My African journey in 2026 includes four countries (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe) and involves three distinct segments. Therefore, I am going to describe the routes separately below. Once again, my route will focus on visiting national parks and reserves in each of the countries in an effort to experience the varied landscapes, diverse peoples, and incredible wildlife found in southern Africa.
The first segment of the trip (see red dashed line in map above) begins in Cape Town, South Africa, in June 2026 and leads me, Nancy, brother Mark and wife Kirsten, and friends John and Annette Gerard, through the western and northern Cape Provinces of South Africa. After a brief visit to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, we move north from Cape Town up through wine country and then the Great Karoo Desert and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, before exploring a bit of the Namib Desert in southern and central Namibia, and finishing in Windhoek, Namibia, where Nancy and I say goodbye to the rest of the gang. Note, for those of you that followed our trip last year, this segment is a repeat of a part of last year’s route, but in reverse direction.
Here is a list of the National Parks and Reserves we will visit on this leg of the journey (not quite the number and variety of Parks visited last year, but a selection of the more special places to share with this year’s travel companions):
- Table Mountain National Park (South Africa)
- Tankwa-Karoo National Park (South Africa)
- Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa)
- Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia)
- Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park (Namibia)
- Dorob National Park (Namibia)
The second segment of the trip (see green dashed line in map above) begins in Windhoek, Namibia, and leads Nancy and I across the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in southwestern Botswana before meeting up with friends Frank Isaacs and Jane Olsen in Maun, Botswana. Our party first heads east to explore Nxai Pan National Park before crossing into Zimbabwe to explore a couple of stellar Parks in the northwest of the country. Then we continue north to Victoria Falls, after which we head back to northern Botswana to explore Chobe National Park along the Chobe River near Kasane. Then we make the long and exciting cross-country overland trip through the inland part of Chobe National Park (i.e., Savuti) before making our way across the Moremi Game Reserve in the eastern part of the spectacular Okavango Delta, and then back to Maun, where I reluctantly say goodbye to my travel companions (including Nancy).
Here is a list of the National Parks and Reserves we will visit on this leg of the journey (again, not quite the number and variety of Parks visited on previous trips, but a selection of the most special places to share with Frank and Jane):
- Nxai Pan National Park (Botswana)
- Kazuma Pan National Park (Zimbabwe)
- Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe)
- Victoria Falls National Park (Zimbabwe)
- Chobe National Park (Botswana)
- Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana)
The third and last leg of the trip (see purple dashed line in map above) begins in Maun, Botswana, where I leave all my travel companions (including Nancy), and head east across Botswana, through central Zimbabwe, and on to the southeastern corner of the country for an extended visit to Gonarehzou National Park. Then I head south across the border into South Africa for an extended visit to Kruger National Park, after which I make my way south back to Cape Town to complete this year’s journey at the end of September.
Here is a list of the National Parks and Reserves I will visit on this leg of the journey (again, not quite the number and variety of Parks visited on previous trips, but a couple of extended visits to a couple of special Parks):
- Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe)
- Kruger National Park (South Africa)
- Mokala National Park (South Africa)