10 Day Zimbabwe and Kruger Explorer Safari

Day 1 – Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park

This morning we leave the rumble and adventure of Victoria Falls behind us as we make the journey south to Hwange National Park. Hwange is the largest of Zimbabwe’s national parks and offers excellent opportunities for viewing the diversity of wildlife that calls the park home.

Accommodation:
Hwange Main Camp; zimparks.org
 or
Miombo Safari; miombosafari.com
Accommodated: Two per Room with En-Suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Route: Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activity: Victoria Falls National Park Entry, Hwange Sundowner Drive

Day 2 – Hwange National Park

Home to the big-5, Hwange National Park also offers a wide variety of plains game and birdlife. We will spend the on a day game drive (in open 4×4 vehicles) in the Hwange National Park.

Accommodation: Hwange Main Camp; zimparks.org
Accommodated: Two per Room with En-Suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Route: Hwange National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Full day Hwange National Park game drive

Day 3 – Matopos National Park

After breakfast we continue south towards Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe. Our afternoon will be spent exploring the Matopos National Park with a local guide. The park received recognition as a UNESCO natural World Heritage Site in 2003 and includes an intensive protection zone that is home to both Black and White Rhinoceros. Named after the Ndebele word “Matobo “, whose meaning “bald heads” refers to the rounded granite hills that surround it. We return to Bulawayo and our overnight stop for the night.

Accommodation: Banff Lodge; www.banfflodgehotel.com
Accommodated: Two per Room with Shared Ablutions
Camping: Two per Room with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Route: Hwange National Park to Bulawayo to Matopos National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Afternoon game drive in Matopos National Park

Day 4 – Great Zimbabwe Ruins

Our journey today takes us to Masvingo and the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. This afternoon we will enjoy a guided walking tour of this historic site. Dating back to the Late Iron Age, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe. We take time this afternoon to marvel at the intricate stone work and experience the heritage of this monument to early Zimbabwean civilisation.

Accommodation: Norma Jean’s Lake View Resort; www.normajeanslakeview.com
Accommodated: Two per Room with En-Suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Route: (Bulawayo) Matopos National Park to Great Zimbabwe Ruins (Masvingo)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included Highlight: Visit to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins

Day 5 – Tshipise

Leaving the sites of Zimbabwe behind we cross the Limpopo River and enter South Africa this afternoon. Our overnight stop allows us an opportunity to end the day with a swim in the hot springs of Tshipise.

Accommodation Forever Tshipise Resort; www.forevertshipise.co.za
Accommodated: Two per Room with En-Suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Route: Great Zimbabwe Ruins (Masvingo) to Tshipise
Included Highlight: Tshipise Hot Springs

Day 6 – Johannesburg

This morning we take the highway south to Johannesburg, we arrive at our accommodation in the late afternoon and all travellers are invited to join us for a traditional meal tonight. This can be booked with your guide on the day before arrival. Many great tales are shared and tonight is for celebrating the many wonders of African travel.

Accommodation: Belvedere Estate or similar. www.belvedereestate.co.za
Accommodated: Two per Permanent Tent with En-suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Route: Tshipise to Johannesburg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7 – Johannesburg to Kruger National Park

Please note that during the next few days (while we are visiting Kruger National Park), the order of activities could change without prior notice and a degree of flexibility is needed. This is to allow for maximum game viewing opportunities and experiences.

Leaving the city of Johannesburg behind us we make our way east through the coalfields of Mpumalanga. Our journey today follows in the footsteps of the old trade-routes to the Lowveld and the Kruger National Park. We set up camp at our base for the next three nights and enjoy a lovely sundowner drive.

Accommodation: Nkambeni Safari Camp; www.nkambeni.com
Accommodated: Two per Permanent Tent with En-suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Route: Johannesburg to Kruger National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Sundowner Game Drive

Day 8 – Kruger National Park

Rising early this morning we enter the Kruger National Park to enjoy a full-day of game viewing. The abundance of wildlife presents us with opportunities for excellent sightings, while the Kruger is also home to the famed members of Africa’s Big-5. The game drive offers the excitement of experiencing the park from an open-sided 4×4 vehicle.

Accommodation: Nkambeni Safari Camp; www.nkambeni.com
Accommodated: Two per Permanent Tent with En-suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: Full-Day Kruger Park Game Drive in 4×4 Vehicles

Day 9 – Kruger National Park – Panorama Route

This morning we will journey along the scenic Panorama Route where we will visit God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the Three Rondavels.

Accommodation: Nkambeni Safari Camp; www.nkambeni.com
Accommodated: Two per Permanent Tent with En-suite Bathroom
Camping: Campsite with Shared Ablutions

Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Highlight: The Panorama Route – God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and Three Rondavels

Day 10 – Kruger National Park to Johannesburg

We enjoy our last drive through the park before setting off to Belvedere Estate. We arrive at Belvedere Estate in the late afternoon and all travellers are invited to join us for a traditional meal tonight. This can be booked with your guide on the day before arrival. Many great tales are shared and tonight is for celebrating the many wonders of African travel.

Accommodation: Post tour accommodation can be booked through your travel agent.

Route: Kruger Park to Johannesburg
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included Highlight: Half-Day Morning Game Drive in the Truck (4 hours)