Seasonal Information
This is a mighty voyage exploring some of the best kept wilderness Africa has to offer as well as its most iconic and dramatic spots. Go with the flow, journeying from the magnificent Okavango Delta to the plummeting Victoria Falls, onward to Hwange National Park and beyond. Boat rides, thrilling game drives and exploring the stunning, undisturbed nature characterise this deep dive into Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
-
Upon arrival at Maun Airport, a member of the andBeyond team will meet you and assist you onto your flight to Chitabe Airstrip. Your flight will take you over pristine views of the Okavango’s waterways. Touch down to begin your adventure at andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge.
The Okavango Delta is an oasis of life. Countless species thrive here, with many migrating during the dry season to avail of the rich water and plants in the area. The Big Five can all be found, with great prides of lions as well as high numbers of other big cats.
Besides game drives and guided walks exploring the Okavango’s wildlife, your stay includes a helicopter flight to the Tsodilo Hills, where the San bushmen lived for thousands of years until the late 20th century. Here a knowledgeable San guide will lead you through the ancient quartzite rocks and rock paintings that date back over 25,000 years. This is an energetic hike through a sacred place, viewed from a rare and valuable perspective.
-
King’s PoolLuxury
Take in a short game drive to Chitabe Airstrip, where you will be driven to Kings Pool Camp in a private concession of the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.
Linyanti is a marvellous reserve, bordering Chobe within the vast natural corridor between Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. Rarer species, such as sable and roan antelope thrive in woodlands, which interweave open grassland and riverine forest to create a lush landscape. Huge herds of elephants characterise the area, as does incredible birding and the mysterious Savuti channel, which dries and flows of its own accord.
Embark on game drives both day and night on the concession, looking out for species like the lechwe, leopard, African fish-eagle, cheetah, giraffe and hippo. Guided walks are a must in this verdant location and allow guests to feel the bush beneath their feet as they adventure through the sights and sounds of the local flora and fauna.
-
Thorntree River LodgeLuxury
After a delightful breakfast, take a short game drive to Chobe Airstrip for your flight to Kasane Airport. Here an andBeyond team member will meet you and transfer you to Thorntree River Lodge. This involves clearing customs and immigration at the Botswana and Zambia border posts.
Let your senses come alive as you close in on the thundering of Victoria Falls. A tour takes you through the rainforest ecosystem that has grown at the foot of the falls before emerging beneath the roaring cascades – a sensation unlike any you’ve felt previously.
Take in the beauty of earth’s largest falling sheet of water from the sky, on a microlight flight that also takes in local villages, Batoka gorge, the Zambezi’s Rapid 26 and of course the precipitous falls themselves. A host of other adrenaline-fuelled activities make their home at Victoria – an unrivalled opportunity for thrill-seekers.
Besides the falls, the wealth of beauty and adventure of the Zambezi National Park is at your disposal. Set out on game drives in the Mosi-oa Tunya National Park, bush walks and rhino tracking as well as canoeing and river cruises accompanied by sunset cocktails. Catch and release fishing is an exciting way to spend an afternoon on the river. A host of cultural activities are also included, with a Simonga village visit, Livingstone Museum, and Maramba and Makuni market visits possible too.
-
Somalisa Tented CampLuxury
After breakfast you will be driven to Victoria Falls Airport, where you will fly to Hwange Airstrip. Here you will be greeted by a member of the andBeyond team and transferred to Somalisa Camp.
Welcome to Zimbabwe’s largest national park, home of Africa’s biggest elephant population. Enjoy the beauty of the floodplain where your camp is situated, where emerald grass and mirror-like pools catch the midday sun. Amongst the more famous safari wildlife, there are also gemsbok, roan antelope, cape wild dogs and white rhino that make their home at Hwange. Your stay includes game drives, guided bush walks and cultural visits to local villages.
-
Bumi Hills Safari LodgeLuxury
After breakfast you will be transferred to Hwange Airstrip for your flight to Bumi Hills Airstrip. Your home for the following two nights will be the magnificent Bumi Hills Safari Lodge.
The Bumi Hills are your camp’s namesake and where the lodge is perched, overlooking the tremendous Lake Kariba below. The lake was built and filled between 1958 and 1963, stretches over more than 5,000 square kilometres and is now home to a rich diversity of wildlife, including myriad fish, crocodiles, hippopotamus, fish eagles and other birds and lions, elephant and other big game at the shores.
This is a fantastic spot for fishing, but adventures also include game drives, bush walks, game viewing in hides and romantic sundowner cruises. The private concession here lies beside the Matusadona, and wildlife roam freely between the two parks, allowing a broad range of encounters while out on safari.
-
After a final tasty breakfast, we bid farewell and you will be transferred to Bumi Hills Airstrip for your flight to Robert Gabriel Mugabe Airport, where you will arrive in time for your onward travel arrangements.