Botswana And Zimbabwe Explorer

Departing Johannesburg at 06:30am we head into the world famous Kruger National Park. We visit the northern part of the park and stay in the Letaba area of the reserve. We enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in our safari vehicle and hope to spot lion, elephant, rhino and other animals in this icon of wildlife conservation. Overnight in basic National Park chalets with shared bathroom facilities. Approx. distance/time: 580 kms, ±8 hrs, not including stops for sightseeing and lunch. NB: Breakfast is not included; Lunch & Dinner will be provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group.

Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa stretches north to south over approximately 500km and is home to the Big Five, as well as numerous other species of fauna and flora. The largest game reserve in South Africa boasts the world's greatest concentration of species, and has an amazing 16 different ecosystems. Exciting game drives provide us with excellent game viewing. Spot the “Big 5” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) and many other animals in this true African wilderness. 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, wilddog and lions. As we reach the Limpopo Valley the vegetation changes to forest and birdlife is prolific. We exit the park, late in the afternoon, and overnight at a lodge just outside Kruger. Overnight lodge. Approx. distance/time: 300 kms, ±8 hrs, game viewing drive, excluding stop for lunch. NB: Breakfast & Lunch will be provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group; Dinner will be a set meal provided by the lodge.

Entering Zimbabwe at the Beit Bridge border post, we travel north to our overnight stop. The following morning we visit the Great Zimbabwe Monuments, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its massive curving walls (some 11m high), constructed from millions of granite blocks fitted together without mortar, remain the largest ancient stone structure in sub Saharan Africa, and were built during the 11th to 14th centuries. The city had an estimated 18,000 inhabitants and archaeological artefacts including Chinese pottery shards and coins from Arabia suggest a vast trading network. We explore these ancient stone structures on an informative walk with a local guide. Overnight hotel. Approx. distance/time: 450 kms, ± 6.5 hrs, excluding stops for border crossing (which can take 2 to 4+ hrs) sightseeing & lunch. NB: Breakfast will be provided by the lodge; Lunch will be provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group; Dinner will be a set meal provided by the lodge.