Wildlife & water: Hwange & Victoria Falls safari

We recommend spending today at the lodge to enjoy all the activities on offer. Join a guide for a canoe or fishing trip along the Zambezi, or if you’re feeling energetic head off for a bush walk in the Zambezi National Park.

A driver from the lodge will take you to spend a few hours exploring Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders). Aside from walking around the falls, helicopter rides offer a great way to see the falls in all their glory. You then have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy various activities in the area such as zip-lining through the forest, browsing the artisan markets or a classic afternoon tea with a view.

You’ll be transferred by vehicle to Hwange National Park. The first half of the journey will be along a good tar road so sit back and relax. At the gate into the park, you’ll switch into an open game viewing vehicle for the rest of the transfer to the lodge. This is where your safari experience begins, so the duration of the transfer will depend on how many animals you spot along the way. This afternoon, you’ll head out on a sundowner game drive.

Enjoy game drives from the lodge, exploring the area and searching for wildlife. The lodge is located on a vast private concession in the north of the national park and is made up of mopane woodlands and open plains making it a haven for elephant herds. Back at the lodge, large numbers of elephants and buffalo are known to frequent the waterhole.

Guided walks are a fantastic way to experience the bush. You’ll head out with your guide early in the morning or later in the afternoon, to avoid the hottest temperatures, tracking animal footprints and learning about smaller creatures and plant life. You'll stop along the way for refreshments under the shade of a tree with waterhole views.

Your morning drive will be a transfer from the lodge to a local railway siding, where you’ll board the Elephant Express, a single-carriage railcar. The journey along the 70 km eastern boundary will take approximately two hours depending on what you see along the way. There is plenty of game to spot from elephant to wildebeest. You’ll arrive at your new lodge this afternoon in time for your afternoon game drive.

Today you’ll enjoy a full day on safari. You’re now based in the south of the national park, where the habitat consists of palm-fringed open plains, acacia woodlands and teak forests. Night drives are a great opportunity to spot the less-seen nocturnal creatures, including porcupines, springhares and nightjars, to name a few.

A plethora of activities are available in this area. Choose from horse riding, community engagement, spending time in the underground photographic hide or venturing out on a full-day game drive and taking a picnic lunch.

Today you will be driven back through the park to Victoria Falls for your onward travel arrangements.