Self Drive Zimbabwe & Botswana

Arrive at Kasane Airport and transfer to Chobe Safari Lodge for two nights on full board basis.

The Chobe Riverfront is an elephant mecca; home to the largest density of African elephants in the world.  It will leave you feeling tiny as giant elephant bulls stroll up next to your vehicle or snorkel alongside your boat. It will make you feel lost as hundreds of hippos and buffaloes crowd you out on the floodplains. It will put your heart in your throat as prides of lions stalk antelopes by the water’s edge, and it will leave you alone with your thoughts while the classic red sunsets melt over the river to a soundtrack of whistling fish eagles.

 Included here are two game drives, two boat cruises and park fees.

Pick up your rental vehicle and drive across the border into Zimbabwe and on to Victoria Falls where you will stay at the A'Zambezi River Lodge for two nights on a bed and breakfast basis. 

There is lots to see and do in Victoria Falls. Viewing the Falls on foot is a must-do activity, but they can also be seen from helicopter rides. There are boat cruises and a host of adrenaline activities such as bungee, zip-wire and white-water rafting. It is also possible to visit the national park.

On day 5, drive to Hwange National Park, where you will stay at the Ivory Lodge for three nights on a full board basis.

If you have dreamt of an Africa with expansive plains and wide horizons, where elephant and buffalo traipse in huge numbers towards waterholes and giraffe browse from flat topped acacias while a blazing sun sets behind them… you can find it in Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest national park.The sight of hundreds, if not thousands of elephants and buffalos streaming towards you as you sit at a waterhole is indescribable. There is nothing like the sound of elephants' peaceful rumbling or the deep thundering of buffalo hooves on hard ground when they spook, wary of lions that may lie in wait.

Hwange’s diverse habitats mean that it offers large numbers of desert adapted, plains and woodland animals. The famed elephant population is one of the largest in the world and it has plentiful predator populations such as lion, leopard and cheetah. Hwange also boasts one of Africa’s last strongholds of endangered African wild dogs, as well as a variety of rare antelope such as eland, sable, roan and if you are lucky the desert-adapted oryx (gemsbok).

Optional activities include game drives and guided walking safaris.

On the morning of day 8, drive from Hwange to Matobo Hills (3-4 hours), where you will stay at Camp Amalinda for two nights on full board basis.

With balancing boulders, standing stones, massive monoliths and precariously perched pebbles; the granite formations of Matobo (also known as Matopos) hills are among the world’s most spectacular geology. Here one can marvel at ancient Khoi-San rock art and visit Malindidzimu ‘The Hill of spirits’ a sacred site to indigenous peoples and the grave of Cecil Rhodes; an important reminder of the country's colonial past.

Matobo National Park’s main attraction is its natural beauty and historical significance; however, wildlife can also be seen throughout the park. The park is said to have the highest density of leopards in the world, although they are hard to spot. Within the park is an "Intensive Protection Zone" where the best game viewing can be found, including a sizeable population of the highly endangered black and white rhinoceros, which are successfully breeding. The park also hosts numerous small species and magnificent birding, from the many rock dassies (hyrax) and colourful agama lizards that scramble across the rock faces.

Optional activities include rhino tracking, cave paintings and village tours, bush walks around the camp.

On the morning of day 10, drive on into Botswana to the Francistown area, where you will stay at the Woodlands Stop Over & Lodge, some 15 km west of the city.

This is a perfect stopover area, a Natural Paradise, to enjoy a most beautiful, rich, refreshing and rejuvenating time here at Woodlands.

Drive on to Gweta for two nights at Planet Baobab on a full board basis. Activities on offer at Planet Baobab include guided walks and quad bike trips into the bush and the Pans with knowledgeable guides. Here you can discover the geological origins of what was once the world's largest ever super lake and you can follow the Palm Trail created by elephant droppings as these ancient creatures trekked across the arid waste when the super lake dried up.  

On the morning of day 12, wake up early, before the sun rises and head off to the vast grasslands, past lonely baobab sentinels to the edge of Ntwetwe Saltpan. Along the way, your Guide will explain and search for the incredible adaptations of the species that are unique to the Kalahari Desert environment. As the day starts jump off your vehicle, stretch your legs and crunch your picnic breakfast. Get up close and personal with a resident gang of habituated Meerkats; see how these incredibly social, superbly adapted animals interact with each other and their environment. You also get the chance to view the desert through the eyes of a Meerkat - which, despite the fact that it's only a foot off the ground, is a pretty spectacular vantage point, and definitely one of the most special and memorable game experiences you will encounter in Botswana.

Dry season vs wet season and related activities: Please note that the dry season in Botswana typically runs from May through October and the wet season from November through April. Changing weather conditions have resulted in unexpected rainfall throughout the year which makes some activities hazardous and detrimental to the sensitive ecology of the pans. In wet conditions the camp will automatically revert to the wet season itinerary. Activities are subject to change at the discretion of the camp manager.

Drive on to Maun to stay at the Thamalakane River Lodge on bed & breakfast basis.

This is a comfortable lodge with river views from both chalets and public areas. There are spectacular sunsets and some great birdwatching opportunities.

Leave your car at Maun and take a flight to Okavango Delta and transfer by boat to Moremi Crossing for two nights on a fully inclusive basis.

Moremi Crossing is located on an Island called Ntswi near the most southern part of Chief’s Island. As you fly over the Delta you can see the intricate twisting and turning of the waterways and the ever-changing colours where dry land meets Delta. The main area consists of a large open plan deck that has a spectacular view over the River onto the largest island in the Delta – Chief’s Island.   

The area hosts a wide variety of animal and bird species. Moremi Crossing offers different activities in the form of mokoro trips, game and bird walks, sunset motorboat cruises and island camping.  All these activities give the guests a chance to experience the Okavango Delta and its wildlife from a very different, slower and closer perspective. On Chief’s Island guests have the opportunity to get a closer view of animals, elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, red lechwe and less commonly lions, leopards and wild dogs have been spotted in the area.

After breakfast, transfer by boat to the Airport for your flight back to Maun and onward or return travel.