Wagon Trails | 8 days Vic. Falls, Kruger Park, Johannesburg extended itinerary

8 days Vic. Falls, Kruger Park, Johannesburg extended itinerary

Days 1-2 Livingstone/Victoria Falls

Muli shani! Welcome to Zambia.

You can arrive at any time on day 1 as there are no activities planned until the important welcome meeting at 1pm this afternoon. Please ensure you arrive in time for this meeting. It is a good idea to have lunch prior, as we head out after the meeting. Your leader will leave a note at reception telling you where this important meeting will take place. Please ask a member of reception for this information. Your leader will collect your local payment at this meeting.

This afternoon it is straight into action with a visit to the amazing Victoria Falls. The falls are an enormous curtain of water, about a mile wide, falling 108 m into a narrow chasm below. In the wet season, the spray created can rise up an incredible 400 m and the falls are an impressive raging torrent. In the dry season, the view of the falls is unobstructed by spray and it's possible to see little islets in the river below.

Day 2 is free for you to enjoy the range of activites this region has to offer. This charming town is quickly becoming known as Africa's adrenaline capital with bungee-jumping, white water rafting, microlighting and abseiling being just a handful of the activities on offer.

Our accommodation for these nights is in tents. There are ablution blocks with hot and cold showers and flush toilets.

Days 3-4 Nata/Polokwane Game Reserve

Departing around 7am, we begin our drive, heading towards the border post where we cross the Zambezi river by ferry. From there we drive through the vast grasslands of Botswana to Nata. There may be the chance for some great wildlife viewing on our drive. Total travel time today is about 6 hours.

This afternoon we head out on a sunset excursion to the Makigadikgadi Salt Pans (two hours driving time for the excursion). This magnificent expanse has to be seen to be believed- if there is water in the pans (seasonal) it is also a great chance to see flamingos.

Tonight we camp. Our campsite has a swimming pool as well as a fully stocked bar and the chance to see bush babies ('little night monkeys') up close!

On day 4 it's time to enter South Africa and after a long driving day we reach Polokwane. We drive approximately 460kms to the border via Francistown, taking our lunch break here (approx. 6 hours). It is another 250km from the border to Polokwane (approx. 4 hours), giving us an approximate arrival time of 5pm in the afternoon.

Tonight's campsite has hot water ablution block and washing facilities.

Days 5-6 Kruger National Park

This morning we begin the day with a dawn game drive in Polokwane Game Reserve. There is the chance to see white rhino, eland and sable - quite rare antelope species!

After breakfast we continue to southern Africa's most famous premier game reserve, the Kruger, where we spend two nights. The distance is about 280km, approximately 3.5 hours on a scenic mountain road. We enter Kruger through one of the central gates and immediately begin game driving enroute to our campsite.

On day 6 we explore the diversity of the Kruger landscape ranging form rolling hills with granite outcrops to savannah grasslands during a full day game drive. In the evening, there is the option of taking an additional night drive with park authorities to spot nocturnal animals and perhaps even night-time predators.

Our campsite for these nights has hot water and flush toilets.

Please note that trips departing on the 21st and 28th of June 2009 will camp in a bordering game reserve rather than the National Park.

Day 7 Shangaan Village

This morning we take a final morning game drive in Kruger before embarking on a visit along the famous Panorama route. We will take in stunning veiws including God's window, Bourke's luck potholes and panoramas of the Blyde River Canyon before making our way down the escarpment to a Shangaan tribal village where a guided tour gives an insight into the culture and traditions of the local people. We enjoy an exciting evening of tribal interaction in the local "boma" and a traditional African dinner.

We overnight tonight in the traditional huts of the village. Mattresses are provided. There are flushing toilets and hot showers provided in clean ablution blocks.

Day 8 Johannesburg

Today we head for the bright city lights of Johannesburg. There's plenty of time to stop and explore along the way. We stop at the viewpoint over the awesome Blyde River Canyon and take in amazing views over the region. It is approximately 500km from Kruger to Jo'burg which will take us around 6 hours.

Our tour ends in Johannesburg in the late afternoon/early evening of day 8 (approximately 6pm). On arrival in Jo'Burg you can be dropped at the airport or at Amadwala Lodge.