Nairobi to Johannesburg: 94-Day Self-Launched Overland Adventure

Land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and take an Uber or Airport Express bus to a hostel in Westlands or Kilimani. Sort your Kenyan eTA, buy a local Safaricom SIM (~£1 for data bundle), and get cash. Stock up on supplies at a supermarket and join a meetup or hostel dinner to find travel partners.

🚌Airport Express bus ~£4 or Uber ~£12

🛏Backpacker hostel dorm, Westlands/Kilimani (~£10)

• →Settle in and acclimatise
• →Buy SIM card and cash
• →Hostel dinner/social

Book a 3-day Masai Mara budget safari through your hostel or GetYourGuide the night before. Shared minibus departs early, crossing the Great Rift Valley viewpoint en route. Travel via Narok into the Mara conservancy area.

🚌Shared safari minibus (included in 3-day tour, ~£220 total)

🛏Budget tented camp/banda near Mara gate (~£15)

• →Rift Valley viewpoint stop
• →Evening arrival to camp

Full day of morning and afternoon game drives in the Mara — lion, cheetah, elephant and during migration season the wildebeest crossings. Optional evening game drive if timing allows. Eat at the camp (meals usually included in budget safari).

🚌Safari 4x4/minibus with guide (included)

🛏Tented camp near Mara (~£15)

• →Morning game drive
• →Afternoon game drive
• →Optional Maasai village visit

Return to Nairobi area then continue by matatu to Naivasha. Hire a bike at Hell's Gate National Park (~£8) and cycle past geothermal vents and gorges, or self-book the Hell's Gate walk. Optional boat trip to Crescent Island.

🚌Return leg of safari minibus, then matatu to Naivasha ~£3

🛏Naivasha backpackers/lake camp (~£12)

• →Cycle Hell's Gate National Park
• →Crescent Island walk
• →Optional Crater Lake Sanctuary

A long travel day. Take a matatu or Easy Coach bus from Nakuru/Nairobi towards Kakamega via Kisumu — break the journey in Nakuru or Kisumu if you prefer. Evening arrival to a guesthouse near the rainforest.

🚌Bus Naivasha–Kakamega ~£12 (8-10 hrs)

🛏Guesthouse near Kakamega Forest (~£10)

• →Local market wander

Join a guided walk in Kakamega Rainforest (~£10, arrange with the forest station or your guesthouse) to spot blue monkeys and rare birds. Afternoon bus to Kisumu on Lake Victoria for the night.

🚌Local bus Kakamega–Kisumu ~£3

🛏Kisumu budget guesthouse (~£10)

• →Guided Kakamega Rainforest walk
• →Kisumu sunset over Lake Victoria

Cross the border into Uganda by bus/minibus via Busia. Change to a Kampala-bound coach, then onward to Jinja. Complete Uganda entry and sort a Ugandan SIM and cash (UGX).

🚌Cross-border bus Kisumu–Jinja ~£15 (9 hrs, incl. border)

🛏Jinja backpackers/hostel (~£12)

• →Border crossing
• →Jinja riverside bars

Visit the Source of the Nile and take a boat trip to the point (~£8). Optional: this is one of the world's best whitewater rafting spots — self-book a full-day Grade 5 raft via a local operator (~£110) or a cheaper half-day, or go kayaking, quad biking or horse riding along the river.

🚌Boda-boda and local taxis ~£3

🛏Jinja backpackers (~£12)

• →Source of the Nile boat trip
• →Optional whitewater rafting
• →Optional kayaking/quad biking

Long travel day — take a bus towards Fort Portal then a shared taxi/minibus onward toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. Alternatively fly Jinja–Kasese if budget allows. Overnight near the park or Katunguru.

🚌Bus + shared minibus ~£14

🛏Guesthouse near QENP/Katunguru (~£12)

• →Equator crossing stop
• →Crater lakes viewpoint

Book a self-drive hire or join a shared park game drive (~£30) and the Kazinga Channel boat cruise (~£25) directly at the park. Look for elephants, buffalo, hippos and the famous tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector.

🚌Hired vehicle/shared park transport ~£10

🛏Guesthouse near QENP (~£12)

• →Kazinga Channel boat cruise
• →Game drive in QENP
• →Optional Kalinzu chimpanzee trek (~£35)

Travel to serene Lake Bunyonyi near Kabale. Take a dugout canoe to an island, swim in the famously bilharzia-free lake, and visit a local community. A restful base before the gorillas.

🚌Shared minibus/taxi to Kabale + boat transfer ~£8

🛏Lake Bunyonyi lakeside lodge/camp (~£13)

• →Canoe to islands
• →Community/pygmy village visit
• →Lake swimming

If budget permits, the highlight: a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable or Mgahinga Gorilla NP. Permits are expensive (~£400-700) and must be booked well in advance. Otherwise cross to Kigali and visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial (free, donation).

🚌Shared taxi to border + Kigali bus ~£10

🛏Kigali hostel (~£14) or Kisoro guesthouse

• →Optional gorilla trekking (permit extra)
• →Kigali Genocide Memorial
• →Kigali city walk

Explore Kigali's colourful centre and craft markets in the morning, then take a bus north to Musanze (Ruhengeri), the gateway to Volcanoes National Park. Sort your Rwandan SIM and cash.

🚌Bus Kigali–Musanze ~£4 (2 hrs)

🛏Musanze guesthouse/hostel (~£14)

• →Kigali city and markets
• →Musanze evening

Self-book a Golden Monkey trek (~£80 permit) or a guided village tour and banana beer experience near Musanze (~£15). Explore the Musanze Caves. Note Volcanoes NP gorilla permits are pricier than Uganda.

🚌Local taxis ~£5

🛏Musanze guesthouse (~£14)

• →Optional Golden Monkey trek
• →Village tour & banana beer
• →Musanze Caves

Travel back through Uganda towards Lake Mburo. Long day by bus via Kigali/Kampala. Overnight at a camp or guesthouse near the park.

🚌Bus combination ~£14

🛏Camp/guesthouse near Lake Mburo (~£12)

• →Travel day
• →Sunset over the park

Morning safari in Lake Mburo (~£30 shared) to see zebra, impala and eland, or join an evening/night game drive (~£30, 6:30-7pm) to spot leopard and hyena. Walk or cycle the park's trails.

🚌Park game vehicle/shared ~£10

🛏Camp near Lake Mburo (~£12)

• →Morning safari
• →Optional night game drive
• →Cycling/walking trails

Bus towards Mbale then to Sipi Falls at the foot of Mount Elgon. Check into a basic lodge near the falls. Evening walk to the lower waterfall as the sun sets.

🚌Bus + shared taxi ~£14

🛏Sipi Falls lodge/camp (~£12)

• →Sipi Falls sunset walk

Do the three-waterfalls Sipi circuit hike (~£10 with local guide) and optionally abseil down the main falls (~£35) or take a coffee plantation tour. Great hiking and village scenery.

🚌Local walking/taxis ~£3

🛏Sipi Falls lodge (~£12)

• →Waterfall circuit hike
• →Optional abseiling
• →Coffee plantation tour

Cross back into Kenya and travel via Eldoret/Nakuru towards Lake Nakuru National Park. Overnight in Nakuru town and arrange the next day's park safari.

🚌Cross-border bus + matatu ~£15

🛏Nakuru budget hotel/guesthouse (~£12)

• →Border crossing
• →Nakuru town evening

Half-day game safari in Lake Nakuru NP (~£70 shared, home to rhino, flamingo and Rothschild's giraffe), then afternoon matatu/bus to Nairobi. Note Lake Nakuru entry is now ~£45 for foreigners.

🚌Shared park vehicle + matatu/bus to Nairobi ~£10

🛏Nairobi hostel (~£10)

• →Lake Nakuru game safari
• →Rhinoceros spotting

Visit the Giraffe Centre in Langata (~£10) and optionally the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (~£20, timed visit only) and Karen Blixen Museum (~£8). Rest and regroup before the Tanzania leg.

🚌Matatu/Uber around town ~£5

🛏Nairobi hostel (~£10)

• →Giraffe Centre
• →Optional Elephant Orphanage
• →Optional Karen Blixen Museum

Take the daily shuttle bus from Nairobi to Arusha (~£20, 5-6 hrs) crossing the Namanga border. Sort your Tanzanian visa (often available on arrival/eVisa) and SIM. Stay near the clock tower.

🚌Shuttle bus Nairobi–Arusha ~£20

🛏Arusha hostel (~£12)

• →Border crossing
• →Arusha town and market

Optional day trip (shared taxi) to the Meserani Snake Park (~£8) and a Maasai village cultural visit (~£20). Book your Serengeti/Ngorongoro safari for the following days, either a Joining Safari (~£200-350 for 3-4 days camping) or day trips.

🚌Local taxis ~£5

🛏Arusha hostel (~£12)

• →Meserani Snake Park
• →Maasai village visit
• →Book Serengeti/Ngorongoro safari

Join a Self-booked shared camping safari into the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater (2-4 days, ~£200-350 pp for joining trips). Camp in the park and fall asleep to the sound of wildlife. Bring warm layers for the crater rim.

🚌Shared safari 4x4 (included)

🛏Safari camp tent (included in safari)

• →Serengeti game drives
• →Ngorongoro Crater descent
• →Big Five spotting

Morning crater experience, then return to Arusha in the afternoon. Wash up and rest. Optional Marangu day trip to Kilimanjaro base camp area on your way south tomorrow.

🚌Safari return leg (included)

🛏Arusha hostel (~£12)

• →Crater rim viewpoints
• →Optional Marangu day trip

Bus or shared taxi to Moshi (~£4) at the base of Kilimanjaro. Day trip to Marangu to walk the coffee plantations, rivers and waterfalls and visit a local blacksmith (~£15 tour).

🚌Bus/dala-dala ~£5

🛏Moshi hostel (~£12)

• →Marangu coffee plantation walk
• →Waterfalls and caves
• →Kilimanjaro views

Long journey south towards Dar. Take an overnight bus departing Moshi/Arusha to Dar es Salaam (~£18, 12-14 hrs), saving a night's accommodation. Alternatively fly Kilimanjaro–Dar (from ~£40) if you prefer speed.

🚌Overnight bus to Dar ~£18

🛏Overnight bus/coach

• →Travel day

Morning ferry from Dar to Zanzibar's Stone Town (~£25-35 with Azam or Kilimanjaro ferries). Complete the Zanzibar entry form. Explore the atmospheric Stone Town alleys at dusk.

🚌Ferry to Zanzibar ~£30

🛏Stone Town guesthouse/hostel (~£15)

• →Ferry crossing
• →Stone Town sunset
• →Forodhani night food market

Self-guided or small-group tour of Stone Town: the Old Fort, House of Wonders, slave market memorial and spice market (~£20 guided). Boat trips, dhow cruises and the spice tour can be booked on the seafront.

🚌Walking/dala-dala ~£3

🛏Stone Town hostel (~£15)

• →Stone Town history tour
• →Spice market
• →Slave museum
• →Optional dhow sunset cruise

Take a dala-dala or shared taxi to the beaches (~£5). Relax or dive into the options: snorkelling, dive courses, dolphin boat trips (~£25-40), kite-surfing, or simply swim. Book via your hostel or GetYourGuide.

🚌Shared taxi to beaches ~£6

🛏Beach guesthouse hostel/bungalow (~£15)

• →Beach time
• →Snorkelling
• →Optional diving or dolphin trip

Full beach day at your own pace. Spice farm tour, sandbank picnic, or scuba dive if certified. Great for slow travel and recovering between travel legs.

🚌Local ~£3

🛏Beach bungalow (~£15)

• →Optional spice farm tour
• →Optional scuba/snorkel
• →Beach relaxation

Return ferry to Dar (~£30). Restock supplies and prepare for the long haul south to Malawi. Overnight in Dar.

🚌Ferry back ~£30

🛏Dar budget hotel (~£12)

• →Dar waterfront stroll

Bus south from Dar towards Mbeya/Iringa, breaking the journey to rest. This is a long day of driving. If time allows, detour to Mikumi National Park for wildlife viewing (~£45 shared).

🚌Long-distance bus ~£15

🛏Iringa/Mikumi budget guesthouse (~£10)

• →Optional Mikumi NP game drive
• →Roadside villages

Continue south towards the Malawi border. Overnight in Mbeya, the tea-growing highland town, and arrange onward transport to the border at Karonga.

🚌Bus ~£10

🛏Mbeya guesthouse (~£10)

• →Mbeya market

Cross into Malawi at Karonga and travel south along the lake to Chitimba or Nkhata Bay. Sort a Malawi e-visa in advance and take out kwacha at the border. Welcome to the warm heart of Africa.

🚌Bus + shared taxi across border ~£12

🛏Lakeside lodge/camp at Chitimba (~£12)

• →Border crossing
• →First swim in Lake Malawi

Join a village walk with a local guide (~£8) through fishing communities, learn about lake life and the local fishing traditions. Optional scuba diving or snorkelling in the clear water, windsurfing, or buy local mahogany and ebony carvings.

🚌Local walking/dhow ~£3

🛏Lakeside lodge (~£12)

• →Guided village walk
• →Snorkelling
• →Optional diving
• →Craft shopping

Travel from the lake to the capital Lilongwe, exploring the local crafts market on arrival. Stock up on cash and supplies.

🚌Bus/coach ~£10

🛏Lilongwe backpackers (~£12)

• →Lilongwe craft market
• →Capital city stroll

A long overland day crossing into Zimbabwe via the Tete Corridor (Mozambique transit). Arrange the Zimbabwe eVisa and Mozambique transit visa in advance. Overnight en route or continue into Zimbabwe if the border timing works.

🚌Long-distance bus across borders ~£18

🛏Roadside guesthouse (~£12)

• →Border crossings
• →Tete Corridor transit

Arrive in Harare, sort Zim dollars/cash and SIM. Visit the Mbare Market and craft market, stroll Harare Botanical Gardens, and sample Zimbabwean nightlife in the evening.

🚌Local taxis ~£5

🛏Harare backpackers/guesthouse (~£13)

• →Mbare Market
• →Harare Botanical Gardens
• →Craft market

Travel southeast to the Chimanimani mountains near the Mozambique border. Award yourself a rest after the long travel run and enjoy mountain scenery.

🚌Bus + shared taxi ~£12

🛏Chimanimani lodge/camp (~£12)

• →Mountain village stroll

Mountain wilderness hike in the Chimanimani range (~£10 with guide), or a shorter hike to Bridal Veil Falls. Visit the Chimanimani village market for local crafts.

🚌Local walking ~£3

🛏Chimanimani lodge (~£12)

• →Wilderness hike
• →Bridal Veil Falls
• →Village market

Travel to Masvingo near the Great Zimbabwe Ruins — the UNESCO-listed stone city that gave the country its name. Overnight nearby and take a sunset walk around the walls.

🚌Bus ~£12

🛏Masvingo guesthouse (~£12)

• →Great Zimbabwe Ruins sunset walk

Explore the ruins with a guide in the morning (~£12 entry + guide), then travel to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city and gateway to Matobo. Evening in town.

🚌Bus Great Zimbabwe–Bulawayo ~£12

🛏Bulawayo backpackers (~£12)

• →Great Zimbabwe guided tour
• →Bulawayo evening

Day safari in Matobo National Park — famous for resident black and white rhino and ancient San rock paintings, plus Cecil Rhodes' grave at World's View (~£45 shared safari). Optional horseback game viewing. Continue towards Gweru.

🚌Shared safari vehicle + bus ~£15

🛏Gweru guesthouse/ranch (~£12)

• →Matobo NP safari
• →Rhino spotting
• →Ancient rock paintings

Visit a private game ranch near Gweru for walk-with-wildlife and rhino encounters (~£40). A quieter alternative with good game viewing away from the crowds.

🚌Shared taxi ~£5

🛏Gweru guesthouse (~£12)

• →Private game ranch visit
• →Optional horseback game viewing

Return to Bulawayo for onward connections. Resupply and use the day to rest, visit local markets or plan Victoria Falls onward travel.

🚌Bus ~£8

🛏Bulawayo backpackers (~£12)

• →Bulawayo museums/markets

Take the overnight or daytime bus/train to Victoria Falls. Check into a backpackers in the falls village. Book your Victoria Falls activities for the coming days.

🚌Bus/overnight train ~£15

🛏Victoria Falls backpackers (~£14)

• →Falls village evening
• →Book activities

The main event: Victoria Falls National Park (~£30 entry) — walk the viewpoints to take in the world's largest waterfall. Optional afternoon tea at the grand Victoria Falls Hotel, sunset cruise, or a day trip over the bridge into Zambia.

🚌Walking/local taxi ~£4

🛏Victoria Falls backpackers (~£14)

• →Victoria Falls viewpoints
• →Optional bridge walk to Zambia
• →Optional hotel afternoon tea

Second full day for the adrenaline activities you choose: bungee jump (~£120), Gorge Swing (~£80), whitewater rafting (~£90), Flight of Angels microlight or helicopter (~£100-180), canoe trip, or abseiling. Rest and regroup.

🚌Local ~£4

🛏Victoria Falls backpackers (~£14)

• →Optional bungee jump
• →Optional rafting
• →Optional microlight flight
• →Optional gorge swing

Cross into Botswana at Kazungula to Kasane, gateway to Chobe National Park. Sort Botswana pula and your entry. Book a Chobe river cruise for sunset — one of the best elephant-viewing experiences in Africa.

🚌Shared taxi/border crossing ~£8

🛏Kasane backpackers/camp (~£15)

• →Chobe sunset river cruise (~£25)
• →Elephant spotting

Morning Chobe game drive (~£35) for huge elephant herds, then travel south to Nata on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Overnight at Nata.

🚌Bus/shared taxi ~£12

🛏Nata lodge/camp (~£13)

• →Chobe game drive
• →Nata Bird Sanctuary

Explore the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans (~£30 with local guide) or the Kalahari Basin, then continue to Maun, the southern gateway to the Okavango Delta. Book your mokoro trip for tomorrow.

🚌Bus/shared ~£15

🛏Maun backpackers (~£15)

• →Salt pans visit
• →Book Okavango mokoro trip

Self-book a 2-day Okavango Delta mokoro canoe trip with a local poler (~£150-200, camping included) — glide through the reeds, do game walks with rangers and wild camp on an island. One of Africa's greatest wilderness experiences.

🚌Mokoro/to mokoro departure point (included)

🛏Wild camp island (included in trip)

• →Mokoro canoe trip
• →Guided game walk
• →Wild camping

Return from the Delta by light aircraft (~£120 optional add-on, worth it for the views) or by road. Rest in Maun and prepare for the long haul to Namibia.

🚌Road transfer (included) or scenic flight ~£120

🛏Maun backpackers (~£15)

• →Optional scenic flight over the Delta

Cross into Namibia via Ghanzi and journey towards Etosha. Long travel across the Kalahari. Sort Namibian dollars and your SIM. If flying, there are cheap Windhoek connections from Maun.

🚌Bus/cross-border shared transport ~£18

🛏Rundu/Grootfontein guesthouse (~£13)

• →Kalahari scenery
• →Border crossing

Enter Etosha National Park (~£25 entry + vehicle fee) — a vast salt pan ringed with waterholes perfect for self-drive or shared safaris. Camp inside the park for the best wildlife experience and night viewing at floodlit waterholes.

🚌Shared hire vehicle/fly-in ~£20

🛏Etosha rest camp/Ihenbu (included with park or ~£18)

• →Etosha self-drive or shared game viewing
• →Floodlit waterhole night watching

Travel south to the striking Spitzkoppe rock formations (~£8 entry) — camp among giant granite boulders and watch the desert sunset turn the rocks gold. Optional guided walk to bushman rock art.

🚌Road transfer ~£20

🛏Spitzkoppe campsite (~£10)

• →Spitzkoppe boulders
• →Bushman rock art walk
• →Stargazing (Dark Sky Reserve)

Travel via the Brandberg Mountains (home to the White Lady rock painting) toward Swakopmund on the Skeleton Coast — a German-flavoured seaside town with bakeries, museums and adventure operators. En route, stop at the Cape Cross Seal Colony (~£15).

🚌Road transfer ~£20

🛏Swakopmund backpackers (~£15)

• →Cape Cross Seal Colony
• →Brandberg Mountains
• →Swakopmund cafes

Pick your Swakopmund thrill: sandboarding/dune sledding (~£35), quad biking the dunes (~£40), sea kayaking (~£45), skydiving (~£200), scenic flight over the dunes, or deep-sea fishing. Rest in the town's cafes and museum.

🚌Local ~£4

🛏Swakopmund backpackers (~£15)

• →Optional sandboarding
• →Optional quad biking
• →Optional sea kayaking
• →Optional skydiving

Travel deep into the Namib Desert to Sossusvlei. Camp near Sesriem gate. Climb Dune 45 for sunrise the next morning — one of Namibia's iconic moments.

🚌Road transfer ~£20

🛏Sesriem camp (~£13)

• →Namib-Naukluft Park scenery

Sunrise ascent of Dune 45 (~£10 park entry), then 4x4 shuttle to Sossusvlei and the eerie white clay pan of Deadvlei with its blackened camelthorn trees. A photographer's paradise.

🚌4x4 shuttle ~£10

🛏Sesriem camp (~£13)

• →Dune 45 sunrise climb
• →Sossusvlei
• →Deadvlei exploration

Travel south toward Namibia's other-worldly Fish River Canyon (~£10 entry) — the world's second-largest canyon. Watch the sunset from the viewpoints. Long driving day.

🚌Road transfer ~£22

🛏Canyon Roadhouse/camp (~£15)

• →Fish River Canyon viewpoints
• →Sunset at the canyon

Cross the Orange River into South Africa and travel down the Namaqualand/Western Cape towards the winelands. Large distances; break the journey overnight near the border or at Vanrhynsdorp.

🚌Cross-border bus/shared ~£22

🛏Roadside guesthouse (~£15)

• →Orange River
• →Cederberg scenery

Arrive in the beautiful Cape winelands. Self-book a wine tram or guided winery tour with tastings (~£25-40) across Stellenbosch and Franschhoek estates. Stay in a hostel in town.

🚌Local wine tram/shuttle ~£10

🛏Stellenbosch backpackers (~£18)

• →Winery tours and tastings
• →Franschhoek wine tram
• →Cape Dutch architecture

Short drive/train to Cape Town. Check into a hostel in the City Bowl or Sea Point. Spend the afternoon exploring the V&A Waterfront and Bo-Kaap's colourful houses.

🚌Bus/train ~£6

🛏Cape Town hostel (~£18)

• →V&A Waterfront
• →Bo-Kaap neighbourhood
• →Optional Table Mountain sunset

Climb Platteklip Gorge or take the cable car up Table Mountain (~£20 return), then self-book the Robben Island ferry tour (~£35). Optional shark-cage diving or Two Oceans Aquarium. Cape Town nightlife is legendary.

🚌Uber/local ~£8

🛏Cape Town hostel (~£18)

• →Table Mountain
• →Robben Island tour
• →Optional shark diving

A free day to rest or repeat favourites — Camps Bay beach, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Abseiling Table Mountain, or a Cape Point/Chapman's Peak drive. Recover between legs of the trip.

🚌Local ~£8

🛏Cape Town hostel (~£18)

• →Optional Kirstenbosch
• →Optional Cape Point drive
• →Beach time

Day trip to the Cape of Good Hope (~£30 with a GetYourGuide tour or self-drive), with the funicular to the lighthouse and a stop at Boulders Beach penguins. Travel on to Hermanus for whale watching (Aug-Nov).

🚌Shared tour/self-drive + transfer ~£20

🛏Hermanus backpackers (~£16)

• →Cape of Good Hope
• →Boulders Beach penguins
• →Optional whale watching

Visit Gansbaai (shark-cage diving hotspot) en route to Cape Agulhas — the southernmost tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Walk to the lighthouse and swim at the meeting point.

🚌Bus/shared ~£15

🛏Cape Agulhas guesthouse (~£16)

• →Cape Agulhas lighthouse
• →Atlantic/Indian Ocean meeting point
• →Optional shark diving

Head over the Outeniqua Mountains into the Little Karoo and the ostrich-farming town of Oudtshoorn. Tour the Cango Caves (~£10) with their vast limestone chambers and visit an ostrich farm (~£8).

🚌Bus ~£16

🛏Oudtshoorn backpackers (~£15)

• →Cango Caves tour
• →Ostrich farm visit
• →Little Karoo scenery

Travel to the heart of the Garden Route. Stop at Knysna (famous for its Heads and oysters) and continue to Tsitsikamma, where forest meets crashing ocean along the Storms River.

🚌Bus ~£15

🛏Tsitsikamma backpackers/treehouse (~£15)

• →Knysna Heads
• →Tsitsikamma Forest
• →Storms River mouth

Hike the Tsitsikamma forest and coastline trail, try blackwater tubing (~£40), zip-lining, or the world's highest commercial bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge (216 m, ~£70).

🚌Local ~£6

🛏Tsitsikamma backpackers (~£15)

• →Optional Bloukrans bungee jump
• →Blackwater tubing
• →Forest hike

Travel east to Addo Elephant National Park, home to over 600 elephants. Join a game drive or self-drive (~£15 entry + shared vehicle) to see the elephants, lions and the Big Seven potential.

🚌Bus ~£12

🛏Addo backpackers (~£15)

• →Addo game drive
• →Elephant viewing

Continue along the Wild Coast to Cintsa and the Wild Coast backpackers. A laid-back, unhurried region of rolling hills, lagoons and Xhosa villages — ideal for beach rest and slow travel.

🚌Bus + local taxi ~£16

🛏Cintsa backpackers (~£15)

• →Wild Coast viewpoints
• →Beach

Canoe up the Cintsa River (~£10), hike the coastline, go horse riding on the beach (~£20) or just relax. A free day to balance the intensity of the trip.

🚌Local ~£4

🛏Cintsa backpackers (~£15)

• →Optional canoeing
• →Optional horse riding
• →Beach and hiking

Long travel day inland through the Eastern Cape and Free State into Lesotho — the Mountain Kingdom. Arrive at Malealea Lodge, a famous base for ponytrekking in the highlands.

🚌Bus + shared taxi ~£20

🛏Malealea Lodge (~£16)

• →Enter stunning Lesotho highlands

Pony trek through the Lesotho mountains with a local guide (~£25 half day) — a genuinely unique way to experience the highlands. Visit waterfalls, swim in rock pools and see traditional Basotho villages.

🚌On horseback/local ~£5

🛏Malealea Lodge (~£16)

• →Pony trekking
• →Waterfall visits
• →Rock pool swimming
• →Village visits

Cross back into South Africa and travel to Royal Natal National Park in the Northern Drakensberg. The Amphitheatre — the dramatic rock wall and Tugela Falls (world's second-highest waterfall) — awaits.

🚌Bus + shared taxi ~£18

🛏Drakensberg backpackers (~£15)

• →Amphitheatre viewpoints
• →Tugela River

Hike the various Amphitheatre trails (from easy walks at the base to the strenuous chain ladders for Tugela Falls, ~£10 park fee). One of South Africa's most spectacular day hikes.

🚌Local ~£5

🛏Drakensberg backpackers (~£15)

• →Amphitheatre hiking trails
• →Tugela Falls
• →Cave paintings

Final travel day to Johannesburg. Check into a backpackers in a suburb such as Melville or Maboneng. Explore the city's vibrant neighbourhoods and craft markets on your last evening.

🚌Bus ~£18

🛏Johannesburg backpackers (~£15)

• →Maboneng Precinct
• →Melville neighbourhood
• →Farewell dinner