You depart from the Boulevard Hotel, leaving the hustle and bustle of Nairobi, and climbing the escarpment to your first viewpoint stop overlooking the Great African Rift Valley.

Descending into the Rift valley you enter Masai land. These pastoralists are seen quite regularly on the side of the road as they tend their cattle. You arrive at your campsite - Acacia Camp - early evening in time to enjoy sunset on the Masai Mara.

Game drives through the Mara find you looking for the famous Big 5 as well as giving you the opportunity to see this 'garden of Eden' in the state nature intended it to be: huge plains, rolling hills and an abundance of game matched nowhere else on earth.

Elephant, lion, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, and waterbuck are just a few of the animals that inhabit this wonderland. Sitting around a campfire and watching the sunset is the perfect way to finish a day's game viewing in the Mara.

Departing the Masai Mara early you pass through the 3rd largest town in Kenya, Nakuru, where you stop for the night to buy supplies and shop.

Today you cross the border into Uganda and travel via the lakeside town of Jinja, the Source of the River Nile, to Kampala, Uganda's capital city and your 'home' for the night.

Uganda is a small country of striking physical beauty. Its landscapes vary from the fertile green areas around the northern shores of Lake Victoria to the snow-covered Rwenzori Mountains in the west and semi-desert in the north.

You depart Kampala in the early morning and drive further into the depths of Uganda and your base in Kisoro. From Kisoro, depending on permit availability and where the gorillas are located, you will head to either the Mgahinga or Bwindi National Parks in Uganda, the Virunga National Park in the DRC or Ruhengeri in Rwanda.

The mountain gorilla is one of our closest living relatives, yet ironically it is mankind who poses the greatest threat to its survival. Costs to trek the gorillas differ from park to park and currently ranges from US$300 to US$375, per 1-hour viewing (though do note that any increases are beyond our control).

Your fees help to set up and finance patrols that are instrumental in protecting the gorillas from poachers and their lethal snares.

Only about 600 of these magnificent animals remain and watching gorillas in their own surroundings is an experience you're sure never to forget.

Although we have a very high success rate, viewing cannot be guatanteed. If unsuccesful, the National Parks authorities usually allow you a 2nd chance the next day, but this is purely at their discretion.

A short drive through picturesque scenery brings you to Lake Bunyoni. Lake Bunyoni is the deepest crater lake in Africa, and is home to a large number of bird and fish species, as well as otters. You spend the night at the lake.

After your energetic trekking you can enjoy a whole day at leisure, surrounded by the beauty of Lake Bunyoni.

You may wish to go swimming, visit the local villages or just sit back, relax and appreciate your tranquil surroundings. Enjoy your well deserved rest day!

Today you cross the equator for the 2nd time on your return to the city of Kampala. Stop for a photo of you standing in both hemispheres.

You spend another night at Kampala, with the opportunity to sample Uganda's nightlife!

Choose between an exciting day on the Nile River, experiencing some of the best white water rafting Africa has to offer, or a visit to the Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary where you can assist in the feeding of orphaned chimpanzee.

Your overnight camp is right on the edge of the Nile River where there is an abundance of resident birdlife, and some truly amazing photo opportunities from right outside your tent.

Today is a full day's driving back towards Kenya. You cross the border before lunch and stop for supplies en route. Tonight you overnight again in the town of Nakuru.

You travel to Lake Nakuru National Park, famous for the thousands of flamingoes that inhabit its shallow waters.

The park is also a sanctuary for black and white rhino, which are frequently seen along with other African wildlife including buffalo, giraffe, waterbuck, various antelope, leopard and the occasional hippo. After entering the park in the morning, the rest of the day is spent on a game drive.

Moving further east, you drive to Lake Naivasha where you set up camp in peaceful surroundings on the lake's shore.

The highest of the Rift Valley lakes, Naivasha lies at about 1,880m and is home to a multitude of birdlife, most notably the African Fish Eagle.

Your afternoon is spent at leisure and you may have the opportunity (time permitting) to enjoy some optional excursions, such as a boat ride to the Crescent Island Game Sanctuary, Hell's Gate National Park or Elsamere, the retirement home of Joy Adamson (of "Born Free" fame).

After breakfast you leave Naivasha and return to Nairobi, arriving in the early afternoon. The truck will stop at the Boulevard Hotel for those who are scheduled to leave the tour here or for others to join.

You then continue to your campsite for the night.

You depart Nairobi and drive south, crossing the border into Tanzania at Namanga, and continue to Arusha. This is a pleasant town situated at the base of Mount Meru, and is the starting point for your optional excursion to the Ngorongoro Crater and/or the Serengeti.

You are taken in locally operated Land Rovers, which are specially adapted for safari use. Depending on which option you choose, you will be away from the Arusha campsite for either one or 2 nights.

If you take up the 2-night/3-day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater option you will depart Arusha in the morning with your vehicles and guides.

The drive to the Serengeti National Park takes you through the Masai town of Mto Wa Mbu and up into the Reserve for a glimpse of the Ngorongoro Crater before descending down onto the plains of the Serengeti.

The abundance of game in this area is truly astounding. The afternoon will be spent game viewing before setting up camp in the midst of the national park, probably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world.

After a full morning's game drive in the Serengeti you return to pack up camp and head back towards the Ngorongoro Crater. You travel up to rim of the crater and your campsite for the evening. We suggest you pack your winter woollies as it can get very cold during night.

For those taking the 1-night/2-day option, you are collected from Arusha in the afternoon and transferred to the town of Karatu for the evening. Tomorrow you join the rest of the group for your Ngorongoro game drive.

In the morning you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater. With its 600m-high walls and 20km diameter, it is one of the natural wonders of the world.

There is an abundance of wildlife and some say the crater floor offers the finest game viewing in Africa. The incredible concentration of East African mammals includes elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippo, lion and plains game.

After spending the full morning in the crater you will return to the campsite near Arusha for another night. Both optional excursions will follow the same schedule today.

You leave Arusha and head towards the Indian Ocean. Travelling through the town of Moshi, you cross the southern slopes of the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.

You may catch a glimpse of this magical mountain's snowy summit; a definite reason for a photo stop. Continuing south you pass the Usambara Mountains through vast sisal plantations, and on towards Dar es Salaam.

Today is another long day's drive past beautiful lush scenery and palm trees. On arrival in Dar es Salaam, you set up camp for the night at a beach hotel / campsite that is situated to the north of the city.

Spend the evening at leisure, relaxing and preparing for your morning departure to the beautiful island of Zanzibar.

A ferry from Dar es Salaam takes you to the legendary 'Spice Island', your home for the next 3 nights. Zanzibar is steeped in history and was one of the major starting points for most East African explorers in their quest for new lands.

Please note: We can organise accommodation for you whilst on Zanzibar, although from past experience our clients usually prefer to explore this exotic island on their own. Therefore accommodation and food is for your own account whilst on Zanzibar.

The next 2 days are spent exploring Zanzibar and its surrounding islands at your leisure. The quiet streets of the old Stone Town still retain their Arabic influence, from the Medina-like shops to the palaces of the Sultans, who founded their vast empires on the spoils of the slave and ivory trade.

Zanzibar is renowned for its turquise sea and world-class scuba diving. You can go on a tour around a spice plantation or to nearby Prison Island with its giant tortoises and beautiful beaches.

This magical place is also a seafood lover's paradise with giant lobsters being a popular speciality.

Leaving Zanzibar you take the ferry back to the mainland for an overnight in Dar es Salaam, with its colonial buildings and palm-lined port.

There may be an opportunity to visit one of the craft markets which offer an extensive range of exquisite ebony products.

Prices depend on your bargaining skills and the goods are made on-site. It is possible to observe the carvers at work and understand the skill which has gone into making even the simplest trinket.

From Dar es Salaam you head for Iringa, passing through Mikumi National Park. It is often possible to view wildlife from the roadside, the animals quietly grazing, totally unaffected by humans and their vehicles.

Tonight you camp at the Old Farmhouse, a beautiful rustic campsite in rural Tanzania. Try one of their signature Amarula Hot Chocolates, they're delicious!

In the morning you drive through the scenic tea plantations of Tikuku before exiting Tanzania. You enter Malawi, the 'Warm Heart of Africa', through the border post of Songwe, and head to Chitimba Beach campsite for the night.

Malawi is a landlocked country with 20% of its total area consisting of a beautiful fresh-water lake. You spend the next 4 days travelling the full length of the western side of the lake, stopping at various bays and inlets.

This is the time for rest and relaxation in this scenic and friendly country. For the more energetic, Lake Malawi offers a variety of water sports from various beachside campsites.

Visit the nearby villages and schools and dine in the local village, haggle for a bargain at the local markets, learn the game of bao, or simply relax on the pristine white beaches.

You cross the border into Zambia, heading to a beautiful little campsite just 10km from the Zambia/ Malawi border, where you stop for the night.

The landlocked country of Zambia is quickly crossed, stopping at the capital city of Lusaka for one night. Tonight's campsite is home to some local wildlife, and has excellent facilities.

This morning you pack up camp early and travel south for Lake Kariba. You head to the western waters of the lake and your base camp for the next 2 nights. Lake Kariba is one of the largest manmade lakes in the world and home to a wide variety of African game, birdlife and unique flora and fauna.

Here you have the option of a 2-night trip on a house boat. Alternatively, you can take part in the many activities at the campsite, such as fishing, canoeing, hiking, exploring the local village or just relaxing on the tranquil banks of Lake Kariba.

The campsite also has a swimming pool where you can relax and soak up the sun.

Today you cross the border into the town of Victoria Falls. The falls constitutes one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world.

1,700m wide and around 100m high, this is the world's largest sheet of falling water, and a memorable highlight on any African Safari.

The following 2 days are at your leisure, allowing you to partake in the many activities available in the 'adrenaline capital of Africa'.

White water rafting on the Zambezi is considered to be world class, take the plunge with a bungee jump off the Zambezi Bridge which connects Zimbabwe and Zambia or try abseiling in the Batoka Gorge.

None of these activities are for the fainthearted! For fantastic photographic opportunitiea you can enjoy a scenic flight over the falls or visit the Victoria Falls National Park with its many viewing points.

This morning you depart Victoria Falls after breakfast, and cross the border of Zimbabwe into Botswana.

After setting up camp for the night the rest of the day is spent exploring the area and relaxing on the banks of the Chobe River.

This morning you have the option of an early-morning game drive into Chobe National Park. Chobe is one of Botswana's premier game parks, renowned for the large herds of elephant around the Chobe River.

After your game drive you return to camp for lunch. In the late afternoon you take a boat cruise along the Chobe River. Elephant, hippo and many bird species can be viewed from the boat while you watch the renowned Chobe sunset.

Today is a long day's drive to Maun, the base camp for the optional excursion into the Okavango Delta. The delta is a huge expanse of water, which has travelled from the Angolan highlands, spreading out to form the largest inland delta in the world.

Studded with exotic islands, the Okavango is renowned for its incredible variety of birdlife as well as many other animals unique to Southern Africa.

You have the opportunity to go on an optional 3-day/2-night excursion into the Okavango Delta. Your journey begins as you travel approximately 1-2 hours north to the mokoro polers' station.

From there you hire mokoros, the local dug-out canoes, which are poled by local guides through the pristine winding waterways. Your guides will select a place to set up camp, after which you can experience the delta wilderness on an afternoon game walk.

A day of rest, relaxation and delta experiences await. Today you have the opportunity to partake in a number of exciting activities including game walks, mokoro cruises, swimming and even a chance to try your hand at poling your own mokoro.

There is a final opportunity for a morning game walk before packing up camp and setting off back to Maun.

After arriving back in the early afternoon you have the opportunity to complete your picture of the Okavango Delta by taking an optional sunset scenic flight over the delta region.

Departing Maun you head along the Kavango River and enter the northern region of Namibia. After a quick stop to stock up on supplies in Rundu, you reach your 'home' for the night.

This campsite is spectacular, located right on the banks of the Kavango River, complete with open air facilities and the occasional hippo grazing peacefully on the lawn.

You arrive at Etosha National Park in the late afternoon. Etosha is the largest reserve in Namibia, covering over 20,000 sq km, and is home to a wide variety of animal and bird species.

Situated around the Etosha Pan, the park has an extensive network of gravel roads that enable you to access remote areas. Your evening can be spent on the viewing benches set around the camp's floodlit waterhole.

Today you can look forward to another full day of game driving, as you make your way across 150km of the park from east to west.

Again you have the option of spending your evening at leisure around fantastic floodlit waterholes, watching the game as it comes to drink.

A short drive takes you to the Cheetah Park, a private farm where you learn about the conservation of the cheetah population in Namibia, and have a chance to meet the resident cheetahs up at the house.

This is a photo opportunity not to be missed!

A day's drive takes us to Spitzkoppe, the 1,728m high rock formation, one of Namibia's most recognised landmarks.

You have time to explore the bushman paintings and surrounding area. Tonight you camp in the desert under the stars, so bright it seems you could reach out and touch them.

Following the Atlantic Coast south, you reach the Cape Cross seal colony. This is the largest breeding colony of Cape Fur Seals along the coast of South Africa and Namibia, with numbers reaching 200,000 during breeding season.

It was here that the Portuguese navigator, Diego Cao, erected a stone cross in 1846, becoming the first European to set foot on the coast of Namibia. You arrive in the seaside resort town of Swakopmund later in the afternoon.

The town of Swakopmund, founded in 1892 during German rule, still maintains its distinct colonial character.

Swakopmund has several excellent restaurants, bars and coffee shops, as well as galleries to explore and many arts and crafts shops selling Namibian rural art.

There are fine beaches to walk along or you can visit the interesting museum or aquarium. There are also many exciting activities to enjoy in the area including fishing trips, quad biking, sand boarding, sky diving, desert flights, water sports, golf and 4x4 hire.

Leaving Swakopmund you head south and drive past Walvis Bay along the Atlantic Ocean en route to Sesreim. A short distance away is Sossusvlei, surrounded by a dramatic sea of sand dunes reputed to be the highest in the world.

An optional and strongly recommended excursion is exploring the are on foot with a highly specialised local guide.

The guide will bring the amazing history, geology, flora, fauna and cultural legacy of the Bushman to life for you. At night you watch the sunset from the top of Dune 45 - a truly memorable experience.

Departing the Namib-Naukluft Park area you drive south and choose your camp for the evening.

No matter where you camp you'll be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of this remote desert area and once again fall asleep under the sky-filled African sky.

Today you drive to Hobas campsite and the Fish River Canyon. 161km long and up to 27km wide, the Fish River is the 2nd largest canyon in the world, although it is reputed to be the most spectacular.

A road running near the eastern edge gives you access to several viewing points with magnificent vistas across the rift. Once again a fantastic photographic opportunity.

You continue your short drive south to the Orange River, the natural land border between South Africa and Namibia.

You have the option of a half-day canoe trip; enjoy the scenic and relaxing ride as you watch the banks of the river slide by and have the chance to do a bit of bird watching.

Today is a long day's drive through the picturesque wine-growing regions of Ceres, as you make your way to the beautiful city of Cape Town; better known as the "Mother City".

This morning your trip comes to an end.

Please note that if you wish to partake in the many activities offered in and around Cape Town, we recommend that you contact your Africa Safari Expert about spending a few extra days post your tour.