Luxury Botswana

Can you imagine a dining experience more private than having the entire Zambezi River to yourself whilst your food is paddled out to you, one course at a time?

The sampan dinner or early morning breakfast is available throughout the year, apart from during the highest river levels, which are usually from March to June.

A boat cruise at sunset or sunrise is a superb way to relax and enjoy the immersive beauty of the Zambezi, whilst keeping an eye out for wildlife on the river banks.

See one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World with a trip to Victoria Falls on the Zambian side

This is the only wildlife park in the area that provides refuge to white rhinos, which are closely protected by anti-poaching units. While on your game drive, keep an eye out for giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, wildebeest, zebra and diverse bird life.

Enjoy a short cycle to meet the friendly people from the Simonga village

All guests are invited to visit, engage with, and learn from the Tongabezi Trust School’s 280 bright, talented students, all of who receive free education and nutritious meals at Tujatane. In fact, if you are only going to do one happy thing during your stay at Tongabezi, we’d suggest it is a tour of this school.

The Maramba and Mukuni markets are visited daily by hundreds of people from Livingstone and surrounding areas. They come to buy everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to chitenge, the bright patterned fabric characteristic of Southern and East African fashion. One of our team will be there to guide you through the marketplace and will be there to help you with buying from vendors if you need.

A place to learn about Zambia's culture and natural heritage.

Safaris can be quite sedentary, so we like to give our guests spaces where they can get moving and keep their energy levels high for their daily adventures.

This is one of our signature Tongabezi experiences, and for guests who haven't spent much time researching us online, we keep the Sandbar as a marvellous surprise. Immerse yourself in the tranquillity of watching two sunsets -- above and within the water -- with sand in your toes and a drink in your hand.

Sit in the shallows of the Tongabezi Rock Pool with a cocktail in hand and the Zambezi River flowing before you, or spend some quality sunshine time by the Tongabezi Lap Pool a little further back from the river.

The Zambezi River, around Victoria Falls, is an excellent spot for both pole and fly fishing. There are over 75 species of freshwater fish in these warm, nutrient-rich waters, although it is usually one specific species that draws fishermen here – the tiger. Revered for their power and fierce set of teeth, landing a tiger fish is no easy task, even for a seasoned angler. Even an unsuccessful fishing outing on the Zambezi is still enjoyable if just for the beautiful scenery and tranquility.

Come and explore some of our 1,200 hectares of sweet veld, which is rapidly becoming a fully sustainable, organic community-run farm. You can personally compare our sustainable farming techniques with nearby traditional farming methods.

With a maximum of just eight guests, Zarafa Camp offers complete flexibility. Drives do focus on the most comfortable and productive times of day, early morning and late afternoon, but full day drives are also quite common at a guest’s request. Picnic brunch can be delivered, and the vehicles are stocked with cold drinks. The camp has two custom built Land Cruisers specially designed for our conditions and photography (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug invertors) with seven individual bucket seats.

Another huge benefit of staying within the conservancies is the ability to appreciate the stunning landscape on foot, peacefully, without the noise of engines. We highly recommend this unforgettable experience. Talk to the managers to arrange a good time and location for a walk. Usually early morning or evening is the best time, as the middle of the day is too hot to venture out of the shade. Wear good

walking shoes, a hat, and neutral coloured clothing so as not to alarm the wildlife, and take binoculars. Your guide will have water for you. Walks are led by licensed guides with firearm training.

The HES Zib, Zarafa’s special pontoon boat, is an utterly unique experience. The 275 sq. foot deck is complete with couches, a dining area and bar where guests can comfortably enjoy floating brunch or sundowners while watching hippos and elephants in the water. It is also an exceptional platform for birding.

Each of Zarafa’s guest suites has a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. Photos will be downloaded to a DVD on guest’s departure. Each suite comes with a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use as well. For stargazers, each room comes with its own telescope for use on each suite's private deck.

A full syllabus of bush craft skills for our young explorers. This is a complimentary program that follows in the footsteps of National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, Dereck and Beverly Joubert. An extensive pack will be provided to eager children on arrival, so they can learn about animal calls, how to track wildlife, and other facts and figures about the wild. At the end of a child’s stay, he/she will become a Young Explorer and Conservation Ambassador - ready to go out and tell the world about what they have learned and what they too can do to help protect this beautiful environment.

Fly-fishing and rod/reel kit is available for those who want to try their cast at the local fish (except January and February when there is a moratorium on fishing).

Explore the lagoon and channels around the area by flat-bottomed power boat.

The Spa at Zarafa is located between suite 4 and the Dhow Suite. The Spa offers guests two treatment

areas and with a range of treatments available. Spa treatments are at an additional cost.

Morning and afternoon game drives are offered in open 4x4 Land Rovers each accommodating a maximum of seven people allowing each guest a 'window' seat.

On request, and depending on qualified guide availability, nature walks with skilled guides are wonderful ways of getting close to nature and observing the smaller things you miss when travelling by vehicle.

Night drives with spotlights allow you to find those nocturnal animals you might not see during the day.

There is no better way of viewing game and exploring the Okavango than by traditional mokoro (dugout canoe). These excursions reveal the fascinating smaller creatures of the Delta including colourful frogs and lively waterbirds.

Water-level dependent, boating is another idyllic form of water wildlife viewing. Vumbura has two boats seating six guests comfortably.

Fishing is on offer seasonally on a catch-and-release basis. A limited supply of basic equipment is available at camp.

The birding around Vumbura Plains is exceptional all year round, with migrant species present in the summer. Pel's fishing-owl is regularly seen, with other specials like wattled crane and slaty egret.

As part of this unique collaboration, lightweight and compact OM-D photography equipment has been provided for guests to try out a number of the impressive features offered by Olympus. The picturesque vistas at Wilderness Vumbura Plains will amaze even the most seasoned safari explorers, and we hope that you will enjoy learning more about wildlife photography with our passionate guides.

* Olympus Photo Hub experience dependent on camera availability.

Children in the Wilderness (CITW) is a non-profit organisation supported by ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris, which aims to facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and education of children in Africa.

Insight, care and commitment are required to conserve Africa’s pristine wilderness and wildlife areas. If we are to ensure that these places continue to exist – in this generation and those to come – we need the rural children of Africa to understand the importance of conservation and its relevance in their lives. Hence, our Children in the Wilderness programme: an environmental and life skills educational programme for children, focusing on the next generation of decision-makers; inspiring them to care for their natural heritage and to become the custodians of these areas in the future.

This is achieved in a variety of ways – from hosting Eco-Club programmes at local schools, to running camps at Wilderness Safaris and partner camps, for the children within the rural communities that live on the edges of the wild areas of Africa.

Game drives via open 4x4 Land Rovers each accommodate a maximum of six or seven guests, allowing each guest a 'window' seat. Please note that as we are in Moremi Game Reserve, night drives are not possible at Mombo Camp.

Experience a delicious, freshly-made brunch enjoyed out in the bush after an action-packed game drive. Wilderness Mombo's cuisine has always remained relevant to its surroundings, using locally-sourced ingredients prepared with great care and respect, offering guests an authentic yet refreshing and stylish gourmet experience deep in the remote Okavango Delta.

In-room massage treatments are probably the best ways in which to relax and restore within the comfort of your room or private deck.

To keep up with your daily fitness routine, exercise within unbeatable bush views from our gym or pool overlooking the picturesque floodplain.

Take a tour behind the scenes to see how our operational teams maintain a light footprint, offering guests the ultimate in sustainable luxury whilst remaining rooted in an authentic bush-camp offering.