INTIMATE BOTSWANA & ZIMBABWE ENCOUNTER
ENCOUNTER THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTSWANA AND ZIMBABWE IN 15 DAYS.
With some of the world’s greatest wildlife, Botswana and Zimbabwe are perfect partners for a safari. Enjoy our guides’ expertise and knowledge of both countries and get to explore two of Southern Africa’s most enigmatic countries with its endangered wild dogs, rhino tracking, iconic Victoria Falls and among others, a traditional canoe trip.
B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner
15 Days
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 pre-departure meeting.
Accommodation: Shearwater Explorers Village or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, bar & restaurant)
Lunch: For your own account
Dinner: For your own account
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”. We then travel to Kasane in Botswana, 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.
Distance: 100 km
Departure: 08h00
Accommodation: Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool & restaurant)
Breakfast: At Shearwater Explorers Village or similar
Lunch: For your own account
Dinner: For your own account
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Start your morning with a hopefully spectacular 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.
Accommodation: Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, bar & restaurant)
Breakfast: At Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa or similar
Lunch: For your own account
Dinner: For your own account
This morning we make our way across the border into Zimbabwe and to our lodge situated in a private concession in the North West corner of 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.
Distance: 183 km
Departure: 08h00
Accommodation: Nantwich Lodge or similar (chalets with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool & bar area)
Day 4
Breakfast: At Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa or similar
Lunch: At Nantwich Lodge or similar
Dinner: At Nantwich Lodge or similar
Day 5
Breakfast: At Nantwich Lodge or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack on game drive
Dinner: At Nantwich Lodge or similar
Today we board our flight to Deka Airstrip. Road transfer to Msuna Island on the Zambezi River, where we will board a houseboat for a relaxing two-night trip. Nested in the mountains, Lake Kariba is a man-made 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 between Msuna River towards Mibizi area which forms the beginning of Lake Kariba. Continue for a sunset cruise with game viewing along the way, followed by dinner on board.
In the morning and afternoon, you will have the opportunity for some leisurely fishing, guided walks or game viewing depending on your preference. When we return, brunch will be served whilst cruising along the lake.
Distance: 393 km
Departure: 07h00
Accommodation: Sovereign Houseboat or similar (cabins with en-suite bathrooms, plunge pool & dining room area)
Day 6
Breakfast: At Nantwich Lodge or similar
Lunch: Lunch Pack from Nantwich Lodge or similar
Dinner: At Sovereign Houseboats or similar
Day 7
Breakfast: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar
Lunch: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar
Dinner: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar
After disembarking, we transfer back to Deka Airstrip for your flight back to Hwange Airport. We continue via road transfer to your lodge. The next day we visit 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. Start the 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.
Distance: 470 km
Departure: 08h00
Accommodation: Shashani Matobo Hills Lodge or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, bar, & swimming pool)
Day 8
Breakfast: At Sovereign Houseboat or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack from Sovereign Houseboat or similar
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
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.
Distance: 375 km
Departure: 06h00
Accommodation: Nata Lodge or similar (permanent safari tents with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool & bar)
Breakfast: At Shashani Lodge or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack or sit down lunch
Dinner: At Nata Lodge or similar
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.
Distance: 200 km
Departure: 05h00
Accommodation: Planet Baobab or similar (Bakalanga huts with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool & bar)
Breakfast: Breakfast packs prepared by Planet Baobab or similar
Lunch: Picnic lunch
Dinner: At Planet Baobab or similar
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.
Distance: 225 km
Departure: 07h00
Accommodation: Thamalakane River Lodge or similar (chalets with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, bar & restaurant)
Breakfast: At Planet Baobab or similar
Lunch: For your own account
Dinner: For your own account
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.
Distance: 94 km
Departure: 07h00
Accommodation: Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar ((Meru-style tented suites with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool & bar)
Breakfast: At Thamalakane River Lodge or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack from Thamalakane River Lodge or similar
Dinner: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar
Today 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.
Accommodation: Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar (Meru-style tented suites with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool & bar)
Meals:
Breakfast: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar
Lunch: Lunch pack on game drive
Dinner: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar
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: At Mankwe Tented Retreat or similar
From Tourist
