This amazing safari is a combines safari lodges, hotels and fully serviced Discoverer camping in private concession areas.

A unique and contrasting combination of two of the most beautiful countries in the world, this Exploration lives up to its name. It explores the wide open spaces of Namibia, taking in the awe-inspiring dunes of Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert, the stark beauty of Damaraland and the wildlife-rich area of Ongava Game Reserve. Guests then enter another world entirely: the waterways and lush green of Xigera in the Okavango Delta, the ephemeral Selinda Spillway linking the Delta and Linyanti, and the Linyanti area itself, famed for its prolific wildlife in a variety of vastly differing habitats. A night at The River Club on the banks of the Zambezi River is a fitting end to a true voyage of exploration.

The activities provide a wide range of differing impressions, from the meandering Okavango Delta channels, the vast white expanses of the Etosha Pans, to hiking and cycling in Damaraland, walking in the Namib’s great dunes and the diverse game populations of the Linyanti Reserve.

This safari combines the exclusive superb lodges of Wilderness Safaris with the remote locations of private Discoverer campsites and the Adventurer style Xigera Mokoro Trail.

The style of accommodation in the private Discoverer campsites takes you back to the era of Africa’s exploration. Pure linens of heavy cottons, brass bucket showers and basins, separate flushing toilets and shower areas all add to the atmosphere, while comforts and amenities are elegantly provided.

Discoverer camps are specifically outfitted to ensure that old-style camping feel with a clear emphasis on necessary and stylish comfortable interiors, creating a peerless wilderness experience.

From Windhoek, travel by vehicle approximately 380km to Kulala Wilderness Camp, enjoying awe-inspiring views of the mountains and the desert floor – on a clear day you can see the fog banks of the Skeleton Coast. En route, we enjoy a lunch close to the Khomas Hochland escarpment, reaching onto sweeping vistas below.

One of the most enduring impressions of this area is the early morning light on the sea of vivid orange dunes of Sossusvlei, some as high as 300 metres. Afternoon activities include nature walks, drives to scenic viewpoints and marvelling at the unique Namib fauna and flora in the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve.

Kulala Wilderness Camp lies at the foot of a mountain facing west to catch the majestic Namibian sunsets. It comprises 9 tents on elevated wooden decks which are linked to the main dining room, bar, reception area and swimming pool by pathways. The interiors are simple yet stylish and each tent has 220V lighting and an en-suite bathroom with solar-heated water. There is a fully stocked bar and traditional 3-course dinners are served. At night, lanterns light up the main area. On the edge of the oldest desert in the world, wildlife here is sparse but fascinating. Sightings of animals such as springbok, gemsbok, ostrich, bat-eared fox and aardwolf are exciting in these rugged conditions.

Travel by road north-west via the Kuiseb Canyon with its dark, craggy canyons and via a moon-like landscape of flat gravel plains (with stops along the way that include viewing the extraordinary Welwitschia plants). We arrive at the grand Hansa Hotel in Swakopmund in the late afternoon, allowing the time to explore this quaint town on foot.

Travel approximately 280km, partly up the legendary Skeleton Coast (named for the numerous shipwrecks the treacherous shores have claimed over the years) to the Cape Cross seal colony with thousands of Cape fur seals From here we drive the back roads through the game productive Ugab riverbed, travelling north past the Brandberg Mountain – the second largest monolith on earth – to Damaraland Camp.

Damaraland is a land of stark desert beauty. Early morning mists, generated by the clash between the icy Atlantic Ocean and the warm desert air of the Skeleton Coast, drift inland along the canyons, providing sustenance to the flora and fauna of the region. Rare succulent plants abound in this harsh countryside. Our activities include explorations on foot, by mountain bike or 4x4 vehicles, viewing springbok, gemsbok and ostrich, and tracking the unique desert-adapted elephant.

On the way through this area, we are treated to some remote petrified forests and experience the Gai As spring with its archaeological stone circles. This all-day excursion with lunch en route, ends with our arrival at Damaraland Camp.

We depart Damaraland Camp and drive into the Huab riverbed to search for desert-adapted elephants, before heading in a north easterly direction to Etosha National Park, where we experience the pinnacle of game viewing – but accommodated in the privacy of an exclusive bush camp situated on an extensive private game reserve, Ongava, just on the outside of Etosha.

Activities include day and night drives, walks and hides. Within Etosha we visit numerous perennial springs and pans, encountering a myriad of differing species.

Enjoy a scenic air charter over dramatic desert landscapes to the shimmering wilderness of the Xigera concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta. This flight includes some border crossings, therefore we have to make stops in Grootfontein, Namibia and also Maun, Botswana to clear immigration formalities.

There is no better way to experience the Okavango than to travel through it by mokoro, walking and camping out on a vegetated island – all essential elements of the Xigera Mokoro Trails experience. The experience is aimed at exposing the permanently flooded inner Delta, in the serene waterways and on the islands of trees and bush. Our guest tents are specially adapted to the unique environment, with larger gauze side panels, which offer a scenic view into the spectacular Okavango Delta surroundings.  Battery-powered lamp provides light in the evening, and specially designed strechers are availble in the tents.

We depart this morning by aircraft to our superb Ketumetse Trails Camp, situated in an exclusive concession. Ketumetse is located in the south-western sector of the Selinda private concession, in the seasonally flooded portion of the Okavango Delta where it joins into the Selinda Spillway.

Our exclusive Discoverer campsite has been erected prior to our arrival in the wildlife-rich seasonal plains region under large shade trees, affording some views of the floodplain in cool comfort.

Activities concentrate around the bushy and wooded islands, open plains and the flooded and dry channels surrounding the camp. In this area seasonal congregations of wildlife (especially in the late afternoons) make for a great experience on game drives, night drives and nature walks on the private concession.

After a light breakfast, we drive north eastwards to the private Linyanti Concession; arriving at our  private Discoverer camp, which is elegantly set up under African ebony and knobthorn acacia trees overlooking panoramic vistas of the Linyanti Swamps. This can be an all-day game drive/ transfer, with lunch en route at a shady place en route. This game/ transfer drive is specifically designed to gain an intimate view of the “Stolen River” as well as enjoying a part of the Selinda Spillway and its rich floodplains.

The landscape of the Linyanti varies from floodplains to open dry land savannah and forested habitat with sweeping views, creating a paradise for a high diversity of wildlife and bird species. Activities include game drives in the private northern sector of the concession, exploring a range of habitats, from riverbanks to scrub and forest, which reveal a myriad of wildlife en route to slake their thirst from the river. The seldom-seen sitatunga can also be spotted in the waterways, as well as rare plains game, such as roan and sable antelope and of course their predators, the lion and leopard – with the endangered wild dog as an incredible bonus.

After a short morning drive and breakfast, we depart by light aircraft to the northern Chobe region of Chobe National Park. This area is famous for its vast herds of elephants in the dry season and other unique species such as the elusive puku and Chobe bushbuck that move to the river in the hottest hours of the day. Enjoy a lunch on the boat cruise in a catamaran-style shaded boat.

We leave Botswana and enter Zambia by way of the Kazungula border, a point where the four countries of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia meet, arriving in the late afternoon at The River Club, in Livingstone.

The lodge is situated 18 kilometres upstream from Victoria Falls. The camp has a distinct Edwardian flavour and guests here have the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Zambezi River in a peaceful and tranquil setting away from the crowds. The Zambezi National Park is located just across the river, and elephants can often be seen on the riverbank. A rich bird life is also found in the area. Hippos are regularly sighted (and heard) along the river’s edge.

The Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and is arguably the greatest waterfall in the world. Our epic Exploration meets a fitting end with a guided tour to the Victoria Falls, ending with a transfer to the airport.