on Lake Kariba
If you choose to there is the option of trading in our truck for some comfortable house boats and spend three nights floating tranquilly across Lake Kariba. Sit back, relax and watch the wildlife grazing peacefully at the edge of the lake. We can also take the tender boat to go fishing and get closer to the game. Admire the serenity of this beautiful area and fall asleep beneath a dramatic night sky. Your meals are covered by the local fund and will be prepared by the onboard chief while there is also a cash bar onboard.

Day 27-30: Sinazongwe - Lusaka - Chipata
Getting ready to bid farewell to Zambia, we have a couple of days of driving as we make our way to the border to enter Malawi. We spend one night in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. Choose to go shopping at some of the many markets and souvenirs, or catch up on emails. Malawi’s people are renowned for their friendliness and the country is often referred to as ‘the Warm heart of Africa’. Lake Malawi comprises of almost one third of the country’s land mass. It is a fresh water lake, about 560 km long and 75 km wide at its widest point, with a total area of approximately 29,600 km².

Day 31-33: Kande Beach
Kande Beach is one of the many beautiful beaches situated on the shores of Lake Malawi. There is a lively atmosphere here and with Kande Beach being one of the big Overland havens, you will be in for a party or two! You have two full days to relax in the sun or go diving, snorkelling, swimming and horse riding. You can also visit nearby local villages and markets famous for their woodcarvings.

Day 34-36: Chitimba - Iringa
Heading away from Kande Beach, we drive up and over the Viphya Mountains, admiring beautiful views along the way. We have a couple of nights at a small but lively lakeside camp called Chitimba beach. Here you can choose to go on a range of fun optional excursions, such as abseiling and hiking in the mountains to the beautiful Livingstonia.
We then take to the open road once again and travelling north we leave behind the lake shores of Malawi and enter Tanzania. Then heading east towards the coast we pass through the large Sao hill pine forests before settling in for the night near the town of Iringa. The next day We pass through Mikumi National Park, where it is possible to see elephant, giraffe, zebra and antelope from the roadside.

Day 37-42: Dar es Salaam & Zanzibar Island
We now head to the big, noisy, bustling port of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean. Dar es Salaam is our gateway to the exotic island of Zanzibar. Here you have the option to spend several days exploring Zanzibar. Known as the ‘Spice Island’ Zanzibar is famous for spices and produce, and supposedly boasts the sweetest pineapple in the world! In the nineteenth century it was one of the most important trading centres in the Indian Ocean region. We travel to the island by fast ferry which takes around 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on what boat we catch, and will spend our days here in Stone Town and also at some of the islands beaches on the Northern or eastern side of the island.
Stone Town is an old city and the cultural heart of Zanzibar; little has changed here over the last 200 years. It boasts a labyrinth of walled streets, winding alleys, bustling mosques and grand Arab architecture. You can spend many idle hours simply wandering the streets, shopping at the bazaars and admiring the intriguing elephant-proof doors. Or sit and watch the sun set over a cold beer and a sumptuous seafood feast. If food is your thing, make sure you also check out the brilliant night market which serves traditional local fare. Females should note that Stone Town has a high Muslim population so remember to cover up and bring appropriate clothing.
To the north and east of Zanzibar Island lie the island’s beautiful, isolated beaches with sparkling blue ocean and golden sand fringed with palm trees. There are plenty of options for you at the beaches: relax and take it easy, indulge with a massage, go diving, snorkelling or swimming with dolphins.
After around four days in this paradise, we will depart in the morning and head back to Dar es Salaam for one more night.

Day 43: Depart Dar es Salaam
Day 5-6: Sesriem & Namib-Naukluft National Park
Today we have a scenic drive past some beautiful mountainous areas and through the Namib-Naukluft National Park, famous for its giant sand dunes, on our way to Sesriem. Once we’ve arrived, you can go on a walk through the Seseriem Canyon in the late afternoon. The following morning we have an early start and you have the option to take a hot air balloon ride over the dunes or traveling