Botswana & Zimbabwe Lodge Safari

Botswana & Zimbabwe Lodge Safari

14 Days Starting and ending in Victoria Falls

Visiting: Botswana, Zimbabwe

Tour operator:

Exodus Adventure Travels

Tour code:

WZA

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

4 - 12

Physical rating:

Easy & Moderate

Age range:

16-99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:

English
From: $6675

NB: Prices correct on 08-Nov-2024 but subject to change.

Tour Overview

From the crashing Victoria Falls to the meandering Okavango Delta, this safari visits the best destinations in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Encounter the huge elephant herds of Chobe, search for rhinos and leopards in Matopos and spot wild dogs in Hwange. Starry skies and burnished sunsets complete the adventure. And where better for a sundowner than the shimmering Makgadikgadi Pans?

Highlights

  • Embark on an overland safari adventure across the wilds of Botswana and Zimbabwe

  • Explore the elephant capital of the world, Chobe National Park, on a game drive and river safari

  • Glide over the Okavango Delta by mokoro canoe, which are poled by local villagers

  • Camp under the starry night sky, drifting off to the calls of hippos, elephants and lions

  • Safari through Matobo and Hwange national parks, both home to iconic African animals

  • Finish at the mighty Victoria Falls – there’s no better spot to end our adventure together!

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Start Victoria Falls; To Chobe National Park

Meals Included: Dinner

Meet the group at the airport or at the Rainbow Hotel in Victoria Falls town (see the Joining Instructions for more information, as the airport can sometimes change). We then transfer 75mi (120km) to Kasane, Botswana. The drive takes a little over two hours but there can be delays crossing the border. Once we are settled into our chalets, we meet for a full-tour briefing.



Accommodation: Kwalape Lodge (or similar)

Day 2 : Game Drive And River Safari In Chobe National Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Chobe National Park is best known for its huge populations of elephants and buffalos. With an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 elephants this is, undoubtedly, the best place to see them in the world. The park is also home to wild dogs, lions, leopards and various other wildlife.



We start the day by going on a game drive in one of the lodge’s open game-drive vehicles. It will be an early start as we aim to get to the park gates as they open. We spend about three hours on safari before returning to the lodge in time for brunch.



There is time to relax at the lodge during the hottest part of the day or explore Kasane town (where we can get local currency) before heading out again, this time on a boat on the Chobe River. After a short transfer to the jetty, we board the boat for a three-hour safari. This is a great opportunity to view the vast herds of elephants and other wildlife from the water.



Accommodation: Kwalape Lodge (or similar)

Day 3 : Transfer To Maun

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today is a long drive as we transfer the 375mi (600km) between Kasane and Maun, the town on the edge of the Okavango Delta. We’ll stop en route for lunch at the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pan before arriving in Maun mid-afternoon. We spend time in town getting supplies (this is a chance for you to get any extra drinks or snacks you may want while in the delta). From here, it’s only a short drive out of town to our lodge.



Accommodation: Crocodile Camp (or similar)

Day 4 - 5 : Explore The Okavango Delta By Foot And Dugout Canoe

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Okavango River, after travelling 995mi (1,600km) from the highlands of Angola, reaches the Kalahari and spreads into a large swamp where the water transpires into the plant life and evaporates, never reaching the sea. This makes the Okavango Delta, as this swamp is known, one of the largest inland deltas on Earth and a true natural wonder. The delta islands are home to a vast array of wildlife, including all the usual suspects, though numbers reach their peak during the dryer winter months when animals, including many of the larger ones, migrate here.



We head into the delta in mokoro dugout canoes poled by local villagers who have grown up here. Camping with our local guides, we learn more about their lifestyle and culture. The camp will be put up by the polers and we use canvas dome tents with camp stretchers, mattresses, sleeping bags and pillows provided. There is also a gazebo for shade, which doubles as a mess tent. Please note, you only need to take luggage for two nights – bags will be provided.



In the delta, we get to experience African wilderness at its fullest, not least at night when the Milky Way can be seen across the sky with a billion twinkling stars.



We spend the next two days exploring the waterways and islands by mokoro canoe and on foot looking for wildlife and enjoying this amazing part of Africa.



Accommodation: Wild camping

Day 6 : Morning Walking Safari; Return To Maun

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning, we have our last mokoro ride as we return to the edge of the delta before returning to Maun. The afternoon is free to relax by the pool or take an optional flight over the delta.



Accommodation: Crocodile Camp (or similar)

Day 7 : To Nata; Visit The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans At Sunset

Meals Included: Breakfast

After a brief stop in Maun to resupply, we transfer 185mi (300km) to Nata arriving mid-afternoon. In the late afternoon, we head to the Nata Sanctuary to watch the sunset on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pan.



The Makgadikgadi Pan covers more than 6,175sqmi (16,000sqkm) and forms the bed of an ancient lake, now dried up, which once spread as far as the Okavango Delta. Sunsets on the pan are among the best in Africa.



Accommodation: Nata Lodge (or similar)

Day 8 : Enter Zimbabwe; To Matobo National Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we continue our journey back to Zimbabwe. We go via Francistown and Bulawayo on our way to Matobo National Park. The journey is about 235mi (380km) and driving time shouldn’t be much more than about five hours; however, the border crossing can be busy and may take between two and three hours. We stay in chalets just outside the park and can enjoy sundowners from the granite ridge overlooking the park.



Accommodation: Hermits Peak Lodge (or similar)

Day 9 : Game Drive And Walking Safari In Matobo National Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Matobo National Park, also known as Matopos National Park, is an area known for wildlife and kopjes (giant boulders that seem to be stacked precariously). The park is one of the best places to see both black and white rhinos and has a very dense population of leopards (though these predators are still elusive). It is also home to a third of all eagle species.



These hills were once populated by the indigenous San people, who have left their mark with rock paintings depicting giraffes, elands and kudu. It was also the colonialist Cecil Rhodes’ favourite place and where he asked to be buried.



We enter Matobo National Park early in the morning and go on a game drive followed by a game walk where we hope to see rhino. We visit World’s End, where Cecil Rhodes is buried, and see some of the granite formations and rock paintings. We spend most of the day inside the park returning to the lodge in the afternoon.



Accommodation: Hermits Peak Lodge (or similar)

Day 10 : Drive To Hwange National Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

After a breakfast we make a quick stop in Bulawayo this morning to resupply before driving 210mi (335km) north to Hwange National Park.



The largest national park in Zimbabwe, Hwange covers 5,640sqmi (14,600sqkm) of mopane and teak woodlands and grasslands. It is home to more than 100 mammal species and 400 bird species including all of the specially protected animals in the country. The most famous inhabitants are the elephants and wild dogs, and it is the only place where gemsbok and brown hyena live in reasonable numbers in Zimbabwe.



We stay in a property within a game-management area that neighbours the park.



Accommodation: Hwange Safari Lodge (or similar)

Day 11 : Full-Day Safari In Hwange National Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We spend all day on a 4x4 open game drive in search of Hwange wildlife.



Accommodation: Hwange Safari Lodge (or similar)

Day 12 : Visit Victoria Falls

After a slightly later start to the day, we take a short, final drive back to Victoria Falls, arriving at Victoria Falls town around lunchtime. In the afternoon, we head out towards the mighty falls themselves.



Measuring 5,580ft (1,700m) wide and 330ft (100m) high, Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world. The volume of water changes with the seasons but, when full, the spray rises into the sky – a phenomenon that has given the falls their local name Mosi o Tunya, the Smoke that Thunders. They are a site to behold and one that impressed Dr David Livingstone so much that he said: 'Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.’



Accommodation: The Rainbow Hotel (or similar)



Meals included: Breakfast

Day 13 : Full Day At Victoria Falls For Optional Activities

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today is a free day to enjoy the many activities on offer here, such as white-water rafting, taking a flight over the falls, going on a sunset cruise or crossing into neighbouring Zambia to see the falls from another perspective.



Accommodation: The Rainbow Hotel (or similar)

Day 14 : End Victoria Falls

Meals Included: Breakfast

The trip ends after breakfast. If you’d like more time to explore, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

What's Included

  • 13 breakfasts, five lunches, eight dinners

  • All accommodation (see below)

  • All transport and listed activities

  • Tour leader throughout

What's Not Included

  • Travel insurance

  • Single accommodation (available on request)

  • Visas or vaccinations

Food

This trip includes 13 breakfasts, five lunches and eight dinners.



We stay in lodges most nights, but meals are prepared by our crew.



Breakfast is generally cereal or toast with tea and coffee with the occasional fried breakfast/brunch

Lunch is normally a simple picnic of cheese, cold meats, salads, bread or rolls

Dinners are cooked meals such as potjies (stew), braais (barbecues), stir-fries etc



The trip leaders do all the shopping and meal planning for the group. They always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. Each tour has one cool box for the meats and the fresh produce only and one cool box for cold drinks. We supply the following drinks: squash, tea or coffee served with meals. All other beverages will be at your own expense. We do not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour if you want to buy it yourself. On some days where early morning game drives are included, lunch may be substituted for a large brunch on return from the game drive – this is customary. We ensure the number of meals detailed in the Trip Notes are provided.



Please note, we need at least two weeks’ notice to deal with special dietary requirements (eg vegetarian or allergies.) For this reason, if you did not indicate these on your booking form, please advise us as soon as possible.



The water provided on this trip is safe and clean drinking water, normally from boreholes. It is not bottled water, however. If you would rather have bottled water then this will be at your expense, though we encourage you to make use of the safe drinking water provided as this helps diminish plastic consumption.

Accommodation

For our time in Botswana and Zimbabwe, we have picked a selection of accommodations, each well located for our activities. We spend nine nights in lodges, two nights in a hotel and two nights of full-service camping.



We mostly stay in three-star hotels and lodges. On three to four nights, the lodges are permanent tented camps. These are comfortable rooms, in part made of canvas, with private bathrooms and are a quintessential African safari experience. In Victoria Falls, our hotel is walking distance from many restaurants, bars and shops. Most properties have swimming pools and wifi (although this can be unreliable).



Wild camping in the Okavango Delta







The highlight stay on this trip for many, however, is our two nights of wild camping in the Okavango Delta. Our neighbours, which you’ll likely hear shuffling around at night, include hippos, elephants and lions, while our away-from-it-all location normally allows us to see a night sky illuminated with stars. To make things easier, our camp is set up for us and all equipment is provided. We sleep in spacious, two-person tents fitted with mattress-topped camp beds and there is a bush shower and toilet, while dinner is taken around our atmospheric campfire.

Check out our Q&As

  • Are vaccinations required for this tour?

    Vaccination against Yellow Fever is necessary if you are coming from a country with Yellow Fever, and you must bring a valid certificate of vaccination. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Malaria prophylaxis is essential and we suggest that you seek advice from your GP or travel health clinic about which malaria tablets to take.

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    Minimum 16 years age people can go on this tour.

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What is the maximum group size?

    12

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews from travellers on this tour

Highly recommended this trip

Opportunity to see plenty of wildlife in different settings. One day is extremely long (driving the route) . However the different environments of Botswana and Zimbabwe give a great varierty of opportunities to see wildlife in different settings. The trip is well planned. The activity days are full on but there is time to rest. The accommodation is varied however everywhere is spotlessly clean. Food is plentiful and there is variety even if there are dietary requirements. The guides-local and tour leaders are extremely knowledgeable. The wild camping in the Okavango delta is spectacular. The support staff and guides are amazing. Would recommend the helicopter flight over the delta . I would highly recommend this trip to people who don't want just a safari. It's a great adventure.

Botswana and Zimbabwe Lodge Safari

The fantastic experiences just kept coming! Each day felt as if it couldn't be bettered -- and then it was!

Beautiful Africa.

Safari means journey. This really was an intense journey through Botswana & Zimbabwe. But a journey with the added bonus of sightings along the way, magical birds at the side of the road and on one occasion slowing down the bus to see a bull elephant only to be gobsmacked by a pack of 10 wild-dog just a couple of trees away! Journeys don`t have to be boring; long bus rides are often part of the adventure. On this holiday we had the added bonus of River safari`s and, in the Okavango Delta, Mokoro rides with only the gentle sound of water lapping by your side, damsel flies and giant hawker dragon-flies buzzing around your ears and in the evening a gigantic frog chorus like something from a Fairy-Tale. Of course Safari is all about the animals but on this holiday I became more aware of the rich variety of people that helped us along the way. Kaiser the leader of the Polers in the Delta, Rowan our Tour Guide, his trusty driver Siwasu and the dozens of others who did their bloody best to give us the holiday of a lifetime.

A fabulous African experience

A wonderfully varied trip which combines the comforts from home whilst giving you a real wildlife experience. The lodges were each unique in character and all very comfortable, most of them with swimming pools, and the camping in the Okavango Delta was much more comfortable than anyone had expected! You get to see a good part of two quite different but equally friendly and welcoming countries and because the places you visit are so quiet you never feel that you are on a tourist trail.

Swimming in the cool pools of the Okavango Delta

It was hot and sticky. But swimming in the Okavango Delta, cruising on the Chobe River, seeing a multitude of birds and hearing hippos in the distance made up for the mild discomfort. We travel to get under a country's skin, experience the culture and local hospitality. Our trip to Matabeleland and visiting Cecil Rhodes' memorial was captivating; there in the wild, silent, rocky countryside, with lizards scurrying around and baboons barking in the distance was inspiring.

It is an awesome trip with lots of memories

As mentioned in previous reviews it is a full on but very worthwhile trip. From start to finish there are so many experiences. It is a trip for you if you want to see wildlife but have a bit of comfort. The camping trip was fabulous - not roughing it too much - everything is done for you - you just have to sit back and enjoy - Rowan even bakes a cake. I was a bit apprehensive about the bush toilet - but its was no problem and the bush shower quite fun. We didn't manage to see any lions - but that is the luck of a safari - you are venturing into their habitat so nothing can be guaranteed. There is not much down time - except during the long travel between places but that is undertaken in a very comfortable mini bus. Plus there is always something to look at - or playing who wants to be a millionaire! We didn't win a lot! The group of people we were with were great company and thus also helped to make it a great trip.

Magical From Start To Finish

Every day on this trip was like a dream come true. Over the two weeks we saw over 100 different wildlife species.

Botswana & Zimbabwe Lodge Safari

This was our first trip to Africa and it far exceeded expectations. The itinerary was balanced and very well organised and we were fortunate to see a huge variety of wildlife - including four of the 'big five' on the first day! Although there were (by necessity) some long drives, the vehicle was comfortable and well-driven by Sofiso. Our guide Rowan both entertained us and still continued to point out interesting features and wildlife all along the way, making sure we didn't miss a thing! There was a variety of accommodation and even the tents in the Delta were comfortable. Our focus was the wildlife and the amount and variety were superlative.

Full on every fay

A full on safari/trip through Botswana and Zimbabwe - not for you if you need 10 hours sleep every night. The highlight without doubt is the trip via Mokorro canoe and camping trip into the Otovango delta. Some long days travelling in the mini bus but all very worthwhile.

realise your wildlife dreams

This tour is where you realise your every wildlife dream. This is where dreaming stops and reality takes over. From the beginning to the end, it is a non stop thrilling adventure. Poling past grumpy Hippos, listening to Lions roar while wild camping, seeing giant elephants wade across the water in front of you, Seeing the same cross a deep river with just their trunks showing. That's just for starters. No need to imagine standing just five meters away from a grazing white Rhino with her baby, it happened, with a few more sitting behind. Horn bills, Kingfishers and a variety of other water birds. As you drive along the road between stops view the Giraffes, Zebra, Elephants, the list goes on. Most nights "we" gather around a roaring fire to eat lovely cooked food, compliments of our tour guides (Marco & Mira) so knowledgeable, really in safe hands. You don't really want to sleep, because closing your eyes means that you will miss something. Just when you think its all over and the last day arrives, there are still some amazing opportunities to experience. Victoria Falls, just amazing. Try the optional safari, with luck you can view close up Black Rhino, again mother with baby. Mother walked right up to the jeep to check us out. Great photo opportunities. Last but not least, don't miss the optional sunset cruise, it is just simply an amazing sight.

Read all 49 reviews

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Prices last published on 06-Nov-2024

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  • Low Deposit

    Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.

    Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

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