Africa Encompassed Northbound — Self-Launched

Land at CPT, take the MyCiTi bus or an Uber (~£12-18) to a Gardens/Long Street hostel. Afternoon wander the V&A Waterfront and Bo-Kaap, then a cheap group-style dinner with other travellers at a Long Street spot. Stock up on a SIM and cash.

🚌MyCiTi bus/Uber from airport ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm, Gardens/Long Street (~£18-22/night)

• →Bo-Kaap & V&A Waterfront walk
• →Optional Table Mountain cableway (book online ~£22, cheaper at sunset)
• →Newlands Forest hike

Do the classic Cape Point/Boulders Beach day trip on a shared backpacker minibus tour (bookable on GetYourGuide or via any hostel desk, ~£35-45). Evening free to explore Kloof Street cafes.

🚌Shared minibus day tour

🛏Hostel dorm

• →Shared Cape Peninsula day tour (Boulders penguins, Cape of Good Hope)
• →Optional Table Mountain hike via Platteklip Gorge (free)

Take an overnight or early intercity coach north — Intercape/Greyhound run Cape Town–Springbok (~£30-40, 7-8h). Base yourself near the Orange River in Namaqualand and enjoy the wildflower/desert scenery.

🚌Intercape coach Cape Town–Springbok ~£35

🛏Budget guesthouse/campsite near Orange River (~£15)

• →Namaqualand scenery
• →Orange River sunset

Cross into Namibia (a shared shuttle or hitching from Springbok to the border/Noordoewer, then onward to Hobas ~£20-30). Pay the small park entry fee at Fish River Canyon viewpoint — second-largest canyon on earth — and catch sunset over the rim.

🚌Shared shuttle/border crossing ~£25

🛏Campsite/hostel near Hobas or Ai-Ais (~£15)

• →Fish River Canyon viewpoint & rim walk
• →Optional Orange River canoe trip (~£35)

Long travel day on a Namibian budget shuttle or shared taxi via Keetmanshoop and Mariental to Sesriem (~£35-45). Stock up on water and supplies in town — the desert gateway is pricey.

🚌Shared shuttle ~£40

🛏Sesriem campsite/hostel (~£18)

• →Sesriem Canyon visit
• →Namib Desert star-gazing

Be at the Sesriem gate before dawn; a shared 4x4 shuttle into Sossusvlei (~£30-40, split between travellers or booked via the campsite) gets you to the dunes for sunrise. Climb Big Daddy/Dead Vlei and picnic brunch in the dunes.

🚌Shared 4x4 into Sossusvlei ~£35

🛏Sesriem campsite/hostel

• →Sunrise at Dune 45
• →Deadvlei & Big Daddy climb
• →Shared 4x4 transfer

Shuttle north via Solitaire and the Tropic of Capricorn to Swakopmund (~£40-50). Arrive in this quirky German-colonial seaside town; hostel check-in and a walk to the lighthouse and pier.

🚌Shared shuttle ~£45

🛏Backpacker hostel, Swakopmund (~£18-22)

• →Solitaire stop for apple pie
• →Swakopmund waterfront walk

Pick your adrenaline: sandboarding (~£35), skydiving (~£180-220), quad biking, or the Swakopmund Museum. Book direct with the operators on the main strip or via GetYourGuide.

🚌Walking/cycle hire ~£5

🛏Backpacker hostel

• →Sandboarding in the dunes
• →Swakopmund Museum
• →Germanic architecture stroll

Beach day, horse or camel ride on the dunes, or a day trip east to the Okakambe trails. Cheap day to reset the budget — self-cater and use the hostel kitchen.

🚌Local minibus/walk

🛏Backpacker hostel

• →Beach relaxation
• →Optional camel/horse ride (~£25)
• →Surf or kayak lessons

Hire a shuttle or join a budget tour north to Cape Cross to see the seal colony (~£25, plus park fee), then on to the granite peaks of Spitzkoppe for the night. Hike the boulders at sunset — the rock arch is a photographer's dream.

🚌Shared shuttle ~£35

🛏Spitzkoppe community campsite (~£15)

• →Cape Cross seal colony
• →Spitzkoppe sunset hike

Head north via Omaruru/Outjo to Okaukuejo (~£30-40 shared shuttle). Enter Etosha late afternoon and do your own self-drive or a shared game drive to the waterholes — the camp floodlit waterhole at Okaukuejo is a night-time wildlife magnet.

🚌Shared shuttle + park entry

🛏Etosha campsite (Okaukuejo/Halali) (~£20)

• →Overland/shared game drive
• →Floodlit waterhole watching

Full day in the park — join a shared 4x4 safari seat (~£50-70 including guide and entry) to chase elephant, lion, rhino and giraffe across the pan. Self-cater at camp in the evening.

🚌Shared safari vehicle

🛏Etosha campsite (~£20)

• →Full day game drive
• →Optional night drive (~£30)

Travel east toward Grootfontein (~£20-25 shared taxi/shuttle). Rest, swim and resupply — cash and supplies get thinner the further north you go.

🚌Shared taxi ~£22

🛏Budget guesthouse/campsite (~£15)

• →Swimming pool day
• →Town market wander

Book a San cultural experience directly with the Living Culture Foundation or via your guesthouse — a guided walk learning tracking, plant medicine and fire-making (~£25-35). Ethical, community-run options are easy to find locally.

🚌Local transfer ~£10

🛏Budget guesthouse (~£15)

• →San cultural walk with community guide
• →Old Farm/ Living Museum visit

Cross into the Caprivi Strip: shared taxi/shuttle via Rundu to Bagani or Divundu (~£30-40). Watch the sun drop over the Okavango River from a riverside backpackers.

🚌Shared taxi/shuttle ~£35

🛏Riverside backpacker/campsite (~£18)

• →Okavango River sunset
• →Riverside campfire

Cross into Botswana and onto the Okavango Delta area (~£25). Join a small-group mokoro/boat safari operator (Etsha/Seronga side) — boat safari ~£45-60 per person for a day trip.

🚌Shared 4x4/border transfer ~£25

🛏Delta backpacker/hostel, Sepopa or Maun side (~£18)

• →Boat safari in the delta channels
• →Birdwatching

Full-day mokoro canoe safari and delta nature walk with a local poler-guide (~£70-90, booked direct with a delta operator or via GetYourGuide). Optional scenic flight over the delta ~£110.

🚌Included in tour

🛏Delta backpacker (~£18)

• →Mokoro canoe safari
• →Guided nature walk
• →Optional scenic flight

Cross back up to the Caprivi (~£25) for a slower day — sunset cruise on the Okavango River (~£20-30) or just a hammock afternoon.

🚌Shared 4x4/border transfer ~£25

🛏Riverside backpacker (~£18)

• →Okavango River sunset cruise
• →Riverside rest day

Head east along the Chobe riverfront into Kasane (~£30 shared shuttle/4x4). Afternoon Chobe River cruise for hippo and elephant (~£30-35).

🚌Shared shuttle ~£30

🛏Kasane backpacker hostel (~£20)

• →Chobe River sunset cruise
• →Elephant watching

Book a dawn 4x4 safari in Chobe NP direct with a Kasane operator (~£60-75 incl. park fee, 3-4h with huge elephant herds), then an afternoon river cruise or game drive if you have the energy.

🚌Safari 4x4

🛏Kasane backpacker hostel

• →Dawn 4x4 safari
• →Optional afternoon boat cruise

Cross the Kazungula border into Zimbabwe and on to Victoria Falls town (~£25 shuttle). Book your park entry to Vic Falls for tomorrow and wander the town.

🚌Shared shuttle/border crossing ~£25

🛏Backpacker hostel, Victoria Falls (~£18-22)

• →Border crossing
• →Vic Falls town stroll

Walk the falls on the Zimbabwe side (~£25 park entry) — bring a raincoat, you'll get soaked. Optional adventure add-ons: bungee (~£140), rafting (~£130), sundowner cruise (~£45).

🚌Walk/local taxi

🛏Backpacker hostel

• →Victoria Falls National Park walk
• →Optional bungee/rafting
• →Local restaurant dinner

Riverside hikes, market shopping, or a day trip over to the Zambia side. Try the local craft breweries and cheap restaurants in town.

🚌Local taxi/walk

🛏Backpacker hostel

• →Vic Falls market & town
• →Optional helicopter flight (~£150)

Cross the bridge into Zambia to Livingstone (~£15-20). Visit the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (~£10 donation/entry) — easy to arrange on arrival; it's a good ethical alternative to elephant-riding experiences.

🚌Shared border transfer ~£18

🛏Livingstone backpacker (~£18)

• →Livingstone town
• →Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust visit

Guided walking rhino safari in Mosi-oa-Tunya NP (~£55-75 incl. park fees, book direct or via GetYourGuide) — one of the best ways to see white rhino on foot. Optional sunset cruise on the Zambezi (~£35).

🚌Safari 4x4

🛏Livingstone backpacker

• →Walking rhino safari
• →Optional Zambezi sunset cruise

Long intercity bus south via the Kafue (Mazhandu or Power Tools, ~£20-25, 7-8h). Overnight in the capital — a good hostel in Kabwata or Roma.

🚌Intercity bus ~£22

🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse Lusaka (~£20)

• →Lusaka market wander

Bus east toward Chipata, stopping at Petauke (~£12). Small-town Zambia, cheap food, early start tomorrow.

🚌Intercity bus ~£12

🛏Budget guesthouse (~£15)

• →Village walk
• →Local market

Bus to Chipata (~£6), then shared minibus to Mfuwe (~£8). Visit the South Luangwa anti-poaching jewellery/community project (~£5-10 donation) and camp on the riverbank.

🚌Bus + shared minibus ~£15

🛏Riverside campsite/backpacker (~£18)

• →Anti-poaching jewellery project visit
• →Riverside camp

Book a shared morning game drive direct with a Mfuwe operator (~£60-80 incl. park fee) — South Luangwa is leopard country. Optional night drive (~£50) for nocturnal wildlife.

🚌Safari vehicle

🛏Riverside campsite

• →Morning 4WD safari
• →Optional night drive

Slow day back to Chipata (~£10), resupply and prepare to cross into Malawi.

🚌Shared minibus ~£10

🛏Budget guesthouse (~£15)

• →Chipata market

Cross at Mchinji into Malawi (~£10), bus to Lilongwe then on to Cape Maclear (~£15-20 total). Arrive at a lakeside backpacker with a hammock and a beach.

🚌Cross-border bus ~£18

🛏Lakeside backpacker, Cape Maclear (~£12-15)

• →Border crossing
• →Lakeside sunset

Cycle to local villages, rent a kayak or pedalo, swim in the clear water and meet Malawi's famously friendly locals. Cheap day — food at the backpacker or local stalls.

🚌Bike hire ~£3

🛏Lakeside backpacker

• →Swimming & kayaking
• →Bike rental to villages

Bus north up the lakeshore to Chitimba (~£12-15). Walk the shore and look out to the Tanzanian hills across the water.

🚌Bus ~£14

🛏Lakeside lodge (~£13)

• →Shore walk
• →Local fishing village visit

Cross at Songwe into Tanzania and continue to Tukuyu in the tea-growing highlands (~£20 total). Visit a tea farm (~£5-10, arrange locally or with your guesthouse).

🚌Cross-border bus ~£20

🛏Budget guesthouse Tukuyu (~£14)

• →Tea farm visit & tasting

Bus east to Iringa (~£8). Keen birdwatchers should head out at dawn; clear highland skies make for brilliant stargazing.

🚌Bus ~£8

🛏Budget guesthouse (~£14)

• →Birdwatching
• →Iringa town & Gangilonga rock walk

Bus to Mikumi (~£8), then a shared afternoon game drive in Mikumi NP (~£55-70 incl. park fee) — easily booked at the park gate or via local operators.

🚌Bus + safari vehicle ~£8

🛏Budget lodge near Mikumi (~£18)

• →4WD game drive in Mikumi NP

Bus to Dar (~£10). Head to Kipepo/South Beach for a cheap beach stroll and seafood dinner before the ferry tomorrow.

🚌Bus ~£10

🛏Budget guesthouse, South Beach (~£15)

• →Beach stroll
• →Seafood dinner

Take the Azam or Kilimanjaro ferry to Zanzibar (~£25-30). Explore Stone Town's alleys, the Old Fort and Darajani Bazaar; sunset at Forodhani food market.

🚌Ferry ~£28

🛏Stone Town budget guesthouse/hostel (~£15-18)

• →Stone Town walking tour (free self-guided or £8 guide)
• →Darajani Bazaar
• →Forodhani night market

Daladala or shared taxi to the north (~£4). Join a spice plantation tour (~£20-30 incl. tasting and lunch) — book direct with any Nungwi operator or GetYourGuide.

🚌Local bus/shared taxi ~£4

🛏Nungwi/Kendwa budget guesthouse (~£18)

• →Spice plantation tour & tasting
• →Beach afternoon

Full beach day: swimming, snorkelling, sunset dhow cruise (~£20) and a seafood dinner by the water.

🚌Walk/boat

🛏Nungwi budget guesthouse

• →Swimming & snorkelling
• →Optional dhow sunset cruise

Return ferry to Dar (~£28), then a dala-dala/shared minibus north to the old slave-trade town of Bagamoyo (~£3). Wander the old German colonial buildings and ruins.

🚌Ferry + local bus ~£30

🛏Budget guesthouse Bagamoyo (~£13)

• →Bagamoyo historic town walk

Bus toward Mombo then Lushoto (~£10). Afternoon acclimatise and arrange a local guide for tomorrow's hike with your guesthouse.

🚌Bus + shared minibus ~£10

🛏Lushoto guesthouse/campsite (~£12)

• →Mountain village walk

Hike to Irente viewpoint and farm with a local guide (~£10-15) and eat a famous Irente farm lunch — cheese, bread and jam — looking out to the Maasai plains.

🚌On foot

🛏Lushoto guesthouse (~£12)

• →Irente viewpoint hike
• →Irente farm lunch
• →Optional Usambara forest walk

Bus to Arusha (~£15-18, long day). Use the evening to book your Ngorongoro/Serengeti group tour visiting operator offices on Boma Road — or pre-book on GetYourGuide for peace of mind.

• →Arusha town & safari booking

Bus to Arusha (~£15-18, long day). Use the evening to book a shared Ngorongoro/Serengeti camping safari with a local operator on Boma Road — or pre-book on GetYourGuide for peace of mind.

🚌Bus ~£16

🛏Arusha budget hostel (~£15)

• →Arusha town & safari booking

Public bus to Karatu (~£4) at the green foothills of the Ngorongoro highlands. Book a coffee farm tour (~£15-20) and the Elephant Cave/Endoro waterfall trek (~£15-20) with a local guide — sleep at a Karatu guesthouse or join your safari's pre-night camp.

🚌Bus ~£4

🛏Karatu guesthouse (~£18)

• →Coffee farm tour
• →Elephant Cave trek
• →Endoro waterfall

Start a 3-day shared camping safari (booked direct, ~£380-480 per person all-in incl. park fees, guide, meals and camping). Day 1: descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for the Big Five, then drive onto the Serengeti.

🚌Safari 4x4 (included in tour price)

🛏Serengeti public campsite (included)

• →Ngorongoro Crater 4WD safari
• →Drive onto Serengeti

Morning and afternoon game drives across the endless plains — wildebeest, predators and big cats. Brunch back at camp, optional balloon safari with bush breakfast (~£400-450, book ahead).

🚌Safari 4x4

🛏Serengeti campsite

• →Morning & afternoon game drives
• →Optional balloon safari

Finish the safari with a game drive out and drive to Mto wa Mbu (~£170 balance of safari cost). Join a local village walk and eat a home-cooked Tanzanian dinner (~£12-15).

🚌Safari 4x4

🛏Mto wa Mbu budget guesthouse (~£13)

• →Village walk & local dinner

Shuttle bus across the Namanga border to Nairobi (~£25-30, 6-7h). Hostel in Westlands or Kilimani; evening out in town.

🚌Shuttle ~£28

🛏Nairobi budget hostel (~£18)

• →Nairobi arrival explore

Shuttle to Nakuru (~£8), then join an afternoon game drive in Lake Nakuru NP (~£60-80 incl. park fees and vehicle, bookable via a Nakuru operator or GetYourGuide) — rhino, flamingos and Rothschild's giraffe.

🚌Shuttle + safari vehicle ~£10

🛏Nakuru guesthouse/hostel (~£16)

• →Afternoon game drive in Lake Nakuru NP

Early morning game drive (~£35-45) then a bus north to Eldoret (~£8) for a nightbreak en route to Uganda.

🚌Safari vehicle + bus ~£10

🛏Eldoret budget hotel (~£16)

• →Morning game drive
• →Eldoret town dinner

Cross at Busia/Malaba into Uganda (~£5-8), then a minibus to Kampala (~£6). Arrive in the evening, hotel check-in and a meal.

🚌Cross-border bus/minibus ~£14

🛏Kampala budget guesthouse (~£15)

• →Border crossing
• →Kampala city wander

Long shared bus/coaster to Mbarara then Kasese (~£12-15). Afternoon game drive in Queen Elizabeth NP (~£60-80 incl. park fee) — elephant, kob and buffalo.

🚌Bus + safari vehicle ~£15

🛏Budget lodge near QENP (~£20)

• →Overland game drive
• →Optional Kazinga Channel boat cruise (~£25)

Book a chimpanzee trek in Kalinzu Forest direct with the reserve (~£25-40) — a fantastic, much cheaper alternative to Kibale. Afternoon transfer toward Kisoro (~£5).

🚌Shared transfer ~£5

🛏Kisoro guesthouse (~£16)

• →Chimpanzee trek
• →Forest walk

Slow day on Lake Mutanda: swim off the dock, spot weavers and clawless otters, with the Virunga volcanoes as a backdrop. Prepare for tomorrow's early gorilla trek.

🚌Local boda/taxi ~£4

🛏Kisoro guesthouse

• →Lake Mutanda swimming
• →Virunga viewpoints

The big one: mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi using a permit you purchase directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority (~£640 for a Ugandan permit; the gorilla permit alone is the single biggest expense of the trip — book months ahead for your date). One incredible hour with a gorilla family.

🚌Transfer to trailhead ~£8

🛏Kisoro/Bwindi guesthouse (~£16)

• →Mountain gorilla trek & permit
• →Guided rainforest walk

Rest or do a rainforest monkey hike (~£15). Optional day trip into Rwanda for the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Nyamirambo women's centre and Kimironko market (~£30 transport + entry).

🚌Shared taxi ~£10

🛏Kisoro guesthouse

• →Monkey hike
• →Optional Rwanda day trip

Long shared bus day south via Kabale (~£10). Cheap evening in Mbarara.

🚌Shared bus ~£10

🛏Budget hotel Mbarara (~£14)

• →Travel day

Bus east through Kampala to Jinja on the Nile (~£12). Riverside backpackers, cold beer, and the source of the Nile nearby.

🚌Bus ~£12

🛏Jinja riverside backpacker (~£15)

• →Source of the Nile walk

Choose your Nile thrill: whitewater rafting (~£85-110, book direct with the rafting companies or GetYourGuide), kayaking, or a boat cruise to the Source of the Nile (~£10-20).

🚌Local shuttle ~£4

🛏Jinja backpacker

• →Whitewater rafting
• →Optional Nile kayaking/boat cruise

Cross back into Kenya and onto the tea country of Kericho (~£20-25). Visit a tea plantation (~£30-45, arrange direct or via your guesthouse) and take in the rolling green hills.

🚌Cross-border bus ~£22

🛏Kericho guesthouse (~£15)

• →Tea plantation visit & tasting

Travel to the Mara via the Loita Hills (~£20). Join a Maasai village visit (~£15-20) and an afternoon game drive. Better: use a 3-day shared Mara camping safari (~£280-350 all-in).

🚌Shuttle + safari vehicle ~£20

🛏Mara public campsite (~£15)

• →Maasai village visit
• →Afternoon 4WD game drive

Full day 4x4 safari in the Maasai Mara (~£45-60 incl. park fee) — the densest big cat population in East Africa. Optional sunrise balloon safari with bush breakfast (~£420, book ahead).

🚌Safari 4x4

🛏Mara campsite

• →Full day game drive
• →Optional balloon safari

Morning drive out of the Mara back to Nairobi by shared shuttle (~£25), arriving in time for a final hostel dinner in Westlands or the airport. Trip done — 64 days, ten countries, no overland truck required.

🚌Shuttle ~£25 + airport transfer ~£10

🛏Overnight Nairobi hostel or fly home

• →Return transfer
• →Nairobi farewell dinner