WELCOME 2 AFRICA - BOTSWANA YOUTH TOURS!

GREAT TREK
42 days, Pretoria return
South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe

Southern Africa is an area of incredible beauty and spectacular scenery for the traveller to discover. This 42-day safari- through South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe- allows you to experience the best these five African countries have to offer. Our journey begins with Kruger National Park and the Kingdom of Swaziland then takes us south through the beautiful coastal Garden Route to the Cape. The route continues through the vast desert wilderness of Namibia and on to Botswana, to explore the Okavango Delta and Chobe. Victoria Falls provides a thunderous welcome to Zimbabwe and its many diverse highlights before our journey ends back in South Africa.

DAYS 1-7: KRUGER SAFARI
Departing Pretoria, we begin our Great Trek with the scenic highlights of Mpumalanga which include the Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the gold rush town of Pilgrim's Rest. Try the option of a bungi swing* through the gorge at Graskop Falls. We enter the southern region of Kruger National Park and, with our cameras and binoculars at the ready, the hunt for the Big 5 begins. This continues after dark with a night drive*. Crossing the border, we enter the soaring highlands of the Kingdom of Swaziland and view hippo feeding at a waterhole at the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Re-entering South Africa our destination is the magnificent Drakensberg Mountains where we enjoy a hike. Durban then awaits with its rich tapestry of cultures and the Golden Mile of beaches.

DAYS 8-14: GARDEN ROUTE TRAIL
Our route now follows the coastline towards Cape Town by way of the Transkei, where the mud huts of the Xhosa prople evoke an image of timeless Africa. We continue through the historic frontier lands to Addo Elephant Park and Tsitsikamma Forest National Park. Nearby, Bloukrans Bridge offers the bravest (or craziest) the option of a spectacular 216m bungi jump*. The countless beaches on the Garden Route are simply beautiful. The Karoo holds many highlights, including riding ostrich, stroking cheetah* and the awesome Cango Caves. We set up camp in the heart of the Cape winelands. Witness the meeting of two oceans at Cape Point and picnic at the Cape of Good Hope before arriving in Cape Town, surely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There is a free day to sightsee, rest or relax before starting the Namibian leg of our journey.

DAYS 16-34: NAMIBIAN EXPLORER
Leaving behind the spectacular sight of Table Mountain, we drive north and cross the border into Namibia. We camp and canoe on the Gariep River. Travelling on, our next destination is Fish River Canyon, second only to the Grand Canyon in size. We take a guided tour through the diamond mining ghost town of Kolmanskop and visit Luderitz. Our route takes us along the edge of the Namib-Naukluft Park. We set up camp at Sesriem, with its spectacular backdrop of sand dunes. At Sossusvlei, we climb some of the highest fixed sand dunes in the world. The stark beauty of the desert, with its contrasts of light and shade, is a photographers dream.
Travelling via Walvis Bay, where the lagoon is often full of flamingoes, our destination is the colonial town of Swakopmund where many adventure options* can be arranged. Following the rugged Skeleton Coast northwards brings us to the seal colonies of Cape Cross. From this lonely stretch of shore, we head inland to Palmwag, haunt of the desert elephants. Etosha National Park, “Place of Mirages”, is our next destination. A unique feature of our rest camp is the floodlit watering hole which allows us night game viewing. We continue into Botswana to the Okavango Delta. Exploring the wetlands in dugout canoes, we glide silently past crocodile and hippo and spend a night wild camping on one of the islands.
The world renowned Chobe National Park is our next stop, where we cruise the river watching game on the shore. We are welcomed into Zimbabwe by the roar of Victoria Falls. Here the thrill seekers have an almost limitless choice of optional adventure activities* to sample during two free days.

DAYS 36-42: ZIMBABWE HIGHLIGHTS
Continuing on the final leg of our journey, we cruise Lake Kariba. We explore Hwange National Park, one of the last great elephant sanctuaries, in open vehicles. Moving south to Bulawayo we then discover Matobo National Park with its ancient rock art, scenery and wildlife. The option to walk with lion* in Antelope Park is unforgettable. No trip to Zimbabwe would be complete without a visit to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. Heading towards the border, the roadside curio stalls are your last chance to take a small piece of Africa home. Back in South Africa, the bubbling mineral springs resort of Tshipise offers a refreshing and relaxing final overnight stop before we conclude our travels in Pretoria.

* Optional, at own expense.

The Great Trek consists of four connecting tours. For full itineraries of each section, please refer to the tour descriptions for the Kruger Safari, Garden Route Trail, Namibian Explorer and Zimbabwe Highlights. (See under Zimbabwe Tours)
In between the four tours, we use youth hostel accommodation in Durban (1 night) and Cape Town (2 nights) and the campsite at Victoria Falls (2 nights). Meals and accommodation are for your own account during these free days.

DETAILS:

CODE	DEP MON	ARR SUN	PRICE
GT252	14/03/05	24/04/05	EUR 2200
GT260	28/03/04	08/05/05	EUR 2200
GT262	11/04/05	22/05/05	EUR 2200
GT270	25/04/05	05/06/05	EUR 2400
GT272	09/05/05	19/06/05	EUR 2400
GT280	23/05/05	03/07/05	EUR 2400
GT282	06/06/05	17/07/05	EUR 2400
GT290	20/06/05	31/07/05	EUR 2400
GT292	04/07/05	14/08/05	EUR 2400
GT300	18/07/05	28/08/05	EUR 2400
GT302	01/08/05	11/09/05	EUR 2200
GT310	15/08/05	25/09/05	EUR 2200
GT312	29/08/05	09/10/05	EUR 2200
GT320	12/09/05	23/10/05	EUR 2200
GT322	26/09/05	06/11/05	EUR 2200
GT330	10/10/05	20/11/05	EUR 2200
GT332	24/10/05	04/12/05	EUR 2200
GT340	07/11/05	18/12/05	EUR 2200
GT342	21/11/05	01/01/06	EUR 2200
GT350	05/12/05	15/01/05	EUR 2200
GT352	19/12/05	29/01/06	EUR 2200

NOTE: THIS TOUR IS FOR THE AGE GROUP 18 - 35 YEARS