Best of Zambia and Botswana
SOUTH AFRICA ZAMBIA BOTSWANA
10 Days | January 21 – 30, 2015
Johannesburg, South Africa | Lower Zambezi, Zambia | Livingstone, Zambia | Okavango, Botswana |
Johannesburg, South Africa
Best of Zambia and Botswana
SOUTH AFRICA • ZAMBIA • BOTSWANA
10 DAYS • JANUARY 21 – 30, 2015
Itinerary
21-Jan
Wednesday
Johannesburg
South Africa
54 On Bath
22-Jan
Thursday
Lower Zambezi
Zambia
Chiawa Camp
23-Jan
Friday
Lower Zambezi
Zambia
Chiawa Camp
24-Jan
Saturday
Lower Zambezi
Zambia
Chiawa Camp
25-Jan
Sunday
Livingstone
Zambia
Tongabezi Lodge
26-Jan
Monday
Livingstone
Zambia
Tongabezi Lodge
27-Jan
Tuesday
Okavango
Botswana
Little Kwara
28-Jan
Wednesday
Okavango
Botswana
Little Kwara
29-Jan
Thursday
Okavango
Botswana
Little Kwara
30-Jan
Friday
Johannesburg
South Africa
Depart
$8,736
Per Person
This is a sample itinerary and the price is an estimate, used for rough planning purposes only and is subject to change. Actual prices
and availability must be finalized by one of our trip planners who will contact and confirm pricing with all accommodations and
operators.
21 JAN 2015 – Johannesburg
operators.
21 JAN 2015 – Johannesburg
Start safari O.R. Tambo International Airport
Johannesburg, South Africa (Arrival Location)
Johannesburg, South Africa
Sofiatown. Joburg. Gold Reef City. This is the commercial capital of one of Africa's strongest economic engines,
South Africa. Johannesburg was built on a gold mining town established in the 1800's, and you can still see the
slag heaps within the city limits. If you are focused on a wildlife safari, your time should be kept to a minimum
in Johannesburg. But if you have time to explore the city, it’s definitely worth a stay. Feel the vibe of Soweto, for
example (an acronym for South West Township), then we can organize a fun bike ride that takes you through
the streets of Soweto and gives you a flavor for this colorful and energetic township.
54 On Bath
Discover a contemporary and fashionable haven on Bath Avenue right in the heart of Rosebank, Johannesburg’s
trendy suburb. Classic and sophisticated, the accent is on understated elegance and the focus is to provide an
exceptional guest experience. Newly opened in July 2012, is for the discerning traveler seeking intimacy and
refinement but always with stylish flair. From the moment of arrival into the elegant lobby with its delightful
lounge to the luxury and comfort of your room, you will enjoy attentive and friendly service. Everything has
been designed around your comfort and the stylish interiors reflect a calm tranquility with the use of
harmonious colors, sophisticated design and strong graphic motifs. The 75 rooms at 54 on Bath are elegantly
styled with views over the garden or over the abundantly green city skyline. Comfortable and spacious, they
exude the warmth of fine living. Block out curtains, fluffy duvets, crisp white linens and feather-top beds ensure
an unrivalled sleep experience in Rosebank. Each guest room has everything, and perhaps more, that you would
expect to find in a hotel of international standard, including an executive desk, technological connectivity, a
sleek and luxurious bathroom with separate bath and shower and the finest amenities. Suites offer a beautiful,
private lounge with en-suite bedroom and bathroom. It’s the simple things in life that make the difference, and
at Level Four Restaurant you’ll enjoy distinctive classical cuisine with contemporary influences. Classic and
elegant, Level Four offers a superb a la carte breakfast, while luncheon is a casual, light affair, and dinner is the
perfect opportunity to choose from the excellent a la carte menu. It’s dining at its best. Sophisticated and
unique, the bar offers an array of champagne, cocktails and wines accompanied by sumptuous bar snacks.
Overlooking the terrace garden the champagne bar is the perfect meeting spot for business get-togethers, predinner drinks and evening sundowners. The hotel features a fitness club and outdoor pool available to all hotel
guests. Ideally situated, guests can enjoy the best that this vibrant suburb has to offer. Linked from the 2nd
floor to a stylish, retail shopping mall, with its designer shops, boutiques and entertainment complex. Within
walking distance to the Rosebank Gautrain Station, and just minutes’ away from the Sandton, Hyde Park and
the Johannesburg city center.
Included: Accommodation, breakfast, 750mb per day of complimentary high-speed internet, 3 items of
clothing pressed per day of stay, shuttle service to a local spa, complimentary use of hotel iPads, VAT
Available at an Additional Cost: Laundry, restaurant dining, Champagne bar, mini bar, daily afternoon tea
on the roof garden terrace, room service, Pretoria City tour, Soweto Township tour, Apartheid Museum,
DeWildt Cheetah Centre, Sterkfontein Caves, Maropeng Cradle of Humankind, Origins Centre, Elephant
Educational at Harbeespoort Dam
Amenities: Air Conditioning, Cell Phone Coverage, Ensuite Bathrooms, Hairdryer, Pool, Recharge Facilities,
Wi-Fi, Workout Room
22 JAN 2015 - 24 JAN 2015 – Lower Zambezi
Johannesburg
Lusaka
Commercial Flight (2 hours, 5 minutes)
Lusaka
Lower Zambezi
Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (1 hour, 5 minutes)
Lower Zambezi, Zambia
The Lower Zambezi National Park lies opposite Mana Pools on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River. The
beauty of this park is in its state of absolute wildness. Exploring this park can be done by canoe, on foot, vehicle
and power boat. When you are at water level on a boat or in a canoe, the animals are less likely to run off in a
hurry. The park covers three different habitats: the river is overhung with a thick riverine fringe, while further
inland is a floodplain fringed with mopane forest and interspersed with winterthorn trees, all of this with the
Zambezi escarpment forming a beautiful backdrop.
Chiawa Camp
The Lower Zambezi Valley is a huge rift in the earth's crust, through which the Zambezi River flows, nurturing
lush vegetation, providing attraction for wildlife. The landscape is beautiful: tall leadwoods, ebonies, acacias
and figs stand on a carpet of rich grassland. But the main attraction is the area's game, including leopards, lions,
elephants, hippos and other wildlife, which congregates near the river during the dry season. Family owned and
operated, Chiawa Camp is the Lower Zambezi National Park's premier luxury safari camp. The camp is
comprised of nine Meru-style tents with raised timber floors, platforms and verandas, providing excellent views
of the surrounding national park and Zambezi River. These “tents” set a new standard for Zambia in bushluxury, while still retaining a rustic and unpretentious feel. All incorporate bedroom, bathroom and changing
area with ample comforts, conveniences and unexpected luxuries such as 24/7 lighting and charging facilities
(220v UK plugs), hot and cold running water, king-size beds with Egyptian cotton linens, his and hers
washbasins, indoor and outdoor showers, and ball and claw baths. A stunning thatched lounge/bar area with
upstairs viewing deck provides one of the best views of the Zambezi. After enjoying Chiawa’s renowned cuisine,
one can relax by the open fire with a cocktail in hand to reminisce of the day's adventures before retiring to the
tents. At Chiawa Camp, an impressive variety of safari activities are available, including game drives, walking,
canoeing, boating and angling, led by an award winning team of Africa-born guides with a fleet of vehicles, boats
and canoes at their disposal. Guests are able to enjoy their choice of activity where the duration is determined
by the rhythm of the bush and enthusiasm of the guests, rather than by the clock. All of the guides at Chiawa are
passionate about the environment and wildlife. It is their goal to provide you with the very best experience in
the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Included: Accommodation, meals, beverages, professionally-guided game viewing drives (day & night), offroad game viewing, canoe trips (walks and canoe trips restricted to 12+ years), bush walks, photo hides, boat
trips, angling, daily laundry, transfers between Chiawa Camp/Old Mondoro & Jeki/Royal airstrips, park fees
Available at an Additional Cost: Park angling permits, private guiding
Amenities: Ensuite Bathrooms, Hairdryer, Laundry Included, Local Drinks Included, Pool, Recharge
Facilities, Wi-Fi
25 JAN 2015 - 26 JAN 2015 – Livingstone
Lower Zambezi
Lusaka
Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (1 hour, 5 minutes)
Lusaka
Livingstone
Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (1 hour, 10 minutes)
Livingstone, Zambia
While David Livingstone named the falls on his visit, he didn’t realize it already had a more fitting name –
Mosai-Oa-Tunya, The Smoke That Thunders. The mighty Zambezi River drops off in spectacular fashion,
creating a powerful spectacle that is the most notable of the seven natural wonders of the world. Above the falls,
the Zambezi has a hypnotic power. It's full of crocs and hippos, and it is a wonderful place to enjoy a traditional
African sundowner at sunset on the river.
Tongabezi Lodge
Livingstone, Zambia is renowned for the impressive Victoria Falls. Over one mile wide, Victoria Falls is the
most expansive curtain of water in the world and drops more than 328 feet into the sheer Zambezi Gorge.
Located in the southwest corner of Zambia, these falls and the Zambezi River are the central points in an area of
spectacular scenic beauty. Tongabezi is a luxury lodge located on the banks of the Zambezi River, near Victoria
Falls. Privately owned and operated, Tongabezi combines romance and exclusivity with warm and attentive
service. The experienced staff maintains a smart, exclusive and distinctly Zambian feel throughout the lodge.
Meals are first-class, served beside the river or on your private veranda. Additional common areas include a
thatched riverside bar, spacious lounge area and a rock swimming pool under a tumbling waterfall. With a total
of 11 en-suite guest accommodations, all travelers’ needs are met. Each house and cottage has its own valet who
takes care of guests throughout their stay and act as a private concierge. Tasteful furnishings with an elegant ensuite bathroom, as well as a private veranda, complete the accommodation. There is no set pattern to days at
Tongabezi. Guests can do as much or as little as they wish, with game drives, bush walks, canoeing, village visits
and boating trips all included with the accommodation. Additional activities are available at a supplemental
cost. Please see information regarding Victoria Falls activities at the end of your descriptive itinerary.
Included: Accommodation, all meals, drinks, house wine (excluding premium wines, champagne, sparkling
wines and liqueurs), serviceactivities available on normal rates: sunrise and sunset boat trip on the Zambezi,
guided canoeing excursion depending on water levels and hippo activity, lunch on local island with guided walk,
fishing (equipment provided), visit to the Victoria Falls on the Zambian Side (Falls entrance fees are extra),
game drive in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National park (Park fees are extra), walk in the gorge below the Falls, cultural
visit to the museum (Museum entrance is not included and subject to change), local village visit, mountain bike
trail to local village, shopping trip on the Zambian side of the Falls, outdoor dining, laundry, park fees
Available at an Additional Cost: Premium wines, champagne, sparkling wines and liqueurs, Guided Tour
of the Falls, Livingstone Island Morning Breezer, Royal Livingstone Express Dinner Train, Sundowner Cruise
on the Zambezi, Elephant Back Safari, Canoeing on the Upper Zambezi, Horseback Riding, Fishing the
Zambezi, Helicopter Flight over the Falls, Helicopter Flight over the Falls/Gorge/Game Park, Microlight Flight,
David Livingstone Museum, Mukuni Village, Maramba Market, Railway Museum and Tour of Livingstone
Town, Mists of Time Private Tour of Victoria Falls, Ebenezer Orphanage Visit, Zambezi River Boat Safari, Half
Day Game Drive in Mosi-O-Tunya Park, Whitewater Rafting, Quad Biking, Segway Tour, Golf at Elephant Hills
Golf Course In Zimbabwe
Amenities: Air Conditioning, Cell Phone Coverage, Ensuite Bathrooms, Laundry Included, Local Drinks
Included, Pool, Wi-Fi
27 JAN 2015 - 29 JAN 2015 – Okavango
Livingstone
Chobe
Private Road Transfer (2 hours, 45 minutes)
Chobe
Okavango
Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (1 hour, 20 minutes)
Okavango, Botswana
The Okavango Delta is a safari icon, and in 2014, it was named to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list for its
unique habitat and remarkable wildlife densities. Its landscapes are awe-inspiring: yellow grasslands, pristine
papyrus filtered rivers, ivory palm trees standing tall above the savannahs, red sunset skies punctuated by fish
eagle cries…and great game viewing. It is a resilient system where drainage basins in Angola capture rain water
in the African summer (December to March). But because Botswana is so flat, it takes months for that water to
make it down the Okavango River and flood into the Kalahari Desert. The timing is perfect - it brings water to
the Kalahari during the dry season (May through October) and becomes a key attraction for wildlife at this time
of year.
Little Kwara
Little Kwara is located within the game rich Kwara concession, which borders the Moremi Game Reserve on the
northern edge of the Okavango Delta. This is an intimate camp, accommodating no more than ten guests, and is
consistent with Kwando Safaris promise to provide intimate camps with personal service. Little Kwara offers all
the activities one expects in an exclusive concession in the Okavango Delta - day and night drives, game walks,
power boating, mokoro trips and fishing (spinning equipment is provided but fly fishermen need to bring their
own equipment). The daily safari routine usually involves an early morning wake up call, and a gathering
around the fireside for piping hot tea and coffee, a bowl of sumptuous porridge and freshly baked muffins. As
well as offering fresh, early-morning air and a dazzling sunrise, an early departure greatly increases the chances
of unusual sightings, as the majority of mammals are active at the beginning and end of the day when
temperatures are lower. Game drives are undertaken in custom-designed Toyota game viewing vehicles seating
no more than six guests at a time in two rows of three. The use of only two rows ensures that guests are never so
far from the front of the vehicle that they are unable to hear the guide or tracker's interpretation, even while
driving. Guests are guided by a two-person team of a professional guide and a tracker - a special feature of the
Kwando Safaris wildlife experience. This team enables the guide to communicate points of interest and the
complex interrelations that exist throughout the natural world, while the tracker ensures no sightings or tracks
are missed. The evening/night drives are a Kwando Safaris specialty. The drive starts in the late afternoon as
the sun’s rays are dipping to the west and the day’s heat is declining. After a leisurely pause for the traditional
sundowner, the African day is transformed into a soft colorful evening canvas and the night drive begins. The
mystery unfolds as the creatures of the night, especially the predators, are revealed by spotlight, often
unexpectedly.
Included: Accommodation with all meals and beverages, including premier brands, all game viewing
activities: game drives, night drives, off-road game viewing, nature walks, fishing, power boating and mokoro
trips, outdoor dining, daily laundry, emergency medical evacuation coverage (all guests must have their own
travel and health insurance), meet & greet in and out of Maun airport in the private guests lounge if being
transferred with Moremi Air
Available at an Additional Cost: Private vehicles, private guides, scenic helicopter tours, curio shop items
Amenities: Ensuite Bathrooms, Laundry Included, Local Drinks Included, Pool, Recharge Facilities
30 JAN 2015 – Johannesburg
Okavango
Maun
Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (45 minutes)
Maun
Johannesburg
Commercial Flight (1 hour, 45 minutes)
Johannesburg, South Africa (Departure Location)
End Safari O.R. Tambo International Airport