The basic daily routine as follows:

Departure about 2hrs after first light depending on the day and what was agreed. Arrival in camp around 4-5 pm depending on the day.

Coffee stop is normally about 2 hrs after departure for about 30 mins. Lunch stop is again about 2 hrs after coffee for about 45 mins, but we schedule it on the day as needed. I boil a kettle for both stops, you bring your coffee or tea or whatever you drink.

Day 1. 6 May 2025

We make our way to Thebe River Lodge for the first night. You have to make your own way there and do your own thing for dinner as I normally arrive a bit late. Do, your own fire if you are braaing. A restaurant is available for dinner if you need one.

Thebe River lodge, Good Pizzas.

Day 2. 

7h00 Depart from our campsite and make our way to the border.

We cross in to Zambia, clear the border post and head towards Lusaka. 

The timing of our day obviously depends on the border crossing and the time spent there. If we don’t make Lusaka we have a back up camp site before Lusaka. Let’s see how it goes.

To get our timing right we will need to push on a little. For those interested, we can visit the falls on our way back. It is at the end of our tour and there will be an opportunity.

Day 3 

8h00 Depart from our campsite and head to the shops.

Shopping and fuel in Lusaka. Very good Pick and Pay.

10h00 Depart from Lusaka.

There is also a new Shoprite on the way north that we can use if you forgot something. We stop there for lunch and fuel.

17h00 Arrive at our campsite Forest inn.

They have a restaurant.

Day 4

Day 5

We take a rest day and relax in the hot spring.

Car wash, swimming, reading, laundry, hiking etc.

Day 6

Depart from our campsite and head to the Tanzania border. 

We will sleep just before or just on the other side of the border depending on the road.

No restaurant for the night.

Day 7

Depart from our campsite and head to Lake Tanganyika for two nights. 

Border crossing and a long day means a late arrival at our campsite on Lake Tanganyika for two nights. Lake shore lodge.

Good food and beer available.

Day 8

We take a rest day on the lake with boat cruises, coffee shop, food and beer, and a lovely dinner on the lake shore.

Day 9

We only have a short 4 hour day and spend the morning at Lake shore lodge.

Just before lunch we set off and are heading direction Rwanda.

Day 10

We drive along the lake edge North and then turn right on the southern Rwanda border and sleep just before the border in a town called Kibondo. Normally in a hotel and use their parking lot for cooking. Bring an easy meal for the night. No braaing.

There is sort of a restaurant, food takes forever but it is usable.

Day 11

8am We depart from our camp and head to the Rwanda Border. Once through the border we head off to the Womans centre on the way to Kigali for the night.

Good food and beer if you were interested.

Day 12, 

We drive up to Kigali and visit the Genocide memorial. 

At the memorial you take your time to visit this site at your own pace. Once you are done have something to eat in their cafeteria and then off to camp for the night.

Fasenda Zenga. On the hills of Kigali. Food and beer available.

Day 13

We take a day of and relax a bit in Kigali. It is a Sunday but maybe a bit of shopping or washing will work.

Day 14

We make our way to the Uganda Border. Through the border and on to the town of Kisoro.

We sleep in town for the night. 

There is a brilliant coffee tour that we will do on a local organic hands on coffee farm. If not in the afternoon we will do it in the morning.

Day 15

We have a short day and head up to the Rushaga gorilla lodge. We take it easy for the day and make sure our stuff for the gorillas are arranged.

Food and beer available.

This is also an emergency back up date, if we had any trouble or were delayed up to this point this day will allow us to catch up. 

Day 16

This is the actual targeted Gorilla day. We visit Bwindi Impenetrable park and trek gorillas for the day.

They will take laundry if you have any.

Food and beer available.

Day 17

Early depart from our campsite. A nice drive for the day. We head to Queen Elizabeth National park, cross the Equator and then on to Fort portal our base for our Chimp trekking. 

Fort Portal has shops and Fuel and we stock up today or tomorrow after the chimp trekking.

Our camp is 20 minutes outside of town.

Nkuruba Reserve. Cold Beer available but a bit short on food.

Day 18

7h30 We set off for our chimp trekking experience. This will take half the day and we should be back in camp just after lunch. 

In the afternoon you could pop in to Fort Portal for shopping. It is a Saturday, so if the shops are open. 

There is a lovely coffee shop / restaurant and fresh bread in town if you were interested.

Day 19

Early depart from camp and we drive towards Kampala.

We bypass the city and arrive at our campsite on the Victoria Nile river. We will be here for three nights.

Nile river explorers.

The best fish and chips and local beer.

Day 20/21

We take a break for the next two days. Kayak on the Nile, or river cruises, 4 wheel motor bike drive outings, rafting, whatever you feel like doing.

Also time for Laundry and shopping.

A few nice things to do around. Boat cruises, river kayaking, source of the nile, lunch in the restaurant, beers on the deck etc.

Day 22

Another early depart from our campsite. heading around Lake Victoria.

A bit of a late arrive at our campsite in Kenya.

Itibo Hotel. No braai for this night. Bring an easy meal.

Day 23

We make our way to the border and pass through, back in to Tanzania.

We find a resort next to lake Victoria and spend the night. 

Beers available but no food.

Day 24

10h00 We enter the Serengeti for 3 nights.

We arrive at our campsite for the next three nights.

Seronera in the middle of the Serengeti.

No meals available.

Day  25,26

We are in The Serengeti and will track the Wildebeest and explore the park in these two days.

We arrive from the west, and we leave through the east, so just north and south to explore.

Hot air balloon if you wanted to as well.

Day 27

First light we pack our stuff and head out of the Serengeti and in to Ngorongoro.

We get our permits to enter the crater and spend the day in the crater. We exit at around 4pm and head to camp in a town called Karatu.

No food or drinks available.

Day 28

First light we depart from camp and drive towards Iringa. It is a new road and we can get down in a day.

It is a long day and if you have a GPS you can tackle this on your own. It is quicker on your own.

Arrive at Old farmhouse. Too late for the restaurant, so sort yourself out.

Day 29

We depart from camp and head to Mbeya.

Depending on time we will sleep just before or just after the Malawi border.

Day 30

We cross in to Malawi and head to our campsite on the lake.

Arrive at Chitimba campsite Malawi in good time.

The group should be tired and we will spend two nights here. Take a rest. Do some washing.

A restaurant and beer available.

Day 31

Off day. Local Malawi beers overlooking the lake, walking down to the Malawi beach. Swim in the lake, eat restaurant food, CHILL……

Day 32

Early depart from our campsite. We follow the lake edge further south.

We cross back in to Zambia and arrive at Chipata. We sleep at Mama Rula just outside Chipata.

Good food and beer.

Day 33

An own speed own time day, we need to get to Lusaka.

Own speed own time is always just a driving day and it means I set the departure time.

Ie. I leave at 7am or whatever. However you may leave before me and make your own way to the next camp at your own speed with your own stops. I then normally leave on time with the group in front of me so if you have a problem I will find you on the road. Alternatively travel with me.

Back to Eureka camp that we used before.

Day 34

Our final stretch in Zambia and we push down to Livingstone for the night. We should be in Livingstone at about 2pm.

Time for visiting the falls. 

It is a long tour and some have already done the Victoria falls. So at this point I might just check those in that wants to see the falls and spend the night. For the rest that wants to get home we carry on to the border, cross in to Botswana and normally I can reach Nata Lodge in the day. However we will see how everybody feels when we get to Livingstone. 

Day 35, 9 June 2025

The tour is done at this point and I head back home very early.