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Peregrine Travel Centre

Southern Africa Highlights

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Southern Africa Highlights

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Description

Visit Africa and travel through Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa on a tour from Windhoek to Johannesburg. Embark on a journey through bountiful Botswana, rich in natural beauty, thrilling wildlife encounters, and fun local interaction. Experience exciting safaris, enjoy life aboard a houseboat, see ancient rock art and feel the power of Victoria Falls. Continue south to Hwange National Park, known for its elephant population, Matobo National Park to track rhinos, visit a 13th-century grave site and head out on a night safari to see some nocturnal wildlife around Mapungubwe National Park and, finally, visit the famous Kruger National Park in search of Africa’s iconic wildlife.

Trip Name
Southern Africa Highlights
Last Updated
1970-01-01
Days
18
Capacity
13
Highlights
  • Immerse yourself in the spectacular Okavango wilderness with two nights on a houseboat. Listen to the melodies of the African wildlife outside your door as the sun sets and night descends each night.
  • Discover the beauty of Chobe River with a morning game drive in open 4WDs before spotting bird life and hippos on a sunset cruise with a sundowner in hand.
  • Visit the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust to learn about wildlife rehabilitation from conflict and poaching, then meet some rescued or orphaned wildlife in their care.
  • Explore the World Heritage site of Mapungubwe National Park, where the ancient ruins of a once-thriving kingdom meet stunning landscapes of baobab trees and sandstone cliffs. Then, head out on a night safari to spot nocturnal wildlife in a private game reserve next door.

Itinerary

ITINERARY CHANGES Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It's important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, political unrest or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. Your group leader or local representative will keep you up to date with any such changes once your trip is underway. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES A selection of optional activities that have been popular with past travellers are listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This isn't an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only for some of what might be available. Prices are approximate, are for entrance fees only, and don’t include transport to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated. All activities are subject to availability, and maybe on a join-in basis. It may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, so some pre-planning for what you are most interested in is advised. When it's recommended that travellers pre-book these activities, look for a note in the Special Information section of the day-to-day itinerary. For most, they can either be organised independently on the day, or let your group leader or local representative know you are interested at the Welcome Meeting and they can assist. Where activities are considered medium or high risk, we work with operators whose safety and credentials we have sighted and assessed. Although it is possible that you may find the same activity cheaper with another operator on the ground, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of that operator. Medium and high-risk activities not listed above have not been assessed by us and as such our staff and group leader or local representative are unable to assist you with organising these activities. Activities that contravene our Responsible Travel policies are also not listed. Please remember that the decision to partake in any activity not listed is at your own discretion and risk. SOUTHERN AFRICA IN PEAK SEASON Southern Africa is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. Despite the influx of travellers, bed numbers are not being increased to match the demand. This intentional move is aimed at minimizing the environmental impact of tourism and keeping the destinations exclusive. It is, therefore, becoming more and more difficult for us to confirm our allocation with our usual suppliers, particularly in peak season. We may use alternative accommodation which could affect driving times and distances listed in the Essential Trip Information. However, we will always use properties of the same standard and ensure that the included activities are not affected. ROAD CONDITIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN AFRICA: Roads in Africa are often in very poor condition, which makes it hard on our vehicles. Our vehicles are serviced regularly and are generally in good condition, but breakdowns can and do happen. Sometimes the going on this trip is quite tough, the distances covered fairly large and some of the roads and tracks are not exactly smooth or free from dust, but the rewards are exceptional. The travelling times indicated in our Essential Trip Information is just a rough guide and is dependent on various factors that may be outside our control, such as road conditions, weather and time spent at borders. DRIVE TIMES: The travel times listed in the day to day itinerary are a guide only. Please be aware that delays may occur and please be patient - it's all part of the experience afterall! Additionally, the travel times do not include time spent on game drives as these can vary with each departure.

Day 1 - Windhoek
Welkom! Welcome to Namibia. Your adventure begins in Windhoek, where you‘ll be met by an Intrepid representative and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early, maybe wander the old German architecture in the town, passing the Tintenpalast (Ink Palace) and the Christuskirche (church). Tonight, you’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm to get to know your local leader and fellow travellers. After, you might want to join your group for an optional welcome dinner.
Day 2 - Ghanzi/Central Kalahari
Today is a bit of a long travel day as you cross the border into Botswana and make your way to Ghanzi – known as the ‘Capital of the Kalahari’. Take the opportunity to grab a window seat and watch the landscape pass you by or get to know your fellow travellers a little better with some road trip games. When you arrive, settle into your lodge accommodation and soak up some Botswana sunshine or cool off in the pool.
Day 3 - Okavango Delta Panhandle
This morning, you’ll head to the Okavango Delta – known for its sprawling grassy plains that flood seasonally, making the delta a lush animal habitat. When you arrive, board speedboats and make your way to your home for the next two nights – a houseboat in the Okavango Delta Panhandle. You can chill out on the deck or grab a few friends and attempt one of the onsite board games. For dinner, your captain will serve dinner on the deck, and you can watch the sunset while you eat and listen to the sounds of the nearby hippos on the water's edge.
Day 4 - Okavango Delta Panhandle
After breakfast, take a speedboat and a 4WD to a nearby polling station. From here, you can explore the waterways in mokoros (traditional dugout canoes) with a local guide. Your guide will take you on a short nature walk around one of the many islands in the Delta Panhandle. Then, return to the houseboat where you can relax, read a book or do some fishing. This evening, grab a sundowner, pull up a chair and watch the often striking sunset.
Day 5 - Maun
Leave your houseboat behind and again board the speedboats that take you back to dry land. Drive on to Maun – the gateway of the Okavango Delta. For those seeking an extra adventure, there's an opportunity to fly over the delta in a helicopter for a bird's-eye view! Your leader can give you more information on this activity and how to book, so just ask them if you’re interested. Alternatively, the afternoon is free for you to sit by the pool and take a breather when you arrive in Maun.
Day 6 - Makgadikgadi Pans
Leave your lodge after breakfast and head towards north-east Botswana. The next stop is the Makgadikgadi Pans – a large salt pan in the middle of the dry savanna. This pan is now all that remains of the former Lake Makgadikgadi. Head out to the Makgadikgadi Pans for an afternoon excursion in open 4WDs to one of the largest salt flats in the world, spending some time with a local meerkat community along the way. This visit to the local colony of meerkats will allow you to get close to them without disturbing their natural habitat. Then, take a bush walk with one of southern Africa's oldest inhabitants and learn their way of life within the Kalahari Bushman group. They will teach you how they interact with nature, keeping a well-balanced relationship with the local land. Tonight, sip on a couple of sundowners and enjoy some snacks as you watch the sun fall behind the old baobab trees.
Day 7 - Chobe National Park
This morning, make tracks towards Kasane, which sits on the edge of Chobe National Park. The stretch of road between Nata and Kasane is known as the 'Elephant Highway'. With no fences, elephants are free to move between Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and Botswana. So, this is the perfect time keep your eyes peeled for roadside elephants during your drive! When you arrive in Chobe National Park – Botswana's first national park, known for its high concentration of elephants – settle into your lodge on the banks of the Chobe River and soak in the sounds of the wildlife.
Day 8 - Chobe National Park
Wake up nice and early this morning to take a dawn game drive in Chobe National Park. In the park, you might see the resident elephants drinking at the waters' edge, large herds of cape buffalo or one of the many impalas that call this place home. In the afternoon, you’ll take a scenic cruise on the Chobe River – ideal for spotting local bird life such as saddle-billed storks, malachite kingfishers, fish eagles and beautiful bee-eaters. As well as birds, look out for hippos, crocodiles and large families of elephants. There will also be an opportunity to enjoy a drink and watch the sunset over the river after the boat cruise.
Day 9 - Victoria Falls
Travel on to Victoria Falls, crossing the border into Zimbabwe. Arrive in time to have lunch on the banks of the Zambezi River. Victoria Falls is one of the world's natural wonders, and when in full flow, it forms the largest sheet of falling water on Earth. Your leader will take you to a local activity centre where various activities will be on offer to fill up your afternoon here. This evening, take a local brewery tour with your group and enjoy a tasting paddle to sample the brewery’s finest. After, maybe keep the night going and celebrate a trip well-travelled with your group.
Day 10 - Victoria Falls
Today is a free day to enjoy the many activities on offer. There will be another Welcome Meeting at 6pm to meet the new group members joining today. Please let you leader know if you will not take part in this meeting.
Day 11 - Hwange National Park
Depart Victoria Falls and hit the road to Hwange National Park, stopping at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust along the way – one of The Intrepid Foundation projects. Here, you’ll learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, human-wildlife conflict and their role in anti-poaching. There may also be a chance to meet any rescued or orphaned wildlife currently in their care. This afternoon, take a game drive within the Hwange National Park in 4WDs. Hwange, the largest park in Zimbabwe, was designated as a national park in 1929 after acting as the royal hunting grounds of the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi in the early 19th century. The park is famous for its elephants and is home to one of the largest populations in the world, as well as a huge variety of wildlife including over 100 mammals and nearly 400 bird species!
Day 12 - Matobo National Park
Leave Hwange as you make tracks for Matobo National Park. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Painted Dog Conservation Centre. Learn how the loss of quality habitats and poaching are driving the painted dogs towards extinction, and how the centre protects painted dogs and the Hwange ecosystem. After, it's onto Bulawayo – Zimbabwe's second-largest city. Take a stroll through the streets and stop in at a local restaurant for lunch. Continue to Matobo, where you'll spend the next two nights. The rocks balanced in Matobo Hills are thought to be the seats of God and ancestral spirits. The park is home to the grave of Cecil John Rhodes, founder of Rhodesia and the De Beers diamond company, and is especially known for its rhino population.
Day 13 - Matobo National Park
Enjoy an unforgettable day of tracking rhinos on foot with your local guides. You'll learn about the local plants and trees and their traditional uses, and there'll be plenty of chances to spot wildlife other than rhinos. The park is home to leopards, hippos, antelope and more! Learn about the San people who have called this area home for thousands of years and visit their rock paintings in the hills. Spend some time in the nearby villages to meet some of the local community before returning to your lodge for the evening.
Day 14 - Mapungubwe National Park
Say goodbye to Zimbabwe and cross the border into South Africa. Your bush lodge for tonight sits inside Mapesu Private Game Reserve – a 12,500 hectares property surrounded by unique sandstone formations, woodlands and wildlife. The reserve focuses on biodiversity, conservation and the protection and reintroduction of species including efforts specifically on endangered animals. When you arrive, have dinner here with your group and watch the night sky come alive with stars.
Day 15 - Mapungubwe National Park
Today, you’ll explore Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site – home to South Africa’s most significant Iron Age site. Visit the 13th-century grave site on Mapungubwe Hill, which contains ornaments, jewellery, bowls and amulets covered in gold foil. The most spectacular of these pieces is a small, gold-covered rhinoceros. Apartheid kept this discovery a secret as the regime attempted to suppress any historical information that proved black cultural sophistication. Later, you have free time to relax at the lodge or you can take an optional game drive in through the park. Tonight, you’ll head out on a night safari in Mapesu Private Game Reserve. Look out for bush babies (galagos), bushpigs, hyenas, genets and tiny chameleons – all of which don’t come out much during the day. Maybe you’ll even get lucky and encounter a leopard!
Day 16 - Kruger National Park
Wake up early this morning and drive to Greater Kruger National Park. When you arrive, the rest of the day is free for you to enjoy. Maybe kick back at the lodge and relax with a good book, chat to your fellow travellers over cards, take a dip in the on-site swimming pool or venture out for more wildlife spotting on an optional safari in a private game reserve within the national park.
Day 17 - Kruger National Park
Start the day early and head into Kruger National Park – one of the largest game reserves in Southern Africa and home to over 500 bird species, 100 species of reptile and 150 mammal species including all the big cats. Your wildlife experience begins as soon as you enter the park, as you're taken into prime viewing areas. Enjoy a picnic breakfast here before spending the rest of the day wildlife-spotting in the park, watching game, birds and stopping at various waterholes as you go. The group will leave the park in the late afternoon and return to the lodge for another relaxed evening.
Day 18 - Johannesburg
Enjoy the scenic route back to Johannesburg filled with beautiful views of stunning landscape. Along the way, you’ll visit the breathtaking Three Rondawels Viewpoint and the impressive Bourke's Luck Potholes, perfect stops to break up the drive and enjoy the scenery. When you arrive in Johannesburg, your adventure comes to an end. If you’d like to extend your stay here, and it’s recommended that you do, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
15-05-202501-06-2025AUD $ 11,832-
29-05-202515-06-2025AUD $ 11,832-
05-06-202522-06-2025AUD $ 12,304-
19-06-202506-07-2025AUD $ 12,304-
14-08-202531-08-2025AUD $ 12,304-
24-08-202510-09-2025AUD $ 12,304-
02-10-202519-10-2025AUD $ 11,832-
06-11-202523-11-2025AUD $ 11,832-
19-03-202605-04-2026AUD $ 15,310-
16-04-202603-05-2026AUD $ 15,310-
07-05-202624-05-2026AUD $ 15,310-
21-05-202607-06-2026AUD $ 15,310-
28-05-202614-06-2026AUD $ 15,310-
11-06-202628-06-2026AUD $ 15,920-
25-06-202612-07-2026AUD $ 15,920-
02-07-202619-07-2026AUD $ 16,540-
16-07-202602-08-2026AUD $ 16,540-
23-07-202609-08-2026AUD $ 16,540-
06-08-202623-08-2026AUD $ 16,540-
20-08-202606-09-2026AUD $ 16,540-
03-09-202620-09-2026AUD $ 16,540-
17-09-202604-10-2026AUD $ 15,920-
01-10-202618-10-2026AUD $ 15,920-
05-11-202622-11-2026AUD $ 15,920-

Accommodation

Hotel (4 nights),Houseboat (2 nights),Lodge (11 nights)

Transport

Overland Vehicle,4WD Safari Vehicle,Mokoro,Boat

Map

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