Northern Adventure

11 days
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Highlights

  • Go on day & night game drives in Kruger
  • Admire the Great Zimbabwe Ruins
  • Relax in the Tshipise hot springs
  • See the heritage sites of Bulawayo
  • Explore the mighty Victoria Falls
  • Go white-water rafting on the Zambezi
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Overview

This tour forms part of our Scheduled & Overland tour collection.

This exciting 11-day overland adventure gives you a taste of Southern Africa's most popular attractions, starting in the Kruger National Park and ending off at the mighty Victoria Falls.

Begin your adventure with a classic Kruger safari. Spot Africa’s Big 5 in this prime wildlife reserve before making your way through the scenic Panorama Route.

Cross the border into Zimbabwe as you head for the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, where you will get a glimpse into the past as you marvel at these ancient structures. Drive through the Zimbabwean midlands to Matobo National Park, and finally reach the mighty Victoria Falls where action-packed adventure awaits.

Summary

  • Tour Duration: 11 Days

Accommodations Visited

Camping

10 Nights
Day to day

Itinerary

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Day 1-2: View classic African animals in the Kruger National Park

Detailed breakdown

Day 1-2: View classic African animals in the Kruger National Park | 10 Nights

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Start your journey in the busy city of Johannesburg and head toward the South African Lowveld, a beautifully scenic region known for its excellent wildlife viewing. Pass through the southern section of the picturesque Panorama Route before reaching Umvubu Camp, just outside the Kruger National Park. Relax around the campfire and look out for giraffe, zebra, hippo and impala.

Spend the next day exploring the magnificent Kruger National Park; expect to see many different species of wildlife as this is South Africa's largest and most diverse conservation area. Join the optional evening game drive to spot some of Africa's nocturnal animals.

Day 3: Enter the green Limpopo Province

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Depart from the beautiful Lowveld and begin the drive to the lush Limpopo province. Stop at the remarkable Blyde River Canyon and look through God's Window, only one of the many fantastic view points. Arrive at Polokwane, the province's capital, where you will set up camp just outside the city and appreciate the region's lavish greenery.

Day 4: Relax in the Tshipise hot springs

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Begin your journey to Zimbabwe through the scenic regions of northern South Africa. Spend the evening close to Musina, South Africa's hottest town, where you will set up camp at Tshipise, the hot water springs. The resort is nestled between rolling hills, promising great scenery as you spend the afternoon lounging in the pools or walking along the different trails.

Day 5: Admire the Great Zimbabwe Ruins

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Today you will cross the border into Zimbabwe - a country with a rich and distinctive culture. Head to the town of Masvingo on the outskirts of the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, where you can wander through the impressive remains of this centuries-old city, admiring what is left of this ancient civilisation. Set up camp at the foot of the hills and spend the night in these historic surrounds.

Days 6-7: Get personal with wildlife in the Antelope Park

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Continue travelling North through Zimbabwe's midlands and make a memorable overnight stop at the Antelope Park. Embrace the rare opportunity to swim in the same river as elephants and take horse rides to view the game.

Days 8-9: Appreciate the culturally rich Bulawayo

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Depart for Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city. Take in the rich history and British colonial character and visit the many buildings maintained as heritage sites. Also pay a visit to the Natural History Museum, the National Arts Gallery and the Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre.

Dedicate the next day to fully appreciating this culturally rich area. Start with a visit to the nearby Matobo National Park, one of the last strongholds of both black and white rhino. Search for the elusive leopard and majestic black eagle. Later, get the chance to admire the ancient rock paintings left behind by the previous San inhabitants of the area.

Day 10: Experience the amazing Victoria Falls

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Depart from Bulawayo and head toward the majestic Victoria Falls, arriving at your campsite in the centre of the town, surrounded by the Victoria Falls National Park. Walk over to the booking agents for a range of fun, relaxing and exhilarating activities on and around the Zambezi River – a natural border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Take a 20-minute walk in this beautiful area to reach the entry point from which to view the mighty Falls and spend the afternoon exploring the national park, relaxing at the campsite or simply taking in the incredible surrounds.

Day 11: Say your goodbyes

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After breakfast and one final visit to the Victoria Falls, the tour comes to an end.

Inclusions tick icon

Inclusions

  • Trip includes an arrival airport transfer
Exclusions tick icon

Exclusions

  • International flights
  • Airport taxes
  • All meals and drinks not specified
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature
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Traveller Reviews

Northern Adventure
MS

Mario Scerri

We had such a good time in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Everybody really enjoyed it. It was a wonderful experience for all of us, definitely one which we will cherish and remember for a long time. The guides, chefs and drivers were great. They made sur e to give us their best. They accompanied us all the time, planned everything for us, they were also very helpful and made our stay enjoyable. Even the family at Mufasa Backpackers and the guides who accompanied us in Johannesburg were really really nice. Everybody spoke highly of the staff. The places we visited were spectacular. Both South Africa and Zimbabwe have so much to offer. The scenery was amazing. God's window, Blyde River Canyon and Victoria Falls are still pictured in my mind. The game drives, especially the one in Kruger Park was really really nice. We've seen all kinds of animals, giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, zebras, monkeys, hippos, leopards, crocodiles, buffalos, rhinos, many many birds and much much more :) You can find some photos on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.490074937757487.1073741838.316548648443451&type=1 Antelope Park was out of this world. There is so much to do there. The experience with the lions was extraordinary plus you get to do so many activities with the lions. I highly recommend the lion walk, lion feed, horse riding and sunset cruise. We were very lucky to witness a lion kill on one of the walks. My heart was racing when it happened. We ended up running (literally running) after the 2 lions and the impala and saw the kill happening right in fornt of our eyes. The lions were still young so it took them very long to actually kill it. The animal planet crew came along and they were filming it. It was really cool. We had a really good time in Victoria Falls. The team at Wild Horizons were great! We did all sorts of activities here, rafting, helicopter rides, devils pool, canoeing, zip lines, swings over the falls, canopy rides, sunset cruises, victoria falls park...you name it, we did it :) You definitely need 3 days here. What was not made clear from the Wild Horizons side was the level of difficulty and danger on activities. For ex the family decided to do canoeing since it is regarded as an easy activity, but then while paddling a hippo came out of nowhere and they were terrified as it could have charged at them. Also rafting was a challenge. Though very exciting, it was quite tough and at times dangerous. We still really enjoyed it, do not regret doing the activities and had so much to tell after that experience, but it would be much better if these are pointed out before paying, to make it clear with everybody. Also, we had a bit of misunderstanding with the Devils Pool activity with some ending up not visiting this place (including my self). Thankfully most managed to go but it was very disappointing for the few who didn't. I highly suggest that this is booked at least 3 weeks before arrival (especially when the group is big) as usually it is always fully booked. With regards to accommodation, Boma in the Bush, Tshipise, Antelope Park, Rest Camp and Mufasa Backpackers were wonderful and highly recommended. Accacia Camp was quite basic and would most probably prefer to upgrade next time. Luckily we did not stay at the Masvingo Camp Site as we moved on to Antelope Park instead. I do not recommend Masvingo Camp Site as it is extremely basic and there's practically nothing to do. Even toilets and showers were not in their best state. Food was really good and varied. We had cold/warm pastas, warm dishes, meat, sandwiches, English breakfast, omelettes, cereals, chicken... Portions were big enough and there was always enough for everybody. What struck me the most was that the chefs took into consideration that some travelers were vegetarians, and others had different intolerances. This was so kind of them as they always prepared different dishes for them. 10 points for the chefs :) And one last thing re transfer from Johannesburg airport to Mufasa Backpackers. Since we were a big group we needed two trucks, however what happened was that we were only provided with one truck and half of the group had to wait for an hour at the airport. It seemed that they had no other vehicle available and we had no other option but wait. Otherwise, the trip was great and everybody was highly satisfied! I cannot thank you enough. You have provided us with everything we needed. Without you being so professional the trip wouldn't have been this smooth, so I sincerely thank you for all your work. I highly recommend this trip to others. I am already getting requests for next year and if the demand grows I will try and organise it with you again. It was a pleasure to work with you Gelle. Our clients are growing and the demand for South Africa and its surroundi
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