Intimate Botswana & Zimbabwe Encounter

Overview

Intimate Botswana & Zimbabwe Encounter

ENCOUNTER THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTSWANA AND ZIMBABWE IN 15 DAYS.
Intimate Botswana & Zimbabwe Encounter. 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.

A small-group lodge safari, from Victoria Falls through Botswana & Zimbabwe ending in Maun – 15 Days
Type: Small-group Lodge Safari
Duration: 2 – 3 weeks
Country(s): Botswana, Zimbabwe

Intimate Botswana & Zimbabwe Encounter

HIGHLIGHTS
Victoria Falls: Guided tour of the mighty Victoria Falls
Chobe: Morning game drive in the game-rich national park Game viewing by boat on the Chobe River
Hwange: Full day game drive in the national park Half day game drive on a private concession Visit to Painted Dogs Conservation Centre
Lake Kariba: Exploration of the lake aboard a luxury houseboat Various activities available including game viewing, guided walks, fishing, boat trips
Matopos: Optional hikes amongst the boulders Rhino tracking and guided tour of the national park Visit to Cecil John Rhodes’ grave and World’s View
Makgadikgadi Pans: Visit to the Nata Bird Sanctuary and Sowa Pan Ntwetwe Pan Expedition and afternoon baobab walk
Okavango Delta: Traditional mokoro experience floating in dug-out canoes
Moremi: Half day game drive on private concession Full day game drive

Included

1. Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
2. All transport in fully kitted vehicle
3. Game drives and activities as mentioned in the itinerary
4. Park entrance fees
5. Experienced local guide

Excluded

1. Flights
2. Pre and post tour accommodation
3. Optional activities
4. All drinks
5. Personal expenses such as telephone calls, curios and tips
6. Travel insurance and visas

Prices are subject to change

Excluded single supplement and any additional activities & meals not set out in the itinerary

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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.

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.

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.

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. On arrival, we will visit the Painted Dog Conservation Centre to witness the work that is done to protect this endangered species. 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.

Today we head off to Binga located on the south eastern shore of Lake Kariba, where we 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.

We end our houseboat experience with some morning game viewing activities on Lake Kariba and cruise back to Binga where our voyage started. After disembarking we travel southwards 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, sable antelope and the world’s densest population of leopard. 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.

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.

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.
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.

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

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.

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.

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!