Summary

BOTSWANA & ZIMBABWE

Special 2012 pricing:

$4880 per person based on double occupancy

Price valid Nov 1 2011 - Apr 15 2012; holiday premium charged between Dec 20 2011 - Jan 6 2012 and Apr 6-9 2012

11 nights in country included in price
(use the tabs above to see more details)

Green season in Africa is a time of birth and rebirth. The rains have refreshed the parched land; the grasses grow lush and green. Our Newborn Season itineraries to Botswana & Zimbabwe offer the best of this rarely experienced safari season.  

It is a time of beauty, wonder, and raw nature...

• Plains game gives birth under the watchful and protective eyes of the herd
• Predators abound, making good use of the lushness to provide cover while they stalk their prey
• Witness just born zebras wobble up on their skinny legs to nurse
• See the true spirit of the herd as they surround the birthing mother elephant

Accommodations throughout this itinerary are in luxurious tented camps and lodges, placing you in the heart of Africa.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - 3

LINYANTI WILDLIFE RESERVE, BOTSWANA

DUMA TAU

Upon arrival in Maun, you are escorted to your charter flight to the Duma Tau camp in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. Duma Tau Camp is a ten-roomed luxury tented camp located in the private 125 000-hectare Linyanti Wildlife Reserve which borders the western boundary of Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. It is situated close to the source of the Savute Channel on one of the many lagoons within the Linyanti Swamp system, which makes game drives along the Savute one of the highlights of a stay here.

The camp lies under a shady grove of mangosteen trees, raised off the ground to overlook a large hippo-filled lagoon. The tents are spacious, under thatch with canvas walls, en-suite bathroom facilities and an outside shower. Guests can enjoy the night sounds of Africa from the comfort of their rooms, and shower under the stars! There is a dining room, pub, lounge, swimming pool and a special guest bathroom with a fantastic view.

The region has all the habitat diversity to make it a haven for wildlife, and is well-known for its elephant concentrations as they congregate along the waterways and lagoons during the dry winter months. General wildlife viewing is excellent year round including impala, wildebeest, red lechwe, Burchell's zebra, giraffe, Cape buffalo, chacma baboon, vervet monkey, and warthog. Predator sightings of lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyaena are good.

Activities at Duma Tau include:

Day 4 - 6

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, BOTSWANA

CHOBE CHILWERO

After breakfast and your morning game activity, you are flown by scheduled charter to the exclusive Chobe Chilwero Lodge situated on the border of the world-renowned Chobe National Park. The beautifully appointed Chobe Chilwero boasts spectacular views of the magnificent Chobe River and surrounding wilderness with its abundance of wildlife. Accommodations are in thatch and timber bungalows with en-suite bathrooms. The main guest area hosts a stylish, contemporary lounge, dining area and superb viewing deck overlooking the Chobe River. The lodge also features one of the finest spas in Botswana.

Chobe National Park remains one of Africa’s prime game-viewing areas. Chobe forms part of Botswana’s northern most border and is a contrast of desert aridity and flood plains. Dominated by the Mababwe Depression, the Chobe region is best known for its vast National Parks, splendid Forest Reserves and the largest elephant population in Africa.

The charm of the Chobe… its magnificent river; its floodplains filled with grazing herds of big game; the spectacle of flocks of waterfowl winging towards the sunset … and knowing that this is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife refuges. Your guides offer encyclopedic knowledge of the area and its fauna and flora.

Activities at Chobe Chilwero include:

Day 7 & 8

VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE

ELEPHANT CAMP

After a leisurely morning you are driven from Chobe Chilwero to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The 2 ½ hour journey takes you along the edge of the Zambezi River, passing small villages along the way and then you cross the board into Zimbabwe (visa required). The Elephant Camp is situated within a private concession very close to Victoria Falls, and actually has breathtaking views of the Falls' spray, while enjoying the natural beauty of the Masuwe River and Zambezi Gorge. Elephant Camp offers accommodation in luxury tents, all of which are gorge facing and have private viewing deck and plunge pool, private lounge area, air-conditioning and fans, bath, inside and outside shower, mini bar, tea/coffee stations and electricity. Each suite is mosquito proofed with mosquito nets.

Here you are offered a close interaction with wildlife as you will have an opportunity to meet the Wild Horizons orphaned elephants. In fact, you are encouraged to spend as much time as you like with these magnificent animals during your time at camp. You can go on picnics accompanied by these elephants or just enjoy watching them frolicking, feeding or swimming in the waterholes of Elephant Camp. You may also meet George, the resident cheetah, who was rescued and has become a friendly embassador for his species.

Just a short drive from Elephant Camp is the magnificent Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi River opens out into an extravaganza of roaring, spray-tumbled water, known to the locals as “Mosi oa Tunya” (the smoke that thunders). Here at the brooding statue of David Livingstone, who in 1855 named the Falls after his Queen, the raging river is compressed into a massive surge of green-white water known as the Devil’s Cataract. Few sights are as awe-inspiring as this when the ground rumbles with the forces of the water.

Optional activities in the Victoria Falls area (additional cost):

Day 9 - 11

HWANGE NATIONAL PARK, ZIMBABWE

DAVISON'S CAMP

Meet your private guide and transfer by road (approximately 4-5 hours with stops) to Davison’s Camp, located in Zimbabwe’s famed Hwange National Park. Davison's Camp lies deep in Hwange National Park, in the southeastern Linkwasha Concession - one of the best game viewing areas of the entire park. It is a classic African tented camp, with the units tastefully hidden beneath a grove of false mopane trees, overlooking a waterhole and open plain.

Named after the founder of Hwange National Park and its first warden, Ted Davison, this camp, with its 8 tents and a family tent, offers a wonderful bush experience. Both the tents and the separate main area, comprising a lounge, dining room, and open campfire area, look out over the productive waterhole.

Game viewing is productive year-round in the Linkwasha Concession and wildlife frequently encountered here includes lion, large herds of elephant, buffalo, leopard, white rhino, spotted hyena, southern giraffe, sable, blue wildebeest, impala, common waterbuck and reedbuck. Fortunately, even through recent challenging times, protection of wildlife in the park has been a priority so wildlife abounds but tourist are few! Note: even during the most turbulent times in Zimbabwe the Victoria Falls / Hwange region has been perfectly safe for visitors.

There are a number of large, open plains areas which make for excellent game viewing; in summer, wildebeest, zebra and eland are found in abundance here, while in winter the waterholes are magnets around which elephant in enormous numbers congregate to drink. Bird life in the area is prolific (400+) and varied, with species frequenting the teak woodlands as well as those typical of the drier Kalahari being present.

Activities at Davison's Camp include:

Day 12

VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE

Depart

After breakfast and your morning activity, you are flown by scheduled charter to Victoria Falls where you board your international flight homeward.

General Information

Special 2012 pricing:

$4880 per person based on double occupancy

Price valid Nov 1 2011 - Apr 15 2012; holiday premium charged between Dec 20 2011 - Jan 6 2012 and Apr 6-9 2012

INCLUSIONS

All ground and air charter transportation upon landing in Africa; accommodation, guides and vehicle throughout; tourism taxes; meals, beverages, and activities stated below.

• Duma Tau: All meals, local beverages, safari activities, and laundry
• Chobe Chilwero: All meals, local beverages, safari activities, and laundry
• Elephant Camp: All meals, local beverages, safari activities, and laundry
• Davison's Camp: All meals, local beverages, safari activities, and laundry

EXCLUSIONS

U.S. domestic and international airfare; internal commercial flights; medical immunizations; passport fees; park fees; visa fee Zimbabwe ($30 per person); accident/baggage/ medevac & cancellation insurance; individual transfers; excursions deviating from the scheduled tour; excess baggage charges; medical expenses; airport departure fees and taxes ($35 per person when departing Victoria Falls); spa treatments; fishing; telephone or fax charges; room service; gratuities to guides and staff; and other items of a purely personal nature.

• Duma Tau: Premium wines and imported spirits
• Chobe Chilwero: Premium wines and imported spirits
• Elephant Camp: Premium wines and imported spirits, some activities
• Davison's Camp: Premium wines and imported spirits

Contact Us

Please call the EXPLORE office (970.871.0065) or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details on our Affordable Africa itineraries.