Wildlife Odyssey: South Africa, Botswana & Zimbabwe

Tour begins: 4:00 PM, The Elephant Camp. A transfer is included upon arrival from the airport to The Elephant Camp, set within Victoria Falls National Park overlooking the Zambezi Gorges with a magnificent view of the Victoria Falls spray. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight. 

Please Note: On some departures, guests will spend nights 1 & 2 at Old Drift Lodge. See "Pricing and Availability" for additional details.

Join our local guide for a walking tour of Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Explore trails that offer different perspectives of the magnificent falls, considered the largest waterfalls in the world. Have lunch with a view of the Zambezi River before heading to an elephant sanctuary for a private visit with a family of elephants out in the bush, patiently waiting for the treats you'll bring.  The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Clinic is renowned for promoting environmental conservation in Southern Africa, and operates a medical care facility and orphanage dedicated to the health and welfare of Africa's wildlife. Tour the facility and meet the naturalists and doctors who work here, learning about their efforts to protect animals injured by traps, snares and poachers and meeting the wildlife they have rescued. The evening is yours to enjoy as you wish, dining at The Elephant Camp at your leisure.

Cross into Botswana this morning en route to your lodge in Chobe National Park. After lunch at the lodge and free time to settle into your stay, join us for a sunset cruise on the Chobe River. Expert guides will introduce you to the locals as you make your way into the bush. Botswana's first national park, Chobe attracts large herds of elephants and Cape Buffalo that frequent the river; lions, antelopes and hippos linger near lagoons; and numerous bird species and zebras favor the floodplains. Enjoy dinner at leisure at the lodge this evening and sleep to the sounds of the bush.

Rise early for a game drive that spies wildlife starting their day in the bush as dawn breaks over the park. Wildlife whisperers, your guides follow tracks and interpret signs that lead to animal sightings out of nowhere and everywhere. See the ever-present impala, puku antelopes and majestic giraffes snacking on treetops more than 16 feet high, and look for lions, wild dogs and leopards on the hunt. Return to your lodge for lunch, then join us on a private motorboat safari aboard a skimmer boat along the Zambezi River. Watch for birds, elephants, hippos and herd animals stopping by for a drink while crocodiles lie in the water or on the shore, along with other thirsty predators. Dine indoors or out at your lodge tonight.

This morning you'll drive back to Zimbabwe to board a flight headed for Nelspruit, South Africa. Take a charter flight from Nelspruit to Ngala airstrip and continue to your safari lodge, &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge, the first private game reserve to be incorporated into Kruger National Park. Stay in a thatched roof cottage that has its own private verandah for animal sightings – a watering hole on property is a favorite gathering place for visiting wildlife – and enjoy dinner as you please.