34 days journey starting Nairobi and travelling to Johannesburg. Up close and personal with the big five, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Zanzibar, Malawi, rhino trekking, rafting the Zambezi and finale in Jo'burg.
KENYA - TANZANIA We depart from Nairobi to drive south to Arusha, the gate way to Tanzania's famous game parks, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, on our first day. Hiring land cruisers our first highlight is to arrange a safari into the ancient caldera, Ngorongoro Crater. Here we can see rhinoceros, lion, wildebeest, zebra and sometimes leopard and cheetah. Elephant can often be seen wandering the plains as well as amongst the fever trees of Lerai Forest. Flamingo are usually found on Lake Magadi. This is the first park covered from our kitty payment allowing us to come face to face with Africa's gorgeous wildlife. The safari in the Crater can also be extended for game drives and an overnight camp in the Serengeti National Park.
The world famous Serengeti plains are part of the setting for the annual migration of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra. We enter at Naabi Hill Gate. The Maasai name, Siringit 'the place where the land runs on forever,' is very apt, the grasslands of the Serengeti stretching out in all directions as we enter. Maasai cattle herders, wearing their traditional colourful robes and ornate jewellery, can be found living throughout the region. We visit Mto Wa Mbu, for the opportunity to bargain for traditional carvings and also spend time in a traditional Maasai village including a school visit. With an early start en route to Dar Es Salaam, we might catch a glimpse of snowcapped Kilimanjaro.
Between early July and November when conditions are usually at their best we take time to stop over for a base camp hike on the mountain, the walk taking us through rainforest full of monkeys, then up an ascent over 2,000 metres to the base camp for panoramic views over the Maasai steppe. Arriving on the coast we catch the ferry across to Zanzibar Island for four days, the safari leader travelling with the group. We stay a night in the capital, Stone Town, to explore the narrow winding streets with their coral-built houses, elaborate carved doors, bazaars and mosques. We also visit the evening seafood markets and Africa House for drinks at sunset whilst watching the traditional dhows sail into the harbor.
After our night in the capital, three nights are booked in beach cottages by Zanzibar's long white beaches with time as well for a spice tour to provide some fascinating historical background to our island stay. We can snorkel and scuba dive amongst tropical fish in the Indian Ocean, swim with dolphins and visit the red colobos monkeys, as well as the giant tortoise on Prison Island.
Returning to the mainland we transit through Mikumi National Park and Baobab Valley on our journey to Malawi. MALAWI Malawi is perhaps the most beautiful country we will visit. Our time is spent exploring local fishing villages and markets. As we head south we visit magical bays with crystal clear waters, camping by the lake and enjoying different water sports as well as a beach barbecue. We can take a guided village walk and arrange a visit to a school. We all enjoy a meal with a local family during this time. There are also craft markets where you can barter for an ornately carved Malawi chair and other hardwood carvings.
ZAMBIA We usually now head into Zambia stocking up with supplies in the capital, Lusaka, on our journey to Lake Kariba for two nights relaxing on a houseboat which also allows us a break from camping and truck life. The sunsets over the lake produce a gorgeous backdrop of colour for the stark outlines of driftwood trees standing sentinel in the lake. There is time for some leisurely game viewing and fishing whilst on the boat.
ZIMBABWE Reaching Antelope Park, we can take lion walks and spend time playing with lion cubs. We can ride an elephant into the lake, take a game ride, a walking safari or play polo cross. Departing for the relaxed city of Bulawayo in Matebeland we can visit Chipangali Animal Orphanage and then explore Matopos National Park with its landscape of distinctive 'balancing boulders' for guided rhino treks and game drives. This park is home to rhino, the handsome sable antelope with its graceful scimitar horns, eland, leopard, giraffe, zebra as well as black eagles and other wildlife. Matopos also hosts ancient cave paintings and the grave of Cecil Rhodes. Our next stop is Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe's premier tourist attraction, and one of the natural wonders of the world. Here the options for adventure sports and other activities are endless, with the white water rafting on grade 5 rapids on the Zambezi in particular being reputedly the best in the world.
Apart from rafting there is canoeing, riverboarding and 'Flights of the Angels' over the Falls in an ultralight or microlight, a tiger moth, small cessna or a helicopter. Then there is the bungi jump 111 metres off the Zambezi Bridge, the third highest commercial bunji in the world, gorge swinging and abseiling, or for the ultimate adrenaline rush, a tandem free-fall skydive. Horse riding, elephant rides, sunset cruises, traditional drumming sessions, day and evening safaris to Hwange National Park as well as township tours are all available.
BOTSWANA AND SOUTH AFRICA From here we travel to Chobe National Park, popular for its beautiful sunsets and wildlife, including elephant, hippo, lion, giraffe and hyena. Here on the Chobe River we take a game cruise. Travelling around the Kalahari Desert and the Makadikgadi Pans, which when full of water attract thousands of flamingoes, we cross the border into South Africa, where we pause to experience Afrikaner hospitality at Stokkierdrie Camp Nylstroom. After an early start we arrive at Johannesburg 'the city of gold' our trip ending at the friendly and secure Backpackers Ritz hostel. From the Ritz it is possible to organise day excursions to Soweto, Sun City as well as trips along the Garden Route, safaris to Kruger National Park or other destinations in South Africa. The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg is also highly recommended. The Ritz can also organise transfers to the airport or railway station.
SAFARI NOTES: Contact us for bolt on safaris into the Masai Mara before 3rd July 07 to 16 October 07 departures for the chance to see the big herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson's gazelle on migration. h2. Suggested projects you can do before this adventure: Madventurer projects in Kenya and Madventurer projects in Tanzania.