This trip begins in Maun, Botswana and travels north through Botswana before ending in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

This first day of this tour is an arrival day. Should you wish to explore Maun, your travel agent can assist you, in booking your activities as well as accommodation. However, costs due to earlier arrival, will be for your own account.

Trip code: MV8
Accommodation style: Camping
Length of trip: 8 Days
Starts in: Maun, Botswana
Finishes in: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Pre-departure Meeting: Held at the Departure Point at 17h00, the day before your departure.
Departure point: Island Safari Lodge, Maun, Botswana
Check-In Time: 17h00
Departure Time: To be advised at the pre-departure meeting
Breakfasts included: 8
Lunches included: 7
Dinners included: 8
Brunches included: 1
Countries visited: Botswana, Zimbabwe
 Trip Price: Please contact us at info@TIASafaris.com
Local Payment:

Departure Dates:

US$ 450

Please contact us at info@TIASafaris.com

 

PLEASE NOTE:

  • This itinerary should be used as a guide only and may vary from day to day depending on road & weather conditions, political situations and group decisions.
  • All prices & Local Payments are subject to change.
  • Due to Tourism Laws in some of the countries we visit, there may be a truck and crew change during the trip. Your arrival transfer and pre-trip accommodation in a dorm bed is included in your trip price. Should you choose not to make use of these, or in the event that we were not updated with your arrival details, no refund will be paid for services not used.
  • Please ensure you’ve received a copy of our pre departure information document with information on what to expect on this overland safari.

Starting in Maun and finishing in Victoria, this eight day trip offers the opportunity to see the breathtaking Victoria Falls and partake in the many optional adventure activities based around the mighty Zambezi River. We visit Chobe National Park, which is world renowned for its large herds of elephant, and the Okavango Delta, the largest inland delta in the world where we camp for two nights under the stars in one of Africa’s greatest wildernesses.


INCLUDED HIGHLIGHTS

Chobe Overnight Mobile Excursion, 3-Day Okavango Delta Excursion & Entrance to Victoria Falls.

BOTSWANA
The size of this successful country can be compared to countries such as Kenya or France, and fairly smaller than Texas. Botswana is a landlocked country with borders such as South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe which can all be crossed overland. For such a small country it boasts an array of spectacular game viewing opportunities such as, hundreds of elephants splashing in the Chobe River and the Okavango Delta and its maze of lagoons.


ITINERARY

DAY 1: Maun (Botswana) (Dinner)
Our adventure begins in the small town of Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. The day is spent at leisure at the camp and this evening we meet our crew and fellow passengers and make our preparations for the Delta excursion. Maun is the starting point for travel into the Delta and it is from here that we set off to explore the Okavango Delta. Tonight we prepare our provisions and packs for our 2 night excursion. We suggest bringing along a smaller daypack on your trip as this can be used to pack the supplies needed for this short excursion. Your trip leader will brief you fully on what is needed, and what to expect prior to your trip to the Delta.

DAY 2: Maun to Okavango Delta (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
The Delta is a huge expanse of water, which has travelled from the Angolan highlands, spreading out to form the largest inland delta in the world.  Studded with exotic islands, The Delta is renowned for its incredible variety of bird life and animals and is unique to Southern Africa.

Here we take part in the 3 Day / 2 Night Drive In/Mokoro Excursion into the Delta.  After an early rise, we pack our expedition vehicle and from Maun we drive north for a couple of hours to reach the mokoro poler’s station.  The Delta region is studded with many local villages where many families live in a traditional way. Some of the villages are very remote and can only be reached by the traditional mode of transport – the Mokoro. Mokoros are dugout canoes manoeuvred through the waterways by local guides who “pole” them through the reeds. At the Mokoro station, we meet our ‘Polers’ and pack our supplies before heading out into the waterways. After a couple of hours along the waterways, our guides find us a place to camp, and later in the afternoon we set off on an afternoon game walk, allowing us to experience The Delta wilderness. The camp is situated in an open wilderness area with no ablution facilities.

Included Activity: 3 Day / 2 Night Drive In / Mokoro Excursion into the Delta

DAY 3: Okavango Delta (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
A day of rest, relaxation and Delta experiences await.  Today we have the opportunity to partake in a number of activities including swimming, game walks, mokoro cruises and even a chance to try our hands at poling our own mokoro! There is also ample time to relax and rest during the hotter hours of the day, so challenge your new friends to a game of cards, or chat with your guides about their culture and lifestyle, or simply lie back and enjoy the sounds of the surrounding wilderness.

Okavango Delta
All you have to do is sit back, relax and have your camera as you get guided through the dozens of mazes. The Okavango Delta is a bird lover’s paradise enjoyed by all, best explored by foot and mokoro, and if you wish you can take a scenic flight and have a bird’s eye view from the open skies. With over 400 species of birds, 70 species of fish and an abundance of wildlife, your experience in the delta will leave you wanting to explore the whole of Africa.

DAY 4: Okavango Delta to Maun (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
This morning affords us a final opportunity for a game walk before packing up and setting off back to Maun.  After our Mokoro ride and vehicle transfer, we arrive back in the afternoon and have the chance to complete our picture of the Okavango Delta by taking an optional scenic flight over The Delta (dependent on weather conditions & availability).

DAY 5: Maun to Chobe National Park (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
We travel east and then north to the town of Kasane where we set up camp on the banks of the Chobe River.  The Chobe River forms a border between Botswana and Namibia and Zambia and is the main water source to the Chobe National Park.  Elephant, hippo and many bird species can be viewed from the campsite while we watch another glorious African sunset.  Listen out for the resident hippos!

DAY 6: Chobe National Park (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
This morning we have a chance to sleep in or explore the town of Kasane. When we are packed and prepared, we leave for our Chobe National Park Overnight Mobile excursion – an overnight experience in the wilds of the Chobe National park. Chobe is one of Botswana’s premier game parks, renowned for its large elephant herds.  Spend the afternoon in search of wildlife while we game drive to our camp within the park where we spend the evening surrounded by the night-time noises of the local wildlife. Look out for the rare Sable and Roan Antelope on your game drive, with their majestic backward slanting horns, or try keep a count of the Lilac Breasted Roller’s that swoop by! After our night in the bush, we head out early to continue our search for wildlife, before packing up the camp and heading back to Kasane, and Victoria Falls.

Included Activity: Chobe Overnight Mobile Excursion

ZIMBABWE
This landlocked country is situated in the southern part of Africa, between the mighty Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. The word Zimbabwe is believed to have two meanings, 1) it is believed the word Zimbabwe is derived from dzimba-dza-mabwe, which means “large house of stone” in the Shona (Karanga Dialect) language. 2) It is also believed to be derived from the word dzimba-hwe which means venerated houses in the Zezuru dialect of Shona.

DAY 7: Chobe National Park to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) (Brunch)
Once returning to camp, we get back on our truck and continue to the border of Zimbabwe. Once we’ve completed border formalities, we have a short drive to the nearby Victoria Falls. Named after the famous World Heritage site and Water Falls, the town of Victoria Falls is situated on the Zambezi River and surrounded by the Victoria Falls National Park. Our campsite is conveniently situated in the centre of town, and within walking distance of the adventure booking agents, restaurants and shops. A 20 minute walk down the main road takes you to the entry point to view the falls, which are situated between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders), was named by David Livingstone on his explorations, and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. At 1700 m wide and around 100 m high, this is the world’s largest sheet of falling water and a memorable sight on any African Safari! After our adventure activities briefing (see price guide at the end of this document for options), the afternoon is spent relaxing at the campsite’s swimming pool, viewing the Victoria Falls, or exploring the many sights and delights of this town!

Included Activity: Entrance into Victoria Falls

DAY 8: Victoria Falls (Breakfast)
After breakfast, we exchange addresses and part ways, having just experienced a trip of a lifetime! We suggest booking additional days after your trip to take advantage of the optional excursions available at Victoria Falls.

Zambezi River
The Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa and forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The mighty Zambezi as it is known, offers various different adventure activities for your pleasure. White water rafting, jet boating and river boarding are only a few of the many activities.

Optional Activities: Include elephant back safaris, horseback safaris, walking with lions, a visit to the crocodile ranch, boat cruises and golf at The Elephant Hills Resort.  Adrenalin junkies can bungee from the Victoria Falls Bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia or abseil down the Batoka Gorge – neither activity is for the faint hearted!  All year round, flights in fixed wing, micro light and ultra light aircraft or helicopters provide an aerial perspective over this magnificent World Heritage Site.  White water rafting on the Zambezi is world class.  Beside the excitement of the Grade 5 rapids, there are the “floats,” where there is time to admire the scenic cliffs and the occasional wildlife on the riverbanks.


WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?

International flights, Airport departure taxes, Departure transfer, Visas, Meals unless otherwise stated, Travel Insurance, Laundry, Personal Items, Sleeping Bag, Pillow and Tips.

Meals on tour
Meals and menu’s vary as food is purchased en-route, and is subject to produce that is available seasonally in the areas we travel through. As we support the local communities along the way, fresh produce is mostly purchased direct from the producer or local grower and therefore has an organic appearance. Our safari cooks are able to offer a wide variety of menu’s with the ingredients available, even if the produce on offer is not of the same selection as what you may be used to back home.

The breakfast spread consists of bread (toast when time allows), spreads and cereals with a hot breakfast every few days. Lunches are mostly prepared en-route with a supply of ‘build your own’ sandwich ingredients available. Dinners are cooked in the evenings on arrival at the campsite. A wide array of dinner menus are on offer during your safari, consisting of curries, stews, pastas, BBQ’s and even roasts!

Transport on tour
Our overland vehicles are custom built converted Mercedes Benz or MAN trucks that have seating space for our passengers and a storage areas for luggage and all trip equipment. The trucks seat between 27-30 passengers on our camping trips. Most seats are forward facing, though some models have a combination of forward, backward and some inward facing seats with tables. Vehicles have sliding glass windows, and the seating area is raised providing a great advantage for game viewing and photography. Seats are cushioned and there is storage space for personal items like cameras, snacks and day packs in the seating area.

Participation on tour
All of the tours operated are participation trips meaning that all passengers are expected to help out around camp. The crew members running the trip will set up a rota system that will be followed. One day you may be on cleaning duty, the next day you may be on cooking duty and so forth. This is not only to make the trip easier for all involved but also for you as the passengers to get to know one another while on trip.


OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

BOTSWANA:
Scenic Flight Over Delta (300-350US$ per plane max 5 pax) 100 US$
ZIMBABWE:
Please ensure that you pay for activities in Victoria Falls with US$ CASH
Trip T-Shirt 30 US$
VICTORIA FALLS:  
White Water Rafting-Full Day 140 US$
River Boarding combo Raft & Board 180 US$
Bungee Jump (111m) 150 US$
Elephant Back Safari 150 US$
Micro Light over the Falls-15mins 170 US$
Helicopter Flight over the Falls 12 mins 155 US$

 

PLEASE NOTE: That this is not a full list of available activities. There are many more to choose from. Prices are approximate and can change at any given time. Only to be used as a guideline.