15-day Windhoek to Victoria Falls Elephant Trail

DEPARTS: WINDHOEK on Saturday at 08:00am
ENDS: VICTORIA FALLS on Saturday at +/-08:00am

Highlights
* Namib Desert – walk Sossusvlei dunes
* Swakopmund – dune boarding & quad biking
* Damaraland– rock paintings
* Etosha NP – game viewing
* Caprivi – Game drives & boat cruise
* Chobe National Park
* Victoria Falls – A natural wonder of the world & adventure activities

This classic safari offers a magnificent journey through the most beautiful variety of locations in Namibia and includes the Chobe NP in Botswana and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  There are some long travel days on this journey but we have 2 night stays at all the highlights.  The lodges are beautiful, comfortable & make for a great adventure safari.

Overnight The accommodation throughout this classic journey is of 3 to 4 star style and are chosen not only for their service and comfort level but also for their wonderful locations and local wildlife viewing opportunities.  All rooms have private en suite facilities. For Etosha we stay inside the national park and for the Namib we stay on a private lodge bordering the national park.

Meals 14 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 8 dinners are included.  All of which are provided by the lodges at which we are staying.  Due to travel arrangements or game viewing activities, the included lunches will be picnic lunches.  Where meals are not included there will be an opportunity to buy a meal en route or at a restaurant in the evening.

Transport for the majority of this safari you travel in a Sunway Safari truck with 12 seats; or (on 5% of tours) Mercedes Sprinter minibuses with 12 forward facing seats and air conditioning.  The game drives in Etosha will be in the tour vehicle, with large sliding windows.  For the game drives in Ugab and Chobe we use open sided 4WD vehicles with local guides.

Non participation This is an adventure tour, and as such please expect to get involved.  Where there are porters, they’ll help you, otherwise you’ll need to carry your own bag.  Included meals are all lodge provided. If you have a particular interest, please let your safari leader know, and he/she will endeavour to make your journey more rewarding.  Your holiday time is exclusively yours to enjoy your safari and get the most from your travel experience.

Highlights

  • Brandberg
  • Chobe River Front
  • Divundu
  • Guma Lagoon
  • Kwando River
  • Otavi Mountain Region
  • Sossusvlei
  • Swakopmund
  • Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
  • Grootfontein
  • Etosha National Park
  • Zimbabwe
  • Botswana
  • Namibia

Tour Summary

Full Day by Day Itinerary

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Day 1 – 2 : Sossusvlei

Meet your safari leader at 08:00am for a departure briefing.  We then drive through the rolling hills south of Windhoek and drop down the escarpment onto the desert plains to stop at Solitaire for the world’s best apple tart (own expense).  This afternoon we travel to our lodge and enjoy the vast open spaces of the Namib Desert.

The following day we visit the Namib Nauklauft National Park to witness the amazing landscapes of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei.  The vleis are clay pans formed by the occasional flooding of the Tsauchab River.  Sossusvlei is dotted with ancient Camel Thorn trees (Acacia Erioloba) while the trees on Deadvlei are lifeless and stark against the surrounding tall orange sand dunes.

Day 1: Breakfast not included
Day 1: Lunch will be an own expense meal
Day 1: Dinner will be a set meal provided by the lodge

Day 2: Breakfast provide by the lodge
Day 2: Lunch will be an own expense meal
Day 2: Dinner will be a set meal provided by the lodge

Includes:     Entrance fees to Sesriem Canyon and Naukluft National Park.
Distance/time:    ±320km, 4h30 actual driving time, but the gravel road deteriorates and can be slow so with lunch and stops, we expect a travel day of ±7h30.
Overnight:    Elegant Desert Lodge – twin rooms with en suite facilities. Restaurant, swimming pool & bar. WiFi not available.

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Day 3 : Swakopmund

Swakopmund lies on the Atlantic coast, and the relative cool sea breezes will be a welcome change from the hot desert days.  The town lies at the mouth of the Swakop River which flows infrequently, but forms the northern boundary of the relentlessly northward migrating sand dunes.  Optional scenic flights from Swakopmund offer spectacular desert landscapes as they fly along the Skeleton Coast (own expense).

Day 3: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 3: Lunch will be an own expense meal
Day 3: Dinner will be an own expense meal at a local restaurant

Includes:                 N/A
Distance/time:       ±350km, 5h00 actual driving time, this gravel road is very rough, a stop for photo's at the tropic of Capricorn, sightseeing and lunch in Walvis bay we expect a travel day of ±8h00.
Optional Activities: Sand boarding, skydiving, ocean canoe safari, scenic flights & many more.
Overnight:               Hotel A La Mer - twin share rooms with en suite facilities. Telephone & restaurant. WiFi in the main building.

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Day 4 – 5 : Brandberg

We head inland to the Tsiseb Conservancy and the Brandberg, a mountainous granite outcrop.  Standing at over 2,600m it towers above the surrounding plains and is visible from a great distance.  The Tsisab Ravine at the foot of the mountain contains more than 1000 rock shelters and some 45,000 rock paintings including the famous “White Lady”, which is a short 40 minute walk up the ancient watercourse.

Our lodge, situated in the dry Ugab River valley, is ideally situated to explore the area in search of the rare desert elephants and we’ll join a local guide on a 4WD excursion.  Being far ranging and elusive, a sighting of the elephants cannot be guaranteed, but with the knowledge of our local guide the day will be fascinating.

Day 4: Breakfast provided by the hotel
Day 4: Lunch provided by the tour leaders
Day 4: Dinner will be a set meal provided by the lodge

Day 5: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 5: Picnic lunch provided by the tour leaders
Day 5: Dinner will be a set meal provided by the lodge

Includes:                 Entrance to Brandberg, walk with local guide to White Lady painting and 4WD excursion with a local guide.
Distance/time:       ±250km, 3h30 actual driving time, starting on a "salt" road, the road is generally quite good, for a total travel day of ±4h00. Overnight:               Brandberg White Lady Lodge – twin share chalets with en-suite facilities, bar, restaurant & swimming pool. WiFi not available.

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Day 6 : Etosha National Park

The salt pan in Etosha is the remnants of a large lake that dried up thousands of years ago.  This “Great White Place” is 120km wide and forms the central attraction in the National Park.  Natural springs and waterholes around the edges provide life giving water that sustains the wildlife in this otherwise arid area.

Elephants coated in the white salt dust from the pan make for extraordinary photos.  Our camp is located on the edge of a floodlit waterhole allowing us to get a glimpse of the nocturnal animals that come to drink, including the rare black rhino, lion and possibly leopard. We enjoy the evening sitting at the waterhole in anticipation.

Day 6: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 6: Lunch own expense meal
Day 6: Dinner will be an own expense meal at local restaurant

Includes:                 Entrance fees to Etosha National Park, 1 x full day game drive in Etosha NP.
Distance/time:       ±450km, 6h00 actual driving time on day 6, the road can be rough and with an afternoon game drive in Etosha we expect a total of ±8h30 in the vehicle.
Overnight:               Okaukuejo, twin rooms en-suite with swimming pool, restaurant and bar

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Day 7 : Etosha National Park

The salt pan in Etosha is the remnants of a large lake that dried up thousands of years ago.  This “Great White Place” is 120km wide and forms the central attraction in the National Park.  Natural springs and waterholes around the edges provide life giving water that sustains the wildlife in this otherwise arid area.

Elephants coated in the white salt dust from the pan make for extraordinary photos.  Our camp is located on the edge of a floodlit waterhole allowing us to get a glimpse of the nocturnal animals that come to drink, including the rare black rhino, lion and possibly leopard. We enjoy the evening sitting at the waterhole in anticipation.

Day 7: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 7: Lunch own expense meal
Day 7: Dinner will be an own expense meal at local restaurant

Includes:                 Entrance fees to Etosha National Park, 1 x full day game drive in Etosha NP.
Distance/time:       ±450km, 6h00 actual driving time on day 6, the road can be rough and with an afternoon game drive in Etosha we expect a total of ±8h30 in the vehicle.
Overnight:             Namutoni, twin rooms en-suite with swimming pool, restaurant and bar.

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Day 8 : Grootfontein

We spend most of today in the Etosha National Park, before moving to our overnight lodge in the Grootfontein district.  En route we’ll stop at the Hoba meteorite. At over 60 tons, it is the largest known meteorite on Earth.

Day 8: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 8: Lunch own expense meal
Day 8: Dinner will be an own expense meal at lodge restaurant

Includes:                 Morning game drive in Etosha NP.
Distance/time:       ±560km, 5h00 actual driving time, as we game drive out of Etosha this morning before moving on, we expect a long travel day of ±9h30.
Overnight:               Roys Rest Camp twin permanent chalets with en-suite facilities, Swimming pool, bar & restaurant. WiFi not available.

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Day 9 : Divundu

Driving north east we enter the Kavango Region, our lodge is situated on the banks of the Kavango River, which flows from Angola, across the Caprivi and feeds the Okavango Delta.  Excellent bird watching opportunities.

Day 9: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 9: Lunch provided by the tour leaders
Day 9: Dinner provided by the lodge

Includes:                 -
Distance/time:       ±440km, 5h30 actual driving time, we head north this morning on a tarmac road and we expect a travel day of ±6h00.
Overnight:               Nunda River Lodge – twin share permanent tents with en-suite facilities. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone. WiFi not available.

 

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Day 10 – 11 : Guma Lagoon

We explore the Mahango Game Reserve on a morning game drive in our tour vehicle before we cross into Botswana at the Mohembo border and head south to our lodge at Nxamaseri on the Okavango Pan handle.  From our lodge, we’ll explore the Okavango by mokoro and motor boat. Tranquil reed lined rivers, crystal clear water and abundant bird life.  Time to rest, relax and enjoy the views of the Okavango Delta.

Day 10-11: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 10-11: Lunch provided by the lodge
Day 10-11: Dinner provided by the lodge

Includes:                 Mahangu NP entrance fee & game drive in tour vehicle, Okavango mokoro and motorboat excursions.
Distance/time:       ±160km, 2h00 actual driving time, border takes some time, and we expect a travel day of ±3h00.
Overnight:               Guma Lagoon – twin en-suite canvas chalets. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant. WiFi available in the lounge.

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Day 12 : Kwando River

We cross back into Namibia and cross part of the Caprivi Strip.  A narrow piece of land annexed to the German South West African colony in 1890, allowing access to the mighty Zambezi River and a trade route to the East coast of Africa and the then German Tanganyika.  We enjoy an afternoon boat cruise exploring the game rich area.

Day 12: Breakfast provide by the lodge
Day 12: Lunch will be an own expense meal
Day 12: Dinner will be a set menu provided by the lodge

Includes:                 River cruise on Kwando River.
Distance/time:       ±380km, 4h30 actual driving time, + border control and a shopping stop, before a game drive in Mahangu and on to camp. We expect a total travel time of ±7hrs total.
Overnight:               Camp Kwando – twin share permanent tents with en-suite facilities. Swimming pool, bar, restaurant, telephone. WiFi not available.

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Day 13 : Chobe River Front

Heading east we cross the Caprivi enter Botswana at the Ngoma Border and drive across the Chobe National Park to the small town of Kasane.  The Chobe River attracts an abundance of wildlife. Our afternoon activity is an incredible experience on the Chobe River where we head out by boat into the park and get close to the elephants as they quench their thirst.  We leave the park as the golden sun slips below the horizon.

Day 13: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 13: Lunch own expense meal

Day 13: Dinner will be an own expense meal at a local restaurant

Includes:                 Afternoon boat cruise in Chobe NP, park fees.
Distance/time:       ±260km,3h30 actual driving time, we look out for game as we head for a border crossing and a lunch stop total travel time ±6hrs total.
Overnight:               Chobe Safari Lodge – twin rooms with en-suite facilities, swimming pool, restaurant & bar. WiFi available.

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Day 14 : Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

The Zambezi River rises in Zambia before flowing through Angola and along the border of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, before plunging 100 metres over the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls.  The spray billowing up from the gorge creates a lush rain forest that surrounds the falls.  With our local guides, we explore the National Park where we walk to the very edge of the falls and marvel at the power of the water that created this wonder.

Day 14: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 14: Lunch own expense meal
Day 14: Dinner will be an own expense meal at local restaurant

Includes:                 Entrance to see the Victoria Falls Zimbabwe.
Distance/time:       ±100km, 1h30 actual driving time, It's not a long way, but the border can be busy and slow so we anticipate a total travel day of ±3h30.
Optional Activities  Sunset cruises, scenic flights & many more.
Overnight:               PheZulu Guest Lodge, twin rooms with en-suite facilities. Swimming pool, restaurant, bar and telephone. Free WiFi available.

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Day 15 : Departure

This classic journey ends at 08:00am at the lodge.

Day 15: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 15: Lunch not included
Day 15: Dinner not included

Includes:                    N/A
Overnight:                   N/A
Distance/time:           N/A

Included

Accommodation as per itinerary
Meals as per itinerary
Transport
Professional guides

Excluded

International flights
Pre / Post tour accommodation
Airport transfers
Travel insurance
Visas
Vaccinations
Gratuities
Optional activities