An exploration of central Southern Africa. Marvel at the beauty of the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, before dropping down the escarpment into Mozambique and visit the rejuvenated Gorangosa National Park. Our journey takes to the beautiful beaches of Mozambique before moving inland through the dramtic landscape of the granite inselbergs of northern Mozambique. Our exploration ends of at the tranquil lake of stars – Lake Malawi.
 

ZIMBABWE, MOZAMBIQUE & MALAWI
EXPEDITION SAFARI (2013)
“Undiscovered beaches”
CAMPING EXPEDITION

18 day small group participation camping expedition     
Guaranteed from 4 participants, maximum group size: 8 participants
DEPARTS:  HARARE on Saturday 31Aug13 at 06:30am     
ENDS:   LILONGWE on Tuesday 17Sep13 at +/-14:00pm

Expedition highlights:
* Zimbabwe Eastern Highlands
* Gorangosa National Park
* Mozambique Coast
* Granite Inselberg Landscape – Mozambique
* Lake Malawi

EXPEDITION PLAN

Day 1 - 2  CHIMANIMANI NATIONAL PARK [camping BLD]
(B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
Tour starts at 06:30am in Harare. After a tour briefing, we head east from Harare. We travel through beautiful scenery as we make our way to an area of Zimbabwe known as the Eastern Highlands, and the Chimanimani National Park. The Eastern Highlands has a cool wet climate, a different weather condition to the underlying dryer and warmer areas. The Chimanimani National Park, is an incredible region running over 300 km’s from north to south forming a natural border with neighbouring Mozambique. The Chimanimani area is characterised by dramatic granite volcanic peaks that reach for the sky.  Most of them can be conquered with little mountaineering skill and they are punctuated with hundreds of rivers, waterfalls and pools to entice bathers after a long day and who need to cool off.
One of the highlights of the Eastern Highlands is the Bridal Falls of Chimanimani which is the second highest falls found in Africa. We spend our days exploring the region on foot.
Planned stops:  2 nights Eastern Highlands
Includes:   Entrance fees and walking permits
Overnight: Campsite – basic facilities
Distance/time: 450kms ± 5 hours, excluding stops for lunch and sightseeing

Day 3 - 5   GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK [camping BLD]
In years gone by Gorongosa National Park was the crown jewel of Mozambique’s National Parks. The park teemed with wildlife and was a much visited park by the local Mozambique population. Unfortunately during Mozambique’s civil war, the large wildlife population was decimated. Elephants were hunted for their ivory in order to buy arms, and the large herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and many others were hunted extensively in order to feed the soldiers.
Thankfully since 2004, there has been a concerted effort by the Mozambique Government and the US-based Carr foundation to restore the park to its former glory. Large sums have been spent to rebuild the parks infrastructure, restore is wildlife population and spur local economic development. Remember that our stay at Gorongosa means that we are directly participating in one of the greatest restoration projects in Southern Africa and see firsthand how rapidly and positively nature responds when given a bit of help and space from mankind.
We explore Gorongosa National Park on morning and afternoon game drives.
Planned stops:  1 night en route to Gorangosa, 2 nights at Gorangosa park head quarters campsite
Includes:   Park entry fees for 2 days
Overnight:  Camping – good ablution facilities, hot showers, swimming pool restaurant and bar
Distance/time: 390 kms ± 4½ hours, excluding border formalities

Day 6 - 12  QUELIMANE, ILHA de MOZAMBIQUE and PEMBA [camping BLD]
Over the next few days we make our way towards the northern coast of Mozambique. As we cross the Zambezi River, Arab influences in culture and architecture become more and more noticeable.
Quelimane is our first port of call – it is the administrative capital of the Zambezia province and home to roughly one million people. Situated +/-20km from the ocean the town overlooks the 1.5-kilometre-wide Rios dos Boas Sinais, or 'River of Good Signs', named by Vasco da Gama when he sailed here in the late 1400s. Quelimane is surrounded by palm tree plantations and it is estimated that there are more than 1 million coconut palms in the vicinity!
After a detour inland the main road again brings us back to the coast and the World Heritage site of Ilha de Moçambique. This small island in the Indian Ocean off northeastern Mozambique was historically a strategic location and the Portuguese established a port and naval base in 1507, and built the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, in 1522, now considered the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere. The plan is to explore the island, the beaches and the town with its historic buildings.
The furthest we plan to travel north is Pemba, the capital of the province of Cabo Delgado. In the centre of Pemba, there is a Souk (local market), where traders well arts, crafts and traditional silverware.
Located just north of Pemba is the Quirimbas National Park. This reserve, established in 2002, covers a area of approximately 7500 square kilometers and incorporates 11 islands. The whole area has many shallow coral reefs and massive drop-offs making for some phenomenal scuba diving and snorkeling. Although the traveling to reach Pemba is quite tough, we plan to spend 3 nights on the beach to soak up the island paradise atmosphere. Scuba diving is available as are other water activities including kayaking and snorkeling.
Please note that due to the distances and the road conditions, from day 6-12 we may camp wild en-route.
Planned stops:  1 night Quelimane, 3 nights Mozambique, 3 nights Pemba
Includes:   -
Overnight:  Camping - basic facilities or wild camping
Optional:  Dhow day excursion to one of islands, snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking
Distance/time: Gorongosa – Quelimane: 460 kms ±6 hours (subject to road conditions)
  Quelimane – Mozambique (via Nampula): 720 kms ±10 hours (subject to road conditions)
Mozambique - Pemba: 410 kms ±7 hours (subject to road conditions)

Day 13 - 15   CUAMBA INSELBERG [camping BLD]
Very few travelers explore the interior of northern Mozambique, and for those that make the effort they will be richly rewarded. As we move away from the coast of Mozambique, we make our way into an off shoot of the Great African Rift Valley. Here the mostly flat Mozambique landscape is dotted with massive Granite Inselbergs that rise dramatically from the surrounding flat landscape, and is testament to the volcanic forces that have shaped most of East Africa into what it looks like today. We travel through this landscape, stopping en-route to explore this interesting landscape on foot.
Please note: bring a medium size backpack and trekking boots because if opportunity presents itself we may hike up one of the inselbergs for a night camping away from the vehicle. We’ll carry food, water, sleeping bags and mats and a change of clothes.
Planned stops:  3 nights Malema / Cuamba area
Includes:   -
Overnight:  Camping – basic facilities or wild camping
Distance/time: Pemba – Cuamba: 690 kms ± 10½ hours (subject to road conditions)

Day 16 - 17   LAKE MALAWI [camping BL -]
Lake Malawi, also known as the “Lake of Stars” is the perfect destination to finish off our epic journey to some very remote places. Lake Malawi is the 3rd largest lake in Africa, and it makes up the southern most lake system formed by the Great African Rift Valley. We camp on the white sandy beaches just a stone’s throw from the waters edge, and sit back and enjoy the hospitality of the local people. We enjoy an excursion to the islands in Lake Malawi and snorkel with Several hundred different endemic species are found in the lake, many of which have become popular among aquarium owners due to their bright colors.
There are many activities available including scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing and fishing.
Planned stops:  2 nights Cape Maclear
Includes:   Snorkelling excursion to an island in Lake Malawi.
Overnight:  Camping – good ablution facilities, hot showers, restaurant and bar
Optional Activities: Scuba diving, snorkelling, sailing, windsurfing.
Distance/time: 320kms ± 4 hours (excluding border formalities)

Day 18   LILONGWE – TOUR ENDS [- B - -]
Leaving the shores of Lake Malawi behind us, we make our way to the capital of Malawi – Lilongwe, were the tour ends.
Planned stops:  expedition ends Lilongwe airport
Includes:   -
Overnight:  -
Distance/time: 250kms ± 3 hours, excluding stops for sightseeing

Please note: The distance and travel times quoted above are an estimate only, and subject to local road conditions and photo stops!

RACK Price: (valid for travel in 2013)
If you book as an individual, or as one group booking of 2-5 clients travelling on this scheduled date (subject to a minimum number of 4 clients to guarantee the departure), then the price is: € 2 745 pps + local payment of US$600
If you book as one group booking of 6-8 clients travelling (please note this is not a closed group), then the price is: € 2 350 pps + local payment of US$600
Single supplement: € 90 pp
Single tent supplement is applicable to the camping nights only.

Includes
* 17 nights camping
* Entrance fees
* Use of camping equipment (except sleeping bags & pillow)
* Transport in 4WD vehicle
* Meals as per itinerary
* Professional guide

DETAILED TOUR INFO

Why travel on an Expedition Trip.
Sunway Safaris have been running mobile camping & accommodated safaris throughout Southern Africa for the past 19 years. Our extensive knowledge and experience in African travel means that we are confident that we can safely take you to those remote and wild areas of Africa that many people dream about but who are daunted by the prospect of travelling on their own. You can rely on our knowledgeable and experienced tour leaders to take you to these out of the way places.

•Experienced African Travelers – By offering the Expedition trips to people who have travelled to Africa before, and who are aware of the sometimes very difficult travelling conditions, you will only be travelling with adventure minded travelers. The Expedition trips will be limited to a maximum of 8 people ensuring you experience Africa in a small an intimate group of like minded people.

•Sunway tour guides – group leaders are the key to any safari. On a Sunway Expedition safari you will travel with one of our most experienced guides who are confident of travelling off the beaten track. Your guide has a passion for Africa, her people and her wildlife, and they love nothing more than sharing his/her knowledge with you.

•Participation – An essential part of an Expedition trip is your participation. If the small group all pulls together and when the going gets tough, you are all there to help out. Putting up and taking down your tents is the easy part. Helping get the vehicle out of the thick sand, planning your route through thick mud, being a full participating member of the Expedition will only enhance your enjoyment of your out there African experience.

•Safety – All of our vehicles are custom built to ensure comfortable and safe touring. Each is constructed, by an authorised passenger vehicle builder, to the latest safety requirements, with a safety shell, and every seat has a lap belt. This gives you peace of mind when travelling with Sunway Safaris on the often demanding African roads.

•Responsible travel - Our commitment to sustainable & responsible tourism is reflected in our low impact travel style where all we take is photographs and all we leave is our footprints. Being an African company we have the grassroots contacts to make a real difference in the lives of the people whose lands we visit.
•On each itinerary in the brochure you’ll find this symbol which highlights just one of the sustainable travel initiatives that we support.

•Experience - We have more than 19 years experience planning tours throughout Southern Africa. As such, our itineraries and routes have been perfected over many years ensuring that your tour will run smoothly. We visit the highlights of Southern Africa, but ensure that you do not follow the well trodden tourist track. All of us at Sunway Safaris have extensive travel experience in Africa, and throughout the world.
•Being adventure travellers ourselves, we know how to plan trips that give you a broad experience of the countries that you will visit.

•Based in Africa - probably the most important part of a Sunway safari is that we are an African company. We live in Africa, we travel in Africa and it is our passion for this amazing continent that makes Sunway your best travel option.

Accommodation
•Camping – where possible we will stay at designated campsites in national parks, on private land and in towns. Campsite facilities are generally very good but in places can be basic. There are hot and cold showers, restaurants, washing facilities and telephones available at most of the campsites. Some camps have simple reed enclosures for showers but do have flush toilets! On other nights in expedition trips we may be forced to stay wherever we can find a campsite, this could even be an unscheduled wild camping night.
Sunway supplies all the camping equipment with the exception of your sleeping bag and pillow. The dome tents we use are 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.8 meters and putting them up or down takes only 5 minutes. Tents have built-in insect nets. We supply mattresses, which are about 5 cm thick, warm and comfortable. The camp chairs have a backrest.
•Wild camping - Wild camps have no facilities; we will need to take our own water and all equipment. Wild camping can be very enjoyable but please remember that we leave no trace of our stay and take all rubbish away with us. Toilets will be of the “dig and bury” variety and a simple bucket bush shower will be provided.
•Accommodation – there may on occasion be campsites with rooms / chalets available. Sunway has budgeted for camping night, and therefore should you wish to upgrade on arrival at the campsite, this would be for your own expense, subject to availability of rooms. Sunway would pay the cost of camping, any extra would be for your own expense. This gives you the flexibility to use accommodation as you find it, at your own budget (and depending on the weather on the day).

Transport
•Expedition vehicle – the Sunway Safaris expedition vehicle will be used for all portions of the tour. The vehicle is designed to handle all road conditions expected on the route. Depending on the group size we may tow a trailer for equipment. The vehicle has closed sides with opening glass windows. Individual seats for each client. There are a couple of long days of travelling but the vehicles have a comfortable cruising speed. The emphasis of the trip is “getting out and doing things”.

Local Payment
•A local payment is required on this safari and this will be collected by your tour leader on departure. The local payment forms part of your overall tour cost, and must be taken into consideration when booking your safari. It will be used by your tour leaders to pay for some of the operational costs incurred on safari.
Sunway prepays by bank transfer, as many of the tour costs as possible. However, in many cases, a cash payment is the only option: certain of the destinations that we visit, only accept cash. For example entry fees to most national parks, some of the campsites and also local food markets (and even some shops) are only payable in cash. In addition, each Sunway vehicle has a garage card but these are only accepted in South Africa and parts of Namibia, therefore in all other countries, fuel must be paid for in cash. Due to the remoteness of some departure points, having a local payment system enables us to manage tour funds effectively. The efficiency of this system helps keep the overall tour prices down.
For these reasons, it is necessary for Sunway to charge a local payment. It also ensures that a portion of the tour costs goes directly into the country you are visiting, thereby benefiting local communities and contributing to the conservation of the areas we visit. This is all part of Sunway Safaris’ ongoing effort to operate sustainable safaris that make a real difference.

Participation
•An essential part of your expedition is participation – from putting up your tent or packing away in the morning to helping with meal preparation and cleaning up – it’s all part of your adventure and when everyone puts in a little effort the trip will run smoothly. Your tour leader will do all the meal planning and food shopping however all participants will need to help with food preparation and washing up. At border crossings the expedition leader will need help from the participants in queuing for paperwork etc. In the unlikely event of a vehicle breakdown (such as flat tyre), or the more likely event of vehicle becoming stuck in mud or sand, everyone will need to help solve the problem and get the group out of the situation. Team spirit is part of the fun!

Recommended reading
Before you travel you might want to read any of the following books. While not specific to the Sunway tour you will join, they do provide some background understanding of the countries you will be visiting.
•Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (Autobiography - Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time.)
•Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (Is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. A classic work of love and hope, courage and endurance, born of the dignity of man.)
•The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (Story of one young man's search for the love that binds friends, the passion that binds lovers, and the realization that it takes only one to change the world.)
•The Covenant by James A. Mitchener (The best and worst of two continents carve an empire out of the vast wilderness that is to become South Africa.)
•Jock of the Bushveld by J Percy FitzPatrick (Story of a trader and his dog set in 1880 around Pilgrim’s Rest and Kruger area)
•When The Lion Feeds by Smith Wilbur (Fictional story set in Natal, South Africa in the 1870’s)
•A Time To Die by Wilbur Smith (Fictional adventure through Zimbabwe and Mozambique)
•The Steps of the Sun by Joanna Trollope (Love story set during the Boer War)
•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

Food
•We pride ourselves on giving very good healthy meals to our clients and will provide three meals per day, except as shown in the itinerary. For those meals we will eat at local restaurants.
•The tour leader does the shopping and meal planning for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. A rough idea of what these will consist of is: Breakfast - cereals or coffee and toast or the occasional fried breakfast, Lunch - cheese, cold meats, salads on bread or rolls, Dinner - braais (local barbecue), potjies (stews), stir fries etc. We use regular plates, cups and cutlery. All cooking and eating utensils will also be provided.
•We do cater for special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.)
•We will supply fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be for your own expense. We will not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour.