Best of Botswana and Victoria Falls – BBS8
Experience a taste of the best of Botswana and Victoria Falls has to offer, on this grand 8 day itinerary. Explore the thundering majesty of the famed Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, ending with the most remote and untouched wildlife areas in Botswana. Your adventure begins with the sight of the magnificent flume of water vapour that hangs above the mighty Victoria Falls. The next stop is the famed Chobe National Park where elephant wander dreamily into camp and hippo slumber as you float down the river on a sunset cruise. Your journey culminates in the Okavango Delta, a magical setting where land blurs with water. Be captivated by a maze of sparkling lagoons, meandering channels and overgrown islands teeming with wildlife. A sensational experience!
Days 1 and 2 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Scheduled road transfer from Victoria Falls International Airport to Ilala Lodge Hotel.
A warm Zimbabwean welcome awaits guests at Ilala Lodge, which is built on the closest site to the majestic Victoria Falls. Spacious rooms boast breathtaking views of the falls, ensuite bathrooms, air conditioning, overhead fans and satellite television.
Relax and savour superb meals in the gracious surrounds of the outstanding Palm Restaurant. Dining under the African sky amidst the rushing sounds of the mighty waterfall makes for a romantic evening, while a swimming pool and pool bar (overlooking the pristine Victoria Falls National Park) are perfect areas for lazy afternoons. Wildlife can often be seen grazing on the grass at times. Guests can embark on a cruise on the Ra-Ikane (the lodge’s small cruise boat) and visit the crocodile farm and nature sanctuary. Other adventures include exhilarating water sports, trips to Victoria Falls and cultural village tours.
Included activities: Ra-Ikane Sunset Cruise
Optional activities: Scenic Flight over the falls, Bungi Jumping, village excursions
Accommodations: Ilala Lodge Hotel Deluxe Room or similar
Meals: One 3 course dinner
Day 3 – 4 Chobe National Park, Botswana
After breakfast you will be met by a representative and driven to Kasane International Airport. Your transfer involves clearing customs and immigration formalities at both the Zimbabwe and Botswana border posts.
Upon arrival at Kasane International Airport you will be welcomed by a member from our team and driven, with fellow guests to andBeyond Chobe Under Canvas. There, you can live out the adventure of a lifetime as close to nature as you can get in the relaxing solitude of the African landscape.
AndBeyond Chobe Under Canvas reaches far beyond the bounds of the traditional Botswana safari – this mobile tented camp, situated in remote and beautiful corners of Botswana, offers guests a safari of a lifetime. This intimate camp features just five ensuite safari tents, carefully positioned in exclusive semi-permanent campsites in northern Chobe National Park. Booked on a nightly basis, each ensuite mobile tent boasts a comfortable double bed, ensuite bathroom, flush w.c. and bucket shower – this is the ultimate in wilderness camping.
The guest areas comprise comfortable tents for dining, meeting for a pre-dinner drink, or just for whiling the time away between safaris – complete with delicious home-baked meals and traditional bush dinners served under the stars.
At the end of a successful day of game viewing, sip on a nightcap around the campfire and unwind as your guide keeps you spellbound with their many enthralling stories of the bush.
Accommodations: andBeyond Chobe Under Canvas
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5 – 7 Okavango Delta, Botswana
After breakfast you will be driven with fellow guests to Kasane International Airport for your scheduled charter flight to Nxabega Airstrip. Enjoy the beautiful views as you fly over mopane veld which soon reach the breathtaking waterways of the Okavango Delta (Approximately 80 minutes).
Adventure awaits you during your 3 night stay at andBeyond Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp in a Luxury Tent with ensuite bathroom with shower only.
Included activities: Scheduled Game Drives, Mokoro Canoe Trips, Motorized Boat Excursions
Option: Scenic Helicopter Flight
Accommodation: andBeyond Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
The camp is located on the edge of the Okavango Delta in a 7 000 hectare exclusive wildlife concession bordering Moremi Game Reserve. The Camp is known for its elegant tented accommodation with breathtaking views of the ever-changing Okavango Delta. It is a skillful combination of luxury and integration with the environment. Nine exclusive tented suites on raised wooden platforms nestle under a canopy of African ebony trees, featuring ensuite bathrooms and private verandas overlooking the reeded molapo (floodplain).
The guest areas, made from the local timber, reed and thatch, include indoor and outdoor dining, a Safari Shop and a swimming pool with expansive deck. From this springboard of comfort, guests are able to appreciate the exquisite beauty of the Okavango Delta. Private bush dinners, breakfasts in bed, lamplit cocktails on a river island, or a walking safari with al fresco picnic are provided with pleasure by Nxabega’s warm and friendly staff.
Conduct bird watching without leaving the comfort of your chair. At dinnertime, ask Nxabega’s Sing for Life choir to perform one of their beautiful African anthems.
Day 8 Depart
After breakfast enjoy a game drive to Nxabega Airstrip where a scheduled charter flight will be waiting to fly you, and fellow guests, to Maun International Airport. Savour the views of the sparkling lagoons and palm tree islands as you fly over this water wonderland for one last time (Approximately 25 minutes).
Botswana Note – Luggage – As you will be travelling in vehicles and aircraft with limited space, luggage is required to be packed in a soft bag. No hard suitcases are allowed and oversized bags may not be carried on your lap. An additional seat can be booked for extra luggage, subject to availability.
The weight restriction in each region is as follows:
- Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique: Maximum of 20kg (44 lbs) which includes hand luggage.
Flights:
- Check-in is 1½ hours prior for domestic and 3 hours prior for international departures.
- Scheduled regional and inter-lodge flights may involve multiple stops before reaching final destination. Flights are operated as “shuttle transfers” and therefore departure times may vary up to 1 hour. Times are subject to change without notice.
- In the event of bad weather airlines reserve the right to drop guests off at the nearest serviceable airstrip which may mean a road transfer for guests to get to their final destination. Any costs resulting from such diversions would be for your own account.
- Shuttle inter-lodge flights from the Okavango Delta to areas like Savute, Chobe and Kasane (Botswana) may depart very early in the morning which means you will miss your morning game drive. Regrettably, this is beyond our control as flights are scheduled to meet onward road transfers and connecting flights out of Victoria Falls and Livingstone.
- Aircraft used on inter-lodge flights are small and interior space limited. For the sake of your own comfort, please advise us at time of booking if you are particularly bulky or tall and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Laundry: Most lodges, camps and hotels do their best to deliver a same day laundry service in Botswana, weather permitting. Dry cleaning can be arranged at most hotels but is not available at lodges. At the lodges soap suds are generally provided in your room for delicate items. Please be mindful that, due to culture and customs in many of the areas in which we operate, some lodges/camps do not wash underwear.
