Suggested Itinerary
Days 1 & 2: Victoria Falls
Upon your arrival at Livingstone Airport, you will be met and transferred to Victoria Falls by road where you will stay for two nights.
Victoria Falls has become the premier adventure resort of Africa with a multitude of activities to suit every traveler. Some of the most popular are elephant-back safaris, exploring the local craft market for African treasures, and taking a helicopter flight over the mile-wide Victoria Falls. Guided walking safaris and game drives are activities not to be missed and are arranged at your lodge. Game drives take place in 4×4 safari vehicles providing guests with the chance to see big game and enjoy a buffet meal on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River. Other activities are white water rafting in the river or horseback riding through areas with a high concentration of game and beautiful scenery.
Victoria Falls town lies on the southern bank of the Zambezi River at the eastern end of the Victoria Falls. It is a lovely town, which is easy to explore on foot and has something for everyone.
Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is the largest sheet of falling water on earth — a spellbinding and mesmerizing spectacle. The sheer mass of water cascading down the 100m drop across nearly 2km makes a thunderous roar and creates a magnificent spray of water that can be seen for miles — hence the local name ‘mosi oa tunya’ meaning ‘the smoke that thunders’.
Access to Victoria Falls is within easy walking distance from the town centre. Water flow over the falls varies throughout the year. The river’s annual flood season is February to May when the spray can reach a height of over 400m. This is spectacular from above, but it makes it very difficult to see the falls at ground level as it is under a heavy shower/mist. Water levels start dropping in August and are at their lowest October – December when much of the rocky face becomes dry. At times of low water, the falls are best viewed from the Zimbabwe side or from Livingstone Island.
Days 3 & 4: Chobe National Park
Following breakfast, you will be transferred by road to Chobe National Park, where you will stay for 2 nights.
The Chobe River Front is a remarkable wildlife area due to the permanent water source of the Chobe River. However its accessibility from Kasane and neighboring towns of Victoria Falls and Livingstone has created quite a busy tourist area with larger hotels and lodges than you find in the more remote Okavango Delta. The spectacle of all the animals coming to drink and frolic at the water’s edge is one to behold, particularly in the dry season (May – Oct) where water is scarce away from the river. It is an area famous for its abundance of elephants, a variety of predators and, in addition, you are likely to see herds of buffalo and possibly even roan and sable antelope.
In the rainy season (Nov – Apr) the game is much less concentrated at the river as the wildlife spread throughout the greater area of Chobe National Park due to availability of surface water from nearby pans. This assists the vegetation on the river banks in recovering from the massive herds that are attracted to the area in the dry months. The summer rains bring beautiful wild flowers, exquisite scenery, impressive bird life and an abundance of young animals usually born around November/December. The spectacular Chobe sunsets alone are worth a visit to the area. Please note that activities are restricted within the national park in accordance with government rules and regulations: these include no driving off-road, no walking and no driving after dark.
Days 5 & 6: Okavango Delta
Following breakfast and a leisurely morning, you will be transferred to Kasane Airport by road and fly to the Okavango Delta where you will stay for 2 nights.
The Okavango Delta is one of the world’s largest inland deltas situated in the middle of the largest stretch of continuous sand in the world – the Kalahari basin. This oasis in the middle of the desert is a rich yet fragile ecosystem, providing a life source for an incredible variety of wildlife. A wealth of species have adapted to the contrasting conditions created by living in the harsh Kalahari desert which is transformed annually with the arrival of the delta flood waters originating in Angola.
The Okavango wetland encompasses Moremi Game Reserve and surrounding regions divided into areas known as Private Concessions. These concessions are wildlife management areas, carefully administrated to balance the growing community’s development and conservation, whilst empowering citizens through sustainable tourism. Many of the exclusive lodges in Botswana are situated within these concessions in the delta, providing an unparalleled wildlife experience – exclusive and remote, avoiding mass tourism and exploitation.
Flood levels fluctuate dramatically throughout the year, with high water levels peaking in the central Okavango during the dry winter months and water levels at their lowest during the later summer months, contrary to the seasonal rainfall. The landscape, activities and game viewing vary considerably throughout the delta depending on your location, the season and flood levels. Some areas have larger tracts of permanent dry land which generally means there is more focus on land based activities (game drives) and big game viewing. Lodges situated on islands deep in the delta concentrate more on water activities such as Mokoro excursions, walking, boating, fishing and bird watching. Those lodges situated on the outer fringes of the delta, referred to as the ‘seasonal’ delta, offer varied experiences at different times of the year – more water based during high flood levels and more land based as the flood recedes.
Game is more concentrated around the permanent water during the dry season (Apr – Oct) with it becoming very hot in the later months. The heronries become active as the migrant birds return to Botswana from September through November, and general bird watching is excellent throughout the summer months. The rainy season (Nov – Apr) invigorates the lush scenery with wild flowers, dramatic thundershowers, spectacular sunsets and the birthing season brings great predator and prey interaction.
Day 7: Safari Ends in Maun
Following the morning activity, you will be transferred to Maun by light aircraft, for your onward travel arrangements.
