Your holiday starts at the group hotel near Johannesburg Airport. Airport transfers to the group hotel are provided. The rest of the day is yours to either relax or explore Johannesburg. We can arrange half-day tours of Soweto or Maropeng Cradle of Humankind.

With an early departure we head north-east to Kruger National Park for our first Southern African safari experience. This is South Africa's premier national park for viewing Big Game. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of almost 20,000 square kilometres is unrivalled in terms of biodiversity and is a world leader in advanced environmental management policies. Kruger is home to an impressive number of species, including the Big Five: lion, leopard, black rhino, elephant and Cape Buffalo. We spend our first night in the African bush and enjoy our first African sunset and accompanying sundowner (pre-dinner drink at sunset). Approximate drive time: 8 hours. With stops and lunch a total travel day of 10-11hrs.

This morning we wake early and game drive north through the park to the Pafuri region. The northern Kruger is dominated by mopane veld and is the domain of large elephant bulls, wild dog and lions. There are many antelope in the park, including Eland, the smaller Steenbok and the most common, skittish Impala and fancy horned Kudu. As we reach the Limpopo Valley the vegetation changes to forest and birdlife is prolific. Kruger is a super place to start our safari adventure as it's so iconic and packed full of exciting wildlife. We exit the park, late in the afternoon to our campsite. Approximate game drive time: 8 hours. With stops and lunch a total travel day of approximately 10 hours.

Leaving South Africa we cross our first border at Zimbabwe's panoramic Beit Bridge. After processing formalities, we venture onto one of Southern Africa's most treasured sights, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. According to legend, this ancient land of the Queen of Sheba and its well preserved ruins, some of the largest stone structures in Southern Africa, are an exceptional testimony to the Bantu civilisation of Shona spanning 11th to 14th centuries. Approximate drive time: 6-7 hours. Including stops and border crossings a travel day of approximately 9-10 hours.

We have a guided walk around these Great Zimbabwe Ruins. They predominately are divided into three sections: The Hill Ruins, The Great Enclosure and the Valley Ruins and our guide will passionately give us insight into them. We then leave the area and drive via the bustling town of Bulawayo, to the Matobo National Park. With an abundance of majestic viewpoints, the bald granite peaks of the UNESCO Matobo Hills are home to an array of ancient bushman paintings and wide variety of animal species such as Kudu, Duiker, Rock Dassies and Eland. We relax on arrival and enjoy a sundowner from the granite ridge overlooking the park. Approximate drive time: 5 hours. Including stops a travel day of approximately 6-7 hours.

This morning we visit World's View and the historical site of Cecil John Rhodes' grave. We explore the park in our vehicle and head out on foot, and this is really the best way to appreciate the size and splendour of this most unique national park as we hope to spot impala, rock hyrax and birdlife. During our game drive and walks we visit the ancient bushman paintings which are hidden in between these unusual rock formations. This area is also home to Zimbabwe's Rhino which we hope to see on our excursion in the national park. After a full and exhilarating day we return to our campsite for a second night.

With an early start we head into our first 'Big 5' Zimbabwe National Park - Hwange. Named after a local Nhanzwa chief, this is the country's largest National Park and it is rich in wildlife. Famed for its enormous elephant population, is it also full of lions, hyenas, giraffes, cheetahs and one of the largest surviving populations of wild dogs in Africa. Due to the parks vast size the vegetation and game varies greatly from desert scrub through to granite kopjes and mopane woodlands in the north. Our camp for the next two nights is in the game management area that borders the park, and provides the perfect vantage point to hear the evening song of Zimbabwe's night life. Approximate drive time: 5 hours. With stops a total travel day of approximately 5-6 hours.

Today we are treated to a full day game drive in this fantastic national park. Our open sided 4WD vehicle is perfect for this experience, and our guides will educate us with interesting facts from the smallest dung beetle to the largest ears of the elephants. There are many waterholes which are a magnet for the wildlife and it's likely we'll see matriarchs with their herds. Lions are prone to lazing in the shade under the acacia trees in the heat of the day, whereas the ever moving antelope stay in the open, darting their eyes in search of the predators. Whatever we see and discover it'll be sure to be a magical experience seeing this incredible African wildlife. Full day game drive.

Not far from Hwange is one of the most iconic natural features of Africa - Victoria Falls. This incredible natural wonder is twice as high as Niagara and spans 2km. Over 1000 cubic metres of water flows over the falls every second, plunging 108 metres into the gorge below*. With plenty to explore, we have two nights at the world's greatest waterfall. Approximate drive time: 3 hours. With a visit to the Painted Dog Sanctuary a total travel day of approximately 4 hours. *Please note, depending on the season, the water levels of the falls will vary. From late November to early April is the wet season for the upper reaches of the Zambezi and this is when the falls are at their loudest and most impressive. From April the flow gradually reduces, although this mostly affects the Zambia side and there is always a good flow over the rim on the Zimbabwe side of the falls.

We have a full day here at Victoria Falls. Locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, which translates to the 'Smoke that Thunders', there are many superb vantage points to view Victoria Falls in her full glory, which includes the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge, commissioned by Cecil John Rhodes in 1900 and spans the immense gorge. You may choose to meander through the handicraft markets for a last minute souvenir, or simply relax. If you are feeling a little more adventurous or wish to see the falls from a different angle, you may wish to consider one of the extra activities that are available to book and payable locally. These include white water rafting or a half-day canoeing the Zambezi. Whatever you chose you'll have a fabulous day on this incredible journey through Southern Africa.

Leaving behind Zimbabwe we cross into the laid-back nation of Botswana, destination Kasane. Chobe National Park is a great start to our time in Botswana. During the year the elephant population can vary from 500-50,000 and are most likely to be found on the banks of the Chobe River, cooling off. Wild dog, zebra and the endemic Chobe Puku antelope are also present in the park. Taking to the water in the afternoon, we embark on a sunset safari cruise to optimise our chances to meet herds of these majestic animals. Finishing the safari we head to campsite and our first evening in Botswana. Approximate drive time: 1 hour. With border crossings a total travel day of approximately 3 hours.

Before driving south there is time this morning for an optional early morning game drive in Chobe National Park. Our drive onwards from Kasane takes in the forest reserve, which is an exceptional example of managing human and wildlife habitation. We arrive at Gweta in the late afternoon where we find our campsite nestled at the base of ancient baobab trees. Approximate drive time: 4 hour. With lunch and stops a total travel day of approximately 4-5 hours on good roads.

We set off early this morning to drive to Maun. We transfer into our open 4WD vehicles and drive into Okavango Delta. Every year, over 11,000 cubic kilometres of water flows from the Angolan Highlands into the delta, making it the world's largest inland delta. Okavango's diversity stretches across 10,000 square miles and provides one the finest arena's to experience Botswana's wild side. We meet our local guides with their mokoro's, traditional dug-out canoes, at the water's edge and we complete our journey on the river being poled along with the chance to spot the wildlife of the river, such as hippo and elephant. Around midday we arrive at our wilderness camp and in the late afternoon we continue our exploration on foot. Before the walk our guides will give a safety briefing. We may encounter elephants, giraffe, zebra, red lechwe and even lions, on our walk and it is important to follow the instructions of the guides. After our walk we return to our camp for a traditional African 'sundowner'. We help out with the preparation of dinner and afterwards we settle down for the night in the delta accompanied by the soundtrack of croaking frogs and grunting hippos. It's incredible. Approximate drive time 4 hours to Maun. 2 hour transfer by 4X4. Total travel time including driving and mokoro (canoe) to camp approximately 7 hours.

The best time of the day in Africa is the early morning and with the sounds of the dawn chorus all around us we set out in the relative cool on a nature walk to explore this wonderful wetland. Returning to our camp for a well-deserved brunch we have time to relax during the heat of the day. We head out again into the delta where we can enjoy another beautiful sunset on the mokoros before returning to camp or we may take another walk. Alongside the elephant and hippo we might also see wildebeest, impala mixed in with the giraffe and zebra munching on the lush vegetation of the delta and maybe some hyena. If we are extremely lucky we might glimpse a leopard and even rhino have been seen in this area in recent years. We settle down for a second night in this magical place.

An early departure from the Delta provides us with a magnificent opportunity to catch the early chorus of Okavango's resident game as we make our way back to Maun. This afternoon we have some time to relax or enjoy optional extras from Maun. At the campiste we can relax by the pool or we can explore the town which is the capital of Ngamiland, with a laid back atmosphere and several shops selling local handicrafts. Approximate transfer time 2 hours. Total travel time including 4x4 driving and mokoro (canoe) to camp approximately 3-4 hours.

Heading south from Maun, we cross the wide open spaces of the Kalahari Desert. Along the route we might encounter small herds of zebra interspersed among cattle herds between remote villages. As we approach Goo-Moremi the Tswapong Hills rise above the horizon. Here endangered Cape Vultures nest on the gorge cliffs above the ancestral waterfalls in the protected conservation area of Goo-Moremi Gorge. Time permitting we take an afternoon guided walk to stretch our legs. We'll retire to our campsite here overlooking the gorge and enjoy our final evening watching the sunset light up the gorge. Approximate drive time: 8-9 hours.

Making our final border crossing of our safari adventure, we cross back into South Africa and return to Johannesburg. Your holiday ends in the early evening with a drop off at Johannesburg Airport. Approximate drive time: 6-7 hours.