We arrive into Swakopmund with an afternoon free to dip our toes in the Atlantic Ocean at the start of our journey. There are strong German colonial influences here, as reflected in the restaurant menus and the architecture of the town. We will settle into our accommodation here after an own expense meal in the town.

There are lunar-like forms surrounding the town of Swakopmund and we will visit these as we leave and head into the Namib Desert. This desert is a dramatic landscape filled with towering bright red sand dunes, and we may be lucky enough to see a nomadic gemsbok, with its giant prong shaped horns and striking geometric coat wandering the otherwise empty dunes. We're now within the second largest national park in Africa, the Namib-Naukluft, which is just under 50,000km2, that's ten times the size of the Cairngorms, the UK's largest. Tonight we stay at the public campsite and pitch our tents for the first time for a night under the vast starry skies of the Namib Desert. Approx. 5hrs driving with extra time for stops.

Today we wake and make breakfast together at our campsite, and before the heat of the day really kicks in, we'll head out into the dune-scapes of Sossusvlei. We will climb the gigantic Dune 45 affording great views of the dunes surrounding us, all the way back out to the Atlantic. We'll also explore the Sesriem Canyon and round out the day watching a dramatic sunset over the world's highest sand dunes.

The first of three longer driving days awaits us today as we head inland towards Windhoek. Located in a basin between the Khomas Highlands and Eros Mountains, Windhoek's charm lies in its fusion of African and European cultures. Windhoek appears more of a friendly town with a cosmopolitan atmosphere than a capital city, but as such makes for an afternoon of easy exploration. On arrival we have the opportunity to spend some time seeking out souvenirs, or to simply admire the city's Neo-Baroque cathedral spires and colonial architecture. We have an own expense dinner together at a local restaurant this evening, before retiring to our tranquil lodge accommodation. Windhoek provides a wonderful city break within the first few days of this great adventure. Approx. 4-5 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

After a delightful lodge breakfast this morning we hit the road and across the border into Botswana today, and into the heart of the Kalahari. A desolate but mesmerising landscape, equal parts bright red sand and dry sage scrub, this landscape is home to the San Bushmen, whose territory spans across much of Southern Africa with significant differences in language and habits across each of the many tribes. We will stay at an atmospheric campsite tonight between the bomas and traditional grass huts of the San people. Approx. 7 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

We will take breakfast early today and grab our walking boots to join our translator at the campfire. This morning we will share our time with the San people, and with help from our translator, we'll get to learn the ways of the San community. They will take us into the bush and share their hunting and gathering methods, and explain some of the foods and medicines they harvest from the landscape that surrounds us. A fascinating morning before an afternoon on the road. This evening we reach Maun, with a chance to pick up some snacks and souvenirs before heading out to our campsite on the edge of town with time for a swim and to set up camp before an own expense dinner at the onsite restaurant. Approximate drive time: 4-5 hours.

We transfer into our open 4x4 vehicles for this next stretch of our trip, as the road surface changes from tarmac to dirt and sand. We will drive for approximately two hours on these unmade roads into the 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, and near unique, inland Delta. The Okavango stretches across 10,000 square miles and provides one the finest arenas to experience Botswana's wild side. We arrive at the poler station, and meet our local guides who will pole us through the rushes in mekoros, traditional hollowed out tree trunk canoes, used for fishing and movement through the delta for thousands of years. This is a great way to get up close to some of the most beautiful flora and fauna of this lush and tranquil landscape. Around midday we arrive at our wild camp island and in the late afternoon we continue our exploration on foot. Before the walk our guides will give a safety briefing. We may encounter large game on the walk and it is imperative to listen to the briefing and to follow the instructions of the guides. This is an extremely wild experience and when respected will create beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. Approx. 2 hrs driving time.

The best time of the day for wildlife viewing in Africa is the early morning, as the nocturnal and crepuscular animals are still moving around in the cool light of daybreak. With trees and rushes filled with the dawn chorus we will set out on our walking safari to unearth some of the wildlife secrets of this wonderful wetland. Returning to our camp for a well-deserved brunch we have time to relax during the heat of the day and perhaps take a swim in the clear waters, or a bucket shower hung by the guides from a tree on the edge of camp. As the evening rolls around, and the heat abates, we will head out again into the Delta where we can enjoy another beautiful sunset before returning to camp for our group prepared dinner and a second night under the stars, enveloped in the evensong of cicadas, frogs and hippos.

This morning it is time to break camp and leave our paradise island, taking the mekoros back to the poler station, and our awaiting 4x4 land cruiser. We then travel to the edge of the delta where water again cedes to the sand and scrub of the Kalahari, at Moremi Game Reserve. Still on the edge of this vast delta, this reserve is a patchwork of mopane forest, compact open plains, and river edge as the delta water seeps through the ever smaller channels and pools of this beautiful reserve. We arrive at our wild camp site deep within the reserve, and set up our tents, before taking a late lunch through the heat of the day. This evening we will head out for our golden hour game drive, where we might find elephants drinking gallons of water by a river edge, or red lechwe, a russet coloured antelope endemic to this corner of Botswana, rutting and grazing in the late afternoon sunshine. At nightfall we return to our camp for a meal around our firepit once again surrounded by the chorus of the bush. Lions are often heard here, the males marking their territories with a deep, guttural roaring sound that can be heard for miles around, creating a visceral and primeval sensation for all that are lucky enough to hear them. Approx. 6 hrs driving on unmade roads with extra time for stops.

It is our full Moremi day today, and we wake to a bright sunrise through the shade of the mopane forest. Our camp breakfasts are comprehensive but unfussy, with cereal, bread, yoghurt and fruit options usually available, as well as fruit juices, teas and coffees. With the impetus on game viewing fully firing through the group by now, we'll likely want to be out into the reserve as soon after breakfast as possible. After coffee and sustenance, we'll head into the reserve, eyes peeled and alert to movement and shapes of leopard poised in the stronger boughs of the sausage trees, or lions stalking the longer grasses. A full morning from sunrise through to lunchtime will have us exhausted and hunting for shade through the heat of the day, so we return to camp, shower and relax for a few hours before the evening drive. Tonight we feast again around the fire, perhaps a braai using the open flame and griddle to grill a traditional Southern African barbeque.

Today, we rise and break camp again before breakfast and a morning in the 4x4, departing Moremi and heading back through to Maun before transferring into the truck and continuing on to Gweta. Gweta is on the edge of the gigantic Makgadikgadi Pan, one of the largest flat salt pans in the world. We will hope to arrive in good time this afternoon allowing us the opportunity for the optional (own expense) meerkat activity. The meerkat adventure gets us into the middle of the comical antics of the meerkats. The meerkats live in family groups along the edge of the salt pans, and we have the opportunity to get close, observing and engaging with habituated meerkats in their habitat. This evening we spend at a campsite in Gweta, with a restaurant and pool, relative comfort after the better part of a week wild camping amongst the wilds of the Okavango. Approx. 5-6 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

A day of driving on tar roads today, takes us from the giant expanse of the Makgadikgadi to the baobab lined banks of the great river Chobe at Kasane. We will arrive in the late afternoon, with time to make camp and perhaps a dip in the pool before dinner. Once we've set up camp here, another established campsite with many facilities and comforts, we'll have some free time to relax by the pool before an evening meal (own expense) at the on-site restaurant and bar. Approx 5-6 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

This morning we head out in a 4x4 for a game drive into the Chobe National Park. There are great herds of buffalo here, gathering at the riverbanks to graze and drink. African fish eagles, pied kingfisher and maribou storks can often be seen in the trees lining the river banks, eyes fixated on the fish in the depths below, ready to pounce on their next meal. This morning drive should give opportunities to see impala and zebra in great herds, escaping the cover of the bushes that line the great river plain, to drink at the water's edge. Warthog chase around with unknown urgency, and giraffe lazily prune the upper leaves of the acacia trees here. We return for lunch at the campsite, and relax through the heat of the day before returning to the banks of the Chobe for our evening riverboat cruise. This is a real highlight of the trip, as we lazily float along the widest section of the river looking out along the banks for monitor lizard, Nile crocodile, and sometimes we might even see hippos grazing in the last of the light. The elephants here, have figured out that they can cross the river to the central islands, to graze on the greener grass, holding their trunks aloft as they cross, like a snorkel through the deeper waters. This evening will again be an own expense dinner.

We break camp and make breakfast this morning before heading for the Zimbabwean border, bound for Victoria Falls. A quick visit to the border officials to show passports and fill in forms and we are on our way to the tropical paradise rainforest that surrounds this wonder of nature. There are birds and tree species found here, that cannot be found anywhere else in Southern Africa. They are confined to this fascinating micro ecosystem, just a few hundred metres wide in places, which surrounds and relies on the falls, feeding the plants with constant plumes of fine water vapour. We take a while to walk through this lush environment, absorbing the sheer scale of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and capturing shots of the rainbows that shroud this spectacle in beautiful arcs. We will likely get soaked by the kick back clouds of the falls, so take a waterproof if you have one. There are many own expense activities available here, and your guides can help point you towards some of the options available, including but not limited to, Zambezi river white water rafting, bungee jumping, helicopter rides, or the sundowner train ride over Livingstone Bridge. Alternatively you may wish to spend some time curios shopping at the market here, or sampling some of the restaurants and bars that line the relaxed and multicultural trading post style high street. After enjoying a day in the majesty of the Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders), we will retire to our garden oasis, and beautifully comfortable beds, of our guesthouse accommodation for the evening. Take some time in the pool, or enjoy dinner (own expense) before retiring after a busy day at the falls. Approx. 1.5 - 2 hrs driving time.

Back in the truck today, and we are off into the heart of wild Zimbabwe, and the Hwange National Park. We will have a relaxed morning and a great guesthouse breakfast before hitting the road, leaving enough time for us to squeeze in a helicopter ride or similar before departure at around 10 or 11 am. It will take a few hours of tarmac and occasional broken or potholed roads to get there, but by mid-afternoon, we should be at the campsite, ready to make camp and settle in. This campsite set in the dappled shade of the miombo woodland near the park's main gate, is perfectly set close to the park's entrance. Elephants frequent the site here, and have been known to drink from the splash pool on the first floor of the main building, raising their trunks to reach up for a sneaky forbidden drink! We'll cook tonight by the light of the campfire, ready for our full day game drive in the morning. Approx. 3-4 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

We rise early today and after breakfast, make tracks into the park in a 4x4. This expansive park reaches the border with Botswana and shares gigantic tracts of wild land perfect for wild dogs and migrating ungulates to roam. This is a truly wild place, and fairly quiet, with few other game vehicles fighting for competition to see the many and varied animals that frequent this landscape. On a recent visit, we found prides of lion lazing in the sunshine, zebra mottled by the shade of beautiful old growth miombo woodland, and elephants gathering around the watering holes. The elephants here are notorious; congregating in large and often raucous herds, their trumpets of frustration can be heard for miles around, if the bigger herd members aren't able to reach the best point for a drink! We will return to the campsite at dusk after a full day of cruising through the park, often displacing hornbills with a familiar flap, flap, glide wing beat pattern as they dart off the side of the trail and into a neighbouring bush.

We rise early today and break camp ready to head South East, bound for the incredible rocky outcrops of the Matopos. After packing up the truck we will take breakfast and then hit the road. We'll be travelling through lunchtime today and will find a good place to stop for a roadside picnic along the way. This national park is worlds away from the vast landscapes of Chobe, and Hwange, with intimate valleys and high peaks made of otherworldly granite forms, filled with eagles, leopards, rock hyrax, and rhinos. Listen out for the jarring screams of the hyrax at dusk, used to communicate between colonies, and keep your eyes to the sky for the majestic black eagle, soaring high over the rocky outcrops of the park on the hunt for hyrax and other small mammals. After a long drive today, we'll arrive at our small but perfectly formed lodge on the edge of the Matopos, and settle in with a sundowner in their hide on the edge of an intimate plain, which has feeding and watering stations which attract great congregations of giraffe, wildebeest and bush pigs. We'll take dinner made lovingly by the staff here and settle in around the boma for a chat and a drink under the stars before retiring to our cosy chalets for the night. Approx. 6-7 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

The landscape here is full of intimate valleys, and towering rocky peaks, and as such, much of the fauna appears as a surprise as you round a bend or crest a rise. This morning we are in for several incredible treats. We rise for breakfast at our wonderful lodge, and then make our way to the awaiting truck for an explorative drive within the Matopos National Park. Our first stop will be with the rangers and anti-poaching staff who heavily guard the black and white rhino populations within this park. We will disembark the truck with our guide, and then go on a walking safari deep into the heart of the bush, to find the rhinos that call this landscape home. These incredible creatures are usually placid and relaxed, particularly during the heat of the day, and we'll watch them resting in the sunshine, or perhaps foraging in the longer grasses whilst our guide explains some more about the incredible conservation efforts that are being done to protect this mighty but fragile species. After departing the rhinos, and returning to our truck, we continue into the park to find one of the 3,000 or more cave painting sites here. Depending on the cave site, you may be required to walk for a km or two, and sometimes up some steep steps and rocky paths to reach the entrances, but the rewards are incredible. The San people have been drawing on these cave walls for up to 13,000 years in some cases, and the depictions are of many and varied animals and people, sometimes overlaid on top of each other in a symphony of history and beauty. To be in the company of such ancient works of art, is an ethereal and profound experience. We return via World's View, the burial site of Cecil John Rhodes, and an incredible viewpoint at the centre of the park. This afternoon is free to relax, enjoy the splash pool, or perhaps take a cuppa down to the hide to watch the giraffes. This evening we'll dine again courtesy of the lodge staff and relax round the boma in this little slice of heaven.

Today we are on the road again, heading South for Awelani. We will have a tasty breakfast at the lodge before loading up the truck and hitting the road. We have a border to cross today, into South Africa, which may take some time to clear, so we will aim to be journeying early, and may be on the road much of the day. We will have a roadside picnic again before continuing on to our destination. We will have the rest of the day at leisure to relax in our safari tents or around the pool. Dinner is supplied by this beautiful community owned and run lodge. Approx. 8-9 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

Today we head south again and this time we're back into the heart of wild country for the first of three days wild camping in the heart of the Kruger National Park. We'll arrive after a long drive on the tar roads of this enormous park in the mid-afternoon ready to make camp. Once the tents are erected, we should have some time to relax before our first evening drive among the fever trees and mopane forest of this northern end of the Kruger, home to large concentrations of lions, elephants, leopards and buffalo. After our evening drive, we'll settle in to another wild night on this trip, enveloped in the sound safari of South Africa's wildest landscape. Approx. 4-5 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

We move camp again today, only to travel further south through the vast open plains and close bushveld of these more southerly quarters of the Kruger. Our journey will be through the park, so will naturally incorporate a game drive as we travel. We will move south through the park on tar roads, with our roof vents and windows open stopping to admire the habits and behaviours of all manner of creatures great and small. From the giant giraffe, carefully plucking the finest green leaves from the tightest thorns of the acacia trees, to the tiny ground squirrels that flit and burst through the branches of the forest, with their miniature bushy tails flicking all the while they're on the move. By mid-afternoon we should again have pitched our tents with time to relax in the sunshine or perhaps take a cooling shower from the shower bag, before heading out around 4:30pm. By now we should be incredibly well versed in the art of wildlife spotting, all eyes facing outwards, ears trained, and binoculars and cameras poised for the slightest movement in the grass, or among the trees. Returning from our drive, we'll make dinner and sit around the fire sharing stories of our sights from today's drive. Approx. 2-3 hrs driving time.

Our final full day in Kruger today. We make breakfast in the first light and ready the truck for a morning game drive. Heading out into the park on the tar roads once more, from our perfectly positioned campsite we'll be first on the scene to any sightings that come our way. This is the perfect opportunity to seek out some of the rarer or more elusive species of the reserve. Leopards and wild dogs can both be seen here, but they will take an especially keen eye to find them. Both are excellently camouflaged, and whilst the leopards have fairly static territories, the dogs move in small packs over a roaming territory of hundreds of miles in some cases. We return from our morning drive to spend some time at the campsite during the heat of the day, relaxing, or perhaps processing some pictures from the morning drive. This afternoon as the heat recedes, we'll head out again to find some more wildlife, bathed in the golden hour evening light, before returning to camp. This evening will be our last evening in the wild bush of southern Africa. Enjoy all of the sounds of the bush that hush you off to sleep. Perhaps your chorus will consist of cicadas and frogs, maybe you'll be lucky enough to hear a territorial male lion roaring off in the distance, and your primeval sense of belonging to this wild and natural place will be ignited deep inside you once more.

Savour our last sunrise among the bush with coffee in hand, waking up with all of the diurnal species that surround you in this wildlife paradise. We break camp this morning bright and early, and head south, leaving the great Kruger National Park behind us, heading for the coast at Ponta do Ouro in Mozambique, and the Indian end of our coast to coast exploration. This is a beautiful stretch of coastline, complete with white sand beaches and the gently lapping waves of the Indian Ocean. This azure blue paradise will be a literal sea change after the last few weeks travelling through the dust and scrub on our intrepid quest across this great continent. We'll have time to dip our toes in the sea or perhaps even venture for a swim before retiring to our comfortable lodge accommodation here. Approx. 4 hrs driving time plus extra for stops.

We have a second day here in Ponta do Ouro, and today we'll have the opportunity to head out by boat, into the bay on the look out for the pod of dolphins that frequent these waters. This is wildlife watching of a totally different kind, where fins and noses protruding from the endless expanse of bright blue waters, replaces the past few weeks of scouring undergrowth and listening for alarm calls amongst the bush. If our conservationist guide approves, they will allow us to go for a swim here, to spend time in the same waters as these beautiful mammals, at a safe and respectful distance. Our operator for this excursion is a world cetatean alliance certified responsible whale and dolphin watcher with qualified marine biologists and cetacean experts within their guide roster. After an incredible day on the waves, we'll retire once more to our accommodation, sharing yet more indelible memories of animal encounters over the dinner table at the lodge.

We leave Ponta do Ouro today and head back south and inland for Zululand Lodge in King Shaka's nation, the Kwa-Zulu Natal. Our drive takes in the Mkhuze reserve, with opportunities to spot the big five and many other large plains game, such as cheetah and giraffes. There are also hundreds of bird species here, and our guides will be able to help you identify all creatures great and small as we continue through this patchwork reserve of dense forest, open plain, and bushveld. We eventually reach the lodge, our home for the next two nights, which is within a conservancy in the process of being rewilded. This eco lodge is totally off grid, using collected and filtered rainwater, and utilising solar panels to light led bulbs throughout. This is truly laid back and peaceful experience, just the tonic after more than three weeks of intense exploring and incredible wildlife and cultural experiences. Approx 3-4 hrs driving with extra time for stops.

This morning we'll wake and take breakfast in beautiful lodge surroundings, before a morning walk within the private conservancy that surrounds us. There are giraffes and shy nyala antelope here, although neither are a guaranteed sighting. We will walk among the conservancy with our expert guide, surrounded by the beautiful bird and insect life that enjoy these lush surroundings, keeping a look out for the elusive antelope and giraffes as we go. The latter may be particularly close, but remain unsighted due to their stealth and peaceful wandering, both traits that greatly belies their size. We will return to the lodge for lunch, with the rest of the afternoon at leisure. We might choose to relax by the pool or perhaps enjoy a slow G&T and a good book on the verandah at the lodge. This final beautiful and relaxing day is a perfect book end to our epic quest through Southern Africa's wild heart.

This morning we pack our things and after an early breakfast we'll depart for Durban Airport. As the wilds of Africa cede to the city and eventually airport of Durban, you'll be able to savour your last longing views of this beautiful and wild region of Africa. Approx. 4 hrs driving time plus stops.