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Zambia, Malawi & Mozambique - Trade Route Safari

Small group participation camping & cabin safari - 21 nights / 22 days

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Tour code: LM22 / LL12

The Trade Route is an extraordinary journey across South Eastern Africa. Active days canoeing on the Zambezi River and snorkeling in the warm Indian Ocean, game viewing in the world famous Kruger and bush walks in South Luangwa. We recommend Malaria prophylactics. Border crossings can be slow, so you need to be prepared for the experience. This journey has challenges and is for the adventurous traveller but also has magnificent highlights. Departs: Livingstone, Zambia on Saturday at 2:00pm.       Ends: Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday at 4:00pm. Group size: Guaranteed from 4 guests; 12 guests maximum. Summary • A diverse African adventure – discovery route. • All inclusive trip with cultural experience, adventure and wildlife through Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa! • Vic Falls, Lower Zambezi canoeing, South Luangwa, Lake Malawi, Benguerra Island, Kruger National Park – great diversity! Highlights • Victoria Falls - natural wonder of the world • Lower Zambezi - canoeing • South Luangwa NP - game walk & 4WD game drives • Lake Malawi - snorkeling & beaches • Benguerra Island – explore islands on a dhow • Inhambane – beaches and scuba diving • Kruger National Park – game drives Alternate Routes • Livingstone to Johannesburg tour is the Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique full 22-day tour. • Livingstone to Lilongwe tour covers highlights of Zambia with Lake Malawi in just 12 days. Overnights • 16 nights on safari in designated campsites, national parks and towns. Campsites have hot showers. • Please note there is 1 night of very basic camping with poor facilities in Tete (there is no alternative). • 2 nights in a guest house with twin-bed accommodation in Vilankulos with ablutions shared between several rooms. • 2 nights in casitas in Inhambane, twin bedrooms with en-suite facilities.\ • 1 night in Graskop in lodge with en-suite twin bedrooms, allowing you time to tidy up & pack before flying from Jo’burg on day 22. Meals 21 breakfasts, 19 lunches and 16 dinners will be provided by the safari crew, prepared at the vehicle and eaten around the camp fire or in the boma. 22-DAY (Livingstone, Zambia to Johannesburg, South Africa) SAFARI COST: $2,605 per person sharing, plus local payment of US$400 (in cash). SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: Single tent supplement $270. 12-DAY (Livingstone, Zambia to Lilongwe, Malawi) SAFARI COST: $2,080 per person sharing, plus local payment of US$300 (in cash). SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $95 Single tent supplement is applicable to the camping nights only. On accommodated nights clients will share with a same gender client. If you are a single traveler, you will be assigned to room with another same gender single traveler and there is no supplemental payment required.  If you request to room alone, then the price supplement will be charged. ADD-ON:  All Trade Route departures can be combined after the Botswana Wildside Safari for an extended wildlife experience. CLICK TO SEE DEPARTURE DATES

Note: We do a free drop off at Johannesburg airport on day 22 at +/- 16:00pm so you can book your flight out for the last day of tour.
Note: The distance and travel times quoted above are an estimate only, and subject to local road conditions – remember it’s an adventure!

Special Interest: A walking safari in South Luangwa is an essential Zambian experience. Game scouts will lead us on an exhilarating walk in this big game wilderness.

Sustainable Tourism: In the Luangwa Valley we stay at Wildlife Camp who donate 60% of their revenues to the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia. A local guide will lead us on a game walk and night drive. Your visit will support employment opportunities.

ADD-ON:  All Trade Route departures can be combined after the Botswana Wildside Safari for an extended wildlife experience.

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CLICK TO SEE DEPARTURE DATES

Transport
Due to sometimes poor roads we only use custom safari trucks for this tour. Potholes, damaged gravel roads and livestock on the roads can make travel slow, you’ll pass through villages and witness the local lifestyle all the way. For the game drives in South Luangwa we use open 4WD.

Accommodation
Camping - 15 nights on safari we stay at designated campsites in national parks, on private land and in towns. Campsite facilities are at best basic but generally clean. There are hot, but sometimes only cold, showers, washing facilities at some of the campsites. Some camps in Zambia have simple reed enclosures for showers but do have flush toilets!

Wild camping - for 1night while canoeing on the Zambezi River we camp wild on an island in the middle of the river. Wild camps have no facilities; we will need to take our own water and all equipment. Wild camping can be very enjoyable but please remember that we leave no trace of our stay and take all rubbish away with us. Toilets will be of the “dig and bury” variety. We supply all the camping equipment with the exception of your sleeping bag and pillow. The dome tents we use are 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.8 metres and putting them up or down takes only 5 minutes. Tents have built-in insect nets. We also supply mattresses, which are about 5 cm thick, warm and comfortable. The camp chairs have a backrest.

Local Payment
• A local payment is required on this safari and this will be collected by your tour leader on departure. The local payment forms part of your overall tour cost, and must be taken into consideration when booking your safari. It will be used by your tour leaders to pay for some of the operational costs incurred on safari.
• In many cases, a cash payment is the only option: certain of the destinations that we visit, only accept cash. For example entry fees to most national parks, some of the campsites and also local food markets (and even some shops) are only payable in cash. In addition, each safari vehicle has a garage card but these are only accepted in South Africa and parts of Namibia, therefore in all other countries, fuel must be paid for in cash. Due to the remoteness of some departure points, having a local payment system enables us to manage tour funds effectively. The efficiency of this system helps keep the overall tour prices down.
• It also ensures that a portion of the tour costs goes directly into the country you are visiting, thereby benefiting local communities and contributing to the conservation of the areas we visit. This is part of the ongoing effort to operate sustainable safaris that make a real difference.

Participation
An essential part of your safari is participation. From putting up your tent to packing the truck in the morning – it’s all part of your adventure. Your tour leaders will do all the meal preparation but we do ask the clients to help (on rotation) with the washing up. There are some long travel days which means early morning starts so we all need to get involved to make the day run efficiently.

Shopping
• Craft shopping for curios en route is diverse and rewarding. Remember - if you see something you like, it is best to buy it because it is unlikely that you will see something similar further along.

Food
• We pride ourselves on giving very good healthy meals to our clients and will provide three meals per day, except where shown in itinerary, when we try out local restaurants.
• The tour leaders do the shopping and meal planning for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. A rough idea of what these will consist of is: Breakfast - cereals or coffee and toast or the occasional fried breakfast, Lunch - cheese, cold meats, salads on bread or rolls, Dinner - braais (local barbecue), potjies (stews), stir fries etc. We use regular plates, cups and cutlery. All cooking and eating utensils will also be provided.
• We do cater for special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.)
• We will supply fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be for your own expense. We will not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour.

Difficulty
• Anyone who is generally active and in good health should enjoy this trip. The outdoor enthusiast enjoys simple campsites and basic wild camps, you will get dusty on occasion; but this is Africa!
• Full itinerary with a couple of long driving days, but also plenty of outdoor activity with some relaxing time. This is a long distance trans Africa safari - there is a lot of distance to be covered and so there will be some long travelling days. Due to local conditions, border crossings, road detours and weather, the trip may alter route / schedule - please remember that this continent has its own time scale and things work differently here. Keep an open mind and a sense of humour - it’s all part of the adventure!
• Everyone is asked to help out with the running of camp on tour. In other words if everyone spends a little time setting up camp, preparing meals and cleaning up then the tour will run smoothly and everyone will have a good time. Participation is the name of the game.

Things you should know
• Includes park entrances, game drives and the Okavango Delta excursion.
• You will need a valid passport and visas for entry into South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
• Luggage, please pack to a limit of 12kgs in a soft sports tog bag. Bring a daypack for walks.
• We recommend that you bring Euro, US$ or South African Rand for personal expenses on this trip but please note that in South Africa and Namibia Euro and US$ will need to changed into Namibian $ or South African Rand as shops, restaurants and market vendors only accept N$ and ZAR. In Botswana please note that foreign currency will need to changed into Botswana Pula as shops, restaurants and market vendors only accept BWP. Expenses in Livingstone can be paid in US$ or Euro and major credit cards can also be used for optional activities throughout this tour. Travellers cheques can be changed in Cape Town, Swakopmund, Windhoek, Maun and Livingstone.

Common questions about this trip
• What do I need to bring? Comfortable clothes for warm days and cool evenings, walking shoes, a raincoat, hat and sunglasses, swimsuit, and a water bottle. A small pair of binoculars also comes in very handy and most importantly - a sense of adventure!
• Is it safe? Africa and on the route we follow is relatively safe and your guide knows the countries intimately and will endeavour to show you the best parts while looking after you. We do not enter Zimbabwe on this trip. In the cities keep a careful eye on your belongings and don’t leave anything lying about - petty theft is rife. In the wild areas your guide will brief you on the necessary precautions, follow this advice and you will be fine. Be aware of your personal belongings and you will have a great trip.
• Do I need malaria tablets?  Yes, the trip passes through malaria areas and prophylactics are recommended.
• Solo Traveler? Going it alone won’t make your holiday more expensive; our reservations staff will match you up with another same-gender traveler to keep your holiday affordable. If however you request a single room or tent these are available, with a price supplement.

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The Botswana Wildside Safari can be combined prior to this Trade Route departure to create an even greater Southern Africa adventure.

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