Southern Africa Safari

The adventure begins. Drop off your bags at the hotel and meet your Trip Manager and new Contiki fam in the lobby. We'll all share a meal tonight along with some drinks to get to know each other. (D) Stay: Mojo Hotel (or similar)

Our time in Cape Town is dedicated to sightseeing and today is no exception. We start at the very top with a cable car ride up Table Mountain, followed by a city tour of Cape Town so you can navigate your way around this coastal city. The rest of the day is up to you - either explore the city yourself on foot, relax on one of Cape Town's beautiful beaches, or take advantage of some of the Add-Ons.

The Contiki-exclusive Marine Safari Cruise in Table Bay gives you the opportunity to see dolphins, seals, sunfish and - in the right season – whales. Or, the Township Tour & School gives an insight into township life with local guide. Back in Cape Town, we’ve got a South African Feast FTA to enjoy tonight where you can talk about the day’s adventures over fresh seafood and delicious wine. (B)

After breakfast, this is your day to take advantage of the abundance of local excursions available to Cape Town. Our favourite is a scenic drive along the cliffs of Chapman's Peak down to the most South-western tip of Africa - Cape Point. This is followed by a stop at Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African penguins. For the perfect afternoon activity, you can't go wrong with a classic wine tasting tour of the Cape Winelands, sampling some of Africa's best. (B)

Today we fly to Johannesburg, the city of Gold, where we jump in vehicles for our trip up to Kruger National Park. We'll travel through the region to our accomodation for the night on the border of this famous wildlife haven. Here the Kruger National Park awaits us.

Site of the epic YouTube viral video Battle at Kruger, the Park is a sprawling wilderness of bush and terrain that houses the famous Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and buffalo) along with hundreds of species of native birds, ancient trees and meandering rivers. It's ours to explore for the next two days. After the long days travel, the included buffet dinner will taste even better tonight. (B/D) Stay: Shalati Safari Camp (or similar)

We're up early for our first taste of the fresh morning air that tells us we're deep in the African bush. We'll venture to the Park gate and enter at sunrise, just the right time to see some of Africa's elusive predators finishing off their nocturnal hunts. We'll discover who in the group has the 'Luck of the bush' and best spotting eyes. Lunch will be at one of the main camps in the park and we'll relax here in the midday heat. In the afternoon we depart for another game drive, as the temperatures start cooling and the wildlife become more active, as we make our way to the park exit for sunset. A buffet dinner awaits us at the Lodge tonight. (B/D)

The game of hide and seek continues as we traverse into the park, keeping our eyes open for any wildlife that evaded us the day before. Keep your eyes peeled for any movement of giraffe, hyena, antelope or even the elusive cheetah lurking deep in the bush. Around midday we depart the park for the final time and stop in at the Protrack Anti-Poaching Centre to learn about wild animal conservation with a local ranger.

Walking through a 'poaching pit', we'll be shown how to look out for poaching snares placed around the area, simulating what rangers have to do in the bush, as the ranger explains the plight of poaching and rhinos in Africa. Fully schooled, we'll hop back in our vehicles and drive halfway to Johannesburg. Drive to Johannesburg, we'll bunk down before for our flight to Victoria Falls tomorrow. (B/D) Stay: Sunrock Guesthouse

This morning we'll drive to the airport to catch our flight up to Victoria Falls. After lunch on our flight we'll check into our accommodation and drop off our bags. Today we're off for a hike along the Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders and the largest waterfall in the world. You might want to pack your raincoat, as during certain times of the year you can get drenched from the rising spray, giving the falls its local name: 'The smoke that thunders'. The evening will end off with a magnificent sunset cruise on the Zambezi including drinks and dinner. (B/L) Stay: Victoria Falls Waterfront or Shearwater Explorer’s Village

Today is all about adventure. In the morning you can raft down the Zambezi, one of the world's best white water rapids. That afternoon get that adrenaline really pumping - jump, zip line or swing off the famous bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia over the Zambezi River. For those not looking for an adrenaline morning, opt to take a walking safari in a national park with a local guide. That evening, wind down after a hectic day with a traditional dinner and dance. (B)

Opt to finish off our time at the falls in breathtaking style with an incredible helicopter flight above the thunderous waters below - the best way to see the falls in all their glory. We then leave the spray of the Falls behind us as we travel across the border to the prolific wildlife-rich haven that is Botswana. We enjoy lunch at our lodge before we take our overnight bags into open Safari vehicles with our own personal guides, and drive to the famous Chobe National Park. Known for having the largest density of elephants, driving along the Chobe River front is a non-stop action adventure with wildlife coming and going, quenching their thirst.

Then to top this off, this is the night where you get to truly experience the wilderness with a night out in the middle of the African bush. We have a private Contiki site exclusively set up just for you with your own guides, cooks and a bonfire set under the stars. After a deliciously prepared meal, lying in your tent that night you will fall asleep to the sounds of Africa: a jackal calling in the distance, the loud whoop of a hyena, and perhaps the roar of lions seeking each other out after their daytime slumber. TIA -This is Africa! Please note:the overnight camping in Chobe is not available from around October to March due to the rainy season. The two nights in Chobe will be spent at a lodge with afternoon and morning game drives still included as well as a buffet dinner. (B/D)

This morning we'll wake up to watch the sunrise over the African bush with a light breakfast, before departing on a morning game drive to hopefully see some of the wildlife we may have heard the night before. We will arrive late morning to check into our new lodge and spend the rest of the day relaxing around the pool and swapping stories from the night before. On our last evening together you can opt for a wildlife cruise on the Chobe river. Surrounded by pods of hippos, crocs basking on the banks and all forms of African animals coming down to drink, this is truly one African sunset you'll never forget followed by a buffet dinner tonight. (B) Stay: Kwalape Safari Lodge (or similar)

We'll head south today from Kasane towards the Makgadikgadi salt pans and our lodge for the night. Opt to cruise the salt pans in open safari vehicles in search of a meerkat colony while getting some funky perspective photos in one of the largest salt flats in the world. Tonights treat is sundower drinks under an icon of Botswana before retiring to the lodge for dinner and drinks at the bar. (B) Stay: Gweta Lodge

We will say goodbye to the pans (for now) and head on to the wildlife haven that is the Okavango DeltaOur minds already blown by this unique natural landscape, it's off to the Okavango Delta, where we'll take an awe-inspiring game drive before settling into our exclusive Contiki Safari Camp. We'll be greeted with luxe two person dome tents - pre-erected of course - with stretchers, mattresses and linen. Dinner? How about a campfire meal as we swap tales under a starswept sky? (B/D) Stay: Contiki Safari Camp

Get your David Attenborough voice on, we are in the heart of Africa's iconic wildlife filming paradise. This sprawling wetland is home to some of Africa's most incredible species and we will start searching for them after a quick bite to eat and we're off on an early morning game drive in the Okavango Delta in hopes of spotting elephants, hippos and if we're lucky, some predators. We'll head back to camp for a tasty lunch and siesta.

Chill in the camp or opt for a Mokoro boat trip along the gorgeous waterways of the delta. In the afternoon we're back on another jaw-dropping game drive before our traditional campfire dinner. The day isn't over, though - not even close. This evening we have a once in a lifetime opportunity - a night drive in the bush with spotlights seeking out elusive nocturnal animals you can't find during the day. (B/L/D)

After breakfast it's time for another morning game drive - eyes peeled for elephants - before we head to Maun and our lodge for the night. This afternoon opt to soar over the delta on a helicopter for peerless views of the wildlife below, as you hover just meters above the waterways. This evening you can choose to experience a dinner and show, with young people from the local community performing on the theme of conservation. (B) Stay: Island Safari Lodge

Today we are traversing two countries as we leave Botswana and head into Namibia. We will cross the border and get into Windhoek this evening. After which we head straight into town for our first Namibian dinner together at the legendary Joe's Beerhouse, sampling some of Namibia's cuisine. (B) Stay: Klein Windhoek Guesthouse (or similar)

After a hearty breakfast and sleep-in we on the road together, seeing this beautiful country and hearing about its stories until we check into our lodge tonight. We have an included buffet dinner after the long drive day. (B/D) Stay: Hammerstein Lodge

We're up early today as we want to explore the desert before it gets too hot! Today we get to discover Sossusvleiby taking the iconic shots of Deadvlei and wander around Big Daddy sand dune. We then hit the road again and make our way down to the German coastal town of Swakopmund. (B) Stay: Prost Hotel (or similar)

Swakopmund is our adventurers paradise as we explore both the ocean and surrounding desert. We start on a marine boat cruise looking out for seals, dolphins, pelicans and more as we slurp on fresh oysters and champagne. This afternoon we hit the dunes to try out some dune Quad biking and sand boarding in the world's oldest deserts - Namib Desert. We will end off the day with a dinner in town reminiscing the days activities. (B)

We leave the coast behind us and head inland to visit an indigenous bushmen village. Here, the bushmen will welcome us into their lives, show us how they've lived in these harsh desert conditions and involve us in their daily activities. From here we head up to Etosha for our included dinner and eagerly await the next days' game drives. (B/D) Stay: Mondjila Safari Camp (or similar)

We're up early for our first Namibian game drive in Etosha! The Etosha Pan is so large it can be seen from space, but it's the natural waterholes lining the edge that attract the wildlife (and therefore us) to them. From the big cats to desert-adapted antelope, the wildlife viewing experience here is like no where else on Earth. During the heat of day, relax at the pool or sit at the waterhole watching wildlife come and go before opting to go on another afternoon Etosha Game drive. Tonight we treat ourselves to another buffet dinner on our last night together. (B)

After breakfast, we drive back down to Windhoek to catch the afternoon flights back home, saying goodbye to new friends but cherishing our lifelong memories. (B)