Exploring Africa from Cities to Safaris

Ready to gaze at lions and luxuriate in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, all in the same trip?

This guide covers what to do in Cape Town, how to navigate a self-drive safari in Botswana, and a day trip to Zimbabwe and Zambia to see Victoria falls from both sides. Keep reading for overviews of key stops with our suggestions.

Itinerary Overview

• Day 1: Fly into Cape Town
• Day 2-3: Get over jetlag/explore Cape Town (Table Mountain)
• Day 4: Fly to Maun, pick-up self-drive safari vehicle, camp at Island Safari Lodge
• Day 5-6: Wildlife drives and camp in the bush
• Day 7: Drive from Sukoyo to Mababe, camp along Mababe River
• Day 8: Drive to Khwai, camp in Magotho Camp
• Day 9: Drive through Chobe National Park to Kasane, camp at Chobe Safari Lodge
• Day 10: Cruise down the Chobe River, camp at Chobe Safari Lodge
• Day 11: Day trip to Zimbabwe and Zambia to see Victoria Falls
• Day 12: Return truck, fly from Kasane to Cape Town
• Day 13-14: Explore Cape Town (Penguins, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point)
• Day 15: Fly home

Cape Town

We flew into and out of the city, spending 3-4 days here on either end of the trip. This approach was also helpful to get over jetlag (easier to do in a hotel bed then in a rooftop tent). Activities will be weather-dependent, especially if you go during rainy season like we did (in May). Here are our must do’s:

• Cable Cars to Table Mountain (the floors spin so everyone gets a good view, buy the fast track option to skip lines during busy season)
• 1/2 day tour for penguins, Cape Point, and The Cape of Good Hope (we felt we had plenty of time to see it all this way and still had most of the day free)
• Walk around Camps Bay (enjoy the beach views and restaurants/bars that line the coast)

Botswana

We spent 9 days on a self-drive safari from Maun to Kasane, with stops in Sukoyo, Mababe, and Khwai with our good friend and expert guide Sixteen (who is from Sukoyo). With Sixteen guiding us, we spent our days tracking lions and other wildlife and our nights camping in remote areas of the bush, lulled to sleep by the sounds of hippo snorts and hyena calls. We drove through the Chobe National Park and cruised down the Chobe River, where we saw elephants swim next to crocodiles. Here are our must do’s:

• Camp or stay at the Chobe Safari Lodge (this massive resort has everything from camp spots to luxury hotel rooms, as well as pools and restaurants to enjoy)
• Drive through Chobe National Park (we saw a group of 8 male lions taking an afternoon nap together, as well as tons of other wildlife)
• Don’t skip the bush drives in the local concessions (some of the craziest wildlife we saw and camp spots we enjoyed were out in the bush, too remote for lodges or running water. Embrace it!)

Victoria Falls

We decided to see this iconic waterfall from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides. To do this, we drove from Kasane across the border into Zimbabwe. To drive across this border and purchase visas to enter both countries was $165 USD. Once we explored the falls in Zimbabwe, we got lunch in the park, before walking across the bridge to explore the falls in Zambia. Then we did it all in reverse, taking about 8-hours all in. Here are our must do’s:

• Walk across the bridge from Zimbabwe to Zambia (whatever you do, do not attempt to drive along the one lane bridge to get in, it will take hours upon hours to wait for your turn amidst the 18-wheeler trucks and other tourists)
• Wear waterproof clothes and have a cover for your cell phone (sandals over sneakers, ponchos over rain jackets, just know you will get soaked, and you have to have your passport to get through customs and across the bridge)

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This trip was a dream come true. We got to explore every landscape, see and hear wildlife on a scale few get to experience, and meet the kindest locals we’ve ever come across. A special shoutout and our eternal gratitude to Sixteen for your company, time, and expertise. If you’re looking for a guide, you couldn’t ask for a more capable and friendly one – please reach out to get in contact with him.

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We hope this helps you get out there!

Summer & Jackson

OutThere Travels