Ultimate Botswana and Victoria Falls

On arrival at Johannesburg International Airport,  after clearing customs and immigration,  you will be met and transferred to the Saxon Hotel Villa & Spa where you will have an overnight.

The Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa is perfectly situated to explore the many gems of Africa’s financial capital, Johannesburg – a vibrant world-class city with a fascinating mix of expressive art, eclectic culture, awe-inspiring landscapes and intriguing history. Set within a magnificent 10 acres of land, surrounded by lush gardens, this luxury hotel offers an exclusive escape where each and every detail has been considered to guarantee your absolute comfort.

For a more personal experience, your Saxon journey will take you along skywalk away from the main hotel, placing you in one of our three Villas, nestled within lush indigenous gardens, comprising tastefully decorated individual suites.

Saxon Spa, a sanctuary for the senses nestled in its unique surroundings of cascading water features and influences of copper and Himalayan salts. It offers a variety of healing and reviving Signature Therapies, as well as facials, Manicure Bar and Pedicure Lounge.

The Saxon’s fine dining restaurant, Qunu offers a modern African table, where local and international flavours meet to inspire unique, vibrant and entertaining culinary experience. Many of the ingredients used in our dishes are organically grown in our own herb and vegetable garden, Sarapana.

Following breakfast you will be transferred to Johannesburg International Airport for your scheduled flight to Maun International Airport, after clearing customs and immigration you will connect with your charter flight to Chitabe airstrip.  On arrival you will be met and transfer to the Wilderness Chitabe, where you will stay for three nights.

  Highlights

• Prepare for thrilling predator sightings of leopard, lion, cheetah, wild dogs and impressive prey densities, which are attracted to the diverse habitats all in close proximity.
• Explore a dramatic mix of untamed Kalahari and Okavango wilderness and wildlife on private conservation land.
• Permanent water from the channels ensures spectacular year-round game-viewing.
• A wildlife photographer's dream. Our highly trained Chitabe guides help guests capture unforgettable wilderness memories.

Destination: Wilderness Chitabe is a renowned predator hotspot, ideally located on 28,000 hectares of private conservation land in the south-east of the Okavango Delta, and bordered on the north by the famed Moremi Game Reserve. Here Botswana’s seasonal Gomoti River brings an ebb and flow of ever-changing wildlife across a mosaic of habitats – woodlands, wetlands and grasslands – that surround the camp, delivering some of the best wildlife sightings on Earth.

Experience: As a predator stronghold, Chitabe produces truly intense and rewarding wildlife encounters during day and night game drives. Take a guided nature walk with one of our knowledgeable guides, who all read the land like a book and entertain guests with their wonderful storytelling and profound love of the area and wildlife.  A day excursion to Tsodilo Hills, a World Heritage Site, to see the rock art and listen to traditional music are a must, as is a helicopter ride* over the jewel-like Delta. Closer to home, enjoy an early morning workout in our bush gym, followed by refreshing swim. At night spend memorable evenings around a crackling fire with friends old and new.

Enjoy twice daily game viewing activities.

Game Drives

Game drives reveal the rich wildlife of the area, from predators to their prey. Diverse habitats characterised by acacia and mopane woodland in the east, and typical Okavango habitats in the west: palm-dotted floodplains, wooded islands, tranquil waterways and dry woodland – make this a wildlife experience few other locations can match. Key mammal species include giraffes, buffalos, lechwe, tsessebe, elephants, lions, leopards, spotted hyaenas, cheetahs, and African wild dogs.

Night Drives

Afternoon to evening drives provide opportunities for you to see nocturnal mammals such as civets, genets, and bushbabies; as well as owls and perhaps leopard.

Guided Nature Walks

Walking safaris with skilled guides offer you the exciting opportunity to come across wildlife on foot, as well as observing the small wonders you might miss when travelling by vehicle.

Enjoy your last full day in the Okavango Delta.

This morning after breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Vumbura airstrip.  On arrival you will be met and transfer to Wilderness Little Vumbura where you will stay for three nights.  Arrive in time for an afternoon game viewing activity. 

Highlights

• A sublime location in the far north of Botswana's iconic Okavango Delta – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest inland delta on Earth.
• Finest multi-purpose concession for year-round thrilling wildlife encounters on land and water.
• The beauty of the floodplains, deep waterways, and riverine and island woodlands, as well as productive, dry interior, are explored through an extensive range of activities: day and night game drives, nature walks, boating, and mokoro.
• Rich wildlife: numerous antelope species and predators (lion prides, African wild dogs, leopards and occasionally cheetahs, and raptors).

Wilderness Little Vumbura is nestled on a picturesque island in a private concession in Botswana’s northern Okavango Delta. Part of its charm is that it can only be accessed by boat, so epitomises a true island experience. Water-based activities are a key attraction. Mokoro and boat rides are popular activities and allow for spectacular wildlife spotting.

Enjoy two full days of twice daily game viewing activities.

Game Drives

Wilderness Little Vumbura is situated in the Vumbura Private Wilderness Area, known for its scenic beauty and diverse wildlife, and a concession which is leased from nearby rural communities. Ecotourism activities here thus help communities benefit from conservation. Morning and afternoon game drives allow you to take in the plains game and predators that inhabit the area in good numbers. Key mammal species may include seasonal herds of elephant and buffalo, sable antelope, zebra, wildebeest, tsessebe, lechwe, giraffe, lion, leopard, African wild dog, spotted hyaena, and occasionally cheetah.

Guided Nature Walks *

Walking in the wilderness is a wonderful way of being even closer to nature, observing the smaller creatures and flora you miss when travelling by vehicle. Our expert guides welcome the opportunity to share their bushlore adventures ...

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

Mokoro Excursions *

There is no better way of viewing wildlife, and exploring the crystal clear channels of the Okavango Delta than by traditional mokoro (dugout canoe). Often providing up close and personal sightings of tiny painted reed frogs and glorious waterlilies.

* Water levels permitting, however, usually possible all year round.

Enjoy your last full day in the Kwedi Concession.

This morning following breakfast you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Kasane Airport, connect with your scheduled regional flight to Victoria Falls International Airport.  On arrival you will clear customs and immigration and be transferred to Victoria Falls Hotel where you will stay for two nights.

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. 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 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.

Enjoy a full day exploring Victoria Falls.

This morning following breakfast you will be transferred to Victoria Falls International Airport for your scheduled regional flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.  On arrival connect with your international flight home.