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Embark on an unforgettable 21-day Southern Africa Safari adventure, exploring the diverse landscapes and iconic wildlife destinations of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Discover the epic wildlife of Etosha Pan, the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Hwange, the Matopos Hills, and the legendary Kruger National Park. Along the way, experience salt pans, enjoy wildlife river cruises, uncover ancient ruins, and witness the breathtaking Victoria Falls.
This Southern Africa Camping Safari combines the comfort of well-equipped campsites and safari lodges with a perfect balance of included and optional activities, offering an ideal blend of adventure, wildlife, and culture for travellers seeking a truly immersive Southern African experience.
__large.jpg "Etosha Giraffes")
__large.jpg "Cheetah, Hwange national park")
__large.jpg "Chobe River Hippo")
__large.jpg "Overland Vehicle")
__large.jpg "Great Zimbabwe ruins")
__large.jpg "Bourke's Luck Potholes, Panorama route")
Travel Highlights:
A representative will meet you to begin your adventure 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 Southern Africa Camping Safari. Enjoy a game viewing drive through Etosha National Park in the Overland truck before heading out to your first overnight campsite.
Travel Highlights:
Travel from Etosha’s white sands to the lush banks of the Kavango River (one of the sources of the Okavango Delta) in Namibia's Caprivi Strip. It lies within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area that spans five countries and is home to abundant wildlife. Settle into your riverside campsite for two relaxing nights.
Travel Highlights:
Enjoy a serene morning boat cruise on the Kavango River with chances to spot incredible birdlife, gliding past hippos and crocodiles while watching for wildlife on the riverbanks. In the afternoon, an optional game drive in Mahangu National Park is available. The park is known for frequent sightings of elephants, buffalo, antelope, and occasionally big cats.
Today, your epic Southern African Safari crosses into Botswana. After border formalities are complete, travel to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, where you’ll rest at a lodge 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 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 Camping 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, traveling into the desert, through the salt pan landscapes of Makgadigadi Pans, to your overnight campsite near Nata Pan.
Travel Highlights:
Your budget-friendly Southern Africa Overland Safari leaves the desert sands behind as you travel to Kasane on the banks of the mighty Chobe River. After settling into your riverside campsite, 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 comfortable lodge, which will be home for two nights. Your guide will book a dinner out for the group for those who are interested (own account) and take in a cultural performance.
Travel Highlights:
Day 10 of your Southern African Safari is a free day to explore Victoria Falls on your own. Choose from a host of high-adrenaline adventures or cultural experiences in the area, see the falls from different angles, take a sunset cruise, and 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 Camping Safari journeys on to the legendary Matopos Hills and Motobo National Park in Southern Zimbabwe. The Matobo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are known for their dramatic granite rock formations sacred to the local people and home to ancient San rock art and historic sites like 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 in 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. Start by exploring the Kaoxa Rock Art Shelter with 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 like cheetah, rhino, and wild dog.
Travel Highlights:
After an early breakfast, our Southern African Camping 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 a safari 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 celebrated conservation area adjoining Kruger National Park with no fences, allowing wildlife to roam freely.
We arrive at our next safari lodge by mid-afternoon. After settling into our rooms, 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 campsite for dinner and a relaxing evening around the campfire.
Travel Highlights:
After a leisurely breakfast, your affordable Southern Africa Overland Tour heads out for a breathtakingly beautiful drive along the scenic Panorama Route, including stops along the way, including a view 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 Camping Safari adventure comes to an end.
We recommend booking your incoming and onward flights at least one day before and after this Southern African Overland Camping 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 Camping Safari from Windhoek to Johannesburg is also available as a lodge safari. This comfortable option follows the same route, but accommodation is exclusively in en-suite rooms in lodges rather than camping. 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.
