15-Day Botswana and Zimbabwe

The excursion departs from your Guest Lodge at 2:00 p.m. The magnificent sight of the great Zambezi River crashing over Victoria Falls welcomes you to your trip in Zimbabwe and Botswana. After settling down, you’ll go on foot in the afternoon to explore the falls and the area’s tropical jungle. Following that, you will leave on your own to eat dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Hwange National Park is an ecological gem. It is renowned for its big game and sizable elephant populations. From the western areas of Hwange, which are on the verge of the Kalahari, via the expansive grass plains, to the forested woodlands in east Hwange, the region is home to a broad range of habitats. On the eastern edge of the park, we will spend two nights in a cozy lodge. You will spend the day in open 4WD vehicles on a game drive in the park in search of animals.

The rounded granite boulders and sloping valleys of Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park are home to some of the country’s remaining rhinos. You’ll spend the day on an adventure in the park, taking part in activities like a game walk to observe the rhinos, learning about the prehistoric Bushmen rock art, and taking in the views from Cecil John Rhodes’ final resting place, World’s View.

This morning, depart Matobo and travel west towards the Botswana border, crossing at Plumtree and making your way to the Nata area for the night. You will leave for the Makgadikgadi Pans in the late afternoon. These enormous salt flats appear to go on forever. Before the sun sets over the horizon, you’ll have fun exploring the region and shooting pictures.

Maun gets its name from a San word that means “place of short reeds” and is located at the southern end of the Okavango Delta, overlooking the picturesque Thamalakane River. With a free afternoon to enjoy bird watching by the river, you may get ready for your excursion to the Moremi Game Reserve. Alternatively, you can pay for a private scenic flight over the Okavango Delta or unwind by the pool.

The Moremi Game Reserve is a stunningly rich wilderness area with wonderful species that is generated by sudden contrasts when the rivers of the Okavango surge into the drier Kalahari. With more than 400 bird species, Moremi provides some outstanding game viewing opportunities. It is also a fantastic location to see elephants, giraffes, wild dogs, leopards, lions, and many antelope species. In the Moremi Game Reserve and the neighboring areas along the Khwai River, you will spend your time on game drives where the lagoons draw thirsty animals to drink in the late afternoon.

On day 10, you will have a game drive in the morning before returning to your lodge in Maun, where you will eat dinner at your own expense.

After driving through the Okavango Delta, you’ll turn north and arrive at your resort on the Okavango Panhandle’s banks. You will use a mokoro and motor boat to travel around the Okavango from the lodge. You will see serene reed-lined rivers, pristine waterways, and an abundance of birdlife. You’ll have plenty of time to unwind, have a nap, and take in the scenery of the Okavango Delta.

You will leave Botswana and enter Namibia, where you will find the Mahango Game Reserve. In order to get to your lodge on the Kavango River, you will have a wildlife drive through the reserve. Your afternoon will be spent on a river tour, where you may take in the amazing local birdlife.

The Caprivi Strip, often known as the Zambezi Region, is a narrow swath of Namibia that separates Botswana to the south and Angola to the north. You’ll pass the Caprivi, enter Botswana again at Ngoma, and then travel to your lodging in Kasane. Large herds of elephants are drawn to the Chobe River as it gently meanders along the park’s northern edge. The game-viewing boat, perhaps Southern Africa’s best wildlife excursion, takes up your final afternoon. Elephant herds, sizable crocodiles, hippos in pods, and other animals can be seen as they slake their thirst at the end of the day. A magnificent river sunset is a photographer’s paradise.

You’ll enjoy an optional early morning game drive (own expense) before having your last breakfast. Then, in time for midday flight departures, you’ll move on a road shuttle to either Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe or Kasane Airport in Botswana. The tour is over at 11:00.