Zimbabwe Botswana Safari IS9E

Unforgettable 9 night safari which includes the 3 iconic destinations of Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park

3 Nights Chobe River, Botswana
3 Nights Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
3 Nights Hwange National Park
10 Days / 9 Nights
Reference: IS-9E
Starts Kasane Airport / Ends Victoria Falls Airport

Total Price 9 nights (2024): US$ 3813 (low season) | US$ 5661 (high season)
per person sharing

Safari Overview

This safari combines three awesome locations: Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park with enough time in each to immerse yourself in their splendour. Without comprising on quality, we have managed to put together this safari package at a great value price.

Muchenje Lodge on the quieter, western side of Chobe has incredible views over the Chobe flood plain, littered with thousands of animals at certain times of the year. Both land and water based activities through the park and along the river ensures that you have an incredible safari.

Cross over to Victoria Falls and stay at Bayete Lodge - a popular, family run guest lodge which is a perfect spot to base yourself while enjoying the multitude of activities available in Victoria Falls.

Finally enjoy three nights at Bomani Tented Lodge for a totally authentic safari experience in a remote corner of Hwange National Park. The guiding, the game, the camp and its location are all of an excellent standard ensuring that you have unforgettable African safari. But that’s not all, the transfer into camp is on the specially designed Elephant Express rail car which is a total safari experience all on its own. 

Inspired Journey Overview

Notes: Day 1, 2 & 3

DAY 1
Upon arrival in Kasane airport you will be met by a representative from Muchenje Lodge and transferred through Chobe National Park to Muchenje Safari Lodge about an hour away. After settling in, relaxing and enjoying a tasty lunch you can join an afternoon game drive which would depart at about 4pm. Returning to the lodge in the early evening for drinks and dinner. An evening night drive would be available if you were feeling up to it.

DAY 2
After breakfast, head to the boat launch site for a river cruise on the Chobe. Witness the herds of elephants coming for their morning drinks and social interactions. A picnic lunch will be served. After exploring the river, enjoy a leisurely game drive along the river’s edge, back to the lodge. Share your safari stories over evening drinks and a delicious dinner. An evening game drive within the Chobe Forest Reserve is once again available.

DAY 3
After early morning coffee and snacks you can join an early morning game drive or alternatively a guided bush walk, exploring the flood plains and areas close to the lodge. Return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast back. You can then choose to go for a village tour or relax on you own private patio taking in the amazing scenery. After lunch and a siesta, delight in another afternoon game drive into the Chobe National Park.

**Please note that the above activity schedule is a guideline and you can tailor-make your itinerary with the camp managers onsite, to suit your exact needs. Activity details can be seen below.

Chobe National Park

The Chobe River forms the northern boundary of the Chobe National Park, renowned for its reliable and diverse game viewing. Safaris are conducted both by boat and on land. This section of the park is best known for its elephant and hippo populations but the waters attract all manner of game including large herds of buffalo and the lions that prey on them.

Overnight: Muchenje Safari Lodge

Situated on the western edge of Chobe National park, Muchenje Safari Lodge offers unique, prolific game experiences within the less touristy region of the Chobe National Park. Muchenje provides some of Botswana's finest safari accommodation and combined with unparalleled safari experiences it is ideal for both discerning clientele and newcomers alike. Owner run and managed, attention to detail is paramount with nothing being too much trouble at Muchenje Safari Lodge.

Activities at Muchenje

Walking Safaris
Morning walks are offered in front of the lodge in the Chobe Forest Reserve. Our guides will introduce you to the smaller aspects of the African wildlife, broadening your Chobe experience.

Game Drives
Enjoy game drives into the western section of the Chobe National Park, with knowledgeable and friendly professionally qualified guides – either early morning or afternoon. You can also enjoy drives into the forest reserve after dinner to search for the nocturnal animals.

Boat Trips
A wonderful chance to see herds of elephants, as well as many other mammals and birds attracted to the water’s edge. The boat trip is part of a full day excursion with the highlight being a cruise on the Chobe River whilst enjoying a picnic lunch. The game drive back to the lodge meanders along the river road returning to the lodge for dinner.

Community Visits
Visit our local village for a cultural experience and to meet the people that make Botswana the delightful country it is. This includes meeting a local family in their homestead and being shown around their traditional homes. Visiting Mabele Primary School in Muchenje at break time to meet the local school children.

Notes: Day 4, 5 & 6

DAY 4
This morning you will check out of Muchenje Lodge after breakfast and transfer to the Kazungula Border to cross over into Zimbabwe. It is about an hour to the border and then another hour from there to Bayete Lodge in Victoria Falls, excluding the border procedures. You will need to have your travel documents (including a visa if applicable). The transfer, on good tar road, is almost entirely through national park so there’s a good chance of spotting more game along the way. Enjoy lunch at Bayete Lodge, or go into town to sample other lunch options. We recommend an afternoon helicopter flight, then an evening cruise with dinner on the Zambezi River. Although activities are not included in the package price, please let us help you to arrange an itinerary of activities suitable for you. Have a look at these Victoria Falls activities to see what is on offer.

DAY 5 & 6
You have 2 full days to soak up the wonderful atmosphere of Victoria Falls, it is the adventure capital of Africa and there are activities on offer to cater for everyone’s needs. View the mighty Falls, partake in the many activities on offer or wander around the streets to do a bit of curio shopping, then finish off at a café for refreshments and a bite to eat. Please have a look at the activities available and contact us to arrange a suitable itinerary just for you.

Victoria Falls

One of the original natural wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls is a World Heritage Site and an extremely popular tourism attraction. Known locally as ‘The Smoke that Thunders’, this spectacle is accessible from both Zambia and Zimbabwe and it is an ideal place to combine a game viewing and water sports. There is excellent fishing, a terrifying bungee jump and arguably the best commercial white water rafting in the world.

Overnight: Bayete Guest Lodge

Bayete Guest Lodge offers comfortable and affordable accommodation and is situated in the heart of the Victoria Falls Residential Area. The lodge is 2 km away from the Victoria Falls Centre and 22 km from the airport.

Recently renovated, this family run lodge has 25 rooms which are set in a lush tropical garden. Central to the lodge is the large tear drop pool which is hugged by the Caldecott Boma and Ngwezi Tavern. Breakfast is served in the Caldecott Boma every day. Lunch and dinner are also available on special request and are delicious home cooked meals. Buffets and BBQ’s are available for group bookings or by special request. This personalised lodge with a lovely home from home atmosphere, is certainly the best choice in this range of accommodation.

Notes: Day 7, 8, 9 & 10

DAY 7
Today your safari into one of the finest game parks in Africa begins. Around mid-morning you will be collected for your 2-hour road transfer in an air-conditioned minibus to Dete siding, where you will meet the Elephant Express. This refurbished diesel railcar is specially designed for guests comfort and optimal game viewing. The exquisite 70km rail journey takes you right along the game rich boundary of Hwange National Park and is the perfect start to your safari experience. At Ngamo siding, a Bomani Lodge 4 x 4 vehicle will meet you and transfer you a short distance, through their private concession to the camp. It's now late afternoon but you can still join an afternoon game drive with sundowners and snacks by the Pan. Freshen up and enjoy a delicious 3 course supper out under the stars.

DAY 8
Wake up for an early morning game drive and walk in Hwange National Park’s acacia forests surrounding Ngamo Plains, escorted by a fully licensed and experienced guide. Return to Bomani for brunch and either a siesta or an hour or two in the blind overlooking the waterhole. Later, go for an afternoon game drive, photography in the evening light and sundowners and canapés at Major Pan. Return with a night drive back to the lodge to freshen up and then refreshments around the campfire and later a 3 course dinner in the main lodge area.

DAY 9
Arise to an early morning full day trip into the park for a one of a kind ‘pump run’ with a picnic and siesta under the trees at Mfagazaan Pan. Imvelo’s trademark pump runs combine game viewing in remote areas of the park with practical hands-on conservation. You can assist the guide with day-to-day maintenance at the borehole pumps which are the heartbeat of Hwange National Park and its wildlife. Take a leisurely afternoon game drive back to the lodge going from pan to pan, weaving our way between the throngs of jostling elephant that come pouring in for the fresh water. It makes for a fun, memorable and extremely rewarding day. Freshen up and then go for campfire refreshments and supper in the main lodge area.

DAY 10
Sadly this is the final day of your Safari. Wake up for morning tea or coffee followed by breakfast and then transfer by one of the Bomani 4 x 4 game drive vehicles to Halfway house (1.5 hours). Here you will be collected by an air-conditioned shuttle and transferred on a good tar road to the Victoria Falls Airport (2.5hrs) for your onward flight.

**Please note that the above activity schedule is a guideline and you can tailor-make your itinerary with the camp managers onsite, to suit your exact needs. Activity details can be seen below.

Hwange National Park

Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe's biggest reserve, home to a profusion of wildlife, including giraffe, lion, zebra and approximately 40 000 elephants. It provides sanctuary for all the country's endangered species, including a population of wild dogs thought to be among the most sizeable surviving groups on the continent. Terrain ranges from desert dunes and savannah lands to rocky outcrops and sparse forests, and visitors have the choice of game drives, guided walks or horseback safaris as a means of experiencing the park and its creatures.

Overnight: Bomani Tented Lodge

This comfortable and well-appointed lodge is nestled in a remote and untouched corner on the edge of Hwange National Park in a 5000-acre private reserve. The remoteness is one of this camps greatest assets - being so far away from other tourists your safari experience is real and intimate. Bomani is famous for its impressive sightings of elephant, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra and various other antelope, not to mention the ever present predators that prey on them. The birdlife is also fantastic, especially during the rainy season when wild fowl gather in vast numbers on the flooded plains.

Without a doubt, Soffies Pan/Hide is a highlight for all guests to Bomani. This shipping container is buried in the ground about 30 metres back from the waterhole. Entering through a trapdoor in the containers roof, you will find seats and benches perfectly placed. There is a slot cut for viewing, leaving one’s eyes just above ground level, and the elephants come within 2 metres. The photo opportunities from here are amazing turning even the newbies into professional photographers.

Of course the main pastime at Bomani is game viewing, and whether you choose to go on a guided game walk in the lodge’s private concession or a game drive in the national park, you will not be disappointed. From breakfast by the campfire, to dinner under the stars, the whole experience is fantastic.

One client’s comment on the guiding in Bomani - “Our wonderful guide, Ndaba. His boundless knowledge and explanations were without fault, in addition to his great sense of humour.”

Activities at Bomani

Game Drives
Game drives are conducted by experienced guides in traditional open safari vehicles. On your morning game drives pause to enjoy tea, coffee and biscuits and in the afternoons cool drinks and cooked snacks will be provided. Bomani land Cruisers seat up to 9 guests and Land Rovers seat up to 7 guests. Game drives in this remote portion of Hwange National Park seldom see another vehicle and are a spectacular insight into the wildlife and environment unique to this part of the park.

Game Walks
Game walks are an exciting option for photography of big game on foot. They are usually undertaken in the mornings and are conducted by a fully licensed and highly experienced armed professional guide. In this remote and wild area every walk provides fascinating insights into Hwange’s circle of life; watch Hwange’s elephants shake acacia trees to loosen and then eat the pods while on a smaller scale dung beetles roll up the elephant dung containing acacia seeds into balls. Dung beetles bury these balls and the acacia seed is now ready to germinate and grow into a new tree!

Night Drives
It’s well worth joining one of the shorter night drives through Bomani's private concession. Trackers operate powerful spotlights to seek out some of the less-seen nocturnal creatures. The light’s red filter lessens the disturbance, thus creating a unique opportunity to watch the fascinating behaviour of the nocturnal world. Unusual highlights include ant bears, porcupines, genets, springhares, lesser bushbabies and pennant winged nightjars.

Game viewing blinds
For the hard core photographers, the lodge's game viewing blinds at some of the waterholes are ideal for wildlife photography.

Pump runs
Imvelo Safari Lodges operate 8 waterholes for the wildlife in this region of the National Park, the furthest of which is 55 km away. A popular activity is to take an all day trip into the Park to visit the waterholes to drop off fuel and oil for the motors as well as rations and supplies for the pump attendants. A picnic lunch is then enjoyed near one of the waterholes followed by a leisurely game drive back to lodge in the afternoon.

School tours and village visits
Fifteen minutes’ drive from the lodge our guests have the opportunity to enjoy a real life look at village life in rural Matabeleland. A fascinating experience of a variety of typical daily village activities is followed by a tour of one of the nearby schools conducted by the Headmaster where guests are given the opportunity to hear traditional songs sung by the children and enjoy a ‘class interaction’.

Walking with Rhino
Tour of the sanctuary headquarters – meet some of the Community Wildlife Protection scouts on duty that day, and hear a short talk on the origins of the Cobras unit and how they protect the rhino. Walking tour to view and spend time with the rhino and our Cobra Rangers guarding them 24/7 – lots of photo opportunities and quality time to watch and enjoy our white rhino in their new home on the Ngamo plains (how close one will be able to get to the rhino is subject to conditions on the ground).

Price

Total Price 9 nights (2024): US$ 3813 (low season) | US$ 5661 (high season)

per person sharing

Included in this safari

MUCHENJE SAFARI LODGE
• Accommodation in a private safari chalet with stunning views of the Chobe River
• All meals, teas & coffees
• Unlimited game activities (game drives, walking safaris, river cruise, night drives, village trip)
• Soft drinks, alcoholic beverages
• Laundry
• Park fees

BAYETE GUEST LODGE
• Accommodation in an elegant and comfortable room set in a luscious garden
• Daily breakfast

BOMANI TENTED LODGE
• Accommodation in a luxury tented room
• All meals and non-premium beverages
• Laundry
• Service of a licensed guide
• Activities: game walks, game drives, all day excursions, hide sits, night drives, visit to local village and school tour, walk with rhino
• National parks fees

TRANSFERS
• All road transfers between Kasane Airport, Muchenje Lodge, Bayete Lodge, Bomani Lodge and Victoria Falls Airport
• Elephant express rail safari

Excluded

MUCHENJE SAFARI LODGE
• Curio Shop purchases
• Gratuities

BAYETE GUEST LODGE
• All other meals and drinks
• Activities in Victoria Falls

BOMANI TENTED LODGE
• Premium imported beverages
• Gratuities and items of a personal nature

More Travel Information

• Victoria Falls Travel Information
• Victoria Falls Activities
• Chobe National Park Information
• Hwange National Park Information

[Top of Page]

Return from Zimbabwe Botswana Safari IS9E page to our home page