Vulamehlo Safaris
Namibia -Botswana-Victoria Falls overland

The safari has been designed for people that want to experience a real camping safari but wants a more up market safari alternative. The groups tend to be smaller, and the service more inclusive and personal. These safaris are flexible and itineraries can be changed to suit your requirements or time.

These safaris are in well-equipped 4x4s, with group sizes ranging from 2 to 5. You can tailor make your Namibian camping safari, and travel exclusively with your own group. We ensure the highest quality experience for each person in the group.

Day 1
Arrive in Johannesburg where you will be met by the guide and transferred to Centurion where you will overnight in a guesthouse. We will have dinner at a restaurant while discussing our trip.

Day 2
Early morning rise at 5am and after coffee we leave for our first overnight stop at the Wonderwerk Cave outside the town of Kuruman in the Northern Cape Province.
Accommodation will be in self-catering chalets. Dinner will be a traditional South African braai (barbeque). Breakfast and lunch will be en route.

Day 3
We wake up early and after breakfast explore the cave site where archeological research has revealed an immensely long record of human and environmental history spanning hundreds of thousands of years. Here we can observe bushman paintings which have been positively identified as being some 10 000 years old.

We leave for the town of Kakamas and turn of to the Augrabies Falls National Park. The Khoi people call it `Akoerabis', the place of the Great Noise, referring to the Orange River thundering its way downwards for 60 metres in a spectacular waterfall.
We explore the Augrabies Falls with the daylight time still available before dinner at our chalet in the Park.

Day 4
Early morning rise for coffee and rusks before going on a game drive in the Park. We return to our chalet for breakfast before departing for the Nakop border post to Namibia. Clearing the border post we head for Ai-Ais, one of the most famous hot-spring resorts in the country and within the Fish River Canyon Park. Ai-Ais is a Khoekhoen word, which can be translated as ''fire water''. Lunch will be on route. We overnight in the camping site in Ai-Ais with dinner around the campfire.

Day 5
Early morning rise and after coffee we leave for the main viewpoints of the Fish River Canyon Park. Breakfast will be at the viewpoint. After breakfast we depart for the town of Luderitz, which serves as a harbour and fishing town and is a good base from which to view colonies of aquatic birds, seals, penguins and dolphins. After our boat cruise we explore the town before dinner at our hotel.

Day 6
After breakfast we travel to the famous ghost town of Kolmanskop, which is situated in the Sperrgebiet, inland from Luderitz. We leave for the town of Maltahohe where we will have lunch before driving to Sesriem where we will camp for the next two days. Dinner will be around our campfire at Sesriem.

Day 7
We leave before breakfast to enjoy the sunset and early morning at the famous Sossusvlei, a clay pan surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes in the world. It is possible to climb one of these 300 metres high dunes for an unforgettable view over the desert before we return to our camp for a hearty brunch. In the afternoon we will take time to explore the impressive conglomerate gorges of the Sesriem Canyon, with its rock pools fed by the Tsauchab, the same river that feeds Sossusvlei during the rainy season. Dinner will be at our campsite.

Day 8
We'll be leaving straight after breakfast for Swakopmund. We drive through the Namib Naukluft Park and observe the rich diversity of desert-adapted fauna and flora, including the Welwitchia Mirabilis plant. Lunch en route. Reach the quaint and historic town of Swakopmund. Camp is set up near Swakopmund. Time to relax, rest and shower. Campfire dinner. Overnight at campsite in Swakopmund.

Day 9
After breakfast the day is at leisure to explore the historic town of Swakopmund. A multitude of guided tours and activities are on offer. Don't miss the thrill of driving a quad bike through Namibia's shifting sand dunes! Lunch will be for own account. Dinner will be around our campfire.

Day 10
After breakfast we drive north viewing some of the largest lichen fields worldwide and visiting the historical site of Cape Cross, home to some 80 000 seals. We leave the coast and head eastward (via Uis) to our campsite near Twyfelfontein, arriving late afternoon. Lunch will be en route and dinner around our campfire.

Day 11
After breakfast we spend the morning exploring one of the largest collections of rock engravings discovered. We drive north via Palmwag into the changing landscape of Kaokoland towards Sesfontein. We overnight at Ongongo Falls near Sesfontein. Lunch will be en route and dinner around our campfire.

Day 11
After breakfast we follow the route via Opuwo to the far north where we will overnight at the breathtaking Epupa Falls on the Kunene River. The falls are a series of cascades where the Kunene River drops a total of 60m over a distance of 1,5km, dividing into a multitude of channels and forming a myriad of rock pools. With its richly-coloured rock walls, variety of trees including wild fig, baobab and waving Makalani palms, the area offers a unique experience. Birdwatching is rewarding, especially for the rare Rufoustailed Palm Thrush.

Day 12
After breakfast a morning excursion takes us to a local Himba Village. The Himba are an ancient tribe of semi-nomadic pastoralists, many of whom still live and dress according to ancient traditions. The rest of the day is at leisure to rest or to explore the Epupa Falls. Lunch and dinner will be at our campsite. Overnight at Epupa Falls.

Day 13
After breakfast we backtrack to Opuwo and onwards to our camping site at Kamanjab, where we will overnight. Lunch will be en route and dinner around our campfire.

Day 14
After breakfast we drive to the Etosha Game Reserve where we set up camp at Okaukuejo. The flood lit waterhole at the edge of the camp is commonly frequented by Elephant, Black Rhino, Lion, Zebra, Black-faced Impala and countless other species. The rest of the day is spent exploring the area. Dinner will be around the campfire while listening to the nocturnal sounds of Africa.

Day 15
After packing up camp and having breakfast in the company of many colourful and inquisitive birds, we'll start the slow drive towards Numatoni, stopping to watch game at the numerous waterholes on the way. We spend the night at Numatoni in the far east of Etosha. Lunch en route and dinner around the campfire.

Day 16
After breakfast we spend the day visiting the many water holes in the area. Lunch en route and dinner around the fire. Overnight at Numatoni.

Day 17
After breakfast we leave Etosha to drive via Tsumeb and Grootfontein to Engepi near the Botswana border. Overnight at the campsite. Lunch en route and dinner around the campfire.

Day 18
We leave early after breakfast to cross the border to Botswana near Shakawe. We arrive at Guma Lagoon Camp, situated along the banks of the Guma Lagoon on the North Western side of the Okavango Delta where we will camp overnight. Late afternoon sundowners from the deck overlooking the lagoon will make you realise how close one can get to nature. Dinner will be served in the dining room area overlooking the lagoon.

Day 19
We rise early and after breakfast we will be transferred to the mokoro site from where we will start our journey. A mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe used by the local people to navigate the maze of channels and lagoons in the delta. Each mokoro has its own guide (called poler) that will be able to answer all the questions that you may have on its bird and wild life as well as the different vegetation found in the area. Lie back in your mokoro and enjoy the sun and the pristine environment while we glide through the waters of the Okavango. You may encounter hippos, crocodiles and other wildlife on this journey and at safe places you can just fall out your canoe for a swim in the crystal clear waters.

We stop for lunch on one of the islands before continuing our journey to our overnight camp on one of the uninhabited islands.

Day 20
After breakfast we load our mokoro and slowly make our way back to our rendezvous point with the boat that will take us back to Guma camp. A sundowner cruise on the lagoon will close off our day in the Delta. Relax around the fire while dinner is prepared.

Day 21
We leave early after breakfast for Maun where we will stock up on fuel and food before leaving for Gweta Lodge. We overnight in chalets with dinner at the lodge.

Day 22
After an early breakfast we drive to Kasane in the north of Botswana where four African countries meet - Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We will overnight at the campsite at Toro Lodge. We will do a boat cruise on the Chobe River before dinner around our campfire.

Day 23
Early morning rise and after coffee and rusks we go on a game drive in the Chobe National Park, home to 45 000 elephants and huge herds of buffalo before returning to our campsite for brunch.
After brunch we pack up and leave for the border post between Zimbabwe and Botswana at Kazangula. We drive to the town of Victoria Falls where we will camp for the next 2 days. In the afternoon we visit the spectacular Victoria Falls - classed as one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Twice as high and one an a half times as wide as Niagra, during the peak flow of the falls around mid April, the spray can rise as high as 450 m into the air - hence the name 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' - the smoke that thunders. Dinner around our fire.

Day 24
After breakfast the day is at leisure to explore the activities on offer. Try the white water rafting on the Zambezi with experienced guides, bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge, abseiling, gorge swings or flying fox for the ultimate in adrenaline! Also set apart some time to spend in the local markets and shops for crafts, carvings and fabrics. Lunch is for own account. Dinner on our last night will be at the Boma, which offers a unique African experience specializing in a selection of traditional Zimbabwean dishes. Local beer tasting and a witchdoctor add an authentic touch. Traditional dances will ensure an unforgettable evening.

Day 25
After breakfast we transfer the people flying from Victoria Falls to the airport. People driving back with us to South Africa will spend another 3 nights on the road as we clear the border post back into Botswana to overnight at Toro Lodge. From there we will drive to the Nata Bird sanctuary and explore the area where we will also overnight. The morning thereafter we will drive to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary where we will overnight before driving back to Johannesburg.

Additional excursions to see South Africa can be arranged.

Price:

• Group of 2 People only: USD 3700.00 per person
• Group of 3 People only: USD 3300.00 per person
• Group of 4 people and more: USD 2800.00 per person

Included in price:

• All accommodation
• All meals except lunch at Swakopmund and Victoria Falls
• Camping fees
• Camping equipment
• All entrance fees
• All National Park Fees
• Mokoro trip and sundowner cruise at Guma Lodge in Okavango Delta
• Boat trip at Luderitz

Excluded in price:

• International Flights
• Drinks
• Optional excursions at Victoria Falls and Swakopmund

What to bring:

• Summer clothes, as well as some long pants, windbreakers and jerseys. Walking boots and sandals.
• Hats and sun block.
• Sunglasses and binoculars.
• Camera with enough film.
• Personal torchlight.
• Insect repellent.
• Small first aid kit with plaster, antiseptic cream, pain killers, anti- histamine cream etc.
• Anti-malaria tablets.
• Playing cards etc. for while en route and something to read.