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Kruger Park & Okavango
Delta
Departure: Every Sunday
Depart from: Johannesburg, Pretoria Any
Backpackers hostel, hotel, guest house
End in: Johannesburg, Pretoria Any Backpackers
hostel, guest house, hotel or airport
Bedded accommodation:
The only included bedded accommodation on our tours, is while visiting
Kruger National Park, where clients who booked bedded accommodation will
stay in a private lodge. All tours visiting Botswana & Zimbabwe are
camping tours. Clients have the option of upgrading to bedded
accommodation when they arrive at a campsite. W will pay the camping
rate, and the clients will have to pay the balance between camping and
the accommodation that they want to upgrade to. These accommodation
upgrades (if available) must be arranged with the guides while on tour.
Day 1:
Panoramic route - Blyde river canyon (South Africa)
The tour
departs early morning from Johannesburg and Pretoria, heading east
towards Nelspruit where we also pick clients up. We will stop en-route
for breakfast (own cost). From Nelspruit we drive further north where we
stop for lunch (own cost) & banks in Graskop.
After lunch we
drive through the panoramic route where we stop at God's Window, Bourke
Luck Potholes and the 3rd largest canyon in the world - the Blyde River
Canyon. Clients doing the camping option, will stay this night at a
tribal village. Clients doing the bedded option, will stay this night at
a private lodge. See the above links for more information & photos of
each night's accommodation. Dinner included
Day 2:
Kruger National Park (South Africa)
A very short
drive takes us to Kruger National Park (arrive as the gates open) that
is home to 147 mammal (incl. the Big 5), 114 reptile, & 502 bird
species. You will be transferred to open sided 4 x 4 game viewing
vehicles (on arrival at the park) in which we will do game drives for
the rest of the day. Breakfast and lunch will be enjoyed at one of the
picnic sites inside Kruger National Park. At sunset you will start with
a 3 hour night drive, done in a Kruger Park open sided game viewing
vehicle with a Kruger National Park guide. This is a great opportunity
to see nocturnal animals not normally seen during the day game drives.
Clients who booked the bedded accommodation will be dropped off at the
private lodge, after the night drive. Clients who booked the camping
accommodation option will stay in our camp inside Kruger National Park.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
Day 3:
Hartbeespoort (South Africa)
We start the
day with a light breakfast, before heading out on a short game drive. We
then drive to Hartbeespoort, where we will be staying at a backpackers
hostel in the valley below the Magaliesberg mountains. Breakfast
included
Day 4: Nata
(Botswana)
We depart
early morning from Hartbeespoort. Your guide will stop en-route for
breakfast (own cost) and last minute shopping, before reaching the
Botswana border. You will get an opportunity to change money, after
crossing the border, from where we head further north to Nata, where we
camp the night. Dinner included
Day 5: Maun
(Botswana)
The day starts
with an early morning breakfast, before heading west along the northern
border of the Kalahari Desert to Maun. We stay the night at a great
campsite just outside Maun, where you can visit the crocodile farm, and
relax by the pool. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
Days 6, 7,
8: Okavango Delta (Botswana)
The Okavango
Delta must be one of the best experiences offered in southern Africa,
and offers a large variety of mammal, reptile and bird species. We start
the day with a large breakfast, before heading into the Okavango Delta
with 4x4 open-sided game viewing vehicles. The local guides (polers)
will be waiting for us in the park at the waterline, where we transfer
all the equipment and our personal belongings into mokoros (traditional
dug out canoes). From here we glide down the water channels deeper into
the Okavango Delta, searching for the ideal place to set up camp. There
will be no fences, no running water, no showers, no buildings and no
electricity. We camp in the wild with only what we take with us. After
lunch you cool off in a natural swim hole in the rivers. Every day we
will do early morning and late afternoon game walks, searching for as
many different animal species as possible. The guides will explain more
about all the animals, tracks and the Delta during these walks. You will
have the opportunity to get as close as possible (safety first) to the
wildlife of the Okavango Delta. After dinners you can relax with the
guides around a campfire, while listening to their stories about the
bush, animals, their cultures and of course listening to the sounds of
animals at night in Africa. You start your last morning in the Okavango
delta with a cup of coffee before doing your final game walk. After the
walk you will enjoy breakfast, break down camp, and then return by
mokoros to the place where the 4x4 vehicles will meet you. Your guide
will prepare a light lunch on return to camp in Maun. This afternoon you
have the opportunity to do an optional one hour flight over the Okavango
Delta, during which you are guaranteed to see many large herds of
animals, as well as many single or smaller groups of animals. Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner included
Day 9:
Palapye (Botswana)
This morning
we head south to Palapye, where you can relax by the pool. Please note
that we might stay the night at Nata or at Elephant Sands. Breakfast,
Dinner included
Day 10:
Return to Johannesburg & Pretoria (South Africa)
We depart
early morning for Johannesburg & Pretoria. Your guide will stop en-route
for breakfast (own cost). No meals included.
Included:
-
All transport
(open vehicle inside Kruger)
-
All
accommodation Qualified and registered guide
-
Meals as
specified
-
Entrance fees
to Kruger National Park
-
4x4 open
vehicle game drives in Kruger Nat Park
-
Night drive
inside Kruger National Park
-
Tribal village
-
Blyde River
Canyon (Three Rondawels view point)
-
Bourke Luck
Potholes
-
God's Window
-
Entrance fees
for Okavango Delta
-
4x4 open
vehicle transfers in Okavango Delta
-
Polers &
mokoros
-
Game walks
while inside the Okavango Delta
Excluded:
-
All drinks
(except coffee & tea with meals)
-
Meals not
specified
-
Optional game
walk inside Kruger National Park
-
Optional 1
hour flight over the Okavango Delta Visas if needed.
Camping
Camping is pretty much camping
throughout the world. The tents that we use are: 2.4 x 2.4 meters in
size with built in mosquito nets over the door and windows. All camping
equipment is provided by us. The mattresses used are proper sponge
mattresses with covers that are washed after each tour.
Clients must have a sleeping bag, but
can rent one from us at R50 per person per tour, if they do not have a
sleeping bag of their own.
Okavango Delta free camping
We enter the Okavango Delta with
traditional transport used by the locals for a very long time. This form
of transport (left) is called mokoros and the guy at the back with the
long stick is called a poler. It is an awesome experience and very
relaxing. More often than not, we will see animals such as elephant
while travelling deeper and deeper into the Okavango Delta.
The area that we visit while in the
Okavango Delta is totally untouched. No power boats or planes and
landing strips, no fancy lodges or villages. Just us and mother nature.
Probably one of the most untouched areas in southern Africa, with an
enormous variety of wildlife.
This also means that you will not be
staying in a fancy lodge or camp ground, will be doing free camping.
What is free camping? Well, any one of
our guides will tell you that it is the best way of camping. We find an
ideal patch of trees along the waterways that is suitable for us to
camp. This means that there are no fences, electricity, buildings or
bathrooms. All that it is, is us plus what we are able to carry with us
in the mokoros.
The polers will dig a hole and build a
toilet seat from palm tree leaves. Unfortunately we do not have a shower
for these days, but we do have many natural swim holes in the rivers.
These swim holes has crystal clear water and are extremely welcome when
the temperatures reaches Africa style maximums during the afternoons.
Kruger Park Camp
We are fortunate enough for our local
operator to have their own campsite within one of the Kruger Park camps.
This camp is in the central region of Kruger national park that is well
known for it's huge number and variety of animals, especially Big 5.
Our tents are permanently erected on
wooden platforms along the fence. The tents that we use are 2.4 x 2.4
(meters) and 3.0 x 3.0 (meters) with built in floor and mosquito nets
over the windows and door. Each tent has two proper single bed
mattresses (same as what many hotels in South Africa use) with fitted
sheets.
We have also erected a 6.0 x 6.0
(meters) army tent where we have a fridge, gas stove and electricity
where you can recharge your camera batteries. This tent is perfect for
those nights that it is raining, as it is big enough for the group to
pull their chairs in and gather around without getting wet.
We also have an open fireplace along
the fence where your guide will prepare food and you can relax around a
campfire. Eating from your lap is never comfortable. That is why we have
two large tables next to the fireplace where you can sit down and enjoy
meals, write your post cards / letters, play cards or just relax.
The campsite ablutions (bathrooms) are
of an extremely high standard. You will always walk into a very clean
bathroom with hot water. Separate bathrooms for males and females, and
the bathrooms is right next to our camp.
The camp is totally fenced to keep the
animals out, or is it to keep the people in. Almost every night we have
hyenas walking along the fences (only meters away). Other regular
visitors are elephants, honey badgers, impala and buffalo. Many nights
you will hear jackals calling, lions roaring or hyenas crying in the
night.
Tribal village (Kruger Park tours)
Please note: The tribal village requires a minimum of 4
people. We normally have more than 4 clients on tour, and therefore will stay
95% of the time at the tribal village. You will stay at a private lodge (more
info) if we do not have enough people to stay at the tribal village, or if the
tribal village is fully booked.
A local African teacher from the local rural community
realised that the children of his community do not know their culture, as there
are too many modern influences. He then got a piece of land on a nearby game
farm, where he started the village to teach the children about their traditional
culture. His family lives at the village, to maintain and look after the
village. The local culture is "Shangaan". This village is built the same as what
it would have been a long time ago. The nice thing about this particular village
is that it is for education and not as commercial as the other villages around
South Africa. Obviously there is some form of "commercial" like a shower and
toilet, to make it convenient for our clients. Be warned - cold showers.
A short tour: On arrival you will do a short tour of the
village, during which you will learn about the different tasks in a village, how
they make ropes and carpets from plants and reeds, the layout of the village,
the culture and traditions as well as traditional believes.
Dinner will be served in the boma (place of eating) where the
woman prepare a traditional meal cooked in large pots on an open fire. You will
enjoy dinner the traditional way, which means that you have to wash your hands,
men dish up before woman and then eating without any knifes, forks or spoons.
Yes, with your hands.
After dinner the young men and boys will entertain us with
traditional dancing while the woman entertain us with African singing. You are
more than welcome to join in on the dancing.
Accommodation: You will sleep in a traditional clay hut as the
locals do, except that you will have a mattress and sleep in a sleeping bag. The
huts do not have windows and only an opening as a door that is covered at night
with a panel made from river reeds.
Private Lodge (Kruger Park tours)
Please note: The below mentioned lodge is our first
choice of lodge accommodation. It does happen from time to time (not
often) that this lodge is fully booked, and we have to stay in
alternative lodge (with same standards) accommodation in the area.
The lodge that we stay at, is just outside Kruger
National Park, so that we can enter the park as the gates open in the
morning.
The accommodation: The first choice of accommodation
is a well decorated rondawel (left) with en-suite bathroom. Some
rondawels have a double bed (bottom left) and others two single beds
(below). We do our best to ensure that couples get a rondawel with a
double bed, but can not guarantee it. The lodge also has chalets with
two rooms (two single beds) that share a bathroom, and another room
(double bed) with en-suite bathroom. These chalets are perfect for
families, or a small group travelling together.
Also keep in mind that we do our best to let single
people stay in their own rondawel, but it might happen that a single
person might have to share a rondawel (with 2 single beds) with another
person of the same sex, if the lodge is fully booked.
Other facilities: Swimming pool for the hot
evenings Pool bar with great atmosphere
Local kids dancing for you: There are a number
of local villages in the rural community close to the lodge. The
children from these villages started their own dance and song routine
and asked the lodge if they can dance for their guests. The lodge
assisted the kids by making uniforms for them and allowing them to dance
and sing for their guests. The children do not work for the lodge, but
for themselves, by earning tips from the guests. Please note that the
kids perform when they want to, which means that you may not see them.
Meals: A Livingstone Trails guide will prepare
dinner on some of the tours, and the lodge might prepare dinner on other
tours. It depends on weather and the group sizes of each tour.
Important tour / safari information
Participation tours: All tours
are participation tours. This means that the clients are responsible for
pitching their own tents (except inside Kruger Park), and washing up
after every meal, which is social event where people chat and get to
know each other. Some guides may ask the clients to assist with the
chopping and cleaning of vegetables, while the guide prepares the meals.
Group sizes: We operate a
variety of different vehicles. Our largest vehicles seats a maximum of
14 clients. Therefore , except for our open vehicles inside Kruger
National Park which are not allowed to seat more than 10 clients. It
occasionally happen that we will have two vehicles on the same tour.
What to take on tour: Clothing
and personal effects Comfortable shoes for walking Warm clothing for the
evenings Basic first aid kit Insect repellent Anti-Malaria medicine
Sunblock and cap or hat Comfortable shoes for walking Slip slops or
trainers Camera with extra film & batteries Torch with extra batteries
Tent, sleeping bag and roll matt:
We provides all the camping equipment including a roll matt with
cover that is washed after every tour, and a 2.2 x 2.2 (meters) or 2.4 x
2.4 (meters) tent with built in mosquito netting over the door and
windows, as well as a built in floor. You must have a sleeping bag on
all of the camping tours, which you can rent from us at R50 per person
per tour, if you do not have one of your own. Inside Kruger National
Park we have a permanent camp. We do not use roll matts on these tours,
but have single bed mattresses with fitted sheets that are washed after
tour.
Malaria areas: Many of the
areas and destinations in southern and east Africa are malaria areas. It
is the responsibility of the client to ensure that you have insect
repellent and a course of anti-malaria tablets. Consult your local
doctor or pharmacist.
Water: All drinks (except
coffee & tea with meals) are excluded from the tour price. All tap water
in areas where we do tours to, are 100% safe to drink, and tastes very
good. Bottled water is freely available (every day), for those who
prefer bottled water.
Laws and clients: We expect our
clients to uphold the laws of each country that we visit while on tour.
We do not accept any responsibility for any client on our tours, who
breaks the laws of any country visited during a tour.
Be considered: Sometimes our
guides are asked to stop at local villages along the road, so that
clients can take photos. Nothing wrong with that, but then we often see
the people just walking into a village taking photos, instead of doing
it from the road. Keep in mind that a village will normally be a family
living together. How would you feel if a stranger just walks into your
yard or home and start taking photos?
Our clients: All our
clients are international travellers from different countries. The ages
of our clients range from 18 to 60, with the majority being between 20
and 40. All that we require from our clients is that they must enjoy
travelling and be fun-loving people. You do not need to be super fit to
participate in any of our included activities or adventures.
Our crew (guides & drivers):
All our guides and drivers are registered with the authorities as per
government regulations.
Our vehicles: All game
drives inside Kruger National Park will be done in open sided game
viewing vehicles.
Kruger optional game walks: The
maximum group size on a game walk is 8, and our groups are most of the
time more people than eight. Kruger national park often do not have
enough guides to do all the game walks. The game walks are cancelled
if it is raining.
The game walks inside Kruger
national park is three hours in duration. These bush walks are operated
by Kruger national park with two armed Kruger park guides conducting the
walks. The walks are 3 hours in duration, and starts at sunrise.
Our tours: We offer a variety
of tours and safaris to a variety of destinations, from 3 days to 16
days. You have the option of camping or lodge (bedded) accommodation,
while on any of our tours / safaris.
Important:
Before you travel please check your Tour Voucher and Arrival
Information for the latest joining instructions. This will be sent
to you upon receipt of final payment.
All itineraries are subject to change without prior notice. |
