Fly Stay Cruise - 17 Day Namibia Explorer with Chobe River Cruise & Victoria Falls

Today your southern African journey begins. Make your way to your local airport and board your included international flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Sit back and relax as you travel overnight towards the start of your adventure. On arrival in Johannesburg, you will be met by a local representative and transferred to Fairlawns Boutique Hotel in the leafy Sandton neighbourhood. The remainder of the day is yours to settle in after your journey. Tonight is at your leisure, and you may wish to dine at the hotel or visit one of the nearby restaurants. Special Information: Arrival airport transfers are included as part of your package. You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Hotel check-in time is at 3pm. If arriving prior to this, you will be able to leave your luggage with hotel reception and explore your surroundings until check-in becomes available.

This morning after breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Kasane in Botswana. On arrival, transfer to the Chobe River, which forms the natural border between Botswana and Namibia. A tender boat will take you across to Zambezi Queen, moored on the Namibian side. Settle into your stateroom, enjoy a mid-afternoon snack and take time to explore the ship. This evening, join your fellow guests for a Welcome Cocktail Reception and Dinner on board. Special Information:Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

After breakfast, set out on a morning boat safari along the Chobe River, one of Africa's most wildlife-rich waterways. Keep watch for elephants, hippos, buffalo and a wide range of birdlife as you glide through this remarkable ecosystem. Return to Zambezi Queen for lunch and enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the river, spending time on the sun deck or in the splash pool as the ship cruises along the Chobe.

Begin the day with another morning boat safari followed by a visit to a local African village on the Chobe River. Spend time with community members, including children and village elders, and learn about local traditions and culture. Return to Zambezi Queen for lunch and enjoy the rest of your time on board as the ship continues along the river.

This morning, disembark Zambezi Queen and set out on a full-day safari through Chobe National Park in open-top 4x4 vehicles. The park is known for having one of Africa's densest concentrations of wildlife, and you may see elephants, giraffes, zebras, sable antelope, warthogs and Cape buffalo. Keep watch for prides of lions, hyenas and, on rare occasions, cheetah. Enjoy a picnic lunch under the trees before continuing through the park. Later, transfer across the border into Zimbabwe and settle into your hotel in Victoria Falls. Special Information:Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

After breakfast, join your local guide for a walking tour of Victoria Falls, learning about its history and the rich plant and animal life that thrives in the surrounding rainforest. The afternoon is at your leisure. You might like to browse the craft markets, take a stroll along the Zambezi riverfront, visit the iconic Victoria Falls Hotel for afternoon tea on the terrace, or simply relax back at your hotel.

This morning, take a guided walk across the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia, exploring the more intimate Zambian side of the Falls and visiting the historic town of Livingstone. Return to Zimbabwe with the afternoon at leisure, where you might like to relax at your hotel, browse the local markets, or take in the views of the spray from the Falls rising in the distance.

This morning after breakfast, transfer to Victoria Falls Airport for your flight to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. The influence of Namibia's German colonial past can still be seen today in its architecture, street names and cuisine. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This evening, your local guide joins you for dinner at the hotel, where you will be briefed on the Namibian adventure ahead and can ask any questions. Special Information:Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours. On your departure from Victoria Falls you will say goodbye to your guide, and your group will be met by a local guide in Windhoek, who will coordinate your activities and be reachable to assist you as needed.

This morning after breakfast, bid farewell to Windhoek and travel southwest towards the NamibRand Nature Reserve, one of the largest private reserves in southern Africa. Established in the 1980s to protect the region's red dunes, golden grasslands and mountainous terrain, the reserve is now recognised as one of the continent's great conservation success stories. On arrival at Kwessi Lodge, there is time to settle in and take in your desert surroundings. Special Information:Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

Today, join a full-day excursion into Namib Naukluft National Park. Enter the park at sunrise to see the towering dunes while the light is still soft, with shadows accentuating their shapes and curves. This area is home to some of the highest free-standing sand dunes in the world. Explore the areas around Sossusvlei and Deadvlei before returning to Kwessi Lodge in the late afternoon.

After breakfast, bid farewell to NamibRand and travel northwest through the ever-changing desert landscapes of Namib Naukluft National Park, taking in the striking Gaub and Kuiseb canyons along the way. Reach the Atlantic coast at the port town of Walvis Bay, once a whaling station and a key stopover for sea travel between South Africa and the Netherlands. Continue north to the seaside town of Swakopmund, with time this afternoon to explore the town centre and wander along the waterfront. Special Information:Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

This morning, join a catamaran cruise along the coast in search of the marine life that thrives off Swakopmund, including seals, dolphins and, depending on the season, Southern Right and Humpback whales. The afternoon is at your leisure. You might like to wander the palm-lined promenade, browse the shops and cafes in the town centre, visit the Swakopmund Museum, or simply relax and enjoy the sea air.

After breakfast, transfer to Swakopmund Airport for your flight to Etosha. On arrival, you will be taken to your secluded lodge overlooking the savannah. Time permitting, you may join a guided game drive into Etosha National Park, one of Africa's top safari destinations, keeping watch for elephants, lions, springbok, zebras and the elusive black rhino. Special Information:Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

Begin the day with a morning game drive into the heart of Etosha National Park in search of more of the region's wildlife and bird species. After lunch, there is time to relax back at the lodge, where you can take a dip in the infinity pool and keep watch on the neighbouring watering holes for visiting wildlife. Later, join an afternoon game drive. You may alternatively choose to spend the full day exploring the national park with a picnic lunch included.

This morning after breakfast, travel east through the Namibian landscapes and villages. Along the route, stop in Outjo to visit the Himba Living Museum. The Himba are an Indigenous seminomadic people who continue to live according to their ancestors' traditions. Spend time with the community as they go about their daily routines and learn about their customs, including the distinctive red ochre paste applied to their hair and skin. Continue on to Windhoek, where the day concludes with a farewell dinner alongside your local guide. Special Information:Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

After breakfast, it is time to farewell your fellow travellers and Africa. Join your scheduled transfer to Windhoek Airport for your homebound flight. Sit back and relax as you travel home with plenty of memories from your journey across southern Africa. Special Information:Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight.Please note that hotel check-out time is at 12 noon.

Welcome home. Arrive back in Australia today following your overnight flight, bringing your Inspiring southern African adventure to a close.