Your adventure begins in Cape Town, South Africa, where you’ll join with the group for a welcome meeting at 6pm. If you arrive earlier, there’s plenty to keep you busy here. Hike or take the cable car up to Table Mountain, visit Robben Island – where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned – or join a harbour cruise to see Cape Town from the water.

Head to Lambert’s Bay on the west coast and see the best this seaside town has to offer. You’ll visit Cape Gannet Island where flocks of cape gannet breed in August and September. In the evening, dine in style with a meal at an open-air restaurant with ocean views.

Depart South Africa and transfer to Namibia and your accommodation on the banks of the Orange River, a journey that will take approximately seven hours. The Orange River runs from the Drakensberg mountain range to the Atlantic Ocean, and is the longest river in South Africa.

Today starts with a half-day canoe trip down the Orange River, winding through the ancient Richtersveld Mountains. You’ll be in two-person canoes with a local, covering approximately 10km (6mi). After, travel to Fish River Canyon, the largest canyon in Africa. There are opportunities to spot exotic birdlife here, such as plovers, wagtails, hamerkops and herons. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of an antelope or baboon.

Settle in for a long travel day. Today’s journey takes you to the eastern edge of the Namib Desert – the oldest desert in the world – to Solitaire. The journey will take around nine hours, but you’ll enjoy good views of the scenery as you go.

Start the day with a visit to Sossusvlei, a clay pan at the end of a riverbed and one of the must-see sights in Namibia. Climb to the top of Dune 45 for incredible views over the area, and visit Dead Vlei, an arid landscape with otherworldly, 1000-year-old tree skeletons. In the afternoon, check out Sesriem Gorge. It’s a natural canyon, carved by water erosion over thousands of years. It’s now dry, and you’ll have time to walk through and explore the narrow gorge.

Today, you'll travel across the Namib Desert. The journey will take about six hours, with a stop at Kuiseb Canyon. Arrive in Swakopmund, a beachside town on the Skeleton Coast, and take in impressive views over the Atlantic Ocean.

You have the day free to explore Swakopmund at your own leisure. As your accommodation is within walking distance of town, you could go for a stroll along the beach, check out the local markets or visit the Swakopmund Museum or Namibian National Marine Aquarium. There are also plenty of optional activities, too.

Leave Swakopmund behind and head to Damaraland, a journey which should take around six hours. This part of Namibia, also known as the Kunene Region, is home to ancient, rugged landscapes and awesome sunsets. It was the ancestral home of the Damara people, and today there’s a small population of hardy, desert-adapted elephants. Note that some of the roads to this area are untarred and often corrugated – be prepared for a few bumps.

Beat the afternoon heat and head out early to two of the top attractions in Damaraland. Twyfelfontein Heritage Site is the first stop – this is one of the largest concentrations of ancient rock engravings in southern Africa. At the Petrified Forest, you’ll see 280m-year-old fossilised tree trunks. Locals will lead a 30- to 60-minute walk of the sites and explain their history. The afternoon will be free for you to bask in the sunshine back at the lodge.

Leave Damaraland and head to Etosha National Park, a journey of around five hours. This national park is one of the largest in Namibia, and features a vast salt pan called the Etosha Pan and an abundance of wildlife. After arriving at the lodge, head out on an afternoon game drive where you’ll hopefully see the animals – lions, elephants, rhinoceros, zebra and more – up close.

Today, enjoy a full day of game viewing in the truck. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a black rhino – but keep your eyes peeled and hopefully you’ll see Hartmann's mountain zebra, roan antelope, black-faced impala, and the tiny Damara dik-dik. The landscape of waterholes and pans means game viewing is relatively easy.

Today starts with a six-hour journey to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Once a German town, Windhoek is now a buzzing centre with colonial architecture. Your trip comes to an end here in the late afternoon, and it’s time to bid a fond farewell to your fellow travellers. If you want to extend your time in Namibia, why not stay for an extra day or two in Windhoek? Alternatively, travel on to another destination in southern Africa or head back home.