6 - 12 guests
Activity Level 3
Step It Up
I love an active vacation. Engaging in a challenging activity with a difficult goal, such as reaching a summit, is exactly what I need to unwind in the evenings.
Read more about the Active Range
Price
USD $9999/per adult
Next available departure
12 Jun - 22 Jun
Operated by our sister brand Active Adventures
Activity Level 1
What's The Rush?
I'm active and in decent shape and not looking to experience a place just through a bus window. I'm happy to slow down on the trail, soak it in and breathe in the fresh air.
Walking: 2-3 hours per day on gentle-gradient trails.
Other activities: On these trips, you'll be taking part in a range of other activities that focus less on building up a sweat and more on enjoying the finer things in life.
Activity Level 2
On the Move
Sure, I own some hiking boots, they're even worn in, but they don't go on long trips. I like my creature comforts and I like to give a range of activities a go.
Walking: 2-4 hours per day on gentle to moderate gradient trails. No multi-day hikes.
Biking: 1-3 hours, cruisy rides achievable by anyone, even first-timers. Kayaking: 1-3 hours, entry-level sea kayaking with specialist guides and stable boats.
Other activities (i.e. snorkeling): Always optional and very little exertion required. A highlight for many!
Activity Level 3
Step It Up
I love an active vacation. Engaging in a challenging activity with a difficult goal, such as reaching a summit, is exactly what I need to unwind in the evenings.
Hiking: Typically, 3-6 hours per day on well-formed backcountry trails. Expect some significant gradient inclines and declines.
Altitude: Your trip may include some moderate altitude areas, though these don't form the focus of the trip and are generally manageable.
Biking: 1-3 hours on well-formed paths or roads where you can expect some hills with moderate climbs and descents.
Kayaking: 1-3 hours, entry-level sea kayaking with specialist guides and stable boats.
Other activities (i.e. caving): Always optional and very little exertion required. A highlight for many!
Activity Level 4
Challenge Accepted
I'll let my trusty guides sweat the small things, so I can focus on my goal. Getting to the top, reaching the end, achieving my dreams! Sure, it'll be tough, but the views will be worth it.
Hiking / Trekking: Typically, 4–6-hour hikes with options for more, sometimes with limited or no vehicle support and nearly always with ascents and descents.
Altitude: Some trips at this level will reach a significant altitude. We are here to help you manage that and make your experience one to cherish for a lifetime.
Biking & Kayaking: If one, or both, of these activities are 'your thing,' there are trip options in this range, allowing you to be on two wheels or with a paddle in your hand for most of the day.
Activity Level 5
The Upper Limit
I'm ready to put in the hard work to reap the rewards. I'm a seasoned adventurer, not afraid to get my boots wet.
Trekking & Altitude: This is classic trekking, at altitude. Some might even call it 'expedition-style.' We've had folks from all walks of life achieve their dreams on our grade 5 trips, so if you're in for a challenge get in touch to find out if this is for you.
The Okavango is one of Africa’s largest rivers and it never meets the sea. The resulting inland delta, known as the “Jewel of the Kalahari,” is comprised of 15,000 square kilometers of water channels, lagoons and islands, and boasts one of the most concentrated areas of wildlife on earth. As if that wasn’t enough, this adventure also takes you to see the famous Chobe National Park and breathtaking Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Victoria Falls region is rich in adventure activities for adrenaline junkies!
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Victoria Falls
Biking
Multi-day game drive
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Kopano Conservation Area
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Chobe & Okavango Safari
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Okavango Delta channels
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Victoria Falls
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Chartered flight
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Day 1
When you arrive at Maun, you’ll meet your trip leader and guide, and head straight out into the wilderness. Our transport of choice is an open game-viewing vehicle, so keep your eyes peeled for your first glimpse of Botswana’s abundant wildlife. The drive takes you to the Okavango Delta where you’ll hop into mokoros and head upstream towards your accommodation for the next two nights, a beautifully comfortable fly-camping experience in the Kopano Conservation Area, hosted by legendary local walking safari guides. Once you arrive at camp, you’ll enjoy dinner with your travel companions and relax in comfortable tents for the evening!
Fly Camping in Kopano Conservation Area (Dinner)
Day 2
Today you’ll learn how to read animal tracks and follow them through the scrub. Our armed expert local guides will show you how to decipher animal tracks, and how to determine when a particular animal passed by, how old it is, whether it was dragging a kill, or if it was injured. It’s a fascinating lesson in age-old methods, and an amazing insight into the skills of the endlessly humble guides. Your day will be filled with several walking safaris, returning to camp to fuel up on delicious food at regular intervals! Today is sure to be a highlight for you, particularly since close (and safe!) encounters with the Big 5 are likely!
Fly Camping in Kopano Conservation Area (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Hiking: Up to 15 kilometers (9 miles), 5-8 hours
Day 3
This morning after breakfast at camp, you can choose whether to take the 3-hour journey back to the mokoro station on foot or by mokoro. Both options are another great opportunity to view wildlife along the way. When you reach the mokoro station, it’ll be time for a hearty lunch and a relaxing transfer towards the Khwai River. An important water source for a variety of animals in the Moremi Game Reserve, the Khwai River is a hotbed for wildlife activity and prime for bird watching as well. After a short drive to the Khwai Concession Area, you’ll arrive at your camp for the next two nights and settle into en-suite deluxe safari tents. Each tent is kitted out with a hot bush shower, bush toilet, plush beds, linens, towels, and a bedside table. You’ll enjoy delicious food cooked over an open fire by the crew and served in a mess tent. This is a "mobile safari," so the crew brings everything we’ll need, and leaves nothing behind. They use a truck to transport the whole camp, so they’ll set us up in the best spot for wildlife encounters Our expert local guides are the best at deciding which areas of the wilderness to focus our attention on and at which times of the day – all with the utmost safety in mind.
Wilderness Mobile Safari (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4
Safaris in the wilderness of Botswana are very different from one day to the next, but the following outlines a typical day on safari in the Khwai Community Area. Begin your day with an early morning wake up call, a steaming hot cup of delicious coffee, and a hearty breakfast cooked over the fire. Head out in open 4x4 vehicles as the sun rises in search for wildlife either along the Khwai River, across the open plains, or off road amongst the dense bush. Off-road driving is strictly prohibited within the national park of the Okavango, but because we’re spending this time in a private concession, we’re permitted to head off road in pursuit of following sounds and signals of wildlife for incredible viewing opportunities. We’ll find somewhere scenic for a coffee stop mid-morning and make our way back to camp for a hearty lunch and some relaxation until the afternoon game drive. We’ll head out again as the light changes and becomes perfect for photography. The animals are more active at this time of day, so don’t forget your camera! We’ll have a stop for sundowners and some snacks before heading back to camp for a hot shower, drinks around the fire, and a delicious dinner together. Your day ends with a good night’s sleep in anticipation of more safari fun tomorrow.
Wilderness Mobile Safari (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5
After breakfast, our crew will pack up and move our Mobile Safari into the Moremi Game Reserve while you set off on a game drive into the Reserve, followed by a two-hour boat cruise on the channels of the Delta. Our expert guides will help locate the best points for spotting wildlife drinking at the water’s edge. After exploring the Delta by boat, you’ll arrive back at camp in the afternoon in its new location. The famous Moremi Game Reserve is a protected area in the eastern side of the Okavango Delta and is essentially the heart of the Delta. A community owned, but government managed reserve, Moremi Game Reserve covers 40% of the Okavango Delta region and protects a wide range of habitats. We’ll spend more time exploring this incredibly diverse area tomorrow!
Wilderness Mobile Safari (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Cruise: 2-3 hours
Day 6
After a quick breakfast, we’ll set off on an early morning game drive exploring the diverse habitats of Xini/Xakanaxa areas of the Moremi Game Reserve. You’ll explore rich wildlife areas like Bodumatau, 2nd Bridge areas, Mboma Loop, Dead Tree Island, and Paradise Pools. Buffalo, elephants, zebra, and red lechwe are very commonly seen in these areas, with predators often seen in pursuit of antelope coming out of the forest for a drink. We’ll take a break in the middle of the game drive for a hot cup of coffee before continuing, returning to camp in the late morning for a hearty brunch. You’ll return to the camp in the late morning for brunch and a few hours of leisure time in camp. Catch up on some much-needed sleep, read a book, or take a hot shower! Afternoon tea will be served around 3pm, followed by an afternoon game drive. D You’ll return to camp just after sunset for a hot shower and a three-course dinner.
Wilderness Mobile Safari (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7
This morning we’ll transfer to the closest airstrip for a flight bound for Kasane in the far north of Botswana, game driving along the way. The flight to Kasane offers scenic views of the Delta, where you can see the vastness of the area you explored by only days prior. After arriving in Kasane, we’ll make our way to our accommodation for the next two nights. Depending on your departure date, you may stay at either the Chobe Bush Lodge or Chobe Safari Lodge. Both lodges are perched on the banks of the Chobe River beside the world-famous Chobe National Park, making them ideal expedition bases for game viewing. You’ll have the afternoon to relax and wind down. Enjoy a luxurious bubble bath or sit on the deck and watch roaming impala, rare Chobe bushbuck, sounders of warthog, and dung beetles too.
Chobe Bush Lodge or Chobe Safari Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 8
After breakfast, you’ll board a boat for a cruise on the Chobe River. Northern Botswana has the world’s largest concentration of elephants, and boat cruises provide a great vantage point to view this proliferation of pachyderms. We’ll return to the lodge for lunch and head back out in the afternoon to explore Chobe National Park via game driving. Chobe is teeming with wildlife. Perhaps you’ll spy Cape buffalo pausing for a drink in the afternoon or a lion stalking prey along the banks. Depending on the time of year, you could see thousands of zebras, buffalo and other wildlife grazing along the floodplains of the Chobe River. Sable antelope, roan antelope and great birdlife spend time along the river in the adjacent teak woodland, and there is a rare antelope only seen in Chobe called puku. This is sure to be an exciting day! Relax this evening and enjoy your last evening in Botswana before we hop across the border to Zimbabwe tomorrow!
Chobe Bush Lodge or Chobe Safari Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Cruise: 2 hours
Day 9
Today we’re bound for Zimbabwe to behold Victoria Falls – one of the most breathtaking natural wonders on Earth. Although the falls are neither the tallest nor the widest on earth, they’re still classified as the biggest, due to their combination of width and height. Known by locals as ”the smoke that thunders,” Victoria Falls has a flow rate of more than 1,000 cubic meters of water every second! The town of Victoria Falls is often known as the adventure capital of Africa. Once we arrive, you’ll set off on a two-hour guided walking tour of Victoria Falls where you’ll stop at numerous lookouts, including Devil’s Cataract, Boiling Pot, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and finally, Rainbow Falls – the highest point on the cascade. After the walk, settle in and relax at your accommodation for the last two nights of your trip, Ilala Lodge. This hotel is family –run and a short walk (5-10 minutes) from the Falls. The rest of the afternoon is yours to do as you please. Tonight, you’ll gather with your fellow travelers for a delicious 3-course meal at the hotel’s Palm Restaurant.
Ilala Lodge Hotel (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 10
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning at the hotel’s restaurant before heading out for a bike ride to explore the exciting town of Victoria Falls. Cycle along the Zambezi River, visit the famous Big Tree (a baobab tree estimated to 3,500 years old), enjoy spectacular views of the Batoka Gorge and cross the Victoria Falls Bridge. You're on your own for lunch today, so make sure to ask your guides for recommendations! We’ll gather again mid-afternoon for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, complete with complementary drinks and snacks – it’s the photographer and explorer’s dream! After the cruise, we’ll transfer to the Boma Restaurant, where you’ll be greeted in the local languages, Shona and Ndebele, and have the opportunity to don traditional ‘chitenges’ (robes). Once you’re dressed for dinner, enjoy drinks and appetizers before taking your seats. The restaurant is partially open to the African skies and offers a vast selection of traditional Zimbabwean dishes (or western cuisine if you’d prefer). An evening of entertainment is served alongside dinner, provided by Amakwezi dancers, singers, a local storyteller, and a local healer. It’s the most perfect end to your Okavango and Victoria Falls adventure.
Ilala Lodge Hotel (Breakfast, Dinner)
Biking: 2 hours
Cruise: 3 hours
Day 11
If you’re flying home today, your driver will meet you after breakfast and take you back to Victoria Falls Airport. If you’re staying in the town of Victoria Falls, or plan to continue your adventure elsewhere, you’ll find endless recommendations from your guides and the hotel staff.
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By paying in full we are able to pass on savings to our guests, but please note that by opting for this payment plan, your booking becomes non-refundable, non-cancellable, and non-changeable.
We highly recommend that you purchase Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) insurance. We recommend Redpoint Insurance – you can find details here.
T+Cs Apply.
With an average of 12 guests per departure and an industry-leading 6:1 guest-to-guide ratio, you’ll enjoy a highly personalized experience with the perspective of an insider.
It’s so much easier to relax and enjoy your adventure when you have fun, caring guides who know the land, are experts in motivation, sweat all the details and whip up incredible meals, too!
When we say all inclusive, we mean it! Meals and snacks, activities, lodging, transportation, guiding services and more. Every detail is handled; all you need to do is show up!
Every aspect of your trip is thoroughly considered for your safety, from highly vetted vendors and well-maintained equipment to extensively trained guides and our seasoned operations team at headquarters.
Family travel and North American National Parks are our specialty. We’ve perfected our itineraries and sustained relationships for decades, ensuring you'll experience your destination to the fullest.
For us, the extra mile is never extra, it’s part of the way! Count on special touches throughout your trip that will amplify your experience. If we’ve done our job, they’ll have you saying “wow!”
