Southern Discoverer

Tour Details 

What is included

Mikumu National Park
Lake Malawi
Kande Beach Resort
Kalahari Desert

All transport whilst on tour
Road tolls & taxes
Sleeping mattresses & tents
Campsite fees
Services of  professional crew
The main sites listed in the trip dossier
Food – 2 meals a day whilst on the truck

What is not included

International flight transfers and taxes
Pre and Post tour Accommodation (can be arranged at time of booking)
Lunches & meals out
Items listed in ‘Optional activities’ section
Items of a personal nature & spending money
Travel Insurance and Visas
Local Tour Payment

Local Tour Payment:

Payable in £ Pounds Sterling cash but you can pay in $US dollars or Euros cash at the current cross exchange rate on date of departure, check with the driver for the rate. Please pay this to the driver on departure. Traveler’s Cheques, cards or other forms of payment are not accepted.

We require the local payment as we are unable to reliably transfer foreign currency required to operate the tour. It is for this reason that we ask for a part of your tour payment to be paid on the first day, directly to your driver. The Local Payment is not a Food Kitty. Whilst it does pay for the food as per itinerary, it also covers; camping accommodation cost, local tolls and taxes and other payments required to make the tour run successfully. It is administered by the driver/guide and is not refundable. All Local Payment amounts are subject to change without notice. Changes are very rare and are normally due to a sudden or unexpected price increase by a local service provider or National Park. Although the LP is better for the Driver in USD, with the ever fluctuating exchange rates we feel it is fairer to advertise in Pounds as it is a far more stable amount. We can then worry about the exchange rate rather than you.

Optional side trips 

Serengeti National Park
Ngorongoro Crater
Zanzibar Island
Matopos National Park
Okavango Delta

Please see the OPTIONAL ACTIVITY PAGE for a full list of what is available en-route

Life on Tour

There are times when we will have some long drives in order to cover big distances, but on most days that we travel, we only move for half the day. The African landscape and people you pass are never boring and most find it hard to put their head down and read whilst on the road, for fear of missing something. Most evenings we pull into camp and you and your tent partner will put up your tent, then either relax with a cool drink, or get involved in a local activity. Breakfast is usually cereal, toast, tea, and coffee, with the occasional cooked breakfast. Lunch, if we eat on the truck is cold.

Camping
Tents are provided and all have sewn in floors and mosquito netting. You will need to bring with you a sleeping bag, sleep sheet, foam roll mat or airbed. Bring a mosquito net only if you want to sleep outside of your tent, these can be bought in Africa.

Participation
Participation is essential. A successful and smooth tour depends very much on everyone taking part in the duties that arise i.e. cooking, vehicle cleaning and food shopping. With this in mind your crew will organize groups on a rotating roster. The most successful tours are those where everyone becomes involved as much as possible. These are not luxury tours, so join in! In the end the more you put in the more you get out.

Spending Money
£10 - £20 a day is a good start excluding side trips. Of course this varies from person to person depending on how much you drink, eat and how many souvenirs you buy. In most parts of Africa it is difficult to change travellers cheques and to use ATMs so we suggest for ease of exchange and better rates of exchange take your money as 50% travellers cheques and 50% cash. As travelling with cash is risky please ensure that you have adequate insurance to hedge against the risk of loss. Be aware that if your cash is lost it is very unlikely you will recover it. In Zimbabwe you need $US cash to change at the banks and they can ask for proof of purchase. A credit card is handy for emergency spending only, but useless for day-to-day spending. Do not rely on credit cards/switch type cards until you get to Southern Africa as money machines are almost non-existent. For spending in Namibia it is best to start the trip with £100 changed into South African Rand as you can't change money for the first few days. You can spend rand all over Namibia and of course in South Africa at the end of the trip, get it before leaving home or at the airport as you fly out.

Group Size
The average number of passengers on an Africa tour is normally between 12 - 18, with a maximum of 30 and minimum of 8.

Pre and Post Tour Accommodation

Transfers

If you would like the security of an airport pickup you should provide us with your flight details at the time of booking. Airport Pick Up - $20 – Meet the driver at Planet Safari shop, just to the right as you come through the glass doors after collecting your luggage.

Visas

Visas are not included in the tour price or recommended daily spending money. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months with 5 clear pages, 20 for the Trans Africa. If you have dual nationality you should use only one passport. Check what visas you need before departure with the relevant consulates or with www.embassyworld.com

AFRICA – Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe – visas are required by most nationalities, but for most these can be obtained on entry. Or if preferred you can get them from your local embassy before you travel. Botswana, Namibia and South Africa – visas are not required by most passport holders.

TRANS AFRICA – Visas needed for most countries. These we normally get on route.

For information on the location of your nearest embassy or consulate we recommend the following website: yahoo.com/Government/Embassies_and_Consulates/ . For current updates on visa information you can try the website www.visaproject.com