12 Days Best of Southern Africa from US$7,415pp

Pamper yourself with luxurious pampering at the Casuarina Spa

Relax and unwind at the Commodore's outdoor swimming pool.

Get in your daily workout at Commodore's gym.

Nogatsaa Pans Lodge is built with sweeping views of the Kwikamba Pans. Careful thought has been given to the layout and design of this Lodge to promote Safari experience of yester year. Enjoy unsurpassed experience of sitting quietly watching as the animals of Africa come down to a waterhole to drink, so no better place to be to enjoy the proverbial safari straight from your armchair.

Kwikamba Pans is one of the few reliable water sources in this harsh area, making it a hot-spot for large herds of elephants. It is the perfect spot for a relaxed armchair safari: you don’t need to leave camp, with all animals making their way to Kwikamba Pan in front of the Lodge.

With this in mind our Game Activity is flexible to give you the best experience.

Guests normally arrive at Nogatsaa Pans around midday or during the afternoon.

Upon arrival a warm welcome awaits you from the awesome Nogatsaa Team. You will be given a short welcome briefing in the main lounge while enjoying the sweeping views of the Kwikamba Pans, after which you will be shown to your room for relaxation and freshening up.

High Tea is served at 16h00 in the open-plan dining area, where you can enjoy spotting all the game coming down to drink at the Pan. Various delicious cakes and savouries will be available for your enjoyment with cold or hot beverages. Your guide will come to meet you during High Tea to get your orders for refreshments during your afternoon Sundowner drive or you can choose to enjoy your sundowner right there on the deck. The afternoon sunset game drive departs around 16h30 utilising our private network of roads, sundowner drinks to be enjoyed either at the Kabungwa or Nogatsaa Hides.

Depending on the season our resident pride of lion, Herds of elephants, buffalo, impala, kudu, giraffe, zebra and roan antelope are some of the possible sightings around camp. Not to mention the numerous different bird species, including the Ground Hornbill which is on the vulnerable list. Enjoying the quiet of the bush and the surrounding environment while out on a drive is an absolute bonus.

You will return to camp around 18h30 giving you time to freshen up before dinner. Your guide will meet you at a pre-arranged time at your room to accompany you the Main area for a pre-dinner drink around the bonfire in the Boma and catch up with the other guests and their stories. Dinner is in the Dining Area anytime from 19h30 onwards

You can choose to get up early or sleep a little later – enjoy the activity around the Pan while having your breakfast on the outside deck of the restaurant. You have a choice of continental buffet or ordering hot breakfast. A mid-morning departure to visit the Poha Hide overlooking a waterhole where you will enjoy a midmorning break and some outstanding photographic opportunities.

An alternative route would be to Mapororo Hide which showcases endless views over the marsh.

You will return to Nogatsaa Pans for lunch which is served between 13h00 – 14h00.

OR

You can spend the day in camp enjoying the relaxed “Armchair” Safari

After lunch you can relax in the lodge area, have a swim or book a spa treatment to be had in the privacy of your room. Use our complimentary Wi-Fi to you connect to loved ones or just catch up on the news or just enjoy your armchair safari on the deck in front of your room or in the main area.

High Tea and Sundowners starts again at 16h00 that afternoon.

All guests at the resort, as well as visitors to the Lodge are invited to enjoy this daily educational activity affectionately referred to as the ‘Vulture Culture’ experience.

This program is for guests at the resort, as well as visitors. It focuses on the ecological importance of raptors and scavengers in order to maintain and to build an overall awareness of conservations issues these birds face. By educating about the feeding habits and conservation of vultures, we are not only creating awareness of the conservations issues that faces these birds, but benefiting their living environment within the area.

The experience occurs daily at 1300hrs in front of the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, and lasts approximately 30 minutes.

The activity is great for photography and bird identification, and to date is thoroughly enjoyed by guests and visitors.

At 1245hrs, our resident guide gathers the guests sitting at the Buffalo Bar to join him to head to down to the feeding area. Carcasses from The Boma dinner the previous night are thrown out to attract circling vultures. This is an amazing experience as there is activity in the sky at 1245hrs and by 1300hrs – it is heaving with over 100 vultures and other birds of prey.

Situated on the edge of the waterhole at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, the Siduli Hide offers guests a chance observe wildlife in a unique way.

A suitably trained and qualified Professional Guide escorts guests into the hide, which is designed to look like a termite mound. This involves a short walk (5 minutes) from the lodge to the hide. Once hidden within, guests wait for a variety of mammal, reptile and bird species to visit the waterhole to quench their thirsts or to sample minerals at the nearby salt-lick.

We recommend early morning and late afternoon trips to the hide. Times will vary slightly with the seasons, but we normally meet set off for the hide at 0615hrs and at 1615hrs in the afternoons.

Time spent in the hide will vary, but we sell it as a minimum of a two hour sit. We confirm on 2 guests and currently we can take a maximum of 6 guests. No children under 16 years allowed (unless special permission is granted).

In the morning, clients will be offered tea/coffee at Vic Falls Safari Lodge, before going into the hide. In the afternoon, we will include soft drinks, mineral water and a limited amount of beer (people need to be in a sober state due to close wildlife interactions). Ideally, the pickup times should be 15 minutes prior to the departure times above.

Please note that due to seasonal changes and the fact that this is an authentic wild experience, we cannot guarantee wildlife sightings. Saying this, the drier it gets, the more chance there is of having some very good close up encounters!

Further points to consider: Guests must be able to sit quietly for long periods of time and should not suffer from claustrophobia! Due to the possibility of close interactions with wildlife, this experience is not for the faint-hearted! This activity is ideal for photographers, small groups and wildlife enthusiasts, who are after a ‘non-touristy” experience.

Rack rate: US$50.00 per person.