Synopsis
- A true African experience — wild and free!
- Everything is included: cultural encounters, adventure and wilderness.
- Victoria Falls, Moremi Game Reserve, Savuti & Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta, Kalahari Desert and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pan.
Why travel with Sunway Safaris?
We know that you have multiple options when choosing your Africa safari. We also know that you want to make as informed a decision as possible about your safari, what you'll get, what's included, and what you'll see and experience. So these are just a few of the qualities and facts of Sunway Safaris:
- small groups — Small travel groups of a maximum of 12 participants make it possible to experience Africa up close and experience this wonderful continent and its people. This is the key to our success. Our trips appeal to all age groups. The average age is 37 — most are between 25 and 60. The diversity of participants each contributes to a special safari experience.
- 2 Sunway tour guides — Your guides are the key to any safari On a Sunway Safari, you will be traveling with 2 qualified and registered Field Guides (FGASA) (nature guides) who make up the crew. This means maximum knowledge, informative and interesting travel. Our tour guides are passionate about Africa, its people and wildlife, and they love sharing their knowledge with our guests.
- Guaranteed departures — Departures marked “in bold” are guaranteed departures. All other departures are guaranteed for groups of 4 or more people.
- package price — When we plan the Sunway routes, we ensure that each route includes the best highlights. On a trip to Botswana, for example, you should definitely have visited the national parks in an open four-wheel drive vehicle, which is the essence of the Botswana wilderness. When traveling to Zambia, be sure to visit South Luangwa National Park and take a walk through the wilderness with a local guide. When booking a Sunway Safari, all entrance fees, a variety of activities and food are included. We have incorporated all highlights into our tours so that you can see and experience the highlights without having to pay on site. There are therefore no hidden costs. This should be an important aspect of your decision to book with Sunway Safari.
- surety — Our vehicles are all custom-built. We ensure comfortable and safe travel. Each vehicle was designed by an officially approved passenger vehicle manufacturer in accordance with the latest safety requirements, it has a safety housing and each seat is fitted with a safety belt. This gives you safety when you travel on the often demanding roads with Sunway Safaris.
- Good2Go - Our commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism is reflected in our environmentally friendly travel style, in which we only take photos and leave only footprints. As an African company, we have the right contacts to significantly change the lives of the people whose area we visit. In the brochure, you can find this symbol with every itinerary. It highlights just one of the many sustainable travel initiatives we support.
- Solo travelers — Traveling alone won't put any further strain on your wallet, as reservation staff will place you in a room with a travel guest of the same sex to make the trip more affordable. Nevertheless, you have the option to book a single room or tent for a small additional charge.
- experience — For 27 years now, Sunway Safari has been planning trips through southern Africa. The routes were therefore perfected over many years. This guarantees the smooth running of a tour. We visit many highlights of southern Africa, but assure you that we are not following the busy tourist track. Our guides have plenty of experience in Africa and all over the world.
- Based in Africa — Sunway Safari is an African travel agency, which means we live in Africa, we travel in Africa and our passion belongs to this wonderful continent. That makes Sunway Safari the best travel option.
- age limit - On all planned tours, we accept children aged 12 to 17 years accompanied by an adult. We have no upper age limit. Guests who are over 65 years of age at the time of travel need a medical certificate showing that the guest is fit and healthy to join an adventure group trip. We have many travelers over 65 who are easily able to enjoy every aspect of a sunway tour, both lodge tour and camping. For further details, please contact marketing@sunway-safaris.com.
accommodation
- tents - We spend six nights at the excellent campsites in the national parks. In general, the tent sites are very well equipped, but in some cases they can also be very simple. Most facilities have hot showers, restaurants, laundry facilities, and telephones. Some campgrounds in Botswana have simple shower facilities and flushing toilets! Sunway provides all tent equipment, excluding sleeping bags and pillows. The tents we use are very comfortable (2.2 x 2.2 x 1.8 meters). Assembly and dismantling is relatively easy and only takes about five minutes. Insect nets are installed on the windows and doors. We use mattresses about five centimeters thick, which are warm and comfortable.
- Wild camping - For seven nights we camp wildly and without infrastructure. We'll need our own water and all the equipment we brought along to sustain ourselves. Wild camping can be a nice experience, but please remember: We don't want to leave any traces behind and take all of our rubbish back with us. The toilets are in the wild and excrement must be buried. We use a simple bush shower, i.e. a bucket of water, as a shower.
SOS tree project — Okavango Botswana
For hundreds of years, the locals and residents of the Okavango Delta in Botswana have been using the wood from the liver sausage tree to produce their traditional “mokoros” (floating dugouts). This knowledge has been passed on over many generations and has been a steady income for them up to now. The number of visitors to the Okavango Delta is increasing from year to year. This means that more “mokoros” are needed and therefore more trees are cut down. Unfortunately, due to tourism growth, liver sausage trees are disappearing from this region. Traditional “mokoros” must be replaced after 5 years. This is putting additional pressure on the dwindling number of liverwurst trees.
Against this background, Sunway Safaris has founded a project to convince “Polers” (Mokoro drivers) in the region to buy fiberglass replicas. This replica lasts 10 years, is much more stable and is produced without any negative effect on the environment. Project implementation is currently still struggling to finance this replica. Although part of our tour costs already go into this project, further support is still needed. We also give our guests the opportunity to help solve this problem. For more information about the SOS tree project, or if you would like to make a donation, please contact the Sunway Safari office. It is a cause that is close to our hearts and we hope for a successful project.
Local Payment
A local payment is required for this safari and is collected by the tour guide upon departure. The local payment is part of your total travel expenses and must therefore be considered when you book your safari. The local payment is used by the tour guide to cover expenses incurred on the safari.
Sunway pays most costs via bank transfer. In some cases, cash is the only option: certain destinations we visit only accept cash. For example: most national parks, some campgrounds and even local food markets (and sometimes shops) only accept cash. Furthermore, every Sunway vehicle has a gas station card, but these are only accepted in South Africa and parts of Namibia. Diesel must therefore be paid in cash. The local payment system allows us to manage tour funds effectively, as some departure points are very remote. The efficiency of this system helps to keep tour costs low in general.
For these reasons, it is necessary for Sunway to collect a local payment. It also ensures that part of the tour costs directly benefits the country you are visiting. It benefits local communities and supports the conservation of the region we visit. All of this is part of Sunway Safari' ongoing efforts to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly safaris that make a real difference.
Recommended reading
Before you travel, you might want to read the following books. These books are not specific to Sunways' tours, but give a good background and understanding of the countries you'll be traveling to.
- #1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (Fictional Story of Life in Botswana)
- Trees of the Okavango by Veronica Roodt (A Reference Book with Traditional Uses and Myths)
- Okavango: Jewel of the Kalahari by Karen Ross (A comprehensive description of the Delta Ecology)
- Don't run whatever you do by Peter Allison (A guide's perspective of Botswana lodge life)
- Okavango: Africa's Last Eden by Frans Lanting (A Coffee Table Book of Photography)
- Newman's Birds of Southern Africa by Kenneth Newman
- Sasol Birds of Southern Africa by Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey, and W.R. Tarboton
- The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates by Richard D. Estes and Daniel Otte
- Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Field Guides) by Braam Van Wyk, Keith Coates Palgrav, and Piet Van Wyk
Shopping
The range of souvenirs such as carvings, batik fabrics, paintings and clothing is best at Victoria Falls, where you'll find a wide selection. There are beautiful weaves to buy in Botswana, but markets are rare and therefore usually only available in shops.
Eating and drinking
We are proud to offer our travelers high-quality, delicious and healthy meals three times a day. Exceptions are stated in the itinerary, then we will visit local restaurants. The tour guide takes care of all shopping and menu planning. He/she will buy fresh groceries for the group whenever and wherever possible.
What you can expect:
- Breakfast cereal with milk or bread/toast, jam and fruit with coffee and tea or occasionally English, i.e. hot breakfast.
- Lunch cheese, cold meat, fish, fruit, pasta salads and bread
- Dinner stews, barbecues, fried meat or curries prepared over wood fires or with gas stoves. We have all cooking utensils as well as plates, cups and cutlery with us.
Of course, we cater to the special needs of vegetarians and people with allergies. Sunway Safaris offers the following drinks: fruit juice for breakfast and tea or coffee for breakfast and dinner. All other drinks must be purchased by yourself. Sunway Safaris does not provide you with bottled drinking water.
Difficulty level
Anyone with a good general health condition will be able to enjoy the tour without any problems. Simple camping in the wilderness is a real pleasure for nature boys and women. You can get a little dusty and sweat, but that's what Africa is all about!
The itinerary involves a few longer days “on the road”. The roads in remote areas are not in the best condition and the journey can sometimes be slow and dusty. But never forget: The journey is the destination! Take in the diverse, exotic impressions and enjoy the African adventure in moments when things are not progressing so fast. An important part of a safari with Sunway is getting involved. Inviting luggage and equipment in the morning, helping to clean up, helping to prepare food — it's all part of the adventure and when everyone makes their small contribution to success, the journey is smooth. The tour guides prepare all meals themselves, but they ask participants to help with the dishes. Team spirit is fun!
What you should know
All entrance fees and fees for national parks, game drives, and the Okavango Delta are included.
In the wilderness, it is particularly important to follow the instructions of tour guides and local guides. This applies to behavior in the wilderness, safety in camp and during game drives. To enter Zambia and Botswana and return to South Africa, every participant needs a valid passport and a visa
Tent Safaris - Sleeping bag and travel pillow are only necessary for tent safaris. If these are not available, we offer you the option to rent them via Sunway Safaris in advance for a fee of EUR 1.00 per day. Please note that during the South African winter months (June — September), the nights can get very cold, and a particularly warm sleeping bag is recommended during this time!
Money — It is recommended to bring Euro, US$ or South African Rand for your own use. In Botswana, only Botswana Pula are accepted as a means of payment and must therefore be purchased at exchange offices in Botswana. In Zambia, it is only possible to pay in Zambia Kwacha, but all major credit cards (Master Card/Visa) can be used to pay for optional activities in Livingstone and other places. For more information on approximate costs of meals or drinks, see the Sunway Dossier
Frequently asked questions about this tour
- What should I bring with me?
Comfortable clothing for warm days and cool evenings, sleeping bag and pillow, hiking boots, a rain jacket, hat/cap and sunglasses, swimming clothes and binoculars. What is also part of it — Handy and Essential — a Dash of Adventurous Spirit.
- Safety?
Botswana is considered a relatively safe travel destination. The tour guides know the country well, they show you the most beautiful sides of the country and at the same time keep an eye on your safety. In the wild areas, you will be informed in detail about possible dangers. If you follow these instructions, nothing will normally happen to you. Once you know that, nothing stands in the way of an unforgettable trip.
- Do I need malaria prophylaxis?
Yes, the tour goes through malaria areas. Prophylaxis is highly recommended.
- Can I buy memory cards for my camera?
Memory cards and other photo accessories are available from time to time on the tour. A camera with a zoom lens from wide angle to telephoto lens, 35-200mm, is recommended for landscape and animal photography. Each vehicle is equipped with a 12/24 V cigarette lighter — but you can't rely on being able to charge your batteries there, so we recommend that you bring a second battery. Don't forget that you can always charge your camera when accommodation is being used (SA 220 V).
- Are there laundry facilities?
At Victoria Falls and in Maun, it is possible to wash clothes by hand.
