Fill in the day at Hatfield Square in Pretoria. Being close to the university means three things: Heaps of pubs, cheap food and drinks, loads of people looking for ways to avoid study.

Rhinos have been around for 50 million years so they're used to people gawking at them. Then it's off to Maun (pronounced ma-ooon) to stock up on hats, sunscreen and scarves (for both the morning chill and the arvo sun).

It's kind of like being in a gondola in Venice. Except you probably won't see hippos in Venice. Enjoy a cold beer back at camp tonight. And is it just us, or are the stars actually bigger out here?

Elephants are the big stars here, and don't they know it. Parading around in big groups, showing off their cute babies and tearing down enormous trees limb by limb, the bloody big show-offs.

The entrance fee is a bit steep, so make sure you've got cash on you. Once you're in, it's nice to get away from the touts and enjoy some peace and quiet. Well, except for the sound of 19 million cubic feet of water throwing itself over the edge every minute.

If you look up 'goosebumps' in the dictionary you'll find a picture of you lying in your tent listening to a pride of lions roaring to one another across the plains in the middle of the night.

Big Cave Camp is surrounded by huge, gravity-defying granite boulders that look like they could topple over at any minute. But don't panic, it's just one of Mother Nature's clever little tricks, and it's what makes Matobo National Park so awesome.

Could you build a 12m high wall using stones that are 6m thick without any mortar? Didn't think so. That's what makes these 11th century ruins so unbelievable. We'll camp nearby so you can hop up early to see the sun rising over them.

Cue some Lion King on the iPod and watch sunrise over the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. Head to South Africa for our night at Musina in an eco-tourism park.

Elephant, giraffe, zebra, cape buffalo, antelope, white rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, hippo, honey badger, crocodile, kudu, impala, endangered Cape hunting dog...how many can you spot?

The Gods must've been crazy to come up with the Blyde River Canyon. It's the biggest green canyon in the world, with the second tallest tufa waterfall on earth and home to birds, fish and wildlife. You'll love it.

Take your pick: hunt for tigers in northern India, listen to monkey chatter and birdsong in the jungles of Costa Rica and Peru or gawp at the Galapagos’ diversity. And of course, there's the big one: Africa. The names alone evoke images of wildlife: the Serengeti, Masai Mara, Kruger. And the reality’s even better. Africa’s got the lot, so go beyond the Big Five by hiking to close encounters with gorillas in Uganda’s forests, walking with lions at Zimbabwe’s Antelope Park, or canoeing past crocs on the Okavango Delta. From the Cape’s loveable penguins to Egypt’s loping camels, Africa’s animals await.

- Geckos experienced English-speaking local safari leader, professional driver, and camp cook who will prepare all included meals.- Geckos specialist English-speaking local site guides in Hwange National Park, Matopos National Park and Chobe National Park.- Transport in a custom-built safari vehicle with large opening windows for unrestricted game viewing (maximum of just 22 clients).- 15 nights camping in dome tents, with mosquito netting and a foam mattress provided. Camp sites include: inside Khama Rhino Sanctuary; in Maun and Kasane; at the Okavango Delta; in Victoria Falls Township; in Hwange National Park; in Kruger National Park; at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins; and at Graskop, on the edge of the highveld escarpment.- 3 nights bush camp inside Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta.- 2 nights in a basic lodge- 1 day in Khama Rhino Sanctuary, 3 days in the Okavango Delta, 1 day in Chobe National Park, 2 days in Hwange National Park, 1 day in Matopos National Park including a Rhino trek and 2 days in Kruger National Park (including all park entrance fees, where applicable).- Game drives in open 4WD vehicles in Matopos National Park, Hwange National Park and Chobe National Park.- 3 day excursion on the Okavango Delta by mokoro (dugout canoe) and on foot, guided by an expert poler from the Okavango Polers Trust.- Sightseeing of Great Zimbabwe Ruins, Blyde River Canyon and Pilgrim’s Rest.

20 breakfasts, 16 lunches, 18 dinners