From the Okavango Delta in Botswana to Zimbabwe’s Zambezi National Park, we invite you to experience the quintessential southern African holiday.
This luxurious 10-day safari package features all the elements of a classic safari: stunning tented accommodation in remote, private concessions, hours spent on game drives seeking out magnificent wildlife and birdlife and enjoying the romance and nostalgia of a bygone untamed Africa.
In Botswana, your accommodation at Duba Plains Camp places you in the heart of the breathtaking Okavango Delta. Here, your days are spent gently exploring the waterways by mokoro (dugout canoe) or traversing the floodplains in customised safari vehicles for thrilling sightings of the area’s famed abundance of game.
Heading north, your luxury African safari continues to Botswana’s secluded Selinda Reserve, where your Relais & Chateaux accommodation at Zarafa Camp cocoons you in 1920s-inspired luxury and invites you to discover the marvel of the bush on guided safari walks, pontoon cruises and classic game drives.
Your journey ends in Zimbabwe, where the mighty Victoria Falls lies just 20km away from your luxury safari accommodation at Mpala Jena Camp. For the adventurous, your choices here are thrilling: bungee jumping, swimming in the Devil’s Pool, helicopter trips and more are on offer. Those in search of a slower pace can simply enjoy the beautiful and peaceful bush environment of the camp.
Your Itinerary
3 nights in the Okavango Delta
With 3 nights to spend in the heart of the Okavango Delta, you can truly take your time soaking it all in. Arguably Africa’s greatest wetland area and famous for its water-based safaris, spend your days drifting through the reed beds by mokoro canoe or travelling by motorboat through the papyrus swamps and open waters, or traversing the floodplains in customised game drive vehicles.
The renowned Duba Plains, in the heart of the Delta and your home for the next few days, is made up of palm dotted islands, flood plains and woodland. Famous for its sheer abundance of wildlife, Duba Plains prides itself on providing opportunities for thrilling sightings of lion, buffalo, red lechwe, blue wildebeest, greater kudu and tsessebe. Elephant and hippo trudge through the swamps with the occasional sightings of leopard. The area is also a birdwatcher’s paradise. Expect to see some rare species, including wattled crane, Pel’s fishing owl, white-backed night heron and marsh owl.
DINING SUGGESTIONS
Every meal is a work of art, from the breakfast served before the morning game drive and brunch on your return to the eats at afternoon tea.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Duba Plains Camp
Duba Plains Camp offers guests a setting unlike any other, featuring woodlands, islands and flood plains that shelter thousands of animals. Considered the wildlife connoisseur’s gateway to the Okavango Delta, the luxury camp is built on a wooded island and connected to the prolific wildlife area by an elaborate set of bridges.
Five luxury tents and one 2-bedroom private suite designed to blend into the landscape while also evoking a style of the 1920s. Extremely comfortable and slightly elevated, each one offers private swimming pools, outdoor salas, stunning views over the plains and water channels that can also be explored by 4×4 with a private guide.
3 nights in Selinda Reserve
A private concession within the famously game-rich Linyati Waterfront, the Selinda Reserve is at the crossroads of some of northern Botswana’s most prolific wildlife areas; the Savute Channel, Chobe National Park and the expanding reaches of the greater Okavango Delta.
From your luxury accommodation at Zarafa Camp, you can enjoy game drives, walks and boating, seeking out some of Africa’s classic species, such as leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, red lechwe, zebra and giraffe, as well as the more uncommon species such as African wild dog, cheetah, roan and sable antelopes. For birders, the African skimmer colony is a highlight, as are the antics of the black egret on the shores of Zibadianja Lagoon.
DINING SUGGESTIONS
With the Relais & Chateaux stamp of approval, world-class dining is a given – whether as a picnic breakfast or lunch (or both) on a game drive, sociably around the camp’s dining table, or privately in the lounge or library. Be sure to request a private wine tasting on your deck.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Zarafa
Few camps rival the location of Zarafa, Botswana’s first and only Relais & Chateaux property. Overlooking the crystal waters of the Zibadianja Lagoon, the source of the famous Savute Channel, every area of the camp has a magnificent view. Built from recycled hardwoods and canvas, powered by its own solar farm, and featuring a ‘bio-gas’ system that recycles vegetable waste into usable cooking gas, Zarafa may in fact be the “greenest” luxury safari camp on the continent.
3 nights in Zambezi National Park
Set on the shores of the Zambezi River in a private concession within the Zambezi National Park, Mpala Jena Camp enjoys the fine distinction of being in the untamed wilds of Zimbabwe, while still near enough to Victoria Falls to take advantage of the many activities available, from helicopter rides and white water rafting to hikes in the rainforest.
The reserve is home to a wide range of wildlife, including elephant, hippo, buffalo, sable, eland, zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck and impala, with predators including lions and leopards. The area is good for bird watching throughout the year, with highlights including Pel’s fishing owls, African skimmers, collared palm thrushes, lanner falcons, goliath herons, African finfoots, rock pratincoles and long-toed lapwings.
Be sure to visit the Victoria Falls, which must be seen to be believed. Known locally as “The Smoke that Thunders,” the Victoria Falls is the largest sheet of falling water in the world.
DINING SUGGESTIONS
Expect 5-star dining at Mpala Jena Camp. Meals are generally served at a single table, either in the main dining room or out by the campfire. Private tables and special meals can usually be accommodated. Private dinners are often served in the tents.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Mpala Jena Camp
Mpala Jena Camp’s four guest tents are set in the dappled shade of indigenous trees, each under beige, flowing canvas, with canopy ceilings and open (yet netted) views of the river frontage. The Moroccan-inspired aesthetic is carried throughout, from the lounge area with a desk to en-suite bathroom and its impressive bathtub. Decking leads to a private plunge pool with views of the Zambezi.
Inclusions
Scheduled flight from Maun in Botswana to Duba Plains Camp
Return airstrip transfer to Duba Plains Camp
3 nights Duba Plains Camp on a fully inclusive basis (includes all meals, select drinks and safari activities)
Scheduled flight from airstrip to Zarafa Camp
Return airstrip transfer to Zarafa Camp
3 nights Zarafa Camp on a fully inclusive basis (includes all meals, select drinks and safari activities)
Scheduled flight from Zarafa Camp to Kasane Airport
Private return transfers from Kasane Airport to Mpala Jena Camp
3 nights Mpala Jena Camp on a fully inclusive basis (includes all meals, select drinks and safari activities)
Great Plains conservation levy
Exclusions
International flights, air reservations and airport taxes
Transfers not mentioned in the itinerary
Activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Activities specified as additional / optional in the itinerary
Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
Travel insurance
Gratuities
All items of a personal nature
Notes
Our rates are per person sharing unless expressly identified. Please treat all pricing as a guide only: All rates are an estimation, subject to availability and may change without notice. Single supplements may apply. Enquire now or speak to one of our expert Travel Planners for updated rates.
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We are the industry leaders in private, tailor-made luxury travel, leveraging over 60 years of experience in creating bespoke safaris in Africa.
