Days 1 - 5 - Leaving Cape Town we head out across the Great Karoo; a beautiful semi arid area. Crossing the Orange River our first stop in the “The Big Hole” in Kimberley three tons of diamonds have been dug from 40 million tons of rock over the years just to make small rings to trap foolish men into marriage. Next is Johannesburg – “the city of gold”. Take the SOWETO tour or go deep into a gold mine on the rand. Good cinema and restaurants before heading into “the real Africa”.

Days 6 - 12 - Leaving Johannesburg we leave the city behind us and head off into Botswana and the small town of Palapye where we camp for the night.  This day includes the border crossing, so passports at the ready. From Palapye we head out across part of the Kalahari Desert, the Magkadikadi and Nxai Salt Pans, a once migration route for elephants.  Entering Maun, a small town on the edge of the Okavango Delta, and prepare for the wilderness experience to come. Pack up your own kit along with food, water and cooking and camping equipment and you’re off.  A short truck ride to the dugout canoes, called Mokoros, and you gently punt out into the delta down reed lined waterways.  Find a spot for the night and set up camp.

Up early and it’s off for a walk with the guide.  This is a rare chance to see game on foot with anything from elephants to herds of grazing zebra.  If you’re really lucky you might catch a glimpse of the red lechwe or the incredibly shy Sitatunga. Maybe try learning how to “pole” your mokoro, or try to catch a catfish. The guides make it look so easy, but it’s really not. Then maybe a last swim before heading back to the truck and then the campsite for a well earned shower and a cold drink.

An early start and a stunning drive through some very arid landscape and a different perspective from the lush Delta. One turn to the left and the country becomes more bushy and then lush again as we approach the Chobe River, where we head onto a viewing boat for a cruise along the river banks.

Another early start (animals eh?) and around the Chobe National park for a game drive in small 4x4’s then back to pack up camp. A short drive and a border crossing bring us into the Zimbabwe town of Victoria Falls. Mosi-oa-Tunya means the “Smoke that thunders”, and you can see it as you approx the town.

Days 13 - 19 - A full day to enjoy the many activities in the area, of which there is something for everyone. There are also a number of good restaurants to choose from many curio markets to keep you busy and bartering.

Leaving the bustling town of Vic Falls behind us we head down the tree lined roads to Bulawayo, home to the Matopos National Park, full of ancient rock art and a healthy population of white rhino, a highly protected animal.

We then head off to Gweru and the Antelope Park. This is one of the few places where you can take a walk in the bush with a lion at your side.  Here is also the place to take a swim with an elephant or take a ride through the wildlife on horseback.

A full day to enjoy all the activities on offer, such as feeding any new cubs, taking a mule and carriage on safari, and elephant safari or why not have a go at learning Polocrosse? An exciting game of lacrosse on horseback.....but not for the faint hearted.

After all that excitement it is back to the truck and a drive to Harare.  Here we stay on the outskirts of town and can enjoy some relaxation and cool drinks. Also a chance to shop in town and stock up for our night of bush camping.

Big driving day today, so work out your rota for the beach time. A border crossing into Mozambique, which can take some time, so make sure you have a good book handy too.  Also a football is always a winner and always people willing to play. Then it’s time to look for a suitable bush camp and a real African Experience.

Another border crossing, this time into Malawi, and then off to the colonial city of Blantyre. A chance to stock up on essentials before heading to the lake the following day, and any personal stuff you may need, or snacks you can’t live without.

Days 20 - 26 - A beautiful and scenically stunning drive out of the city, past the Zomba Plateau and through to the lake shore at Kande.  This campsite started life as a cooler box under a tree, and has now become a popular venue for many things.

A full day on the beach to do as little or as much as you want. There are a number of activities to choose from including scuba diving, horse riding, canoeing, sailing or snorkelling. The lake is home to over 500 different types of freshwater Cyclid and these are very colourful and cheeky.

A short drive up the lakeshore to Chitimba, situated at the base of the Livingstonia escarpment, which you can hike to get some amazing views across the lake to Mozambique.

A fairly early start in order to get to the border with Tanzania and head up to Iringa for a bit of shopping and then it’s into the long and winding road through the valley of Baobab trees. These amazing trees are huge in their stature and only flower for 24 hrs once a year.

Get your cameras at the ready as this drive takes you through the Mikumi National Park, famous for its Pygmy Elephants, and herds of buffalo due to the close proximity with Selous National park. The day then ends at Dar es Salaam on a beach with the Indian Ocean lapping the shore.

If you wish to go you can take the ferry over to the Spice Island of Zanzibar, and walk the narrow streets of Stone Town. Visit the House of Wonders which had electricity before London and marvel at the cornucopia of seafood at the evening market.

Take the transfer up to the North Beach at Nungwi and spend the day wafting through the azure waters and admire the starfish, but watch out for those urchins....ouch!  Sunset Dhows rides are a must and if you Scuba, go to the Mnemba Atoll to spot the whale sharks.

Days 27 - 33 - this is your last chance to get the sand in your toes, and enjoy the relaxed life island style. Enjoy the super fresh pineapples and other fruits and don’t forget to visit the turtle sanctuary near the lighthouse.

Back to Stone Town and one more look around the beautiful things on offer, then it’s the afternoon ferry back over to the Mainland and a final night of seafood on the beach. Catch an early night as tomorrow is the biggest drive of the trip.

This is a long day, although the scenery is very diverse as you climb in altitude and pass both mountains and plains, through sisal plantations and hopefully catch a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro. More elusive than the cheetah.

You now have the option of going into the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area to see the collapsed volcano that now holds its own ecosystem supporting a huge amount of wildlife. The only things that are not in the crater are giraffe.

Your trip into the crater can continue into the Serengeti National Park if you wish, where you will pass pride rock, the inspiration for the Lion King, and get the chance to see where the great wildebeest and zebra migration prepares to head off to the Masai Mara in Kenya.

After a final game drive around the Serengeti you’ll head back out, through the conservation area and back down to the Snake Park. Here there is a cultural Masai museum, a chance to see a true Masai village from the back of a camel and see the snakes of Africa.

From Arusha we head North and cross the border into Kenya, and across the plains to the leafy suburb of Karen on the outskirts of Nairobi.