DAY 1 : Victoria Falls
Most clients arrive in Victoria Falls a few days prior to the official start. Many have already completed the Northern Quest trip which runs from the fairest Cape Town to Victoria Falls taking in all the highlights of Namibia and Botswana, before they experience the Northern Trails.
Rhino Africa can organise any accommodation or activities you may require if you want to arrive early or stay on in Africa after your tour ends. Northern Trails clients should meet at the Victoria Falls Rest Camp and Lodges for the pre departure meeting at 18h30. This meeting will give you all a chance to meet your fellow travellers and get to know your guides. The meeting will cover all the aspects of the trip. Please bring with you to this meeting: your passport with relevant visas and evidence of medical and personal insurance. Please also bring the Local Payment. This must be paid to the tour leader prior to departure and must be paid in US$ Cash.
• Meals: All meals are to the client’s expense
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Victoria Falls Rest Camp and Lodges)
DAY 2 : Lusaka
Our first day on the road! We depart early for the border crossing into Zambia and the capital Lusaka. Our camp is on the outskirts of the city in a privately owned rest camp. Game can sometimes be seen in the camp at Eureka.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Eureka Camp)
DAY 3 : Bush Camp
We proceed through pristine African bush to our bush camp in a rural village. This is a fantastic way to catch an authentic glimpse into rural African life, as we literally camp inside the village. Cultural exchanges abound and these camps are always a highlight. We choose our stops very carefully in conjunction with the chiefs of each village, and your guides will advise you on some guidelines for responsible tourism.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Bush camp)
DAYS 4 & 5 : South Luangwa National Park
Heading north we visit the awesome South Luangwa National Park notably one of Africa's best-kept secrets. With over 9000 sq km of pristine wilderness, South Luangwa is teeming with over 47 animal species - herds of buffalo, elephant, zebra, hyena, jackal, 15 different antelope and the endemic Cookson's wildebeest and Thornicroft's Giraffe. We will enjoy 2 included game drives into the park – one will be a 4-hour drive starting at 6:30 in the morning and slightly later during winter. The second game drive will on the evening of the same day – departure time will be approx 4.00 pm. Once it gets dark we will make use of a spotlight to track down nocturnal species such as leopard and spotted genets. Returning to camp and an already prepared and welcome dinner at approx 8:00pm. Flatdogs camp is well situated on the banks of the Luangwa River – a good chance to view hippo and crocodile.
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Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Flatdogs)
DAYS 6 & 7 : Lake Malawi – Senga Bay
We depart South Luangwa bound for Malawi - the Warm Heart of Africa. You will have a chance to interact with these wonderful rural people when we visit the lakeshore fishing villages. Lake Malawi is a stunning freshwater lake that stretches the whole length of Malawi and is the lifeline of the country. Home to over 350 species of fish and its fresh clear water and beaches are excellent for swimming and relaxing. Rural fishing villages line the shoreline and you are free to explore them, visiting small schools and markets. We travel up the lake stopping at carefully selected camps. There will be ample time at Senga Bay to relax and explore, and try the many optional lake activities such as sailing, snorkelling, windsurfing and water-skiing.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Steps Camp)
DAY 8 : Lake Malawi – Chintheche
Our journey continues up the lake to beautiful rural Chintheche, where we camp close to the shoreline. There is the possibility of doing an optional transfer by boat further north up the lake to Nkhata bay or Kande beach, where scuba diving is available and other optional water sports and activities. There is a bar and restaurant at camp.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Chintheche Inn)
DAY 9 : Lake Malawi – Chiweta
We travel through the town of Mzuzu where we will stop if we need to stock up on our fresh food supplies. We then travel to our final stop on the lakeshore, a rustic camp set amongst Baobab trees. Behind the camp is the Livingstonia Plateau home to the mission that was built by the Scottish missionaries in 1894.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Chiweta)
DAY 10 : Tanzania – Baobab Valley, Iringa
We depart the lake early for the border and cross into Tanzania. We proceed through an ever changing open landscape to our camp near the Ruaha River just north of Iringa. There is a local community project at this camp with the Masai tribes people, and stunning walks into the surrounding bush and mountains. Great swimming pool, and optional canoe trips on the river.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Baobab Valley Reserve Camp)
DAY 11 : Dar es Salaam
We proceed to Dar es Salaam and our camp on the beach. You will be briefed by your guides on the ferry trip to fabulous Zanzibar Island.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Makadi Beach Camp)
DAYS 12, 13 & 14 : Zanzibar Island
Early morning departure to the harbour where you will catch the ferry over to Zanzibar Island. You will be accompanied by one of your WildLife Adventures guides. After the immigration and customs formalities have been taken care of we proceed to our hotel. The little Indian Ocean Island of Zanzibar is a cultural melting pot of African, Arabic and Indian cultures. It is renowned for its spice and (never to be forgotten) slave trade. We have two full days to explore this island with its turquoise waters and beautiful palm fringed beaches. Perhaps take an optional boat trip to snorkel with the dolphins or catch a glimpse of the very rare Red Colubus monkey.
• Meals: All meals except for breakfast are to your own expense on Zanzibar
• Accommodation: HOTEL (Karibu Inn)
DAY 15 : Dar es SalaamWe return to Dar es Salaam and our camp on the beach. Leave Zanzibar on the lunchtime ferry.
• Meals: Breakfast and dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Makadi Beach Camp)
DAY 16 : Arusha
Today is a travelling day arriving in Arusha during the later part of the afternoon. Arusha is a fairly developed and large town, and known as the ‘safari capital of Tanzania’. You will be able to catch up with banks, communications, shopping as well as sample restaurants, bars and local markets. Upon arrival at our camp in Arusha we start preparations for your excursion into the Serengeti and Ngorongoro National Parks.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Meseranti Snake Park)
DAYS 17, 18 & 19 : Excursion to Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Arusha is the gateway into the Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Parks. Travelling in specialized 4x4 vehicles we view the magnificent game these parks offer. The Serengeti National Park is world renowned for the great wildebeest migrations and never ending tragedies and joys, which accompany them. We also visit the Ngorongoro National Park, the largest unbroken caldera in the world, it plays host to up to 25,000 larger mammals and 100 species of bird. It will be an early start, on day 17 as we are collected at approximately 8.00am from the camp. You will pack your day-pack and luggage for the next 3 days into smaller game viewing vehicles with picnic lunch, and head for The Serengeti National Park. There will be game viewing en route, and our overnight camp is at Seronera camp. The following morning we do an early morning game drive in the Serengeti and after lunch head for the Ngorongoro National Park – overnight at Simba camp. The following morning we will do a morning tour of the Crater and in the afternoon return to our camp at Arusha.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Meseranti Snake Park)
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Serengeti, which sprawls across 14,763 sq km (5757 sq mi), is Tanzania’s largest and most famous national park. The chief herbivore of Serengeti is the wildebeest of which there are up to two million. The amazing annual migration of wildebeest herds is one of the biggest attractions of the Serengeti. It begins at the Serengeti National Park near the Kenyan border, when huge herds of wildebeests head for greener pastures in Kenya. Starting in April each year, these animals migrate across the Serengeti's southern plains accompanied by zebras, antelopes, gazelles, lions and tourists. The park is also famous for its lions, which can be tracked due to the fact that many have collars fitted with transmitters, as well as cheetah and large herds of giraffe.
NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA
Being one of the largest calderas in the world, 20km (12.4mi)-wide, 600m (1968ft) tall, with a variety of animals and vegetation, Ngorongoro Crater is one of Tanzania’s most visited areas. The vegetation includes grasslands, swamps, forests, salt-pans and a freshwater lake and has been compared to Noah's Ark and the Garden of Eden.
You should have no trouble finding lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and many of the plains herbivores such as wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle, zebra and reedbuck, as well as thousands of flamingo wading in the shallows of Lake Magadi, the soda lake on the floor of the crater. Within the steep walls of the crater you will find considerable movement of animals and you may well come across local Masai tribes people, who have grazing rights here, tending their cattle.
DAY 20 : Nairobi
We proceed to the border and after the formalities cross over into Kenya and head straight to Nairobi where we end our fantastic adventure.
• Meals Breakfast, lunch
• Accommodation: CAMPING (Upper Hill Campsite)
DAY 21 After breakfast, it is end of services. Rhino Africa can book airport transfers and additional accommodation -
contact us now.
Note:This is a 21 Day Camping Tour that is also available in a Southern direction, called the
The Southern TrailsDrop us an
enquiry to find out dates of our scheduled departures.
Includes:
Itinerary as specified, fully equipped safari vehicle, services of tour leader and camp courier, all accommodation, all camping and catering equipment and National Park entrance fees. Breakfast (B) Lunch (L) Dinner (D) where specified. Meals not shown will be to the clients account. Occasionally breakfast and lunch may be combined into a brunch where necessary e.g. mornings with early game drives.
Excludes:
Airfares, travel and medical insurance, personal spending money, visas, passports, vaccinations, personal taxes (including departure and border taxes) all optional activities, unscheduled or optional national / game parks and other activities, gratuities, sleeping bag if required, restaurant meals and all other items of a personal nature. All drinks, even on days with full board basis.
Notes:
Many of our tours, though not all of them, will require a kitty or local payment, that goes into a communal fund to pay for campsite fees, food, and game park entrance fees.
The tour leader manages the kitty and it covers all the local expenses the tour encounters on a day to day basis for all the passengers and crew. The kitty is paid to the tour leader at the pre-departure meeting or on the morning of departure. In almost all cases it must be paid in US$ cash – this is the easiest currency to change for local currency in Africa and the tour leader has no method of accepting your kitty by travellers cheques or credit cards.
It’s best to buy US$ from your own country before leaving home, as US$ cash is hard to obtain in Africa. The local payment applicable to this tour is
US$560. Please note single supplement applies.
This is a 21 Day Camping Tour that is also available in a Southern direction, called the
The Southern TrailsDrop us an
enquiry to find out dates of our scheduled departures.
