Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls and Mana Pools Safari

Arrive at Johannesburg International Airport, South Africa, you will be met  at the door of your aircraft with your name on a paging board. Should your aircraft be directed to the apron and not the terminal building, you will be transported to the terminal by bus where you will be met and  waiting for you as you step off the bus. You will then be assisted through immigration, baggage collection and customs. You will be assisted to City Lodge OR Tambo Airport Hotel where you will stay for one night. 

After breakfast make your way to Johannesburg International airport for your scheduled regioonal flight to Maun International airport.  Upon arrival after clearing customs and immigration you will connect with your scheduled flight to Khwai Conservancy. On arrival you will be met and transferred to Machaba Camp where you will stay for three nights. Arrive in time for  an afternoon game viewing activity. 

Situated in the game rich Khwai area on the eastern tongue of the Okavango Delta, lies the sophisticated Machaba Camp. The setting is exquisite and guests will fall in love with the understated elegant colonial architeture of Machaba. Wake up to the sounds of hippo wallowing in the Delta and enjoy outdoor dining on the banks of the Khwai.

Ten luxury tents with en-suite bathrooms and outdoor showers are located between tall riverine trees. Each of the tents have views of the Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve. From these tented verandas one can watch the daily parade of animals coming down to drink at the river in front of camp. Machaba, despite its obvious luxury is still an affordable camp.

Enjoy twice daily game viewing activities. 

Game drives are conducted in the mornings and afternoon/evenings at camp. They usually last about three hours each and are conducted along the river systems and flood plains around the camp. The wildlife in the area is prolific and chances are good to see some of the larger predators, herds of elephant and buffalo and all the plains animals that occur here. Night drives are conducted in the early evening offering one a chance to see the smaller more nocturnal animals with spotlights.

Mokoro Safari - This is a dug out canoe poled by an experienced poler in the shallower waters of the Okavango. It is a great way to see the waterways and is tranquil and quiet. These excursions take place in the mornings or longer day trips can be arranged. Explore the islands around camp and come back rested and rejuvenated.

After a morning game drive and breakfast, you will be met and transfer to Khwai Airstrip for your scheduled flight to Qorokwe Airstrip.  Arrive and transfer to Gomoti Plains camp where you will stay for three nights arrive in time for an afternoon game viewing activity.

The Gomoti Plains is located in a community run concession, on the edge of the Gomoti river system southeast of the Okavango Delta. The Gomoti tree is locally known as the water fig and grows alongside waterways in the Okavango delta. It’s a smallish tree which sometimes grows no bigger than a bush. The area is known for its large concentrations of wildlife which thrive on the Gomoti plains and waterways. The Gomoti trees line the waterways and provide excellent cover for nesting water birds such as herons and storks.This exclusive area has been a well-kept secret for many years. The Gomoti region has been the local haunt of many of the older guides and Okavango dwellers who refer to it in nostalgic terms when they used to camp along this river system.This new camp has 10 luxury tents which include 2 luxury family tents and 8 luxury double tents, all with en-suite bathroom facilities.. In addition to day and night 4WD game drives, the camp offers water based activities such as mokoro excursions and motor boat trips. 

Enjoy two full days of twice daily game viewing activities. 

Mokoros (Dependent on water levels)

This is a dug out canoe poled by an experienced poler in the shallower waters of the Okavango. It is a great way to see the waterways and is tranquil and quiet. These excursions take place in the mornings or longer day trips can be arranged. Explore the islands around camp and come back rested and rejuvenated.

Walking Safaris

Walking safaris are also conducted generally in the morning with armed guides. The walks are leisurely and time is taken to observe the smaller things in the bush that one normally misses when driving. Walking is weather dependent, or dependent on the condition of the terrain.

Morning and Evening Game Drives

Game drives are conducted in the mornings and afternoon/evenings at camp. They usually last about three hours each and are conducted along the river systems and flood plains around the camp. The wildlife in the area is prolific and chances are good to see some of the larger predators, herds of elephant and buffalo and all the plains animals that occur here. Night drives are conducted in the early evening offering one a chance to see the smaller more nocturnal animals with spotlights.

This morning after breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled flight to Kasane Airport.  Upon arrival you will be transferred across the border to  Victoria Falls Hotel where you will stay for one  night. 

The Victoria Falls Hotel, popularly known as “the grand old lady of the Falls”, is situated in the Victoria Falls National Park, a world heritage site, and is a member of the exclusive Leading Hotels of the World group. It is one of only three IS0-accredited hotels in Zimbabwe.

The Edwardian-style five-star hotel, built in 1904, combines the charm of the old with the convenience of the new. Set in lush tropical gardens with lily ponds, palm trees and semi-tropical shrubs, it provides the tranquillity and seclusion that many guests seek. The famous Victoria Falls are just a ten-minute walk away using the hotel’s private pathway, and “the smoke that thunders” or “Mosi-O-Tunya” in the local dialect, is clearly audible and visible from this luxurious landmark.

World-class service, and food and beverage choice and preparation second to none, make the hotel a magnet for international visitors and locals alike. The opulent Livingstone Room for fine dining and dancing, the Jungle Junction with its famous breakfast and dinner buffets and ethnic entertainment in the evenings, offer variety and wide choice. Stanley’s Terrace, with its clear view of the Victoria Falls Bridge, connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia, is renowned for its cocktails and afternoon teas. The Terrace has been a rendezvous for adventurers in Africa for over a century.

The ambience of the hotel is steeped in that history with all suites decorated in the gracious Edwardian style of Zimbabwe’s colonial era. Small executive meetings and private dining facilities are easily arranged for those who wish to combine a little business with a lot of pleasure, and all in a secluded and discreet environment.

A large swimming pool, two tennis courts, a library, reading rooms and chapel are part of the complex. Golfers can enjoy 18 holes on the championship course of the nearby sister hotel, Elephant Hills Resort.

But it is the Victoria Falls Hotel that remains the major attraction for visitors. Waking up to the sound of “the smoke that thunders”, seeing the sun rise beneath the mist of one of the seven natural wonders of the world and the lunar rainbow at night, all the while soaking up the history and ambience of a bygone era, is more than unforgettable – it is unique.

This morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Victoria Falls Airport for your charter flight to Mana Pools.  You will be met and transferred to  Vundu Camp where you will stay for  four nights.

Bushlife Safaris is known for their excellent guiding. Experience unforgettable walking and canoeing!  Nick and Desiree are both qualified guides who have nearly 60 years of experience in the bush between them.  They are widely known as an exceptional guiding team. In 2019, Bushlife Safaris was awarded Best Walking Safari and Best Value Safari Property in Zimbabwe. Due to their consistently great reviews, Bushlife Safaris has also been awarded with a Certificate of Excellence for 2019 by TripAdvisor.

Mana Pools is a photographer's paradise! It is one of a few parks that allows you to get out of your vehicle, thus allowing for upclose encounters and lower camera angles.  The light also varies dramatically throughout the day and in different areas of the park.

Enjoy three full days of game viewing activities.

Game Drives

Mana Pools National Park is just over 200 square kilometres and life here is governed by the rhythm of its seasons. During a game drive, you will have a chance to see a variety of terrain and wildlife - an ever-changing feast for the eyes, and food for the soul! We also offer night game drives within our own private Vundu concession.

Vehicles are open-aired, which allow for comfortable photography and game viewing. Private vehicles can be arranged when making your booking.

Walking Safari

One of the best ways to see Mana Pools is not by a vehicle as you would assume, but by taking a walk on the wide side instead with a walking safari.

It’s the slow and natural pace of a walk that connects you to the ground; it’s the sounds of the bush as you pause and listen; it’s the ability to stop at a moment’s notice and look at a footprint and decide what animal left it there and where it was heading. It also enables a photographer the opportunity for some incredible close encounters with rare animals that haven’t been scared away by the sound of vehicles.

The Bushlife Safaris Team won Best Walking Safari in 2019 in Zimbabwe. In essence, there’s simply no better way to see the wilds of Africa like you can on foot with our team!

Canoe Safari

Canoeing down the Zambezi River offers a wonderful rare opportunity to experience game viewing from a different perspective. A truly memorable chance to slow down, enjoy the wide-open spaces of Mana Pools and appreciate the beauty of the wildlife that lives there. Our guests often comment canoeing is one of their most favourite activities with us

This morning after breakfast you will game drive en route to Mana Pools Airstrip for your scheduled flight to Harare International Airport, where on arrival you connect with your regional flight to Johannesburg. On arrival connect with your flight home.