Best of Botswana and Zimbabwe

Upon your arrival at Maun International Airport, you will be welcomed and transferred by helicopter to your accommodation for the next three nights, Mankwe Tented Retreat.

Mankwe Tented Retreat sits in a private concession just outside Moremi Game Reserve, surrounded by mopane woodland. The tented suites are tucked away for complete privacy, accessible via a stroll through the bush. The main area features a network of raised walkways connecting lounge pockets, two pools, and an elevated deck overlooking a waterhole often visited by wildlife.

As you enjoy your time here, you’ll head out on game drives into Moremi and the surrounding wilderness areas. This part of Botswana is known for excellent predator sightings. Lions, leopards, and hyenas are often spotted, along with elephants, giraffes, and large herds of buffalo.

Between drives, retreat to the lodge’s lounge pockets to unwind with a book, enjoy a quiet moment in the spa, or watch the bush from the poolside deck. Close off the day around the fire, sharing stories from the day before dinner is served beneath the stars.

After Breakfast, you will be transferred by road to Khwai Airstrip and fly over the Delta to your camp for the next two nights. Set on the southwestern edge of Chief’s Island in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Delta Camp is a quiet, motor-free retreat where the rhythms of the wild take centre stage. Built to blend into the forested surroundings, each chalet looks out over floodplains and palms, offering a front-row seat to one of Africa’s most extraordinary landscapes.

Reaching camp is part of the adventure, after your flight, a guide will meet you for a scenic mokoro ride or short walk through the bush. Over the few days, you’ll explore the delta on guided walks and mokoro excursions (water levels permitting), with no engines, no rush, just the sounds of the wild, the rustle of reeds, and the chance to track wildlife on foot.

Conditions for mokoro trips can change quickly depending on water levels and wildlife activity, but your guide will tailor each day around what’s possible and memorable.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip and fly to Kasane International Airport, where you will be picked up and enjoy a Chobe River Cruise before being transferred to Camp Kuzuma, your lodge for the next two nights.

Camp Kuzuma 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.

During 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. 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.

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 base for the next three 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.

Over the next few days, 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.

After coffee and a light breakfast, you will go on a game drive through Hwange National Park until you reach Bumbusi Wilderness Camp, your wilderness oasis 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-canvas chalets, the camp offers a quiet stay away from the busier parts of the park.

The next few 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.

Back at camp, the pace is slower. You can spend time on the deck, where elephants often pass by, or enjoy tea from the kettle that’s always on the fire. Evenings are simple and relaxed, with dinner and time around the fire.

After coffee and a light breakfast, you go on your final game drive through Hwange back to Robins Airstrip, where you will fly to Victoria Falls for your final two nights at Ilala Lodge.

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. Beyond these, you can also explore Victoria Falls town, browsing its charming cafés, bustling markets, and local craft shops. For those seeking even more adventure, optional activities include scenic helicopter or microlight flights over the falls, white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and the Gorge Swing. Wildlife experiences in nearby Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park add another layer to your stay, ensuring there is something for every kind of traveler.

Your final day will end with breakfast at Ilala Lodge, before you are transferred by road to Victoria Falls International Airport in time for your departure flight.