Virena Hermann
Sample Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Johannesburg
On arrival, you will be met at the airport with a signboard. You will then be assisted through immigration, baggage collection, and customs, and then transferred to your comfortable hotel for overnight.
Overnight Peech Hotel
Day 2
Victoria Falls and Dinner Under the Stars
This morning, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the international airport for your flight to Victoria Falls.
From here, you’ll transfer to your lodge and enjoy an afternoon game drive, with a three-course dinner under the Africa Stars!
When you wander through the lush rainforests above Victoria Falls, newly baptized in the mist, your ears holding the echo of thundering waters, it isn't hard to imagine that this is where it all began - Eden. As the land cuts away beneath the ancient Zambezi River, the waters plummet dramatically into the Batoka Gorge, over 100 meters below. The striking "smoke that thunders" can be seen for miles, and this incredible destination is known as the adventure capital of the world! From Grade 5 white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and abseiling (which are some of the most popular), we also recommend enjoying some of the wildlife with a more relaxed sunset cruise!
Enjoy your stay at Batonka Guest Lodge. Set in lush gardens, a tranquil haven away from the bustle of town but within easy walking distance of the main attractions, this little lodge has become renowned for its exceptional service standards.
Overnight Batonka Guest Lodge
Day 3
Private Tour of Falls and Sunset Cruise
Accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, wander along the forest path with its unparalleled vistas. View the stunning majesty of this masterpiece of nature, known locally as "Mosi-oa-Tunya," or "the Smoke that Thunders." Your guide will impart a wealth of knowledge about the local fauna and flora. Enjoy lunch at the Lookout Café, overhanging the majestic gorge.
Once collected from your accommodation, head to the waterfront to board your boat. A visit to Victoria Falls isn’t complete without a mesmerizing sunset cruise, and the signature deck of the flagship Zambezi Explorer is the best choice for this. Enjoy uninterrupted views while snacking on delicious canapés and the service of a dedicated mixologist to shake up cocktails and/or mocktails for your sipping! Cruise the watery wilderness with the spray of Victoria Falls, small river islands, and lush vegetation as your backdrop.
Overnight Batonka Guest Lodge
Day 4
Full-day White Water Rafting Tour
Buckle-up and hang on tight — this is the wildest white-water in the world, and rafting on the Zambezi River is an adrenaline rush not to be missed. The rapids are officially defined as "Grade 5" by the British Canoe Union (Grade 6 being commercially un-runnable). Rock walls capture the mighty Zambezi and form one of the great river corridors and a "highway" to the rafts. The gorge is over 100 meters deep at the Falls and increases to over 200 meters by the end of a full-day trip. Reasonable fitness is necessary for rafting and the steep walk in and out of the gorge.
You will be transferred in time for your activity. Lunch on completion.
Overnight Batonka Guest Lodge
Day 5
Transfer to Hwange National Park
Transfer from Victoria Falls to Dete and to Hwange National Park via Elephant Express open-air railway car!
Originally royal hunting grounds used during the 19th century, Hwange was finally declared a national park in 1929. Today, Hwange is Zimbabwe's largest game reserve where vast stretches of wilderness extend from horizon to horizon and form part of the ancient migration route towards northern Botswana's Chobe and Linyanti Reserves.
Between June and October is the perfect time and place to see huge herds of elephants that flock to waterholes as the seasonal pans dry out. A life-saving network of shallow waterholes exists, thanks to pumped water from underground wells, which attract massive herds of elephants and buffalo, along with zebra, sable, and roan antelope. Lion "super-prides" and, if you’re lucky, leopard, wild dog, and cheetah can also be seen.
Start the day with breakfast and then transfer from Victoria Falls to Dete Railway. Board the open-air railway car for lunch, and then head off to Hwange on the Elephant Express Rail Car, watching for wildlife en route!
Upon arriving in the park, you will meet your guide and enjoy a shared game drive for sundowners.
Stay in a unique, community-based property. Camelthorn Lodge is nestled in the cool woodlands on the southern edge of Ngamo’s famous plains. Here, you will be treated to a truly memorable safari experience, in pure comfort and style. Enjoy al-fresco dining under an ancient camelthorn tree; savor your morning coffee in front of a roaring fire; track herds of elephant on foot; and enjoy close-up photography of elephants and other animals from inside a blind.
The lodge was built by request of the local community and sits within communal lands. It represents a hard-earned successful relationship between conservation, responsible tourism, and local communities. All of the staff and guides are local, and the service and guiding are exceptional.
Funds generated by safari guests now reach communities directly, and the results are tangible. Local villagers now have access to education, medical clinics, economic opportunities, and a chance for growth.
Overnight Camelthorn Lodge
Day 6 - 7
Hwange National Park
Spend your days appreciating the diverse Hwange landscape and the concentrations of animals drawn to the park's network of pumped waterholes.
Your scheduled activities may start with a morning open vehicle game drive (or perhaps a full-day drive with a picnic). After some downtime out of the heat of the midday sun, head back out into the bush in search of wildlife.
You may also visit a "wildlife hide," which is like an underground bunker where you can watch animals drink at the waterhole without detecting you!
On day two, enjoy a morning walk with two endangered rhinos, and meet the impressive Cobra anti-poaching ranger unit, made up of local community members who look after the rhinos day and night. You will be some of the first guests to support this groundbreaking Community Rhino Conservation Initiative. You can walk with your guide and spend time watching the white rhino in their new home.
Afterward, have lunch, and then head out for another game drive to enjoy all that the park has to offer.
Overnight Camelthorn Lodge
Day 8
Transfer to Jozibabanini Tented Camp — elephants galore!
Today, after breakfast, set off for your next tented camp, with a game drive en route. Arrive, and have lunch and a cold drink. Later, in the afternoon, you can choose to watch wildlife from camp (based at a waterhole) or enjoy another game drive.
Jozibanini Camp is situated in the remote southwest of Hwange National Park in a wilderness unused for nearly 20 years, once roamed by San people. A semi-desert ecosystem akin to the Kalahari in neighboring Botswana, the camp uses elephant pathways for the unique opportunity to view wildlife via a mountain bike. Jozibanini is a remote, exclusive camp in a truly wild place. It is perfect for adventurous elephant enthusiasts as the camp overlooks a water pan that attracts thirsty elephants.
En route to camp, you can experience a "pump run," resupplying waterholes for wildlife, providing an opportunity to get involved in the incredible game water supply program helping sustain wildlife through the hardest of times.
Upon special request, your bed can be made on an open verandah under the stars for an unforgettable sleepout.
Overnight Jozibanini Tented Camp
Day 9
Hwange National Park - Mountain Biking and Walking Safaris
Today, you can choose your activities.
Suggested itinerary:
AM mountain biking safari through the mopani woodlands on the "elephant pathways."
Lunch in camp or picnic lunch.
PM walking safari or game drive with your expert walking guide.
Return to camp to wait and see animals gather around the water-pan.
Overnight Jozibanini Tented Camp
Day 10
Depart Hwange, Zimbabwe for Khwai/Delta
Today, you will depart from camp after an early breakfast and head for the airstrip. Fly to Victoria Falls, where you will clear immigration and catch your flight to Kasane in Botswana. From Kasane, just one more bushflight takes you to the Okavango Delta, where you will be collected by your safari guide and vehicle and transferred to Little Sable Camp. Arrive and receive a warm welcome and orientation to the camp and surroundings.
Nestled between the Moremi, Linyanti, and Chobe game reserves lies the vast Khwai Area. This camp is situated on a natural elephant migration route from the Okavango Delta, through the Khwai River and on to Savute Marsh. This region is rich in a diversity of game. Elephant, buffalo, lion, hyena, and leopard roam free, and sable, roan, and other plains game are present in good numbers. Nocturnal species may be spotted on night drives, an exciting part of any safari. Waterways, islands, and grasslands are explored on foot and by boat and mokoro, making for a serene experience in the Delta.
Little Sable is a small, eco-luxury camp located in the Khwai Private Reserve, a 200,000-hectare area of pristine wilderness in the Greater Okavango Delta region. The reserve is bordered by Moremi to the south, Savuti to the north, and the Khwai Community Reserve to the east – in other words, in the middle of some of the most famous and iconic game-viewing areas on the continent! Here in the Khwai Private Reserve and Khwai Community Concession is an incredibly diverse area with excellent leopard and wild dog sightings!
The reserve is a conservation triumph through the collaboration of the Khwai Development Trust, the communities surrounding Khwai itself, and Kevin and Shannon Lang. Once used for hunting, the area is now a refuge for biodiversity and provides a safe corridor for migratory species and acts as a buffer between wildlife and surrounding human land use.
Day 11 - 12
Safari in Khwai in the greater Okavango Delta ecosystem
For the next two days, enjoy a mix of activities, choosing from guided walks, game drives, mokoro (dugout canoes), and boating excursions.
Ideally, head out early in the morning as the sun starts to rise, and animals are most active. A quick coffee stop is the perfect time to warm up and take in the incredible sounds of the bush and birdsong. During the heat of the midday sun, you’ll return to camp for lunch and a rest before setting out again in the late afternoon when the bush comes alive. Visit one of the camp hides where you can watch elephants and other animals drawn to the water.
Day 13
To Maun and Johannesburg
Today, you say your fond farewells as you make your way back to the airport to begin your journey home or on to your next destination. Fly from Khwai to Maun, and once in Maun, connect with your onward flight to Johannesburg.
Arrive in Johannesburg, and connect with your international flight home or overnight.
You may wish to add an optional Johannesburg extension to this itinerary. Our travel designers can help plan your ideal itinerary.
