Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone is believed to have been the first European to view Victoria Falls in 1855. The indigenous name for the falls is Mosi-oa-Tunya—"the smoke that thunders". While it is not the widest or the highest falls in the world, it is certainly one of the most spectacular and is a bucket list item for many travellers. Its a natural starting point for an African safari. Stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel for the ultimate in colonial style accommodation.
Botswana, a unique destination with a wonderfully diverse culture, has many different tribal influences coexisting with Europeans. The tribal groups within Botswana (Tswana, Kalanga, Basarwa and Kgalagadi) have different languages, traditional dances and clothing, and live a vastly different lifestyle to city- dwellers. Home to large populations of wildlife, rugged national parks, wetlands alive with birds and one of the world’s largest deltas, Botswana’s bounty of natural treasures is remarkable. With winter sunshine, a temperate climate and golden sunsets, it’s no wonder most locals have beaming smiles - they’re surrounded by some of Mother Nature’s greatest triumphs. These include the wonderful Okavango Delta – the world’s largest inland delta. A mokoro ride(traditional style canoe) through the water lillys and reeds will have you spotting hippos, an abundance of birdlife and many of the larger animals in the most majestic environment imaginable.
Home to proud tribes steeped in tradition, herds of rare desert-dwelling elephants, wild horses and massive colonies of seals, Namibia showcases the very best of Africa's raw landscapes. From quaint German-inspired towns to uninhabitable deserts, bushland filled with wildlife and a rocky coastline littered with shipwrecks, Namibia's untamed charm is compelling, captivating and very camera-worthy. The red desert dunes Sossovlei, rugged bush veld, dense woodlands and plains of gravel make up Namibia's ancient terrain. Etosha national Park is second to none for wildlife. It’s not uncommon to spot Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards on the same game drive. Home to the monumental Fish River Canyon and sharing the iconic Kalahari Desert with South Africa and Botswana, Namibia has some of the most interesting landscapes in Africa, if not the world. Most visitors prefer to travel during the months May to October. With scarce amount of rain, it is possible to enjoy the uninterrupted sunshine. The climate is moderate and during the day it does not get extremely hot. These months are also ideal for wildlife viewing. As the landscape dries so the game in the north of the country gravitates more to waterholes.
There’s more than a solid week’s worth of things to see and do in and around South Africa’s most southern city - Cape Town. Her most distinctive feature is the stunning setting: Cape Town lies on a dramatic coastline of pristine white beaches and icy waters, overlooked by the iconic flat-topped Table Mountain. It is arguably South Africa’s most picturesque city and while the world knows about the regions wine lands, it has also become internationally recognised for the food culture as well. No trip to Cape Town is complete without a tour of the winelands. Franshoek and Stellenbosh are must-sees, not just for the wine, but for the colonial streets, some shopping and great food.
Join Blue Dot Travel’s multi-faceted small group tour of southern Africa taking in an amazing variety of landscapes, wildlife, ancient and colonial history, food and culture across four countries.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- The national parks of Etosha and Chobe where you’ll see an abundance of wildlife up close and personal
- Sunset drinks on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pan
- Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta
- Sossusvlei National Park‘s amazing dunes
- Victoria falls – the smoke that thunders
- Fish River canyon
- All that is Cape Town, one of the world’s great cities
