South East Africa Explorer

Today you journey towards South Luangwa National Park. (approx. 470 km / 6 hours) Road conditions can be somewhat unpredictable in Zambia, and although South Luangwa is justly famous, it is also one of Africa’s less easily accessible parks – you are definitely heading off the beaten track here, and the going gets a bit tougher. There is a possibility that you might not reach the park within one day, in which case your Group Leader will choose a suitable location for “camping wild” for the night, and you will reach South Luangwa early the next day.

For your first full day at South Luangwa, the programme is very flexible. Due to the uncertain arrival time, there are no activities pre planned. If there is time, your Group Leader will help arrange game drives or game walks within the park, but these are optional and at your own expense.

On your second day you will go on a game walk in the game management area bordering the park. There are no fences keeping the wildlife in or out in this area, so you can encounter a wide range of animals, including lions and elephants. A safari on foot is an exciting way to search for wild animals, as you feel much closer to your environment than in a vehicle. The latter does have the advantage of covering more ground though and increases the opportunities for seeing a large number of animals.  This afternoon you therefore head into the national park on a game drive. Due to its remoteness the park has a wild and untouched feel to it. It is widely thought to be one of Africa’s finest wildlife sanctuaries, due to an abundance of game rarely seen in other parks. South Luangwa is home to large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, lions and leopards, but is particularly famous for its extraordinarily large number of elephant herds and the Crawshay’s zebra, which is endemic to the park and has a unique stripe pattern.

The wildlife camp at which you stay is dedicated to conservation work and donates 60% of their proceeds to the environmental education of children in Zambia. (Bx3, Lx3, Dx3) Camping – 3 nights

Having had a rest stop in Malawi, you hit the road again for a long overland stretch (450km), as you leave Malawi to travel into Mozambique. The first leg of the journey takes you through Blantyre in the South of Malawi. The city was named after the Scottish birthplace of the famous explorer David Livingstone. From here you carry on to the border between Malawi and Mozambique and journey to Tete, located on the banks of the Zambezi River. You will camp here tonight before continuing your journey through the Tete corridor.
The next day you travel through the lush central region of Mozambique (480km), watching life in numerous small towns and villages along the way.  Depending on road conditions and how quickly you manage to cross the border, you spend the second night near Chicamba, or travel a bit further on.
(Bx2, Lx2, Dx2) Camping – 2 nights

Following the coastline you head further South to Inhambane. (approx. 330 km / 6 hours).  There are many historic relics dating back to the town’s heyday as an important trading centre for ivory, slaves, spices and gold. There are strong influences from both the Arab and Christian world, evident in the architecture of many of the buildings. The Arab history of the town dates back 1000 years, while the Christian missionaries and conquerors made their entrance somewhat later – Vasco da Gama visited the area in the 15th century, and the cathedral of Inhambane is 200 years old.

You are staying at Tofu Beach in ‘casitas’ – reed and thatch beach huts - for the next two nights. The next day is free to relax and swim, or enjoy the activities available, such as boat trips, surfing or diving (all optional). Although we can't guarantee sightings, it's not unusual for people to see turtles, manta rays and whale sharks while on marine safaris or diving. Even if you're not lucky enough to see these creatures, there is plenty of other stunning marine life to dazzle and delight you, so it's well worth taking to the water during your time here. (Bx2, Lx2, Dx1) Casitas (basic reed and thatch huts with shared facilities) – 2 nights

Time for a final safari as you cross over into South Africa and enter Kruger National Park. (approx. 283 km / 5 hours).  Kruger is justly famous as a superb national park. You will enjoy a full day of game drives, during which you will hopefully see much of the ‘big game’ of the park: elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard, and many more of the 147 species of mammal the park boasts. Bird lovers will delight in over 500 species including the beautiful lilac-breasted roller and African fish eagle, whose evocative cry is probably the best known of any African bird. Optional night game drives are available. (Bx2, Lx2, Dx2) Camping – 2 nights