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Experience the magic of Southern Africa on this unforgettable 21-day lodge safari through Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Visit famous wildlife destinations, including Namibia's Etosha Pan, Botswana's Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park and the Matopos Hills, and South Africa's renowned Kruger National Park. Visit salt pans, go on wildlife river cruises, explore ancient ruins, and marvel at mighty Victoria Falls.
With comfortable lodges, knowledgeable guides, and a balance of included and optional activities, this Southern Africa Lodge Safari combines adventure, wildlife, and culture for travelers seeking a rich, all-around African experience.
__large.jpg "Great Zimbabwe Ruins")
__large.jpg "Cape buffalo hwange national park")
__large.jpg "Etosha black rhino")
__large.jpg "Kruger National Park Hippos")
__large.jpg "Victoria falls Zimbabwe")
__large.jpg "Leopard kruger national park")
__large.jpg "The three rondavels blyde river canyon panorama route")
Travel Highlights:
A tour representative will meet you to begin your Southern Africa Lodge Safari with an exclusive shuttle ride from Windhoek to the Etosha National Park area. On arrival, enjoy lunch and meet your Tour Leader and fellow travelers for a briefing on what to expect on your 21-day adventure. Enjoy a game viewing drive through Etosha National Park in the Overland truck before heading out to your overnight lodge.
Travel Highlights:
Travel from Etosha’s white sands to the lush banks of the Kavango River (source of the Okavango Delta) in Namibia's Caprivi Strip. It lies within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, which spans five countries and is home to an abundance of wildlife. Settle into your riverside lodge for two relaxing nights.
Travel Highlights:
Enjoy a serene morning boat cruise on the Kavango River, with opportunities to spot incredible birdlife as you glide past hippos and crocodiles, and watch for wildlife on the riverbanks. In the afternoon, an optional game drive in Mahangu National Park is available. The park is renowned for its frequent sightings of elephants, buffalo, antelope, and occasionally, big cats.
Travel Highlights:
Today, your epic Southern Africa Safari crosses into Botswana. After border formalities are complete, travel to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, where you’ll rest before your Delta exploration begins.
Travel Highlights:
Early risers may have the opportunity to take an optional scenic flight for a breathtaking aerial perspective over the delta. Later, we leave the overland truck behind in Maun (with your excess luggage) and travel in 4x4 safari vehicles through the Okavango Delta to your rustic tented camp in the Khwai River Conservation Area. Here you will spend two blissful nights. Enjoy a sunset mokoro excursion through the waterways, a quintessential way to experience the delta.
Travel Highlights
Rise early to make the most of the early morning hours when wildlife is most active. Your Southern Africa Lodge Safari embarks on an action-packed full-day safari through Moremi Game Reserve, famed for its rich ecosystems and wildlife. Travel through varied landscapes, from wetlands to grasslands and woodland in search of as many species of fauna and flora as possible.
Travel Highlights:
Depart Khwai early, heading through the Okavango Delta one last time to meet up with the overland truck back in Maun. Then, leave the lush delta behind and head into the desert, passing through the salt pan landscapes of the Makgadigadi Pans, to your overnight destination near Nata Pan.
Travel Highlights:
Your budget-friendly Southern African Lodge Safari leaves the desert sands behind as you travel to Kasane on the banks of the mighty Chobe River. After settling into your riverside lodge, head out on an unforgettable wildlife viewing Chobe River boat cruise alongside Chobe National Park, where elephants often bathe at sunset.
Travel Highlights:
Cross the bridge to the Kazangula border post and into Zimbabwe. It is a short drive to Victoria Falls village. The rest of the day is yours to explore the mighty Victoria Falls - called “The Smoke That Thunders” by locals because of the mists that rise from the powerful falls that are visible some distance away. Spend the afternoon exploring the Falls viewpoint and the shops and activities on offer. Alternatively, relax at the lodge, which will be your home for the next two nights. Your guide will book a dinner out for the group for those who are interested (own account) and attend a cultural performance.
Travel Highlights:
Day 10 of your Southern Africa Safari is a free day to explore Victoria Falls at your own pace. Choose from a host of high-adrenaline adventures or cultural experiences in the area, see the falls from different angles, take a sunset cruise, or explore the markets and shops of bustling Victoria Falls village.
Travel Highlights:
After a leisurely start, travel to Zimbabwe’s most renowned wildlife destination, Hwange National Park. Settle in before you enjoy a late afternoon game drive through Hwange’s stunning landscapes, in search of its large elephant herds, lion prides, and the rest of its diverse wildlife amid acacia and teak-dotted plains.
Travel Highlights:
Make an early start with a warm drink, ready for a morning game drive while the animals are at their most active. Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest reserve, home to all Zimbabwe's protected species, including rare sightings of gemsbok, a stable population of endangered African wild dogs, leopard, cheetah, and spotted hyena, alongside elephants, large cats, and abundant grazing herbivores in its diverse habitats.
Return to the camp to relax in the midday sun before paying a visit to the nearby Painted Dog Conservation Centre. The centre houses a vital project dedicated to protecting the African wild dog (also known as the painted wolf), one of Africa’s most endangered carnivores. Here, you’ll learn about the threats facing these remarkable animals and the work to protect and expand the population and range of African wild dogs in Zimbabwe and across Africa.
Travel Highlights:
After breakfast, your Southern Africa Overland Safari journeys on to the legendary Matopos Hills and Motobo National Park in Southern Zimbabwe. The Matobo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are renowned for their dramatic granite rock formations, which are sacred to the local people and home to ancient San rock art and historic sites, including Cecil Rhodes’ grave at World’s View. Matobo National Park boasts rich wildlife, including white and black rhinos, leopards, and the world’s highest concentration of breeding black eagle pairs. Enjoy an afternoon game drive in search of the rhinos and other animals.
Travel Highlights:
After breakfast, your Zimbabwe tour heads east to explore the mysterious Great Zimbabwe Ruins, a once-thriving city with the largest stone structures in precolonial Southern Africa. Capital of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe between the 13th and 15th centuries, the city was once home to over 10,000 people. The site has revealed evidence of international trade and iconic soapstone bird carvings that remain national symbols of Zimbabwe today.
Travel Highligts:
Today, your Southern Africa Safari heads to the third country on your tour – South Africa. Head south from Great Zimbabwe, driving through Zimbabwe’s baobab-dotted lowveld and crossing into South Africa before settling into a tented camp in a Private Game Reserve near the Limpopo River and Mapungubwe, South Africa's equivalent of Great Zimbabwe.
Travel Highlights:
We spend the day in the fascinating Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, which offers a powerful blend of cultural heritage and natural beauty, set in a beautiful landscape shaped by the Limpopo River. Begin by exploring the Kaoxa Rock Art Shelter, featuring its ethereal ancient San Bushmen paintings. Later, return to our private reserve for a guided bush tracking experience. Your expert guides will bring the wilderness to life, teaching you to read the signs and track the movements of iconic wildlife, such as cheetahs, rhinos, and wild dogs.
Travel Highlights:
After an early breakfast, our Southern Africa Lodge Safari travels south towards the legendary Kruger National Park. Enter through one of the northern gates of the vast park and enjoy a game drive through Kruger's varied landscapes in the overland truck, spotting wildlife along the way. By late afternoon, we reach our lodge just outside the Kruger National Park's Phalaborwa Gate. After settling in, we set off on an exhilarating sunset game drive in a nearby private reserve. As the sun dips below the horizon, we keep a lookout for the nocturnal creatures emerging for the night's activities.
Travel Highlights:
Day 18 begins with a morning bush walk, offering an immersive experience of the African bush where every track and sound reveals the secrets of the wild. After a hearty breakfast, we journey south to the Timbavati region, a renowned conservation area adjacent to Kruger National Park, with no fences, allowing wildlife to roam freely.
We arrive at our next lodge by mid-afternoon. After settling into the lodge, we head out for a 4x4 sunset game drive in the greater Timbavati/Greater Kruger area alongside the Kruger National Park. Keep a lookout for the wildlife on our route, including a chance to spot the Big Five. As the sun sets, return to the lodge for dinner and a relaxing evening around the campfire.
Travel Highlights:
After a leisurely breakfast, your affordable Southern African Overland Tour heads out for a breathtakingly beautiful drive along the scenic Panorama Route, including stops along the way, including stunning views of the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and aptly named God’s Window. Stop for a leisurely lunch along the way and head to the tranquil town of Hazyview, where we spend our last night.
Travel Highlights:
Today promises a last unforgettable safari adventure as we set out on a full-day guided game drive in an open 4x4 safari vehicle through the southern section of Kruger National Park, renowned for its exceptional wildlife density and Big Five sightings. Departing early, we explore prime game-viewing routes in search of lions stalking prey, elephants at waterholes, elusive leopards in the trees, massive buffalo herds, and endangered rhinos. Midday, we pause at one of the park’s scenic rest camps to relax, enjoy a meal, and soak in the surroundings before continuing our wildlife expedition.
Travel Highlights:
After a final breakfast, check out and set off on a leisurely drive back to Johannesburg. We arrive in Johannesburg by late afternoon or early evening, where your epic Southern Africa Lodge Safari comes to an end.
We recommend booking your incoming and onward flights at least one day before and after this Southern African Overland Lodge Safari is scheduled. It is advisable to arrive the day before departure from Windhoek and fly out the day after the overland tour ends in Johannesburg to allow for delays and changes. Simply ask your friendly travel advisor to add pre-tour and post-tour accommodation to your safari booking.
This tour combines two styles of our tours, operating on two vehicle types:
This tour combines two styles of our tours, with meal preparation as follows:
This Southern African Overland Lodge Safari from Windhoek to Johannesburg is also available as a camping safari. This cost-effective option follows the same route, but much of the accommodation consists of camping in standard campsites rather than lodge accommodations. Speak to your travel consultant for more details.
For more details, contact African Budget Safaris
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Our team has the destination knowledge to help you plan an unforgettable African adventure. We're based in Cape Town and ready to help.
We can also plan you an affordable private group or tailor-made tour. We built our business on turning luxury travel into affordable travel.
__large.jpg "Etosha Elephant and Springbok")