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Bespoke Safari (min 2)
8 Days Victoria Falls to Victoria Falls
Departs: Daily
Victoria Falls (1) | Chobe Enclave (2) | Hwange National Park (4)
This 7-night safari links three of Southern Africa’s top wildlife regions, beginning at the natural world wonder of Victoria Falls. The thundering cascade is an awe-inspiring introduction to your safari, with time to explore the vibrant town and enjoy a variety of activities, from sunset cruises to cultural encounters. From Victoria Falls, travel into the Chobe Enclave, where you’ll explore a key elephant corridor where some of Africa’s largest herds move freely between Botswana and Zimbabwe. Game drives here also offer frequent predator sightings, with lions and leopards often seen near waterholes. A river cruise along the Chobe River allows you to observe wildlife from a unique perspective, with animals often coming to the water’s edge. Continue into Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest reserve. In the north-west, open grasslands provide opportunities to see predators such as lions and cheetahs hunting across the plains, alongside large herds of plains game. Moving deeper into Hwange, you’ll explore a more remote corner of the park, rich not only in wildlife but also in history. Here, rugged landscapes hide ancient stone ruins, San rock etchings, and a national monument, adding a cultural layer to the safari experience.
Highlights:
- 24/7 local operator support in Botswana and Zimbabwe
- Guided tour of Victoria Falls
- Sunset river cruise on the mighty Zambesi River
- Intimate camps in remote locations
- Open sided 4WD vehicle for game drives in private concessions
- Guided walks
- Visit ancient ruins and San rock etchings
- Itinerary
- Accommodation
- Important Information
Day 1: Victoria Falls (B)
Welcome to Zimbabwe!
Perched just minutes from the world-famous Victoria Falls, Ilala Lodge offers a comfortable and welcoming base to experience one of Africa’s most iconic natural wonders. Each room is designed for relaxation, with views over the gardens and in the near distance the mist of the “Smoke that Thunders”, making it the perfect retreat after a day of exploration. During your stay, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of the iconic Victoria Falls as well as a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, two unmissable highlights of the region.
Overnight: Ilala Lodge
Day 2: Chobe Enclave (FI)
After breakfast, you will enjoy a guided tour of Victoria Falls, exploring rainforest trails and viewpoints that showcase this natural wonder from different angles. Following your tour, you will be transferred by road to the Kazungula border, where you’ll cross into Botswana. Your guide will meet you here and take you on a Chobe River Cruise, before continuing on to Camp Kuzuma, your lodge for the next two nights. The camp is located in a private concession in the Kazuma Forest Reserve, a remote wilderness area between Chobe and Hwange. The camp is built facing a central waterhole that draws elephants, giraffes, roan antelope, and a variety of plains game daily; perfect for armchair game viewing. With just a handful of tented suites, it offers an intimate and quiet safari experience. Over the course of your stay, you’ll explore this little-visited region on morning and afternoon game drives, where you will likely see large herds of elephants, zebras, and buffalo migrating between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Overnight: Camp Kuzumu
Day 3: Chobe Enclave (FI)
In the morning and late afternoon explore the wilderness in an open sided Land Rover. The concession’s location allows for off-road driving and fewer vehicles, giving you more flexibility and better wildlife encounters. Camp Kuzuma offers a slower, more personal safari, there’s time to relax on the deck, visit the spa, or watch elephants drink just metres away from camp. Sundowners overlooking the waterhole are often a highlight, with herds of elephants arriving at dusk.
Overnight: Camp Kuzuma
Day 4 Hwange National Park (FI)
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Pandamatenga border, where you will cross into Zimbabwe. Your Nantwich guide will be waiting for you just beyond the border post to transfer you to Nantwich Lodge, your home for the next two nights.
Nantwich Lodge is set in the remote northwest of Hwange National Park, overlooking a bustling dam. Its intimate suites promise a quiet, private safari experience. From the main deck, watch hippo, crocodile, elephants, mega herds of buffalo and lions coming to drink, or step into the camp’s underground hide for a private, ground-level wildlife perspective
Overnight: Nantwich Lodge
Day 5: Hwange National Park (FI)
Throughout your time here, your mornings and afternoons will be spent on guided game drives across open savannahs and woodlands. Hwange is often called “Lion Country,” and you’ll have excellent chances of seeing lions up close. Seasonal bush walks allow you to track wildlife on foot, learning the ecosystem’s secrets from your experienced guide. Between drives, relax at the lodge: cool off in the pool, enjoy a mobile spa treatment overlooking the bush, or linger in the hide for unforgettable photo opportunities. Exclusive night drives on Nantwich’s private concession reveal nocturnal species such as hyenas and leopards, rounding out a safari experience focused on intimate wildlife encounters.
Overnight: Nantwich Lodge
Day 6: Hwange National Park (FI)
After coffee and a light breakfast, you will go on a game drive through Hwange National Park until you reach Bumbusi Wilderness Camp, your hideaway for the next two nights. Set in a remote part of Northern Hwange, surrounded by rocky hills and sandstone outcrops. Its location near a permanent spring makes it a good spot for wildlife, with elephants often seen just below the main deck. With only a few stone-and-thatched chalets, the camp offers a quiet stay away from the busier parts of the park. Your days will be spent blending wildlife viewing with cultural history. You will explore the area on game drives and guided bush walks along the Deka River or into the Bumbusi Gorge. You’ll also visit the nearby ruins, the Bumbusi National Monument, and rock etchings, which reflect the long human history of the area, one of the few places in Hwange where you can combine game viewing with historical interest.
Overnight: Bumbusi Wilderness Camp
Overnight: Bumbusi Wilderness Camp
Day 7: Hwange National Park (FI)
Search for wildlife in an open-air safari vehicle in Hwange National Park. Professional guides escort our guests in search of wildlife during day and night-game drives. Game viewing can vary dramatically from season to season, but guests are likely to spot a variety of plains game, such as impala, zebra, giraffe and kudu antelope, as well as herds of elephant and buffalo. Lions, hyenas and leopards are heard frequently from the camp. Game drives are either half-day (in the morning or afternoon), full-day, or in the evening for nocturnal game viewing. A variety of walks are possible and can be tailored to suit each group's fitness level, varying from a few hours to a whole day out with a packed lunch. Highlights include hiking through the Bumbusi gorge, viewing the beautiful Deka River, looking for the notoriously large crocodiles at Bera Pools and marveling at the ancient remains of a forest preserved in petrified wood.
Overnight: Bumbusi Wilderness Camp
Day 8: Hwange National Park - Victoria Falls (B)
After your final morning coffee and breakfast, you’ll go on one last game drive transfer through Hwange National Park to Robins Airstrip for your flight back to Victoria Falls International Airport, arriving in time for your onward departure.
TOUR INCLUSIONS:
- 24/7 service and full local backup from our representatives in Botswana and Zimbabwe
- 1 night accommodation at Victoria Falls including breakfast
- Guided tour of Victoria Falls
- Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
- 6 nights’ safari lodge or camp accommodation
- Fully inclusive package at all safari properties, including non-premium drinks
- Daily Game drives and activities at safari lodges and camps
- Land transfers and light aircraft flight as per itinerary
- Services of an English-speaking driver guide on the excursions specified
- Park entrance, river usage fees, and Grow Africa levies
- Botswana and Zimbabwe Travel Notes - issued by Innovative Travel
TOUR EXCLUSIONS:
- International airfares
- Optional tours and excursions
- Porterage
- Tipping/Gratuities (please refer to tour notes for a recommended guideline)
- Personal Expenses including alcholic beverages not specified as included
- Hotel charges for minibar or any extra charges
- Visas (unless specified)
- Travel Insurance (compulsory)
- Any other services not clearly mentioned in the inclusions above
Accommodation based on the following (or similar):
Victoria Falls
Ilala Lodge
Breakfast
Situated in Victoria Falls town centre, Ilala Lodge Hotel holds the distinction of being the closest hotel to the waterfall on the Zimbabwean side – an eight-minute walk from the main viewing points. The hotel's 73 rooms and suites are configured across multiple categories, from Classic Rooms to the expansive Strathearn Suite. All accommodations feature garden views that extend toward the adjacent national park. The constant sound of falling water – locally known as "the smoke which thunders" – provides a distinctive atmospheric element unique to this location.
The award-winning Cassia Restaurant has earned recognition for both its cuisine and extensive wine menu, featuring selections from established South African vineyards. Two swimming pools anchor the hotel's leisure facilities, complemented by a poolside bar and lounge area equipped with business facilities, games, and reading materials.
The award-winning Cassia Restaurant has earned recognition for both its cuisine and extensive wine menu, featuring selections from established South African vineyards. Two swimming pools anchor the hotel's leisure facilities, complemented by a poolside bar and lounge area equipped with business facilities, games, and reading materials.
Images Credit: Ilala Lodge
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Chobe
Camp Kuzuma
Fully Inclusive
Camp Kuzuma has 7 luxury open-plan tented suites situated under a canopy of Mopane trees, designed to look out into the bushveld while providing absolute privacy. Our 7 tented suites offer luxury and comfort in this magnificent wilderness area. Each suite exudes a romantic and nostalgic ambience with safari memorabilia throughout. All suites are luxurious spaces each with a private sun deck and ensuite canvas bathrooms with high-back Victorian baths, double basins, double inside showers and an outside shower.
In the main area, a rim-flow pool overlooks the busy waterhole where herds of elephants drink and bathe, and during the dry season other animals line up to wait their turn. The sunken fire pit just off the deck is a space that invites quiet contemplation in the cool afternoon breeze and a gathering place for bush tales around the campfire in the evening. Look forward to boma dinners under the stars and an African Chic experience, a down-to-earth dinner with a delightfully local African flavour. Amentities include eco-swimming pool, tea and coffee facilities and sherry station in suite, mosquito net.
Images Credit: Camp Kazuma
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Hwange
Nantwich Lodge
Fully Inclusive
A hidden gem within a hidden gem, experience this unique and intimate eco-lodge reclaimed from a bygone era. Hideaways Nantwich Lodge has a history closely tied to that of Hwange National Park. Perched up on a hill overlooking a large dam with resident crocodile and hippo, the game lodge boasts some of the best game viewing in the area. Amentities include eco-swimming pool, tea and coffee facilities and sherry station in suite, mosquito net. Built of natural wood and well decorated, Nantwich has a rustic-luxury feel to it. Nine rooms have been recreated in an eco-friendly way, branching out from the main area with a huge amount of space between each other, offering privacy and a good dose of wilderness. Four of the units are linked to make family suites. On the other side of the lodge, you will find an infinity pool and bar which is perfect for sunsets.
Images Credit: Nantwich Lodge
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Hwange
Bumbusi Wilderness Camp
Fully Inclusive
Located in a reclaimed corner of Hwange National Park where gorges, riverines, and hills are ideal for safari lovers, especially those who enjoy exploring on foot. The camp is tucked beneath a lush forest of mahogany and jackalberry trees, which provide a shady escape for wildlife, especially elephants during the drier season. In addition to the walking and game drive experience, visiting the Bumbusi National Monument adds a historical richness to any safari and is located a short drive from camp. Each room has been carefully recreated to preserve the original stonework, paying homage to the region’s historical masonry. The rooms have been designed using vibrant, warm hues, bold patterns, and comforting textures that capture the essence of the African bush. Each of the 7 Chalets accommodates two guests, with the option to add a bunk bed in one of the rooms for families with two children. Amentities include en-suite bathroom with shower, queen-sized beds and bathtubs, mosquito netting, wireless internet at the main area, communal dining area, Inside and outside lounge areas and swimming Pooleco-swimming pool.
Images Credit: Bumbusi Wilderness Camp
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National Park Regulations and Private Conservation Areas
Game drives in National Parks are restricted to closed-sided, pop-top 4WD vehicles during daytime. Walking safaris are not permitted. In many private reserves and conservation areas, open-sided vehicles are permitted as are walking safaris and night time drives.
Keeping Healthy in Botswana and Zimbabwe
Malaria: Anti-Malarial precautions are an absolute necessity when visiting Tanzania. It is important that you check with a qualified health professional for the most current information concerning your travel itinerary and personal health history. In addition, other personal protective measures, such as the use of insect repellents (containing the active ingredient ‘DEET’), covering arms and legs after dusk, avoid the use of scented products, help to reduce malaria risk.
Yellow Fever: If you are arriving in Botswana or Zimbabwe (or planning to re-enter) from an area that is infected with yellow fever, or arriving from a country where yellow fever is endemic (check the list of countries) you are required to have a yellow fever vaccination and it must be administered at least ten (10) days before your arrival (or re-entry) into Tanzania. If your travel itinerary requires you to have a yellow fever vaccination, you must ask your doctor to provide you with an "International Certificate of Vaccination" which should be carried with you while travelling to serve as proof that you have fulfilled the vaccination requirement.
Direct arrivals from non-endemic countries in Europe and North America are not required to show the certificate/yellow fever card, but when travelling between African countries by plane or vehicle you will be asked for it.
Luggage on internal flights
Luggage on internal flights is restricted to 15kg per person (including hand luggage) and it is a requirement that bags are soft-sided. This is due to compartments in light aircraft being small and of an irregular shape, making soft-side/flexible luggage essential.
Mobility information:
This tour is generally not suitable for people with limited mobility. If you are unsure, please contact us before booking.
Entry Requirements - Botswana and Zimbabwe
All visitors are required to carry a passport that is valid for six months beyond the intended length of stay. There should be sufficient blank pages for entry stamps upon arrival. With a valid passport, one may obtain a visa either before arriving in Botswana or Zimbabwe at the Embassy/High Commission abroad, online, or at any port of entry staffed by immigration officials, such as an international airport. We strongly recommend that guests apply for the E-Visa two months prior to their arrival date to avoid any last-minute disappointments.
Visa and entry requirements can change without prior notice and it is the traveller's responsibility to secure necessary visas for all countries travelling to. Prior to travel, ensure you verify the latest entry requirements for each country on your itinerary by consulting with your local embassy/consulate, or your travel agent/broker.
Trip prices and dates are correct at the time of the website going live, however all offers are subject to reconfirmation at the time of booking. All featured tour itineraries and offers may be subject to change due to seasonal variations without notice, or due to local conditions or other conditions. Please confirm all details at time of booking. Travel insurance is mandatory for all Innovative Travel bookings. All passports must be valid for 6 months prior to your return to your home country. Visas are the responsibility of the traveller. Special VIP meet and assist offers are available in some destinations for New Zealand passport holders, for other nationalities please check at the time of booking. For full terms and conditions, please refer to our Booking Conditions page.
