Southern Africa Safari

The adventure begins. Drop off your bags at the hotel and meet your Trip Manager and new Contiki fam in the lobby. We'll all share a meal tonight along with some drinks to get to know each other. Stay: Waterfront Breakwater Lodge (or similar)

Our time in Cape Town is dedicated to sightseeing and today is no exception! We'll start at the very top with a cable car ride up Table Mountain, followed by a city tour of Cape Town's key sights and historical attractions.

After that, the rest of the day is yours. We recommend the V&A Waterfront (SA's most visited attraction). You'll also have the option to join our Township Tour & Amy Foundation Lunch, which gives you a locally guided insight into life during Apartheid.

Tonight, you'll get to know your new pals in the best way possible – with food, drinks and music in our MasterChef-style cooking class. (B)

This is your day to take advantage of Cape Town's myriad local excursions – after breakfast of course. Our fav is a scenic drive along the cliffs of Chapman's Peak and down to Cape Point – the South-Western tip of Africa.

In the afternoon, we'll stop off at Boulders Beach to admire a colony of adorable African penguins. What next? Well, you can't go wrong with wine tasting (and a view) to round off an incredible day touring the "fairest Cape in all the world." (B)

Rise and shine. Today, we have a (very early) flight to Johannesburg, the city of Gold, where our first port of call will be the Kruger National Park. Yup, it's safari time! We arrive at the gates to Kruger National Park this afternoon with binoculars at the ready. Rolling through this wildlife haven (the size of a small country) for a sunset game drive as we make our way to our exclusive Contiki Safari Camp.

Set on the banks of the Sabie River, in the middle of Kruger, this Special Stay has us camping in canvas tents (the kind with mattresses and linen). All dotted around a roaring bonfire, listening to lions off in the distance, and under the African stars. That's right, its not 5 star accommodation...its 5000 star camping. (B) Stay: Contiki Safari Camp (or similar)

Today we're up bright and early for our first taste of the fresh morning air. We'll start with a sunrise safari – just in time to catch Africa's elusive predators finishing off their nocturnal hunt. At midday, you'll have the chance to relax back at the camp: you can visit the local shop, take a dip in the pool or visit the nearby restaurant where you can look out over the Sabie River and watch as the animals come to quench their thirst (yup, it's preddy special.) This afternoon, it's back to the safari vehicles for a sunset game drive and another chance to see the Big Five and more.

Tonight back at camp, we'll tuck into a traditional South African braai or BBQ, complete with local sides and desserts. (B)

The game of hide and seek continues as we head back into the park, keeping our eyes open for any wildlife that evaded us yesterday including giraffes, hyenas, antelope… and even cheetahs! Next, we'll stop off at a traditional village to learn more about life outside the big cities in Africa. With a local guide, we'll discover the customs and traditions of the village, and partake in some of their popular activities. We'll head off to Johannesburg this afternoon. Order of business? Crash at the hotel before we fly to Victoria Falls in the morning! (B) Stay: Sunrock Guesthouse (or similar)

This morning we'll drive to the airport to catch our flight up to Victoria Falls. We start off with the number one attraction around - the Falls themselves! Hike along the Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders and the largest waterfall in the world. You might want to pack your raincoat, as during certain times of the year you can get drenched from the rising spray, giving the falls its local name: 'The smoke that thunders'. The evening will end off with a magnificent sunset cruise on the Zambezi including drinks and dinner.

Please note: From January to June this trip puts you in the Victoria Falls Waterfront Hotel, Zambia, with a riverside deck and bar that overlooks the spray of the thunderous falls. Traveling from July to December? Don't worry, you're not missing out: we'll put you up in the Shearwater Explorers Village, Zimbabwe, just 400m from the falls - with bohemian cafes, curio markets and swimming pools to explore. It's a win win, basically. (B) Stay: Shearwater Explorer's Village (or similar)

This morning, you'll raft down the Zambezi River (one of the world's best white-water rafting experiences that boasts up to 20 rapids).

In the afternoon, you'll have the chance to jump, zipline or swing off the famous bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia over the Zambezi River. There's also a locally guided village tour, where you'll get to know the locals and experience their way of life. (B)

We start today on foot, to literally ‘walk on the wild side' with a guided walking safari along the Zambezi's National Park. This is a unique way to track wildlife on foot while learning about some of the smaller animals – plus plants and just generally anything we come across.

Afterwards, we go from foot mode to flight mode with a helicopter ride above the thunderous waters below - the best way to see the falls in all their glory. Then it's across the border to Botswana for more of what we love.I.e., safaris! This time, it's the world-famous Chobe National Park, known for its huge elephant population.

Tonight, you'll truly experience the wilderness with a night out in the middle of the African bush. We have a private Contiki site just for us, with our own guides, cooks and a bonfire – all set under the stars. After dinner, you'll get the chance to fall asleep to the sounds of Africa: a jackal calling in the distance, the loud whoop of a hyena, perhaps the roar of lions as they wake from a daytime slumber. Catch you later, city life!

Please note: due to the rainy season, overnight camping in Chobe is not available from October to March. Instead, you'll spend two nights in Chobe at a lodge with afternoon and morning game drives still included, plus a buffet dinner. (B/D) Stay: Contiki Safari Camp (or similar)

This morning we'll wake up to watch the sunrise over the African bush with a light breakfast, before departing on a morning game drive to hopefully see some of the wildlife we may have heard the night before. We will arrive late morning to check into our new lodge and spend the rest of the day relaxing around the pool and swapping stories from the night before.

On our last evening together you can opt for a wildlife cruise on the Chobe river. Surrounded by pods of hippos, crocs basking on the banks and all forms of African animals coming down to drink, this is truly one African sunset you'll never forget followed by a buffet dinner tonight. (B) Stay: Kwalape Safari Lodge (or similar)

Dumela Botswana! We'll head south today from Kasane to Gweta Lodge on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt pans. Opt to cruise the salt pans in open safari vehicles in search of a meerkat colony while getting some funky perspective photos in one of the largest salt flats in the world.

Tonights treat is sundower drinks under an icon of Botswana before retiring to the lodge for dinner and drinks at the bar. (B) Stay: Gweta Lodge (or similar)

We will say goodbye to the pans (for now) and head on to the wildlife haven that is the Okavango Delta Our minds already blown by this unique natural landscape, it's off to the Okavango Delta, where we'll take an awe-inspiring game drive before settling into our exclusive Contiki Safari Camp. We'll be greeted with luxe two person dome tents - pre-erected of course - with stretchers, mattresses and linen. Dinner? How about a campfire meal as we swap tales under a starswept sky? (B/D) Stay: Contiki Safari Camp (or similar)

Get your David Attenborough voice on, we are in the heart of Africa's iconic wildlife filming paradise. This sprawling wetland is home to some of Africa's most incredible species and we will start searching for them after a quick bite to eat and we're off on an early morning game drive in the Okavango Delta in hopes of spotting elephants, hippos and if we're lucky, some predators. We'll head back to camp for a tasty lunch and siesta. Chill in the camp or opt for a Mokoro boat trip along the gorgeous waterways of the delta.

In the afternoon we're back on another jaw-dropping game drive before our traditional campfire dinner. The day isn't over, though - not even close.

This evening we have a once in a lifetime opportunity - a night drive in the bush with spotlights seeking out elusive nocturnal animals you can't find during the day. (B/L/D)

Another morning at the Delta (the struggle is real.) After coffee and breakfast at sunrise, it's time for another morning game drive – eyes peeled for elephants – as we make our way out of this wildlife paradise. Check into the lodge, chill by the pool and then take to the skies in an optional Okavango Delta helicopter flight. Hover just meters above the waterways or fly high for stunning views of this unique inland delta and of course, don't forget your binocs for some wildlife spotting from the air. If you've got a head for heights, you won't find views more spectacular than this anywhere in the world.

Tonight, you'll polish off your last night in Botswana with a night in the town. The Okavango Delta Brewery calls, offering a tour, tasting and dinner for you to enjoy. (B) Stay: Island Safari Lodge (or similar)

Today we'll traverse two countries as we leave Botswana and head into Namibia. we'll arrive in Windhoek this evening after crossing the border.

Tonight we'll check out thhe famous Joe's Beerhouse, and then you're free to explore and find somewhere awesome to eat (there's lots of choice, don't worry!) (B)Stay: Klein Windhoek Guesthouse (or similar)

After a hearty breakfast, we'll get back on the road together to see this beautiful country and hear all about its history – stopping off for a scenic lunch at the Nauklauft mountain range.

This evening, we arrive at one of Namibia's most iconic attractions: Sossusvlei, a huge salt and clay pan framed by enormous dunes (some of the highest in the world). We'll check in to our lodge and then get ready for a morning's exploration with a big ol' buffet dinner. (B/D) Stay: Hammerstein Lodge (or similar)

We're up early today – let's get exploring the desert before it's too hot! We start out at the Namib-Naukluft National Park, keeping our eyes open for Oyrx and other desert-dwelling wildlife. Wandering along Big Daddy sand dune and down into Deadvlei, admiring the views, you'll finally realise where your desktop background images come from. We'll hit the road again, admiring more scenery on our way to the German coastal town of Swakopmund. After checking into our hotel, it's off to town for a German-inspired feast and plenty of beer at the local beer garden. (B) Stay: Prost Hotel (or similar)

Swakopmund is our adventurer's paradise as we explore the ocean and surrounding desert. We start with a seal kayaking experience at Pelican point near Walvis Bay, where we'll be on lookout for dolphins, whales and other marine life.

This afternoon, we'll hit Namib Desert for quad biking and sand boarding in the world's oldest dunes. We'll round off our day with a dinner in town (plus lots of reminiscing). (B)

Today we head back inland for our Namibian safari destination of choice – Etosha. Before we arrive, we'll stop off in the Erongo Mountains to visit the San Bushmen of Omandumba. Here, we'll learn some of their language and gawp at their skills and crafts as they educate us on how to survive and thrive in harsh desert conditions. (B/D) Stay: Mondijla Lodge (or similar)

We're up early for our first Namibian game drive in Etosha! From big cats to desert-savvy antelope, the wildlife viewing experience here is like nowhere else on Earth. During the daytime heat, you'll sit at the waterhole watching wildlife come and go before heading out for another game drive in the afternoon.

Tonight, on our last night together, we'll treat ourselves to one last buffet dinner. (B)

After breakfast, we drive back down to Windhoek to catch the afternoon flights back home, saying goodbye to new friends but cherishing our lifelong memories. (B)