Victoria Falls to Windhoek: The Okavango Delta & Wildlife

Land in Vic Falls, find your way to the campsite, and drop your bags. The first evening is for meeting the rest of the crew, usually over a few drinks at a local spot near the campsite. Make sure you've got your visa for Zimbabwe sorted before you land; this isn't Livingstone, Zambia.

This is a full free day to see the falls up close. You can walk the observation decks and get soaked by the spray, or you can go bigger. The standard options are all here: whitewater rafting on the Zambezi, a helicopter flight for aerial views, or bungee jumping with the falls in the background. It's your call how much adrenaline you need.

Leave the mist of the falls behind for a two-hour overland journey to the Botswana border. The destination is Kasane, the gateway to Chobe National Park. After setting up at a camp just outside the park, you have a choice for the afternoon. Your best bet for seeing the park's famous elephant herds, plus hippos and crocs, is either a sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River or a game drive in an open safari vehicle. The river option often provides the best light and close-up views.

It's an early start for the drive south to Nata, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. This is a pure travel day, watching the landscape shift from the green riverbanks of Chobe to the drier grasslands of the interior. The campsite tonight is known for its location near an active waterhole, so keep an eye out for elephants. You'll be camping under massive baobab trees.

Another travel day takes you from the salt pans to Maun, the main hub for trips into the Okavango Delta. After setting up camp, the rest of the afternoon is free. If you have the budget, this is the place for a scenic flight over the Delta. A doors-off helicopter ride gives you a solid perspective of the waterways and any wildlife moving below.

Today you head deep into the Okavango Delta. A safari vehicle gets you part of the way, then you'll switch to traditional mokoro (dugout canoes) to navigate the channels to a remote bush camp. This is proper wilderness camping. The afternoon is spent on a guided wildlife walk, learning about the smaller signs of the bush, before poling through the reeds for some birdwatching from the water. The night ends around a campfire, far from any town.

After a final mokoro ride out of the Delta, you'll head west across Botswana towards the Kalahari Desert. The destination is D'kar, where you'll camp at a San-owned lodge. This is a chance to learn directly from the local San community about their culture and survival skills in the harsh desert environment. An optional bush walk is the main activity, followed by an evening of stories and traditional dance around the fire.

It's a long, final drive day from the Kalahari to Namibia's capital, Windhoek. You'll cross the border mid-morning and spend most of the day on the road, watching the scenery change one last time. The trip officially ends on arrival in Windhoek, but the crew usually heads out for one last group dinner.