PUR ZIMBABWE

Day 1 : Victoria Falls (15 km) (B / L / D) 

Meet and Greet • Transfer • Falls: Zimbabwe Side • Afternoon Activities

Meet and greet at Victoria Falls Airport. Our guide will be waiting for you in the arrival hall carrying a branded sign board. 12:35 - Transfer

Arrival at Victoria Falls, one of the most famous landmarks in the world and visited by thousands of tourists every year, yet the town of the same name remains small and filled with plenty of old-world frontier charm.

Victoria Falls town is bright and friendly and a great place to browse craft markets and collect souvenirs of your African travels as you take some time to absorb the atmosphere and pick up a greater sense of the African cultures and the rich history that have shaped the Victoria Falls over time. Wildlife lovers may need to look no further than right in front of them as animals are known to roam the streets with cheeky baboons hanging around in the trees and occasionally even an elephant or two strolling across the road to the nearby Zambezi River. (n)

View one of the world’s natural wonders on a visit to the Zimbabwe side of the Victoria Falls. This enormous sheet of falling water was first discovered by David Livingstone in 1855, although it had been known to the local people for much longer than that. It is shared by two countries, Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the south. Around two thirds of the falls are located on the Zimbabwe side and this country is also considered to have more classical views of the mains falls with footpaths leading you to breathtaking viewpoints such as Devils Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls and the very popular Rainbow Falls. The sights from here are considered some of the best on the planet while the sheer force of the tumbling water is a sensory treat as water plunges and tumbles, sending sprays of mist up into the skies.

- Lunch (package)
- Afternoon Activities
- Activities incluse : Safari national park Zambèze
- Dinner : The Elephant Camp
- Overnight : The Elephant Camp (Standard Room - Fully Inclusive)

Day 2 : Victoria Falls (B / L / D)    

Afternoon Activities

- Breakfast
- Lunch (package)
- Afternoon Activities
- Dinner : The Elephant Camp
- Overnight : The Elephant Camp (Standard Room - Fully Inclusive)

Day 3 : Victoria Falls - Bulawayo (455 km) (B / L / D)    

Morning Activities • Bulawayo City Tour • Bulawayo Museum: Rail

- Morning Activities
- Breakfast

08:00 - Embark on your guided tour aboard your minibus: He will accompany you all along your circuit from Victoria Falls (Day 3) to Victoria Falls (Day 9)

- Travel to Bulawayo
- Lunch

Trace Zimbabwe’s history and culture along the bustling streets of Bulawayo on a city tour. Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe and also one of the oldest, carrying with it a rich and sometimes bloody history. It was the site of numerous executions by Chief Lobengula, son of Mzilikazi, during the formation of the Ndebele state in the 1830s, and blood flowed once again in the 1890s when British colonialists seized the city and announced the successful conclusion of the Matabele War.

Today colonial influence can still be seen in buildings such as the town hall and the station, once a central hub of trading activity. The Natural History Museum is considered amongst the best in the country with a vast collection of gemstones showcasing Zimbabwe’s astounding natural wealth, and the Railway Museum houses an interesting collection of steam locomotives, beautiful buildings and a private coach that once belonged to the famous Cecil John Rhodes.

Steam along with a visit to the Bulawayo Railway Museum. The history of Bulawayo’s rail system dates back to the late 1800s when a need arose to link the fast developing and landlocked mining towns in Zimbabwe with the ports in Mozambique and South Africa. The open air museum is situated behind the Bulawayo Railway Station in an area that was previously a workshop used for the maintenance of refrigeration wagons. It displays a variety of small exhibits and models as well as steam and diesel electric locomotives.

Highlights include the Jack Tar, one of the best known and most popular steam locomotives to have worked in Rhodesia, and the coach car used to transport the remains of Cecil John Rhodes from Cape Town to his final resting place in the Matopos Hills just south of Bulawayo. This grand, private saloon includes a kitchen, lounge and bathroom and was originally purchased by the De Beers mining company which was founded by Rhodes.

- Dinner : Cresta Churchill Hotel
- Overnight : Cresta Churchill Hotel (Standard Room - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast)

Day 4 : Bulawayo - Great Zimbabwe (314 km) (B / L / D)    

Great Zimbabwe Ruins

- Breakfast
- Travel to Great Zimbabwe
- Lunch

Roam ancient architectural remains with a visit to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. Originally discovered in 1868, these ruins are the largest in Africa south of the Sahara and stand as testament to the great architectural skill of the early Zimbabwean people. Built between the 11th and 15th centuries, the ruins are a collection of granite walls embellished with turrets, towers, platforms and elegantly sculpted stairways that have been called ‘unparalleled elsewhere in Africa and beyond’.

Although still a source of much mystery as to its function, it is known that the ruins stand in a location that was once the epicentre of an industrious southern African empire, with trading links stretching as far away as India, Persia and China. The site also includes a small museum that displays shards of Persian pottery, a Chinese writing set and brass ornaments from Assam in India, all unearthed amid or near the ruins and all extremely old.

- Dinner : Great Zimbabwe Hotel
- Overnight : Great Zimbabwe Hotel (Standard Room - Dinner, Bed and Breakfast)

Day 5 : Great Zimbabwe - Matobo (367 km) (B / L / D)    

Matobo National Park • 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive

- Breakfast
- Travel to Matobo

Find inner peace during a game drive through the Matopos National Park. Lying less than an hour from Bulawayo, this park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also an area of great spiritual and cultural significance to the local people, with many important cultural ceremonies still taking place there. It was named by the great Ndebele King Mzilikazi who is buried in the park, and its name means ‘bald head’ in reference to the range of domes, spires and balancing rock formations which have been hewn out of the solid granite plateau through millions of years of erosion.

Matopos is home to large numbers of protected black and white rhino and is the site of important San Bushmen rock paintings. It is revered for its spectacular and rugged landscape that supports a good diversity of wildlife and birds, while the lack of elephant and lion make is ideal for hiking and walking safaris.

- Lunch (package)
- 4x4 Game Drive PM.
- Dinner : Big Cave Camp
- Overnight : Big Cave Camp (Standard Room - Fully Inclusive)

Day 6 : Matobo (B / L / D)

4x4 Morning Game Drive • 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive

- 4x4 Game Drive AM.
- Breakfast
- Lunch (package)
- 4x4 Game Drive PM.
- Dinner : Big Cave Camp
- Overnight : Big Cave Camp (Standard Room - Fully Inclusive)

Day 7 : Matobo - Hwange (366 km) (B / L / D)

4x4 Morning Game Drive • 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive

- 4x4 Game Drive AM.
- Breakfast
- Travel to Hwange

Soak up the magic of the bush on a visit to Hwange. Located on the eastern edge of the Kalahari Desert, Hwange is the largest national park in the country, featuring one of the biggest concentrations and diversity of species in southern Africa, as well as the second largest elephant population in the world. It also shelters all of Zimbabwe’s specially protected species, as well as a number of archaeological, historical and cultural sites including ruins and rock carvings.

The park’s accessibility, lack of crowds, and easy-to-spot wildlife make it a particularly rewarding location for a safari, especially during the dry months when animals are guaranteed to be found congregating around the man-made waterholes. Game to be seen includes the Big Five, rare roan and sable antelope, protected gemsbok and brown hyena, and endangered wild dog. Overall Hwange has an incredible diversity of mammals, including over 5 000 elephants.

- Lunch (package)
- PM Game Drive.
- Dinner : The Hide Safari Camp
- Overnight at the Camp : The Hide Safari Camp (Delux Tent - Fully Inclusive)

Day 8 : Hwange (B / L / D)    

4x4 Morning Game Drive • 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive

- AM Game Drive.
- Breakfast
- Lunch (package)
- PM Game Drive.
- Dinner : The Hide Safari Camp
- Overnight at the Camp : The Hide Safari Camp (Delux Tent - Fully Inclusive)

Day 9 : Hwange - Victoria Falls (228 km) (B / L / -)    

4x4 Morning Game Drive • Mpisi Village • Sunset Cruise

- AM Game Drive.
- Breakfast
- Travel to Victoria Falls

Depart from your hotel for a tour of Mpisi Village where you can try your hand at traditional chores. This rural village is situated approximately 13 km from Victoria Falls town and is the traditional home of the Matabele people. Here you will be able to observe the villagers going about their everyday lives as you watch agricultural fields being tended to and possibly give a helping hand with daily tasks.

You will also be invited into the homes of the local villagers where you will have an opportunity to learn more about the Matabele culture and traditions with everything from farming to important ceremonies and child rearing up for discussion. For many this will be the first introduction to authentic African culture and the informal and informative tour offers a fun-filled and enlightening day before returning to the westernised world.

- Lunch

Sunset cruise. Enjoy the magnificent African sunset on a river cruise along the upper Zambezi. With a full local bar and snacks to keep you satisfied, allow yourself to embark on a journey of relaxation, drifting along the river and watching the animals come and quench their thirst on the riverbanks.

- Overnight: Shongwe Oasis Boutique Lodge and Spa (Deluxe Room - Bed and Breakfast)

Day 10 : Victoria Falls - Kariba (757 km) (B / L / D)    

Transfer • Afternoon Game Drive

- Breakfast 10:00 - Transfer
- Charter flight from Victoria Falls to Kariba See 'Your Transport' below. *Charter VFA/Kariba
- Lunch (package)
- PM Activity.
- Dinner : Bumi Hills Safari Lodge
- Overnight : Bumi Hills Safari Lodge (Lake View (Premier Room - Fully Inclusive))

Day 11 : Kariba (B / L / D)    

Morning Game Drive • Afternoon Game Drive

- AM Activity.
- Breakfast
- Lunch (package)
- PM Activity.
- Dinner : Bumi Hills Safari Lodge
- Overnight : Bumi Hills Safari Lodge (Lake View (Premier Room - Fully Inclusive))

Day 12 : Kariba - Victoria Falls (B / - / -)    

Morning Game Drive

- AM Activity.
- Breakfast
- Charter flight from Kariba to Victoria Falls See 'Your Transport' below. *Charter Kariba VFA
- End of our services

(n): All tours and visits followed by (n) are general presentation, introduction or suggestion of visits. They do not correspond to any service included nor any cost. They are present in the itinerary for information purposes