Your holiday starts at the group hotel in Cape Town. Airport transfers to the group hotel are provided. Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. This is a free day for you to explore the beauty of the Cape. You may wish to walk along the waterfront or admire the world-famous Table Mountain, or even take the Aerial Cableway to the top.

After breakfast and a welcome briefing from our guides, we set off to the Cape of Good Hope and explore the Cape Peninsula. This is a magnificent area which sticks out into the Atlantic and is covered in endemic fynbos and is home to picturesque bays, beaches, rolling green hills and valleys; the views are awe inspiring with dizzy heights and magnificent panoramas over the ocean. Our first stop is Hout Bay before we continue down to Cape Point Nature Reserve. Here the rugged rocks and sheer cliffs drop from 200m into the sea and is an area of rich and varied flora and fauna including baboon, zebra and 250 species of birds. We walk to the lighthouse, originally built in 1859 to help sailors navigate the treacherous waters. We also walk down to the Cape of Good Hope with nothing but water between here and Antarctica. Returning we drive through the towns of Muizenburg, Fish Hoek and of course Simon's Town. Here we stop to visit the famous Boulders Beach and spend some time watching the totally fabulous African Penguin colony which thrives here. They are a joy to watch their funny little walk and you can't help but falling a little in love with them! We then return to Cape Town where we have another evening to enjoy the town and dinner. What a fantastic first day!

Leaving behind laid-back city life, we drive northwards to the Cederberg Massif which is a haven for walkers. It remains one of the most pristine areas in South Africa. The San and Khoi people that inhabited the area left behind a rich legacy of rock art of elephants and people painted on the rocks. The mountains glow red as the sun brings out the iron oxides colours of the rock. This afternoon we have a short walk to explore this raw and dramatic landscape, sculpted by the wind and rain. Depending on the local conditions we will walk for two to three hours to either a local viewpoint or waterfall. We return to our campsite to some of our first night skies. Approximate drive time: 3 - 4 hours.

Arriving at the border with Namibia, we head to the welcoming banks of the Gariep River. Rising from the Drakensberg Mountains, the Gariep (also known as the Orange River), is the longest river in South Africa and never fails to impress! Well documented by explorers of a by-gone era, it continues to provide a tranquil and picturesque refuge for travellers passing through. Our perfectly placed lodge is a wonderful place to relax and chill out for the remainder of the afternoon, before our dinner in the evening. Approximate drive time: 7 hours.

Before departing our lodge, there is the option to take a guided canoe journey down the river (payable locally).We then leave for The Fish River Canyon, which is one of the most impressive natural sites in Southern Africa. With towering rock faces and deep ravines of up to 550m (making it the world's second largest canyon), we spend the morning driving to this geological wonderland, before heading into the canyon for the afternoon. Approximate drive time: 4 hours.

Moving through the ever changing landscapes we make our long drive north to the edge of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the second largest game park in Africa (after the Central Kalahari), with a total area of just under 50000 km2. Here we find the iconic sharp-ridged Sossusvlei Dunes of the Namib Desert. Argued to be the highest dunes in the world, their ever changing colours make for wonderful photographic opportunities from sunrise to sunset! We arrive at our accommodation and have a swim to cool off and discover the true meaning of being 'star-struck' under African desert skies. Approximate drive time: 7-8 hours.

First thing this morning we have the opportunity to walk up Dune 45, it is absolutely stunning. Going down is a lot quicker and easier than going up! It also gives us a sense of scale and enormity as these dunes reach almost unbroken, from here to the Atlantic coast. Later we walk for around 3-4km to Dead Vlei (the place of the iconic Namibia photo). Time permitting we might be able to ascend the highest sand dune of the area - Big Daddy (approx. 325m..they change height with the winds). For those who do not want to walk, there are optional 4WD vehicles (operated on a shuttle service by the park and payable locally) that can drive you in to the bottom of the dunes. Walking in these dunes is a true experience and provides us with superb views up and down the Sesriem Canyon of the Tsauchab River. If we are lucky we may spot an ostrich or even a jackal. This afternoon we can visit the Sesriem Canyon, and it is a place of arid beauty. The dreamscape stretches from towering lunar rock formations through to a natural sphinx formation close to the canyon mouth. With ample time to catch the ever-changing colours of a Namib Desert sunset, we return to our accommodation for a second night of desert skies.

Leaving our desert tracks behind, we head for the coastal resort of Swakopmund. Along the way we drive on an interesting salt road for the nearby salt mines and pass by Walvis Bay for a stop to look at the splendid flamboyance of flamingos. Cool breezes, palm-lined streets and an ambiance reminiscent of a small German village, Swakopmund offers a distinct and refreshing Namibian experience for us to explore on our free day tomorrow. Approximate drive time: 5 hours.

Arguably Namibia's premier holiday resort, the town of Swakopmund was founded in the last decade of the nineteenth century, as the principal deepwater port of German South West Africa. Today Swakopmund is a rather unusual place, with a quaint and atmospheric feel, sandwiched as it is between the Namib Desert and the cold Atlantic Ocean. It is as if a piece of 1950's Bavaria has somehow been cast ashore on the harsh Skeleton Coast. Amongst the distinctly Germanic architecture, an eclectic community have made Swakopmund their own, from artists to world travellers and big-game fishermen to stately African tribesmen, all contribute to Swakopmunds' distinct character. We spend the day at leisure in this wild and whacky port-town. There are lots of activities that can be arranged locally, such as boat trips, dune-boarding and even scenic flights over the Namib and along the Skeleton Coast - these are entirely optional and payable directly. Alternatively, you may choose to take it easy, visit the Crystal Gallery, do a township tour or stroll along the beach. We spend a second night at our Swakopmund accommodation.

We drive along the coast, just south of the famous 'Skeleton Coast' and stop to see the seal colony at Cape Cross. This is the largest breeding colony of Cape Fur Seals in the world. We then head into the area of Damaraland we see the ever-changing landscape of Namibia. We get a real taste of a prehistorical land in the area which has ruggedly beautiful, untamed, stark plains, petrified forests and peaks of the Brandberg Massif. The name Brandberg means 'fire mountain' which refers to the glowing red colour of the rocks, seen at sunset. With a dense concentration of San Bush art, dating back several thousand years, we walk with a local guide to view the famous 'White Lady' rock painting. Along this route we may see evidence of wildlife through leopard tracks in the sand and Acacia trees destroyed by passing elephants. Approximate drive time: 6 hours.

We set off this morning with our goal of the Etosha National Park. This is Big Game country. Four of the Big 5 are found here: lion, elephant, leopard and a healthy population of black rhino. Just the buffalo are missing. The central feature of the Park is the Etosha Pan, a 6000 square kilometre salt-flat, which can manifest itself either as a parched white desert or as a lush green land of plenty according to the season. Many of the rare animal species manage to survive here, such as the black rhino, the roan antelope and black-faced impala, which we may be fortunate to see on our afternoon game drive into the park. Etosha is, without doubt, Africa's most distinct National Park. Approximate drive time: 5 - 6 hours.

During infrequent flooding, the pan attracts thousands of flamingos and other wading birds, although the water is so mineral-rich that it is undrinkable. The key to life here is the occurrence of underground springs which form waterholes on the edge of the pan. Together with the savannah grassland that they nourish, these springs enable more than 110 species of mammals to exist in an otherwise hostile environment. One of the highlights in dry season will be the chance to view big cats and game gathering at one of the many waterholes. The rainy season at Etosha extends from November into March and April. This is a season of plenty, when grazing animals and their predators are widespread across the park as they seek out better grazing. Regardless of the season, your experienced leader, will endeavour to seek out the best of Etosha's wildlife during your game drives.

Located in a basin between the Khomas Highlands and Eros Mountains, Windhoek's charm is its fusion of African and European cultures. With a cosmopolitan atmosphere, we drive from African bush into the heart of a Germanic colonial era. More of a town than a bustling capital city, Windhoek's friendly centre, makes for easy exploration. On arrival we have the opportunity to spend some time seeking out souvenirs, or to simply admire the city's Neo-Baroque cathedral spires and colonial architecture. We have our last dinner together at a local restaurant to celebrate a fantastic journey through these splendid countries. Approximate drive time: 7 hours.

Your holiday ends after breakfast in Windhoek.