Cape Town, Victoria Falls & Botswana

Matetsi Private Game Reserve offers the most exclusive game viewing experience in the Victoria Falls area. Here, surrounded by flourishing wilderness, phenomenal highlights include sightings such as massive herds of elephant and buffalo as well as the rare and majestic sable antelope. The reserve is also home to lion, spotted hyena, African wild dog and leopard.

Twice-daily game drives in the privacy of the concession are conducted in custom-fitted, luxury open-air safari vehicles in the early morning and late afternoon, accompanied by a knowledgeable, conservation-minded ranger and a tracker.

Game drives are a seminal safari moment in the bush. Whether you’re heading out at dawn or sunset, prepare to recalibrate your senses to the sounds, sights and spectacles of the bush. It may be that you get up close and personal to a pride of lion as they devour the remnants of their night’s kill or watch in awe as an early morning posse of elephant make their way down to the nearest watering hole amidst a chorus birdsong, grunts and scuffling dust. Chances are you’ll come with us as we track one of Matetsi’s established pack of wild dogs and experience their high-pitched keening as they hit the scent of prey. All this and more awaits you at Matetsi Victoria Falls.

At Matetsi Victoria Falls, you will have the opportunity to experience an exclusive riverboat cruise and canoeing excursion along our private 15 km stretch of the Zambezi River.

Take in the marvels of this spectacular wilderness sanctuary complete with resident hippos, crocodiles and nearly 700 species of fish, not to mention many species of water birds. This is your chance to make the most of some excellent photographic opportunities too, from the vantage point of the water where you will see large herds of elephant, buck, wildebeest (gnu) and buffalo come down to drink.

An interpretive bush walk, led by a professional ranger, is an absolute must for those looking to get even closer to the incredible wilderness of the reserve. This adventure-filled activity allows guests to learn more about the intricacies of the African bush, with the thrilling opportunity to get up-close-and-personal to its inhabitants, from small to large. A walking safari is truly a feast for the senses!

Victoria Falls Area Excursions
Bespoke excursions including helicopter flights, guided cultural tours, adrenaline activities and many more activities are available. All transport arrangements and services are managed and monitored by Matetsi Victoria Falls to maintain premium standards.

Description
•Tour of the Falls*
•Helicoper flights over the Falls
•High Tea overlooking the Falls
•Whitewater rafting
•Bungee jumping
•Gorge swing
•Zipline
•Canopy Tour
•Microlight Flight
•Horseback safaris
•Community excursions
•Curio shopping

*Complimentary scheduled guided tour of Victoria Falls is offered to Matetsi Victoria Falls guests.

External activities can be pre-booked through our reservations office.

Spoil your guests with an unforgettable helicopter flip over the Victoria Falls. The legendary "Flight of Angels" provides spectacular photographic opportunities that also incorporates a spot of game viewing.

Departure is from the Victoria Falls Day Activity Centre and between 08h00 and 18h00.
Guests must be at the Helipad 30 minutes before their booked departure time.
Alternatively guests can experience this activity with a direct helicopter transfer from Matetsi Private Game Reserve.

Guests will have the opportunity to discover the many facets of the magnificent Victoria Falls, the biggest falling curtain of water in the world on this exceptional excursion. They can explore the surrounding rain forest in the company of a guide who is intimately acquainted with the history of the Falls, as well as its flora, fauna, bird and wildlife.

A unique blend of aromatherapy and plant oils chosen specifically by you, combining deep tissue massage techniques to bring relaxation to tired, aching muscles allowing the body and soul to return to perfect equilibrium. Choose from a blend of aromatherapy oils to either destress, hydrate, relax or detox. A full Spa Massage Menu is available for download

In-house activities and amenities

Here, every day is tailored to you, whether you’re seeking adventure or a restorative retreat. At Matetsi Victoria Falls, our superb five-star services are rivalled only by the spectacular natural wonders that surround us. And our highly trained, knowledgeable guides are on hand to accompany you as you explore Matetsi Private Game Reserve’s 55,000 hectares of protected and unspoilt wilderness.

Whatever your preference, be it on foot, game vehicle, boat or helicopter, you will be amazed and rewarded by the abundance and diversity of this wilderness frontier. Ask about our night game drives, canoeing trips, sunset cruises and fishing expeditions on the mighty Zambezi.

For those less energetically inclined, a massage in our outdoor spa or a visit to the owner’s well-stocked private wine cellar where you can view his personal collection of vintage toy train, car and army collections will not disappoint.

Description:
•Zambezi River Boat Cruises
•Morning and evening game drives
•Night game drives
•Full day game drives
•Birdwatching
•Walking safaris
•Amateur fishing
•Professional fishing•
•Children’s activities and childminders*
•Massages•

•Activities at an additional cost

Matetsi Private Game Reserve  & Matetsi Victoria Falls - which is made up of Matetsi River Lodge and Matetsi River House Private Villa

•In the development of the lodge, we worked with a female Zimbabwean architectural designer, as well as Zimbabwean artists and artisans and locally based craftsmen In order to support local talent.
•Partners with Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travellers to make a lasting impact In communities by taking supplies for the projects In need, that we support.
•The lodge was built on the footprints of a pre-existing lodge and materials were re-used and re-purposed or sourced locally as far as possible.
•The lodge uses solar-power geysers and the team ensure energy efficient practices throughout.
•We source locally and from our own vegetable garden on property where possible.
•We have always been committed to minimising single-use plastics on property.
•We have installed Natura water bottling plants that produce still and sparkling water that are served In recycled glass bottles, bathroom amenities are In glass bottles rather than disposable plastic, and all waste is separated In-house and recycled.
•Partnered with the Greenline Africa Trust, a small organisation that focuses on working with marginalised and vulnerable communities to develop, implement and support sustainable projects concentrating on livelihoods, health, education and biodiversity management.

For a full overview of our community, sustainability and conservation projects, please visit: https://matetsivictoriafalls.com/conservation-community/

Viewing wildlife on a game drive is a thrilling experience. The varied woodland habitats and ancient floodplains along the Linyanti fault line make the Linyanti an essential part of any Botswana itinerary. Some of our guests have described it as utterly breathtaking. A safari to Africa is worthy of being on every travellers' must see destination.

Catch sight of nocturnal creatures on a night drive along the channel. An intriguing opportunity for you to see animals that you may never have heard of and are more unique, such as genets, civets, and bush babies. The other exciting element of night drives is the chance of seeing cats at their most active.

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

There are two hides in the vicinity of Kings Pool from which to view and photograph animals and birds. One is located at the western end of camp and the other is an original underground hide, with the water at eye level making for a unique camera-friendly perspective

End the day with sundowners, relaxing on the elegant, colonial-style Queen Silvia barge floating down the Linyanti River. While the camp and its lagoon take their name from King Gustaf of Sweden who honeymooned here in the mid 1900s, the name of the barge romantically commemorates his wife. The newlyweds fell in love with the beauty of Botswana – a feeling that was mutual as the country fell in love with them too, and Botswana fondly named Queen Silvia the Dancing Queen!

* Water levels permitting.

Fishing with a limited supply of basic equipment is on offer on a catch and release basis.

* Note that fishing is seasonal as it is prohibited by Botswana law in January and February due to breeding purposes.

Birding is outstanding at Wilderness King's Pool, with the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve an internationally recognised Important Bird Area (IBA), particularly for birds of prey like Dickinson's kestrel and water birds, from fish eagles to herons, and African skimmers. In the summer months, southern carmine bee-eaters nest near camp. Keep your binoculars close at hand!

Massages are available for you to enjoy in the privacy of your tent. A range of beauty treatments created to restore your body’s natural balance and soothe away your stresses.

Morning and afternoon game drives are offered in open 4x4 vehicles. Bringing you closer to many thrilling interactions being played out in the wild, our knowledgeable guides are the vital link between guests and the intricacies of the natural world.

Wilderness Vumbura Plains’ unique community concession agreement means that many of the professional guides here grew up in this area, adding an extra layer of authenticity and cultural relevance to their expert tracking and identification skills. Swap your game drive for a nature walk, and marvel at the smaller things you may miss when travelling by vehicle.

* Seasonal and subject to the availability of a qualified walking guide.

After dark game viewing with filtered spotlights allow you to find intriguing nocturnal animals.

Wilderness Vumbura Plains truly an Okavango experience, and there is no better way of viewing game and exploring the channels than by traditional mokoro (dugout canoe). The wondrous wetland habitats result in a multitude of aquatic life, and these excursions reveal the fascinating smaller creatures of the Delta including colourful frogs and lively waterbirds.

* Water levels permitting.

Excursions by boat are another idyllic form of water wildlife exploration in the amazing paradise of the Okavango Delta.

* Water levels permitting.

Fishing is on a catch and release basis, and the Vumbura Private Wilderness Area, is considered one of our best fishing areas as there is permanent water all year round. A limited supply of basic equipment is available at camp, whereas all fly fishing equipment is to be supplied by guests if required.

* Note that fishing is seasonal as it is prohibited by Botswana law in January and February due to breeding purposes.

The birding at Wilderness Vumbura Plains is as varied as it is exceptional all year round. Search for some of the the hundreds of bird species, from lilac-breasted rollers, to carmine bee-eaters, and secretary birds. Or even the Pel's fishing owl! In the summer months many migrant species are present, while other specials which are regularly seen include wattled crane, slaty egret, chirping cisticola, fan-tailed widowbird, pink-backed pelican and possibly rosy-throated longclaw for the dedicated birders.

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.

Take game drives and night drives in custom built 4x4s to spot the unique desert wildlife that inhabit the pans, like the elusive brown hyena or Kalahari lion. Your experienced safari guide will help you discover a desert landscape, pulsating with life. Complete with bush picnics, morning coffees and chilled drinks.

Get up close and personal with our families of meerkats. Leaving camp as the sun begins to rise you will accompany these inquisitive members of the mongoose family as they set off in search of their breakfast. Walk amongst them (you're not allowed to touch or feed them) and if you take a seat you might be lucky enough to be mistaken for a termite mound, where you'll be used as a look out point for predators.

Discover the secrets of the pans with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen on a fascinating bush walk. See this ancient desert landscape through their eyes. These skilled hunter gatherers will show you how to survive, using their extraordinary tracking skills to uncover a smorgasbord of culinary delights... from bulbs, to scorpions, to berries. Spending time with them is a very rare privilege.

Saddle up to explore this wild, unspoilt area in the same way many of the earliest explorers, hunters
and missionaries did – on horseback! You’ll embark on an adventurous outride (for all level riders). This is an exhilarating way to spot wildlife, cantering along the crusty salt flats and following the animal
highways that bring life to the Makgadikgadi Pans.

This is an additional cost.

This is pure desert adventure! Take an exhilarating

quad bike across the salt-crusted pans

(all pan activity is weather permitting). You’ll

feel total freedom as you trek across this vast

and ancient landscape, discovering so much

about the remnants of this once super lake. Weather permitting)

A visit to the Fallen Baobab - one of the three largest and oldest trees in Africa and reputedly the campsite of Livingstone and Selous.

Witness the second largest migration in Africa.

A stonking spectacle of black and white stripes

as approximately 30,000 zebra and wildebeest

migrate across the Makgadikgadi Pans, followed

closely by stalking predators, waiting for the rich

pickings of tired hooves. This is a wildlife explosion

and an experience not to be missed!

This really is an unforgettable experience.
Enjoy a helicopter flight over the Makgadikgadi
Pans, doors off (or on), to take in the vastness
of this desert landscape. You’ll go in search of
the zebra and flamingo migrations (if timed
correctly), get dropped on an island of baobabs
for lunch, do a bit of sunset sky surfing as you
follow the palm tree linings and tell all your
friends about it all when you get home.

At an additional cost.

Grab a fat bike and peddle around the Makgadikgadi

Pans. This is a really fun activity for

the whole family, and an ideal way to get some

exercise. These bikes can easily cruise over the

desert terrain, taking you along 4x4 tracks and

around the crusty salt flats. Keep a look out

for sightings of wildlife, while breathing in the

beautiful scenery, alongside the desert silence.