BEST OF ZIMBABWE SAFARI

Day 1 - 3 : Ilala Lodge Hotel, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) (B / - / -)

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) :

A gazillion tonnes of water thundering over a sheer cliff drowns all other sounds. The swirling mist hides all sign of human activity. Beyond your rain forest sanctuary people are hurling themselves off bridges, across gorges, into walls of raging water and out of aircraft.

Victoria Falls is a paradox of tranquil beauty and exciting adventure.

Mosi-oa-Tunya, 'The Smoke that Thunders' is undoubtedly Zimbabwe's finest and most well-known attraction. It is or rather was (if you're keeping up with the latest list) one of the Seven World Wonders. We still believe it deserves the title. It truly is spectacular and not considered to be one of the world's largest waterfalls without good reason. It's not the widest or the highest, yet it is considered to the largest based on its combined width, at 1,708 metres wide and height, at 108 metres. Impressively it takes the title for the largest sheet of falling water.

Day Itinerary :

•    On arrival at Victoria Falls Airport you will be met and transferred to your lodge, which is situated close to the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, shops, markets and nearby restaurants. Wild animals are often seen grazing the hotel lawns as the National Park borders the front of the property.

Airport Transfer Time: 30 minutes from Victoria Falls Airport

•    The remainder of the day can be spent relaxing at your own leisure on arrival. Head off on an afternoon activity to see the falls (if time allows)
•    Enjoy any of the many activities on offer. Ask at lodge reception to make activity and dining bookings for you. A full day is set aside to explore the falls, adventure into town and go wild on activities
•    Dine at the lodge restaurant or head into town. We recommend a Zambezi dinner cruise or dinner at the Boma Restaurant for local cuisine and culture

Overnight : Ilala Lodge Hotel
Meals : Bed and Breakfast

Day 3 - 6 : The Hide, Hwange National Park (B / L / D)    

Hwange National Park :

About an hour's drive from Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe's most famous game reserve and with good reason. The Kalahari biome reaches from central Botswana into the south and west regions characterised by level plains and sparse scrub land with great wildlife.

Hwange has many waterholes to ensure varied and reliable game viewing; it is home to great herds of elephant and buffalo; the largest population of the extremely rare African dog thrives here; and the birdlife is prolific.

Wildlife highlights in Hwange National Park include: elephant, wild dog, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, spotted hyena, brown hyena, jackal, zebra, giraffe, waterbuck, gemsbok, eland, roan, sable, kudu and many smaller antelope and nocturnal mammals.

Day Itinerary :

•    After breakfast, enjoy a last activity in Victoria Falls (if time allows). You will be transferred to the airport for your onward internal flight from the Victoria Falls

Airport to Hwange National Park
Airport Transfer Time: 30 minutes to Victoria Falls Airport
Airport Transfer Time: 2 hours from Hwange Airport to camp

•    Enjoy the scheduled activities with your lodge guide as included.
•    The camp offers a true paradise for game viewing as a wide variety of game can be seen from the camp's immediate vicinity. It is not rare to see game such as elephant, lion and rhino in front of the camp. A concealed hide near the waterhole allows guests the unique experience of viewing game safely from extremely close quarters and allows for great photo opportunities. Also on offer are excursions into the Hwange National Park with experienced professional guides thus giving you the opportunity to view more game in the area
•    The Dove Nest Tree house can be booked as an overnight activity once guests are in camp.
•    Request a private dinner in the underground wine cellar at The Hide.

Activities: Game drives, guided walks and sleep-outs at ‘The Dove Nest’ Tree house

Overnight : The Hide
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities 
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included

Included
•    All meals, local drinks, up to 4 activities per day and laundry

Day 6 - 9 : Changa Safari Camp, Matusadona National Park (B / L / D) 

Matusadona National Park :

Matusadona is a wilderness area that, like Mana Pools, is almost impenetrable by vehicle leaving it unspoilt and truly wild. The game reserve has one of the highest concentrations of lions in Africa despite its massive 1,500sq km coverage from the Zambezi Escarpment down to the water's edge.

Wildlife in Matusadona National Park is understandably prolific with natural barriers keeping humans out and animals in. The water level of the lake provides rich grasses for huge herds of buffalo and elephant as well as rhino, hippo and crocodiles and a great variety of antelope and plains game. Cormorants, raptors and woodland species of bird occur in abundance. 

Day Itinerary :

•    Today you depart Hwange National Park and make your way to your next destination in Matusadona National Park, flying from one airstrip to another

Airport Transfer Time: 2 hours to Hwange Airport
Boat Transfer Time: 20-30 min transfer and a further 40 minute boat transfer from Kariba Airstrip

•    2 full days are set aside to enjoy the scheduled activities with your lodge guide as included.
•    Changa Safari Camp is situated within a private concession on the shores of Lake Kariba in the Matusadona National Park

Activities: Game drives, game walks, boat cruises, bird watching and fishing (permit is additional cost)

Overnight : Changa Safari Camp
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities 
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included

Included
•    All meals, local drinks, house wines, teas/coffees, activities, park fees, conservation & community levy and laundry

Excluded
•    Premium drinks, lake usage fees, boat transfers from Fothergill/Kariba

Day 9 - 12 : John's Camp, Mana Pools National Park (B / L / D)     

Mana Pools National Park :

Mana Pools is famous for its walking safaris, canoeing safaris as well as night and day game drives made all the more exciting by the ever-present thrill of getting close to elephants, lions, buffalos, rhinos, cheetahs, leopards, hippos, crocs and much more.

Your guide will be on the lookout for massive elephants following ancient migration paths, lion prides on the hunt, territorial rhinos and grumpy hippos. Birdlife along the river and around the pools is prolific with a low-season count of about 450 birds increasing to 640 in the dry winter season between March and September - when game viewing is also at its best.

Day Itinerary :

•    Today you depart Matusadona National Park and make your way to your next destination in Mana Pools for 3 nights

Boat Transfer Time: 40 minute boat transfer and a 20 minute drive to Kariba Airstrip
Airport Transfer Time: 45 minutes from Mana Main/ Mana West Airstrip

•    2 full days are set aside to enjoy the scheduled activities with your lodge guide as included. 
•    John’s Camp is situated in Mana Pools, Zambia. The Zambezi River forms a natural boundary between Zimbabwe and Zambia, with Mana Pools on the southern banks
•    For the more adventurous traveller, John’s Camp offers a star gazing sleep-out platform

Activities: Game drives, game walks, fishing and canoeing

Overnight : John's Camp 
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities 
All Drinks (excl Premium Brands) Included

Included
•    All meals, local drinks, activities, park fees and laundry

Day 12 : End of Itinerary (B / - / -)    

Day Itinerary :

•    After breakfast and a morning activity (if time allows depending on your departure flight), you will depart back to the Mana Pools Airstrip and take your onward flight ending in Harare

Airstrip Transfer Time: 45 minutes to Mana Main/ Mana West Airstrip

•    Fly out directly from Harare (Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport) or spend a night in Harare before catching your onward flight the next day
•    End of services

Bed and Breakfast
End of our services