Best of Botswana and Zimbabwe

Upon arrival at Victoria Falls Airport, you will be met and transferred to Hwange National Park, approximately a two hour drive.

Welcome to the largest game park in Zimbabwe! Hwange (pronounced ‘Wang-ee’) is home to hundreds of species of wildlife, including giraffe, lion, zebra, and roughly 40,000 elephants. It provides a sanctuary for all the country’s endangered species, including a population of wild dogs thought to be among the most sizeable surviving groups on the continent. The park’s magnificent terrain ranges from desert dunes, savannah flatlands, and mopane woodlands to rocky outcrops and sparse forests. Here, you will enjoy game drives, guided walks, and/or horse riding safaris. Other highlights include a visit to the Bumbusi National Monument, featuring remains of stone walls and dwellings dating back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as a visit to the popular watering hole, Nyamandhlovu Pan.

Spend the next two days experiencing all that Hwange National Park has to offer. If your goal is to maximize wildlife sighting opportunities, your days will begin at first daylight. After a light breakfast, you’ll depart the lodge and spend several hours tracking and photographing animals. Then, you’ll return to the lodge late morning for a big brunch and some rest before heading out again in the late afternoon. As an alternative to the traditional game drive, you have the option of taking walks and/or horseback rides led by expert guides. If you’d like to throw a little culture into the mix, you also have the option of touring a local village and mingling with locals.

Today, you will make the two hour journey back to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.  The town is named after the nearby falls, known as Mosi-oa-Tunya or “the smoke that thunders.” Over half a million cubic meters of water plummet over the edge every minute, a number that rises to five million cubic meters per minute during the flood season from March to May. Your afternoon on arrival is free to explore the area on your own.

After a leisurely morning, you will be picked up for a guided tour of Victoria Falls. After the tour, you will have time to enjoy the many optional activities available in the area, including scenic flights over the falls, microlighting (a hang-glider with a motor), elephant riding, and/or a boat ride on the Zambezi, just to name a few. We recommended booking these activities in advance. The town itself offers some excellent dining options, as well as an eclectic variety of African curios and authentic art sold by friendly Zimbabwean locals who are wonderfully welcoming and eager to help you enjoy your stay. In the evening, enjoy a sunset dinner cruise on the river.

Today you will transfer from Victoria Falls overland into Botswana, a roughly 5-hour ride.

The Chobe River forms the northern boundary of Chobe National Park, renowned for its diverse and abundant game viewing opportunities. Whether you want to see elephants, hippos, buffalo, lions, or just about any other iconic African safari animal, a visit to this area guarantees close encounters with an array of wildlife. Enjoy activities on both land and water, all led by expert guides. You will arrive in time for some afternoon game-viewing.

Depart early for your morning game drive with your experienced guide. After hours of spotting wildlife, return to the lodge in the late morning for brunch and rest before departing for another game drive in the afternoon. Other optional activities offered today are a sunset Chobe River cruise and/or a guided walk.

Depart Chobe by 30 minute flight to the Okavango Delta, where you are met and transfered to your lodge.

One of the most exciting areas in Botswana is the Okavango Delta. Instead of flowing to the sea, the Okavango River fans inland, forming a seasonal network of islands, lagoons, and waterways flowing eventually into the Kalahari Desert, where the water evaporates. Located in the northeastern corner of the river delta, Moremi Wildlife Reserve provides a pure immersion in a wilderness of great beauty, rich green vegetation, and palm trees that teem with bird life and a vast population of animals. Here, you will have the opportunity to view lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, and giraffes, as well as other species and smaller game during your early morning boat cruise and late afternoon game drive.

Over the next two days, soak up the beautiful offerings of the Delta with activities including morning, afternoon, and night game drives, as well as traversing the waterways via mokoro canoe. Join other guests from your lodge for these activities guided by excellent, knowledgeable, and well-trained naturalists.

Your safari ends today. Fly 1.5 hours to Maun, where you can connect to flights to Johannesbug and home. If you’d like to extend your African experience, consider spending a few days in lively Cape Town.