This is a terrific itinerary that takes you from Zimbabwe to Botswana, to some of Southern Africa and the world’s greatest natural wonders from Victoria Falls to the Okavango Delta to the Kalahari Desert.
Day 1: Arrival at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Met and transferred to the lodge for overnight.
At more than twice the size of Niagara Falls it’s no surprise that Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Five separate falls plunge more than 328 feet into the chasm which separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. Keep an eye out for elephant, hippo and other wildlife. Optional activities like a swim in Devil’s Pool on the lip of the Falls, white water rafting, elephant back safaris, bungee jumping or a helicopter or micro-light flight. Game drives, canoeing or a sunset cruise on the Zambezi are also easily organized.
Days 2 & 3 Victoria Falls
Days spent at leisure at Victoria Falls. At more than twice the size of Niagara Falls it’s no surprise that Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Five separate falls plunge more than 328 feet into the chasm which separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. Keep an eye out for elephant, hippo and other wildlife. Optional activities like a swim in Devil’s Pool on the lip of the Falls, white water rafting, elephant back safaris, bungee jumping or a helicopter or micro-light flight. Game drives, canoeing or a sunset cruise on the Zambezi are also easily organized.
Days 4: Okavango Delta
Breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Kasane, Botswana. Met and assisted in transferring to a flight to Kwando Airstrip. Upon arrival someone will pick you up and drive you to a lodge within the Okavango Delta. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 5 & 6 Okavango Delta
Days spent at the Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta is the earth’s largest inland water system. Millions of years ago the Okavango River flowed into a large inland lake called Lake Makgadikgadi (now Makgadikgadi Pans). Tectonic shifts interrupted the flow of the river forming what is now the Okavango Delta, a unique system of waterways that support a vast array of animal and plant life, in what would have otherwise been dry Kalahari savannah.
Game viewing in this region is prolific and you can experience this on exciting game drives, short walks and night drives. Excellent birding and photographic opportunities. One of the highlights of the stay is a cruise on the double-deck boat, particularly at sunset.
Days 7: Kalahari Desert
Breakfast, transfer back to the airstrip for a flight to the Kalahari Desert. Track game with the Bushman and enjoy distinctive game drives while relaxing in the famed Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Dinner and overnight at a lodge.
Days 7/8/9 Kalahari Desert
The landscape of the Kalahari will be quite a change after your days in the Delta. Derived from the Tswana Khalagari, meaning “a waterless place” the Kalahari Desert is a semi-arid, sandy savannah extending 350,000square miles and covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa. Despite its aridity, the Kalahari supports a wide variety of fauna and flora. As semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains, the Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert. Animals that live in the region include brown hyenas, lions, meerkats, giraffes, warthogs, jackals, several species of antelope (including the eland, gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest, steenbok, kudu, and duiker), and many species of birds and reptiles.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the largest and most remotely situated reserve in Southern Africa, and the second largest wildlife reserve in the world, encompassing nearly 33,000 square-miles. The Reserve was originally established (in 1961) with the intention of serving as a place of sanctuary for the San, in the heart of the Kalahari (and Botswana), where they could live their traditional hunter/ gatherer way of life, without intrusion, or influence, from the outside world.
Day 10: Departure
Breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your flight out to connect to your onward flight home.