Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya—“The Smoke That Thunders”—Victoria Falls is one of the world’s great natural landmarks. Straddling the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it forms a vast curtain of water that fills the air with mist and sound. The Zimbabwean side grants the most dramatic views, where mist rises like ghostly curtains and rainbows arc through the spray. Measuring about 1,708 metres across, it is regarded as the largest single continuous sheet of falling water on Earth. The adjacent town of Victoria Falls provides a convenient base for exploring the region, with a wide range of activities from scenic flights and microlight trips to white-water rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, and safaris into Chobe National Park.
In northern Botswana, where the Chobe River winds through broad floodplains and woodland, Chobe National Park protects one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife regions. Renowned for its vast elephant population, the park offers exceptional game viewing, particularly along the riverbanks where herds gather to drink, bathe and cross the water. Boat safaris provide a distinctive perspective, bringing visitors close to hippos, crocodiles and abundant birdlife, while traditional game drives reveal lion, leopard, buffalo and a variety of antelope. The atmosphere is wild and immersive, with the sounds of trumpeting elephants, calling fish eagles and water lapping against riverbanks carrying across the landscape. Chobe combines remarkable wildlife density with beautiful river scenery, creating a safari experience that is both dramatic and accessible.
Situated in the east of the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve ranks as one of the most beautiful reserves in Africa. It covers more than 4871 square kilometres of pristine wilderness, and this varied terrain includes savannah, winding waterways, and dense forest. The diverse ecosystem supports an incredibly wide spectrum of wildlife, ranging from large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra, to the rare sitatunga and lechwe antelope, lion, cheetah and packs of wild dog in the open grasslands. The birdlife is prolific and includes most of the 550 bird species recorded on Botswana’s national bird list. A range of luxury lodges in the reserve offers visitors the perfect base to experience this corner of paradise.
