Deserts & Delta Family Overland

Welcome to Victoria Falls! You will be met at the airport and transferred to our campsite for the start of your trip. The rest of the day is free for you to settle in to your campsite chalet before we have a pre-trip meeting at 6pm and introduction to our crew and the overland expedition vehicle which will be our home for the next two weeks. Our local representative Joy, will also meet us and run through the activities and experiences available in Victoria Falls tomorrow.

Our family overland adventure gets off to an amazing start with a visit to one of the seven natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls. Known as the “Smoke that thunders” in the local Tonga language, it is the largest single curtain of falling water in the world and 70% of the exquisite views are seen from the Zimbabwe rain forest, from here the falling water’s impressive roar can sometimes be heard from 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. At its peak, the volume of water coming over the falls is around 150 million gallons per minute. This amount of water is just incomprehensible…a good size bath holds 40 gallons, so 1 million gallons would equate to 25,000 baths… making the high-water mark of 150 million gallons equate to 3.75 million (the entire population of Liverpool and Manchester combined) bathtubs of water thundering over the falls every single minute. That’s a lot of water! The rain forest surrounding it, which has constant rain 24/7 from the never-ending spray of the Falls, has a unique ecosystem. It is a botanists dream and bird lovers’ paradise. There are species here that don’t occur anywhere else, and families are strongly recommended to look just a little beyond the 2 km pathway and the numerous viewpoints towards the overgrowth to try and spot them. One of the great things about the falls is that the area has not become over commercialised. In fact, once you are standing by the Falls your view will not be much different to that of David Livingstone’s who first saw the Falls in 1855. You have the afternoon free to take part in a range of optional adventure activities such as white water rafting, bungee jumping, gorge swing or evening horse riding. If you're looking to relax, there are various craft markets and coffee shops to enjoy.

We have an early start today as we leave Zimbabwe and cross the border into Botswana and on to Chobe National Park. Chobe is most famous for its elephant and buffalo populations, both of which can herd in epic proportions. With an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 elephant, these gentle giants constantly surround you. We are there during the dry season when the Chobe River sees thousands lining the banks and crossing the water towards our campsite, giving the kids the chance to view them close up, an unforgettable experience and a lifelong memory. There is the option for an afternoon game drive (not included) before our evening river cruise which provides excellent photograph opportunities! It really is a lovely way to see the sun setting over the horizon.

Following on from here we find ourselves crossing another border into Namibia and heading to the Caprivi strip. This is considered Namibia’s answer to The Okavango Delta, an area which offers an incredible water-based safari location. Being sandwiched between Angola, Zambia and Botswana and near the tip of Zimbabwe, the region is surrounded by 5 perennial rivers – Chobe, Kwando, Linvanti, Okavango and the Zambezi – which makes it a haven for elephants, hippo, crocodile and buffalo. The bird watching is also unrivalled, with the region recording an incredible 660 different species. All of which offers families an endless number of activities including game viewing by boat, sunset cruises and canoeing adventures which are also a great way to relax and reconnect.

You have a free day today on the Okavango River where a multitude of optional activities are available. On the optional Mokoro cruise local poler guides will navigate the extensive waterways using canoes similar to their traditional Mokoros (dug out canoes). This is a great experience and a good way to get a hippo's eye view of the surroundings. There are also a number of other optional safaris including game walks and game drives with specialist guides, giving you the chance to see elephant, crocodile and hippo up close and personal. The trip is based on camping in our tents here. However, Ngepi Camp also has some fun treehouse and bush hut accommodation which is available to upgrade to if you wish. Please contact us to book - riverside treehouses will be allocated on a first come first served basis. The camp also has a unique floating swimming pool in the river which we just know the kids will love.

We head towards the extreme northwest of Namibia to the south banks of the Okavango river which borders Angola. Rundu is a bustling, lively place which provides a great insight into a thriving African town where we are able to stock up on provisions.

There is the opportunity to visit Mbunza Living Museum (not included). As a communal business for the local people of the Kavango, this sustainable project means they are able to preserve their traditional culture and to generate an additional income. The Living Museum’s traditional presentation covers everything from everyday life (traditional cuisine, fire making, basket and mat weaving, etc.) to bushwalks and fishing and finally to highly specialised techniques like blacksmithing, pottery and the making of drums. This provides visitors with a detailed and authentic insight into the traditional, pre-colonial culture which especially appeals to the younger travellers in the group.

This evening we aboard a cruise along the Kavango floodplain where we have the wonderful experience of watching the sunset whilst enjoying the local bird and wildlife, hopefully watching some hippos yawning as the sun goes down.

It is now time for a classic safari as we head west to Etosha National Park, famed for offering some of the most unique game watching experiences in Africa. We will reach Etosha in the afternoon, and in the evening we'll enjoy our first game drive. Later in the evening we'll be able to watch wildlife coming to a nearby floodlit waterhole.

Etosha is considered by many safari aficionados as one of Africa’s greatest wildlife reserves. It covers 8,600 square miles, hosts a colossal salt pan (which is four times the size of Los Angeles and is so large that it can be seen from the moon!!). It is also home to 4 of the ‘Big Five’ (elephant, rhino, lion and leopards). Being the country's leading wildlife attraction, what better way to enjoy it than looking out from a truck as we drive along, stopping where and when is needed along the various watering holes. Kids can enjoy being David Attenborough by spotting species such as giraffes, zebra, wildebeest and elephants or even lions resting on the side of the road. With 114 different animal species and more than 300 bird species, the kids should be kept on their toes as animal spotters. Turning off the engine as needed we will have the chance to enjoy the spectacle of herds of zebra lapping, impala and many others congregating around the watering holes which during the dry season (May to October) host animal species in biblical numbers making August undoubtedly the best time for a family safari visit.

We continue to spot wildlife on our game drive to the National Park gate where we leave Etosha and journey on to our overnight camp. This is a small family operated site in the middle of the Namibian desert whose efforts serve to support the local Himba people and provide schooling for the children. Whilst there we have the opportunity to meet some of the local tribe members to learn more about their culture, traditions and way of life in the bush (not included).

Leaving the Himba behind, we journey to the coast, arriving at Cape Cross Seal Reserve. A nature reserve that is renowned as one of the largest settlements of these animals in the world, the colony of Cape fur seals at Cape Cross marks the spot where the first European explorer set foot on the coast of Namibia in 1486. Kids can lose themselves in this noisy (and smelly!) hubbub, viewing the captivating interactions of the seal colony from an extensive walkway, separated from the mass of seals by a low wall. Strolling along the breadth of the colony, they have the opportunity to pick up interesting details about the lives of the seals at information points scattered around the grounds or gaze up at a modern replica of Diego Cao’s historical cross.

Continuing south along the Skeleton Coast, we arrive in Swakopmund, Namibia’s favourite holiday destination. With so many family and adrenaline activities as well as the beach it is easy to see why!

This coastal resort is in complete contrast to all the land and river-based wildlife activities we have encountered so far. It offers the opportunity for families to hop onboard a catamaran cruise to spot dolphins, flamingos and even whales from Walvis Bay further down the coast, or kayak with playful and inquisitive seals at Pelican Point. Older kids will love the sand boarding, fat biking or the 4x4 or quad biking expeditions in the nearby dunes, allowing them to take to the wheel and explore. If adrenaline and sports are not your cup of tea the town offers plenty to see and do as well as numerous cafes, art galleries and museums to discover. You'll have the whole day free here to participate in optional activities of your choice.

We drive south through the stark, remote landscape to our campsite for the night in a stunning desert location. We will venture into the Namib Desert with an expert guide who will give us fascinating insight into the wildlife that lives here. It’s not all about the Big 5, there are the Little 5 too! We’ll meet some of the smaller creatures of this unique place and learn how they are adapted to the desert environment. Maybe we’ll see the beetle that does a headstand every morning to allow the fog to condense on its back and run down to its mouth!

Heading deeper into the desert, we enter the Namib-Naukluft National Park which contains the world’s highest sand dunes and is home to great salt pans at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. These white salt pans surrounded by dunes and dotted with black, lifeless trees, hundreds of years old are stunning locations and provide amazing photo opportunities. We include a jeep safari here today, before camping inside the Park tonight where we can appreciate the dark skies and spot shooting stars in the glittering night sky.

This morning, we have the opportunity to climb the massive dunes at Sossusvlei which are one of Namibia’s main attractions. Children can race their parents to the top where you will be met with stunning views of a ‘world of sand’ which stretches as far as the Atlantic, 50 miles away. The kids have the chance to whoosh back down, sliding down the sand which is always a popular choice as breakfast awaits at the bottom. After breakfast we make the final journey of our family overland trip, leaving the deserts and mountains behind to reach Namibia’s capital, Windhoek. We'll then have a final evening celebrating our two week adventure with a group meal out.

Your trip finishes after breakfast. An airport transfer to Windhoek International Airport is included. Extra nights can be added here if you wish.