Caraville Travel & Tours

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20183 Country Self-Drive

Wildlife Extravaganza

Day 1:Entabeni Game Reserve(300km)

After collecting your rental car at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, you travel via Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa in the Tshwane Metropole,northwards to the private Entabeni Game Reserve in the Waterberg. Here you go on your first open vehicle game drive in this “Big Five” reserve in the late afternoon.

Overnight: Wildside Tented camp (or similar). (LD)

Day 2:Francistown (460km)

After a final early morning game activity and a late breakfast at Entabeni, you depart for the long road north, via the Groblersbrug / Martin’s Drift border post into Botswana, and then onwards to your overnight stop in Francistown. Your hotel has an adjoining Restaurant that serves typical steakhouse fare.

Overnight:Metcourt Hotel (or similar).(room only)

Day 3: Maun (625km)

Leave Francistown after breakfast and travel via Nata to Maun, which is known as the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Near Nata on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans, take a break and visit the Bird Sanctuary.

Overnight:Maun Lodge(or similar).(B)

Day4:Camp Moremi (light aircraft transfer)

After breakfast you are transferred to Maun Airport by the lodge, where you also leave your car parked. Fly into the famous Okavango Delta in a small, single-engine plane for your great African wildlife adventure. N.B. Maximum luggage total weight is 15kg per person in soft bags – excess luggage can be left at the lodge or in your car. This afternoon you participate in your first game viewing activity (e.g. an open vehicle game drive, or river cruise, or guided walk or mokorocanoe cruise, depending on the lodge’s programme) in this pristine wilderness.

Overnight: Camp Moremi (or similar).(BLD)

Day 5:Camp Moremi

After an early wake-up call you participate in another game viewing activity and a late breakfast, you have time to relax at the lodge in the therapeutic, unhurried silence of the bush, until you go on another game activity in the late afternoon. Enjoy the pristine wilderness and the attentive service and hospitality of your hosts.

Overnight: Camp Moremi (or similar).(BLD)

Day 6:Maun (light Aircraft transfer)

After a final early morning game viewing activity and breakfast, you are taken to the lodge’s landing strip, where wild animals often have to be chased away first, and fly back to Maun, where a representative from the Lodge will be waiting to take you back to the Lodge.

Overnight:Maun Lodge (or similar).(B)

Day 7: Chobe Safari Lodge (625km)

After an early breakfast you depart on the long trip to Kasane on the Chobe River, just before its confluence with the Zambezi River, approx. 80kms above the Victoria Falls. It is important to leave early so that you can get to your lodge in Kasane in time for the afternoon boat cruise on the river by 3pm. The Kasane River forms the northern boundary to the Chobe Game Reserve, and early mornings and afternoon’s boat cruises offer an optimal vantage point to view the banks teaming with wildlife coming to drink – even swimming across the river to the grassy islands.

Overnight: Chobe Safari Lodge (or similar). (BD)

Day 8:Chobe Safari Lodge

After an early wake-up call you are taken on an open vehicle game drive into the Chobe National Park. On your return to the lodge you have a leisurely breakfast and can then relax till the late afternoon, when you go on an included boat cruise on the Chobe River.

Overnight: Chobe Safari Lodge (or similar). (BD)

Day 9: Victoria Falls Zimbabwe (100km)

Travel to the Zimbabwean side of Vic Fall which is the capital of the adrenalin junkies. There are light aircraft flips across the Falls, white river rafting and kayaking on the Zambezi River, bungee jumping from the Victoria Falls bridge (for the brave ones), an elephant ride, or a swim in the ‘Devil’s Pool’ (a small rock pool right on the ‘lip’ of the Victoria Falls). The latter must surely rate as one of the experiences you are guaranteed to remember for the rest of your life.

Overnight: Kingdom Hotel (or similar)(B)

Day 10:Victoria Falls

Enjoy an action filled day at Victoria Falls with various activities, relaxing on a sundowner cruise at the end of the day.

Overnight: Kingdom Hotel (or similar) (B)

Day 11: Hwange National Park (240km)

Heading Southeast from Vic Falls, travel to the Hwange National Park which boasts the highest concentration of wildlife species (mammals, birds, reptiles and insects) of any safari region in Africa.

Overnight: Miombo Safari Camp (or similar)(BLD & activities)Miombo Camp does NOT have Credit card facilities for purchases. Please ensure you have cash.

Day 12: Hwange National Park

Another action filled day spotting wildlife in the magnificent Hwange Game reserve.

Overnight: Miombo Safari Camp (or similar)(BLD & activities)Miombo Camp does NOT have Credit card facilities for purchases. Please ensure you have cash.

Day 13: Bulawayo (350km)

Travel toBulawayo which is a city rich in cultural history and is one of the oldest and historically most important of Zimbabwe's towns. It has been said that visitors to the city describe Bulawayo as the "Jewel beneath the Zimbabwe Sun ", well worth visiting due to its vast array of treasures located in a truly unique setting. For example, the National Art Gallery, an attraction of great interest, is housed in a Victorian era building which also houses a craft shop, restaurant and several artists' studio.

And just out of town are the famous Matobos, fascinating rock formations.

Overnight: Big Cave Camp(or similar)(BD)

Day 14:

Today is set aside for you to explore the Matobo National Park, also knows as Matobo Hills. The area is renowned for the Granite “koppies” (hills) that are strewn across the area.The grave of the late Cecil John Rhodes is also situated within the national park.

Overnight: Big Cave Camp(or similar)(BD)

Day 15: Masvingo (300km)

After breakfast continue your journey towards the town of Masvingo and visit the ‘The Great Zimbabwe” whichis the site of numerous ruins that lie near the town. There is no unanimity about the origin of these ancient ruins, as their construction and architecture does not appear to be of African origin. Some historians believe them to be constructed during the 11th century by theancient ancestors of the Shona people, other claim their origin to be Phoenician, and others again believe they are of Arab trader origin, possibly a ship marooned on the coast, as also here and in the Mapungubwe National Park jewelry was found more akin to Arabian silver and goldsmith work, rather than of African nature.

Overnight: Lodge at the Ancient City or similar (or similar)(B)

Day 16:Mapungubwe National Park (390km)

After breakfast head to Beit Bridge, Zimbabwe’s border with South Africa, which can get quite busy in season. Continue to your lodge in the Mapesu Nature Reserve which borders on the Mapungubwe National Park. This recently declared “World Heritage Landscape Park” was the capital of a sophisticated and powerful African Kingdom in the 13thcentury, though its origins are disputed.Similar construction and artefacts as per the Zimbabwe Ruins were found here.

The archeological site has yielded priceless gold and ivory artefacts, as well as items of Arab, Chinese, Indonesian and Indian origin as a result of trade within the Indian Ocean trade network.The most important and well known artefact, the Golden Rhino, is on display at the University of Pretoria along with other artefacts unearthed at the site.

Overnight: Mopane Bush Lodge(or similar)(BLD)as well as activities on the property.

Day 17:Mapungubwe National Park

Last opportunity to visit the historical museum and partake in a last self-drive game drive.

Overnight: Mopane Bush Lodge(or similar)(BLD)as well as activities on the property.

Day 18:Departure (520km)

After breakfast you travel to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport via Polokwane and Pretoria, return your rental car at the airport.(B)

Updated 27 July 2017

This tour can be combined with the 3 Country Self-Drive Tropical Coast Tour by using the Zimbabwe Connection

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Inspirations Travel and Tours (Pty) Ltd

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