Wilderness to Waterfalls
Your journey kicks off in Johannesburg with a night to recharge before flying into Botswana and heading straight for the wild. Your first stop is the Makgadikgadi, where you’ll explore endless salt pans and fossil riverbeds. Spot desert-adapted wildlife, head out on game drives, and walk with San Bushmen who will share their ancient desert survival skills. As the sun sets, enjoy a drink while the desert sky turns gold and the sounds of hyena and jackals carry through the night.
From here you fly north to the Okavango Delta – a watery paradise of channels, floodplains and palm islands that is perfect for both big game viewing and slow, peaceful explorations by boat. You can expect to see plenty of lions, leopards and wild dogs, as well as wallowing hippos and vivid birdlife. Then on to Chobe, famous for its huge elephant herds. A boat cruise along the Chobe River offers a different vantage point as these majestic creatures come to drink and crocodiles slide into the water. Guided walks are also available for those wanting a slower, more intimate look at the bush.
Your final stop is Victoria Falls, where you’ll explore this buzzing little safari outpost and stand in awe before the mighty Falls , feeling the spray on your face as millions of liters of water plunge over the top with a dizzying roar.
This safari blends immersive and thrilling safari experiences, with moments of quiet and comfort. Although days are full, the careful balance ensures that while the itinerary packs a lot in to 14 days, it never feels rushed. Along the way you’ll stay in an exquisite collection of stylish lodges and tented camps – think four-poster beds, plush Persian rugs and dining by the soft glow of paraffin lamps. Heaven!
Join us in creating a lifetime of memories on this extraordinary journey.
Please note: This itinerary dovetails perfectly with ‘A South African Soujourn’ should you wish to embark on a longer safari incorporating South Africa.
You will love
- An itinerary full of creativity, cuisine & wildlife
- Walking with Zu’hoasi Bushmen & learning ancient survival skills
- A full parade of remarkable wildlife
- Exploring Africa’s serene waterways by boat and mokoro
- Standing in awe before ‘the smoke that thunders’, Victoria Falls
- The romance and glamour of sleeping under luxurious canvas
- Your host, Sarah Hoyland, and a small group of likeminded ladies.
- Dovetails perfectly with ‘A South African Soujourn’
14 CAPTIVATING DAYS
DAY 1 | THURS 14 MAY | JOHANNESBURG | 1 NIGHT
We arrive in Johannesburg and settle into our convenient airport hotel, just steps from the terminal. After your international journey, tonight offers a moment to pause, rest and prepare for the wild landscapes that await.
Accommodation: City Lodge Hotel
DAY 2 | FRI 15 MAY | MAKGADIKGADI, BOTSWANA | 3 NIGHTS
Flying into Maun, we’re met and driven into the remote Boteti River Valley, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. After settling into Moela Safari Lodge, we set out to explore this ancient desert landscape on our first game activity, tracking wildlife across open pans and fossil riverbeds.
Accommodation: Moela Safari Lodge – 3 Nights
DAY 3 | SAT 16 MAY | MAKGADIKGADI, BOTSWANA
Surrounded by vast skies and the quiet rhythm of the Kalahari, today we explore on both game drives and guided walks. We’ll spend time with the Zu’hoasi San Bushmen to learn their remarkable survival skills and connection to the land, and venture further afield in search of oryx, jackals, hyena and desert lions.
DAY 4 | SUN 17 MAY | MAKGADIKGADI, BOTSWANA
Wake early, scan the horizon from your veranda and choose your pace with a game drive, guided walk or restful morning in camp. As evening falls, enjoy sundowners as the desert sky shifts from gold to deep violet.
DAY 5 | MON 18 MAY | KHWAI PRIVATE RESERVE, BOTSWANA | 2 NIGHTS
Return to Maun by road to board our charter flight to fly north to the Khwai Private Reserve, where we will check in to the beautiful Little Sable. Take in the classic Delta country with seasonal floodplains, woodlands and palm islands and enjoy a scenic game drive en route to camp, then kick your shoes off and settle in to wildlife-watch from the deck, G&T in hand.
Accommodation: Little Sable Camp – 2 Nights
DAY 6 | TUES 19 MAY | KHWAI PRIVATE RESERVE, BOTSWANA
Explore by vehicle, mokoro or boat depending on the seasonal conditions, looking for lions, wild dogs, leopards and elephants along the Khwai River.
Soak in the changing light on morning and evening drives as the colours change over the serene waterways.
DAY 7 | WEDS 20 MAY | OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA | 3 NIGHTS
Enjoy one last morning game drive, walk or boating expedition from Little Sable before flying deeper into the Okavango Delta — a world of mirrored channels, papyrus stands and palm-studded islands. Arriving at Mbamba Camp, we settle into a private concession where wildlife thrives in a timeless wilderness, and enjoy our first gentle exploration of this water-laced paradise.
Accommodation: Mbamba Camp – 3 Nights
DAY 8 | THURS 21 MAY | OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA
Today is all about variety — game drives, mokoro excursions and walking safaris reveal the incredible biodiversity of the Delta. Watch elephants bathing in lily-filled lagoons, listen for kingfishers flashing through the reeds, and keep an eye out for sitatunga or reed frogs tucked into the papyrus.
DAY 9 | FRI 22 MAY | OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA
On our final full day in the Delta, we move at our own pace — rising early for a morning drive or staying back to soak up the peace of camp. In the afternoon, we’ll head out once more, wrapping up our Delta experience with sundowners as hippos grunt in the fading light.
DAY 10 | SAT 23 MAY | CHOBE, BOTSWANA | 2 NIGHTS
We fly to Botswana’s far north, where the Chobe River carves through floodplains rich with life. At Chobe Elephant Camp, perched on an escarpment with sweeping views, we begin to explore this iconic region — home to some of the largest elephant herds in Africa.
Accommodation: Chobe Elephant Camp – 2 Nights
DAY 11 | SUN 24 MAY | CHOBE, BOTSWANA
Wake to the sounds of the bush then enjoy a game drive or walk with your guide, all the while on the look out for lion, buffalo, sable, giraffe, crocodile and more. In the afternoon we will join a quintessential boating safari to view the abundant wildlife from the water. Witnessing great elephant herds come to drink and bathe in the golden light is breathtaking.
DAY 12 | MON 25 MAY | VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE | 2 NIGHTS
A change of pace today as we hop over the Botswana/Zimbabwe border to enjoy lunch at Dusty Road Township Experience in Chinotimba Township, then check in to Insika Lodge. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure before ‘dinner & a show’ this evening as we watch the vibrant ‘Simunye Show’ – a lively celebration of Zimbabwean music, dance, storytelling and traditional cuisine.
Accommodation: Insika lodge – 2 Nights
DAY 13 | TUES 26 MAY | VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE
This morning we take a walking tour of the majestic Victoria Falls, where columns of mist rise from the gorge and rainbows dance in the spray. The afternoon is yours to browse the vibrant market and soak up the atmosphere of this lively little town, or otherwise opt for a helicopter ride, white-water rafting or even bungee jumping!
This evening we end our safari with a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River and a farewell dinner.
DAY 14 | WEDS 27 MAY | VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE | DEPARTURE
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before transferring to the airport for outbound flights – home to Australia or onward to Cape Town to join our Wild At Heart South Africa adventure!
As we depart, we carry with us the unforgettable stillness of the Kalahari, the rhythm of the Delta, and the energy of Zimbabwe — a journey of wild places, deep connection, and shared adventure.
FURTHER INFORMATION
To request the whole adventure brought to life in a vibrant, full-colour itinerary please click here
WHERE YOU’LL STAY
A selection of the finest safari camps
Moela – Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Moela is a beautifully crafted lodge in Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Wildlife viewing is productive all year, but it puts on a real show when the zebra migration - the longest terrestrial wildlife migration in Africa - arrives in town, and there can be groups of over a hundred elephants in the valley below. Read More
Little Sable – Okavango Delta
Little Sable is the sister camp to the larger Sable Alley, and both sit within the Okavango Delta, just a stone’s throw from the world-famous Moremi Game Reserve, famed for its immense game densities. With just eight rooms it is a relaxed and intimate hideout deep in the wilderness. Read More
Mbamba Camp – Okavango Delta
Mbamba is situated in the northwest sector of the Okavango Delta adjoining the renowned Moremi Game Reserve. The unusually large size of the concession, coupled with limited human impact and a vast abundance of wildlife, ensures a stay at Mamba offers a truly wild, reqwarding and untouched Delta experience.
NEED TO KNOW
13 Days
Monday 19 May - Tuesday 3 June 2025
13 Days
Monday 19 May - Tuesday 3 June 2025
USD 13,970 per person twin share | USD 16,970 single room
USD 13,970 per person twin share
USD 16,970 single room
START: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA | Finish: VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE
HOSTED BY ‘JOURNEYS FOR WOMEN’ FOUNDER, SARAH HOYLAND
HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR JOURNEY
- Explore the vast salt pans of Makgadikgadi
- Walk with Zu’hoasi tribesmen & learn ancient survival skills
- Spot desert-adapted wildlife in an arid, otherworldly landscape
- Fall asleep to the call of hyena & jackals under an infinite sky
- Fly by light aircraft between remote wilderness camps
- Explore the wildlife-rich Khwai Private Reserve
- Track predators through mopane woodland & riverine forest
- Experience night drives in search of elusive nocturnal species
- Discover the Okavango Delta — a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Explore the Delta by traditional mokoro & boat amongst water lilies
- Savour extraordinary birdlife and pristine delta landscapes
- Venture to Chobe – home to Africa‘s largest herds of elephants
- Cruise the Chobe River at golden hour
- Cross into Zimbabwe for a grand finale at Victoria Falls
- Take a guided tour of the mighty ‘Smoke that Thunders’
- Toast the journey on a sunset Zambezi River cruise
- Enjoy lunch at Dusty Road — a township culinary experience
- Dine at Baines Restaurant & watch the vibrant Simunye Show
- Stay in stylish eco-lodges & camps throughout
- Travel with a small group of like-minded explorers
- Hosted by Sarah Hoyland
- Create a lifetime of memories on this extraordinary journey!
Inclusions
- Hosted ex Johannesburg by Sarah Hoyland
- VIP arrival in Johannesburg
- 13 nights in hotels & bush luxury tented safari camps
- Breakfast, lunch & dinner every day
- All drinks whilst on safari – days 2 through 12
- Arrival & departure transfers on dates specified
- All charter flights: Makgadikgadi – Maun – Khwai – Delta – Kasane
- Game viewing in customised four-wheel drive vehicles
- Qualified guides on all game viewing activities
- Mokoro (dug out canoe) & boating in the Delta
- Walking with the San tribesmen
- Afternoon boat cruise on the Chobe River
- Sunset boat cruise on the Zambezi River including drinks
- Walking tour of the Victoria Falls
- Simunye Dance performance
- Dusty Road Township experience
- All game reserve, community & conservation fees
Exclusions
- International air arrangements
- Personal gratuities for your camp attendant & guides
- Travel insurance & health requirements
- Additional meals & drinks (other than specified)
- ‘Top shelf’ drinks whilst on safari
- Laundry & personal purchases
- Zimbabwe Tourist Visa – USD30
- Any item not specified
Minimum – 5 travellers
Maximum – 10 (including host)
FLIGHTS & AIRFARES
We recommend flying with Qantas ex Sydney or South African Airways ex Perth to Johannesburg, South Africa. Airfares are not included in the tour cost to allow you the freedom to choose your preferred carrier, class of travel and/or to utilise frequent flyer points if you wish. Airfare quotes are available on request.
Terms and conditions apply – please click here for full details.
This tour departs with a minimum of 5 people and a maximum of 9 people (plus host).
If you wish to secure a twin share room as a solo traveller you are responsible for finding a ‘willing to share’ participant or the single room supplement will apply. From experience we do not pair travellers who do not know each other prior to departure.
The price is subject to change due to currency fluctuation and unforeseen changes beyond our control.
Due to situations beyond our control, we reserve the right to substitute any hotel or boat with another of comparable quality – this would be advised as soon as possible.
Any quoted airfares & taxes are subject to change at any time before, or at the time of, ticketing.
Australian & New Zealand passport holders do not require a visa for Namibia (or South Africa) for a stay of up to 30 days. If you do not travel on an Australian or New Zealand passport please let us know.
By making any payment for this tour, and joining this tour, you acknowledge you have read and understood the content, pace and price of this tour and our Booking Terms & Conditions
Hosted by...
SARAH HOYLAND
Sarah is the Founder of our Journeys for Women collection and co-Director of The Classic Safari Company. Over the years she's travelled to all seven continents, visited over 63 countries, forged global lifelong friendships, and honed her haggling skills to perfection! In her own words, 'I am happiest when I am lost in a souk, on safari in Africa, travelling with my daughters or when I have the privilege of viewing wild and wonderful places afresh through the eyes of the ladies I host on our womens-only soirees!'.
The trip was superbly organised, the hotels brilliant and activities, informative and spectacular. This definitely won't be the last trip that I take.
KIThat was a spectacular holiday! I can't imagine how I'll answer if I am asked to pinpoint a standout experience - every day was an incredible experience never to be forgotten!
JKI'm still pinching myself a week after our return home as I remember our spectacular adventure. Thank you for an exceptional holiday!
MHThank your for the most fabulous holiday. I have not laughed that much in years! Exceptional arrangements from start to finish and a wonderful group of women - my new circle of friends & certainly my future travel companions!
DM
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