Intimate Botswana & Zimbabwe Encounter

Day 1: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

On arrival into Victoria Falls Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the afternoon may be spent at leisure enjoying one of the many activities available in Victoria Falls. This evening you will meet your guide and the rest of your group at the lodge at 18h00 for your predeparture meeting.

Day 2 and 3: Victoria Falls to Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe

After breakfast your guide will take you on a tour of the mighty Victoria Falls, known by the local Kololo tribe as Mosi oa Tunya - “the smoke that thunders”. You will then be transferred to the airport for your flight to Kariba town. A short transfer will take you to Lake Kariba shore, where you will board a luxury houseboat for a relaxing two-night trip. Nested in mountains, Lake Kariba is a manmade inland sea guarded by enormous reserves of game and made beautiful and savage by sun and storm, earth and water.

Our voyage takes us to the Sengwe River for afternoon wildlife activities and sunset, followed by drinks and dinner on board. In the morning we set out early for some leisurely fishing, guided walks or game viewing depending on your preference. When we return, brunch will be served whilst cruising to Elephant Bay where we will moor at one of the islands with a sandy beach. Watch the sunset over lake, relaxing around a camp fire and enjoying a beach barbecue under the starry sky.

Day 2
Breakfast: At Shearwater Explorers Village or similar
Lunch: Lunch on own account
Dinner: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar

Day 3
Breakfast: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar
Lunch: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar
Dinner: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar

Breakfast and Dinner included.

Day 4 and 5: Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe to Chobe National Park, Botswana

We then board a flight to from Kariba Airport to Victoria Falls. You will then be transferred to Kasane, the gateway to the Chobe National Park. Chobe, which is the second largest national park in Botswana and covers 10,566 square km, has one of the greatest concentrations of elephant found on the African continent. The afternoon is at leisure to partake in optional activities or to relax by the pool.

The next day you will start your morning with a game drive in Chobe National Park. You will return to the lodge for a late breakfast and relaxation until our boat cruise on the Chobe River starts around 3pm. Here we can watch elephants, hippos, crocodiles and a variety of birds, making for excellent up-close photo opportunities.

Day 4
Breakfast: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar
Lunch: For your own account
Dinner: For your own account

Day 5
Breakfast: At Chobe Safari Lodge or similar
Lunch: For your own account
Dinner: For your own account

Breakfast included.

Day 6 and 7: Chobe, Botswana to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

This morning we make our way across the border into Zimbabwe and to our lodge situated in a private concession near Hwange National Park. Over the following two days, we will have plenty of time to explore this vast wilderness on game drives. Hwange National Park is one of Africa's finest
havens for wildlife and is home to great herds of elephant, buffalo, and zebra and has a very large concentration of giraffe. It is also home to many predators and endangered species plus varied birdlife.

If time allows, you can partake in an optional game drive on the concession in the afternoon. The whole of the next day is spent exploring this magnificent area on a full day game drive in Hwange National Park.

Day 6
Breakfast: At Chobe Safari Lodge or similar
Lunch: At Elephant’s Eye or similar
Dinner: At Elephant’s Eye or similar

Day 7
Breakfast: At Elephant’s Eye or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack on game drive
Dinner: At Elephant’s Eye or similar

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Day 8 and 9: Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe

Today we travel south to the majestic Matobo Hills, an area of exquisite beauty, steeped in tribal history, ancient mystery and dramatic rock landscapes. The national park has been given UNESCO World Heritage status and is home to both white and black rhinoceros and sable antelope. Birdlife is prolific and includes the highest concentration of black eagles in the world. Once the home of the San (Bushman), this area contains the richest source of the rock art found anywhere. Not only is it here that the Ndebele people buried their great king, Mzilikazi, but Cecil John Rhodes was also laid to rest on the “Hill of the Benevolent Spirit” or “World’s View” as named by him.

We spend the next day in the national park, starting our morning with tracking rhino spoor by vehicle and foot. In the afternoon we further explore the scenery and wildlife of the park on game drives, ending with a visit to Rhodes’ grave.

Day 8
Breakfast: At Elephant’s Eye or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack from Elephant’s Eye
Dinner: At Shashani Matobo Hills Lodge or similar

Day 9
Breakfast: At Shashani Matobo Hills Lodge or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack on game drive
Dinner: At Shashani Matobo Hills Lodge or similar

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Day 10: Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe to Nata, Botswana

We leave Matobo Hills and drive through the savannas of southern Matebeleland en-route to Botswana. In the afternoon we visit the Nata Bird Sanctuary, where we will have the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent view over the Sowa pan which is part of the Greater Makgadikgadi Pans. (Please note a visit to the pans is subject to the road conditions and water levels as well as time constraints.) We arrive at our lodge in the late afternoon.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Day 11: Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana

A very early morning departure leads us to Planet Baobab near Gweta, from where we embark on an expedition to Ntwetwe Pan to encounter some of Botswana’s distinctive landscapes and extraordinary creatures.

NTWETWE PAN EXCURSION:
The Ntwetwe Pan is one of the two major pans that make up the Makgadikgadi Pans, and is amongst the largest saltpans in the world. The pan was fed by the Boteti River until it was left permanently dry following the construction of the Mopipi Dam, which provides water for the diamond mines in Orapa. The waters may have returned to the river but Ntwetwe is now famous for its extraordinary lunar landscape, particularly the rocky outcrops, dunes, islets, and channels found along the western shore. We explore the area, in search of uniquely adapted desert species such as bat eared foxes, springbuck, kori bustards, and some of the Kalahari’s most fascinating inhabitants, the meerkats. By spending quality time with these incredibly social, superbly adapted
animals, you will be able to see how they interact with each other and their environment. Due to an ongoing habituation programme it’s possible to get up-close and personal with these captivating creatures.

After lunch we have the opportunity to explore a nearby village to experience modern African village culture. Learn about the history and traditions of the Batswana people from a local guide whose knowledge has been inherited from their forefathers. Visit the local primary school, ‘Sekolo’
with its outdoor classes and meet the children, visit the Kgotla – a traditional court that governs the village and get a glimpse of rural Botswana life.

In the late afternoon we take a stroll with our guide through an impressive baobab grove, as he explains the local ecology, geology and the unique biology of the baobabs, which are in fact not trees but the largest succulents in the world.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Day 12: Maun, Botswana

Today we travel to Maun, a bustling safari town which serves as the gateway to the Okavango Delta. The name Maun is derived from the San word “maung”, which means “the place of short reeds”. The afternoon is yours to spend at leisure, either relaxing next to the pool at the lodge or if you are keen for some excitement, why not book an optional scenic flight over the delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and truly glorious oasis.

Breakfast included.

Day 13 and 14: Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana

After breakfast we take a drive to the mokoro station. From here, we will float in dug-out canoes through the thick vegetation of the Okavango Delta discovering a variety of birds and wildlife. Unlike other deltas, it flows into the Kalahari Desert without ever reaching the coast. After this spectacular excursion and lunch, we make our way to our camp, which is situated in a private concession in the Greater Moremi area. After settling into our camp, we will enjoy dinner and embark on a night game drive in the concession – a fantastic opportunity to spot some nocturnal animals that are more difficult to encounter during the day.

The next day we head into the famous Moremi Game Reserve known as one of the most beautiful and varied reserves in Africa with an unprecedented concentration of wildlife. The full day is spent in the unspoiled nature of the Moremi Game Reserve.

Day 13
Breakfast: At Thamalakane River Lodge or similar
Lunch: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar
Dinner: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar

Day 14
Breakfast: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack on game drive
Dinner: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Day 15: End of Tour

Our safari ends after breakfast. You will be transferred to Maun Airport in time for your departure flight. We hope to welcome you again one day on another of our African adventures!

Breakfast included.