The Big Overlander - 43 days
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Overview
Highlights
- Kenya: Set off from Nairobi for a two-night safari excursion to the Masai Mara, the country's premier wildlife destination
- Tanzania: Search for wildlife in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Mikumi National Park and visit the coastal cities of Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam
- Zanzibar: Spend three days on tropical Zanzibar Island, exploring historic Stone Town and soaking up some sun on the northern beaches
- Malawi: Explore several different points of Lake Malawi, which covers 20% of the country. Swim, visit local villages, play volleyball and opt for a day hike to a waterfall
- Zambia: Visit the border town of Chipata and the capital Lusaka, then head to Livingstone, home to cascading Victoria Falls
- Botswana: Head on safari in Chobe National Park and cruise the Chobe River, then enjoy an overnight excursion into the Okavango Delta
- Namibia: Meet the San Bushmen and visit Windhoek, then explore Etosha National Park, climb Dune 45 in the Namib Desert and see Fish River Canyon
- South Africa: Enjoy optional wine tasting in Cederberg before arriving in captivating Cape Town, where your tour ends
What's this trip about?
Details
Destinations
Attractions
Min Group Size
Max Group Size
Trip includes
- 42 breakfasts, 33 lunches & 32 dinners
- 34 nights camping in 2-person dome tents, 3 nights simple twin share accommodation in Zanzibar, 3 nights permanent tented camp in the Masai Mara & Okavango Delta, 2 nights in dorm accommodation in Swakopmund (please refer to the trip notes for details)
- Escorted by a licensed 2-person crew
- Transportation in a 24-seater overland truck with camping and cooking equipment
- Masai Mara excursion in a purpose built safari vehicle and game drives with a resident guide
- Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater excursion in a purpose built safari vehicle and game drives with a resident guide
- Maasai Village Walk with a resident guide
- Zanzibar return ferry ticket
- Mosi Oa Tunya National Park, Victoria Falls visit
- Chobe River boat cruise and Chobe National Park game drive in a purpose-built safari vehicle with a resident guide
- Okavango Delta excursion including mokoro and walking safari
- Kalahari Bushman Walk
- Etosha National Park game drives
- Spitzkoppe excursion to see Bushmen paintings
- Sossusvlei shuttle, guided walk and Dune 45 excursion
- Sesriem & Fish River Canyon visit
- Sleeping mattress (you will need to bring your own sleeping bag)
- All road tolls and vehicle taxes
Itinerary
Nairobi - Masai Mara. We depart the Kenyan capital this morning and travel overland across the dramatic Great Rift Valley. Arriving at our camp on the edge of the Masai Mara Reserve, we will have time for an afternoon game drive in search of wildlife. In the Masai Mar...
Today we continue exploring the Masai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. Forming part of the Serengeti ecosystem and adjacent to Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, the Masai Mara is perhaps Africa's most iconic wild place. Home to the Great Migration, it is...
Masai Mara - Nairobi. Departing the Mara we return to Nairobi for our last night in Kenya. We recommend heading into the city to enjoy a meal at the famed Carnivore restaurant!
Nairobi - Arusha (Tanzania). Say goodbye to Kenya as we board our overland truck and cross into neighbouring Tanzania. Our destination is the country's safari capital of Arusha, located near the Serengeti and in the shadow of Mount Meru. We'll browse the local markets before arriving at our camp for the night. There may also be time to visit a Maasai village.
Arusha - Serengeti National Park. Once again, we transfer to smaller, specialized safari vehicles for our excursion into the Serengeti National Park. Much larger than the Masai Mara, the Serengeti National Park is home to all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, ...
Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha. Day 6 sees us game-driving back out of the Serengeti and into the nearby Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This UNESCO-listed site is dominated by the Ngorongoro Crater, Africa's largest caldera. It is also home to som...
Arusha - Bagamoyo. After a week of safari, it's time for some downtime! We head first to the port city of Bagamoyo, which is located on the Indian Ocean coast. It's a long drive, but we will be afforded views of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro if the weather is clear. Our campsite for the night is near the beach, and you are more than welcome to head out to explore.
Bagamoyo - Dar es Salaam. We continue our journey down the Tanzanian coast to Dar es Salaam, the country's most important port. It's a relatively short drive of just 2 - 3 hours, and there should be time for you to head into the city independently. There is a wealth o...
Dar es Salaam - Zanzibar. On the morning of day 10 we board the ferry to Zanzibar, a tropical, semi-autonomous island off the coast of the Tanzanian mainland. Our overland truck will remain in Dar es Salaam. Our time in Zanzibar is not structured, and there is ple...
Zanzibar - Dar es Salaam. There's time for a final swim this morning before we check out after breakfast and catch the ferry back to the mainland. We're camping by the coast again tonight, and you'll be able to head back into Dar if you choose.
Dar es Salaam - Mikumi National Park. Climb aboard our overland truck once more as we make our way back inland, heading for the Malawian border. Today we are driving through Mikumi National Park, and will stop if we see any exotic wildlife, such as a forest elephant, ...
Mikumi National Park - Iringa. Today's drive takes us through the spectacular Southern Highlands of Tanzania. We'll be staying at a local family-run farm around 50km from Iringa. The farm has been managed by the Ghaui family for more than 70 years and produces organic crops and meat for the local community and Dar es Salaam. It's a well-known camping spot on the way to Malawi.
Iringa - Chitimba Beach, Lake Malawi (Malawi). Departing Tanzania, we cross into our third country, Malawi. Dominated by Lake Malawi, this body of water covers around 20% of the country and is crucial for the livelihoods of the Malawian people. It is here that we are ...
Chitimba Beach, Lake Malawi - Mzuzu - Kande Beach, Lake Malawi. Lake Malawi is too much of a highlight for us to only visit one location along its never-ending shore! Our next destination is Kande Beach, which we reach by driving around 240km through rubber plantation...
Kande Beach, Lake Malawi - Chipata (Zambia). Today sees us heading toward the Zambian border. After the customs formalities, we head to our campsite in the border town of Chipata, the main landmark of which is a colourful welcome arch. There is also a large Indian community in Chipata, and a number of architecturally impressive mosques.
Chipata - Lusaka. It's an early start today as we have a long drive to the Zambian capital, Lusaka. The scenery en route is stunning though: we'll take the Great Eastern Road, passing through lush countryside and crossing the rushing Luangwa River. Our campsite is at a tranquil farm outside Lusaka, which is Southern Africa's fastest-growing city.
Lusaka - Livingstone. On day 22 we drive south to Livingstone. Named after famed explorer David Livingstone, this is the Zambian base for exploring Victoria Falls, one of the African continent's finest natural wonders. There is an included visit to the falls, which ar...
Livingstone - Chobe National Park (Botswana). Say goodbye to Zambia as we cross into Botswana today and make the short journey to Kasane, gateway to Chobe National Park. Botswana's premier game reserve is home to all of the Big Five as well as abundant bird life, incl...
Chobe National Park - Nata. This morning we enjoy an open vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park, where we hope to spot not only elephants that are so prolific in the park, but also lion and different antelope species. Bidding farewell to Chobe, we travel south ...
Nata - Maun. Today sees us travelling to Maun, our base for exploring the famed Okavango Delta. If time allows, there is the opportunity for you to take a scenic flight over the delta - if we haven't got time today then this opportunity will be offered on day 30 instead.
Maun - Okavango Delta - Maun. On day 29 we enjoy our overnight excursion in specialized safari vehicles into the Okavango Delta. The delta is a natural wetland spread out over more than 1.6 million hectares, home to an incredible diversity of life. Reaching the mokoro...
Maun - Gobabis (Namibia). Boarding our overland truck, we travel to the Namibian border via Ghanzi, skirting the edge of the barren Kalahari Desert. Having crossed the border, we reach our campsite, and there is an included bush walk with the local San Bushmen, during...
Gobabis - Windhoek. Today we arrive in Namibia's charming capital. Windhoek is a tiny capital by global standards, with a population of just 470,000 people. It has lots of German architecture, a reminder of Namibia's early colonial past. Our camp is located on the edg...
Windhoek - Etosha National Park. The next two days will be spent exploring Namibia's iconic Etosha National Park. This 20,000 square kilometre reserve is dominated by a salt pan, which floods seasonally but is also home to a select few watering holes all year round. W...
Etosha National Park - Spitzkoppe. Leaving Etosha, we head into the Damaraland region and our destination - Spitzkoppe. At this mountain peak, you can see incredibly well-preserved bushmen paintings and spectacular rock formations reaching 1800 metres above sea level....
Spitzkoppe - Swakopmund. On day 36 we drive to Swakopmund, a German colonial town located on Namibia's famous Skeleton Coast. We'll be staying in simple dormitory accommodation in Swakopmund, rather than camping. The rest of day 36 and the following day are free ...
Swakopmund - Namib-Naukluft National Park. Heading south, we journey through Namib-Naukluft National Park, which protects large swathes of the Namib Desert. We'll stop for a photo at the Tropic of Capricorn before arriving at our desert campsite in the Khomas region.
This morning we head back into Namib-Naukluft National Park, arriving at the desert's most famous landmark - Dune 45. This towering sand dune is more than 300 metres high - you are welcome to try to climb the dune if you are up to it! Journeying deeper into the par...
Namib-Naukluft National Park - Fish River Canyon. If you thought Sesriem Canyon was impressive, you're in for a treat today! It's a long drive south through desert scenery to reach Fish River Canyon, second only in size to the Grand Canyon in the USA. More than 500 me...
Fish River Canyon - Orange River. Travelling south we reach the Orange River, also known as the Gariep. For much of its length, the Orange River marks the border between Namibia and South Africa. Our campsite is located on the Namibian side, and there is an optional canoe safari for those who want to see some of the surrounding scenery.
Orange River - Cederberg (South Africa). Crossing the border this morning we enter the seventh and final country of our adventure: South Africa. Driving south through the Namaqualand region, we will be treated to the sight of beautiful wildflowers if travelling in spr...
Cederberg - Cape Town. Today we complete our six-week journey to Cape Town, South Africa's 'Mother City', where our tour comes to an end. Home to Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, and some of the world's most spectacular scenery, we strongly recommend booking post-tour accommodation to further explore this iconic city. We can arrange this accommodation for you.
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The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- International flights and visas
- Sleeping bag - please bring your own
- Tipping - an entirely personal gesture
- Optional activities (prices listed in Trip Notes)
- Airport transfers - can be booked on request
- Local Payment - A higher local payment of USD $2215 pp is required for bookings made prior to 15 Dec 2023. See trip notes for details.
- Local payment - $1240 paid in USD
Accommodation
18 and over. Anyone over 65 to complete a Tour Suitability Form.Maximum age 75.
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