Compare Southern Africa Safari Experience by National Geographic Expeditions
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| Trip |
3.5 | Average
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| Duration | 18 days |
| Price From | $ 8,399 |
| Price Per Day | $ 467 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | |
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
17 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 15 Dinners |
| Description |
Nature’s greatest spectacles on safari in southern Africa’s celebrated national parks, including Kruger National Park and Chobe National Park. Enjoy an unforgettable wildlife walk with a local guide in the panhandle of the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta system and a UNESCO World Heritage site; drive through Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe searching for large herds of elephants; and sit down to a family dinner at a private home near Victoria Falls. |
Day 1: Johannesburg
Meals: Dinner
Accommodations: Malikana Guesthouse BB/ Braai (or similar)
Arrive at any time and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a traditional South African braai (barbecue) for dinner tonight.
Day 2: Johannesburg/Greater Kruger Area
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodations: Muluwa Lodge (or similar)
Set out towards Kruger National Park via the magnificent Panorama Route, one of the world’s most picturesque drives. Make stops at the dramatic Blyde River Canyon and Bourke's Luck Potholes, and take in panoramic views of the forest-covered valley from the God's Window viewpoint. Continue to our tented camp near Kruger National Park and savour a delicious South African dinner in a boma.
Day 3: Kruger National Park
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodations: Muluwa Lodge (or similar)
Rise early and climb aboard an open jeep for a full-day safari in Kruger National Park—home to an extraordinary array of large mammals. Spot elephants, lions, giraffes, and perhaps elusive leopards as we explore this breathtaking wilderness of savanna and scrubland. Return to our lodge in the evening, where you can take some time to relax on the deck and enjoy the nocturnal sounds of the bush.
Day 4: Greater Kruger Area/Karongwe Private Game Reserve
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Karongwe Private Game Reserve - Lodges (or similar)
Travel to the Karongwe Private Game Reserve, a pristine wildlife sanctuary located in the Greater Kruger area. Meet with a researcher from the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Cheetah Metapopulation Project—a program funded in part by National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative—and learn about efforts to protect the region’s cheetahs and other carnivores. The researcher then joins us for a wildlife-viewing excursion through the reserve.
Day 5: Karongwe Private Game Reserve
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Karongwe Private Game Reserve - Lodges (or similar)
Spend the day exploring Karongwe on morning and afternoon safaris with our local guides. Search for Africa's famed "big five" as we drive through the shrublands of the bushveld. Back at camp, relax on deck or take a walk around the grounds.
Day 6: Karongwe Private Game Reserve/Johannesburg
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodations: Malikana Guesthouse (or similar)
Embark on one last safari this morning, keeping a lookout for Karongwe’s iconic inhabitants. Then head back to the city, where you’ll enjoy dinner in our local guest house.
Day 7: Johannesburg/Victoria Falls
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodations: Cresta Sprayview Hotel (or similar)
Catch a flight to the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, named after one of the most powerful waterfalls on Earth. Visit a nearby village and go grocery shopping in the bustling market. Then sit down with a local family for dinner, helping your hosts prepare a traditional Zimbabwean meal using the ingredients you picked out, and hear stories about local life and culture.
Day 8: Victoria Falls
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activities:Canoeing the Zambezi, Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 15min, Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 25min, Victoria Falls Whitewater Rafting, Zambezi Bungee Jump, Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
Accommodations: Cresta Sprayview Hotel (or similar)
Set out for a tour of magnificent Victoria Falls. Scottish explorer David Livingstone named them after Britain’s Queen Victoria, while their older, indigenous name is Mosi-oa-Tunya—“the smoke that thunders.” Opt for a scenic sunset cruise on the Zambezi River; soar above the roaring falls in a helicopter; and much more.
Day 9: Victoria Falls
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activities:Bridge Swing over the Zambezi, Chobe National Park Day Trip , Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 15min, Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 25min, Victoria Falls Visit, Victoria Falls Whitewater Rafting, Zambezi Bungee Jump, Zambezi River Sunset Cruise, Zipline over the Zambezi
Accommodations: Cresta Sprayview Hotel (or similar)
Continue your exploration of majestic Victoria Falls on a variety of optional excursions. Go whizzing over the Zambezi River on a zip line, glide down the river on a sunset cruise, or feel the spray of the falls on your face as you explore the surrounding paths.
Day 10: Victoria Falls/Hwange National Park
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Optional Activities: Victoria Falls Guided Tour , Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 15min
Accommodations: Ivory Safari Lodge & Khulu Lodge (or similar)
Explore Victoria Falls at leisure this morning, and opt to take a guided tour of this thundering natural wonder and UNESCO World Heritage site. Later, transfer to the headquarters of Painted Dog Conservation. Learn about this non-profit organization’s work to protect and rehabilitate injured painted dogs (also known as African wild dogs), and hear from a conservationist about the threats to these endangered animals. Afterward, venture out on safari in Hwange National Park, one of Zimbabwe’s largest wildlife reserves and an important elephant sanctuary.
Day 11: Hwange National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Ivory Safari Lodge & Khulu Lodge (or similar)
Set out on a full-day safari through the sweeping grasslands of Hwange National Park. Track the park’s resident elephant and buffalo herds, as well as giraffes, lions, zebras, and the rare African wild dog. This evening, relax on the deck of your lodge, keeping an eye out for the wild creatures that visit the lodge’s watering hole.
Day 12: Hwange/Chobe Np
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Accommodations: Chobe Safari Lodge (or similar)
Depart Hwange and head north, crossing the border into Botswana and arriving in Kasane—the gateway to the stunning Chobe National Park. Settle into your lodge and embark on a boat safari on the Chobe River, the lifeline of the park. Look out for submerged hippos, basking crocodiles, bathing elephants, and an abundance of birdlife from the boat’s deck, and witness a spectacular fiery sunset over the river.
Day 13: Chobe Np
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Optional Activities: Chobe River Photo Safari
Accommodations: Chobe Safari Lodge (or similar)
This morning, continue your exploration of Chobe National Park, home to one of Africa’s largest elephant populations. On a safari along the banks of the Chobe River, keep an eye out for elephants, buffalo, lions, zebra, and rare semi-aquatic antelope, as well as an incredible variety of birds. In the afternoon, opt to take a photography river safari on a specialized photography boat.
Day 14: Kasane/Okavango Delta
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Mopiri Camp (or similar)
Catch a flight to the Okavango Panhandle in Botswana, the narrow arm of the Okavango River that feeds into the famed Okavango Delta. Check in to our remote lodge, and enjoy a boat cruise on the winding waterways. This evening, hear about National Geographic’s Okavango Wilderness Project, a multi-year collaboration between international and local experts to survey the Okavango watershed’s biodiversity and ensure its future protection. Watch the National Geographic documentary “Into the Okavango,” and learn about delta conservation projects in the area.
Day 15: Okavango Delta
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Mopiri Camp (or similar)
Explore the breathtaking Okavango Panhandle with expert local guides. Navigate the wildlife-rich channels of the Okavango River aboard a mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe, and spot all manner of bird life on bush walks. Settle into your tent in our remote bush camp this evening. Enjoy a three-course meal around a roaring campfire while listening to the night calls of the delta.
Day 16: Okavango Delta
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Mopiri Camp (or similar)
Continue exploring the Okavango Delta’s untamed habitat on foot and by mokoro, spotting herons, storks, egrets, and other wading birds. Return to the lodge later this afternoon and opt to relax by an open fire, or take a swim.
Day 17: Okavango Delta/Maun
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodations: Cresta Maun (or similar)
Fly to the frontier town of Maun for an evening of storytelling and traditional foods with celebrated local author Bonty Botumile. Born in Maun, Bonty’s work is dedicated to preserving Botswana’s literary heritage and providing youth with employment opportunities in the arts. Listen as she shares her in-depth knowledge of the region’s cultural history, and cap off the night with a delicious meal and colourful stories around a warm fire.
Day 18: Maun
Meals: Breakfast
Depart at any time.
