Falls & Floodplains

DAY 1 | ARRIVE VICTORIA FALLS | INSIKA LODGE | 3 NIGHTS

Greeted at Victoria Falls Airport, you will be transported to Insika Lodge,, your comfortable and secluded base camp for the coming days of exploration. Settling into your room after an afternoon arrival, you will likely wish to simply relax by the pool with a drink or enjoy a delicious meal at the hotel’s excellent restaurant.

DAY 2 | INSIKA LODGE

Begin your first full day with a tour of Victoria Falls. Collected early in the morning, you will arrive at the falls just before 6 a.m. to avoid the crowds that gather later in the day to marvel at this natural wonder. Explore the winding pathways and numerous vantage points that take in the different aspects of the falls and gorge. Breakfast will be enjoyed at the Lookout Café, recently refurbished, and offering its own unique perspective of Batoka Gorge and the iconic bridge that spans not only the canyon, but also the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A relaxing afternoon may involve shopping at the local town of Victoria Falls or a game drive through the national park. This evening, you will be escorted to the Elephant’s Walk Shopping Mall where the Victoria Falls Theatre group will enchant you with a world-class acting and dance performance of Simunye, a captivating tale inspired by African folklore.

DAY 3 | INSIKA LODGE

Your final full day in Zimbabwe is at our disposal, but there is no end to the choice of adventures that await you. Thrill seekers may brave the rapids of Batoka Gorge on a whitewater rafting excursion, or for a more sedate view of the cascading falls, a scenic helicopter flight might be more desirable. Lunch at the Dusty Road Township Experience combines delicious cuisine with classic Zimbabwean culture, and you can sample traditional dishes at this wonderful restaurant that supports the livelihoods of women from the local community.

This evening, board the Bushtracks Express for a scenic train journey as the sun sets over the falls and you enjoy a gourmet dinner.

DAY 4 | TRANSFER TO KARANGOMA CAMP | 2 NIGHTS

Begin your day with a leisurely breakfast before being collected at approximately 9 a.m. Transfer to Kasane Airport, driving through Zambezi National Park on surfaced roads, but with the chance of an impromptu game drive.

After breakfast, you are collected for the road transfer to Kasane Airport, passing through Zambezi National Park with the possibility of wildlife sightings en route. A light aircraft flight takes you to Vumbura airstrip, followed by a helicopter transfer into Karangoma Camp. Depending on arrival time, there may be an opportunity for an afternoon game drive or time to settle into your tented suite before dinner beneath the stars.

DAY 5 | KARANGOMA CAMP

Rise early and join your guides around the boma fire pit for a spot of breakfast as the sun rises, before setting out on your game drive. Informative guides will provide a wealth of wisdom about not only the region’s flora and fauna, but also medicinal plants, animal tracks and the strong local bushman culture. You will return to camp for lunch and a siesta, before an afternoon snack and a second game drive. Depending on the season, you may be driving through dry grasslands with sporadic waterholes, new-growth mopane forests or lush vegetation and shallow waterways. Whatever the time of year, expect to see plenty of life, including elephant, buffalo, impala, lechwe, lion, and with a little luck, wild dogs and leopard. Sundowners will be followed by a drive back to camp as darkness falls.

Alternatively, the private concession also allows for longer nocturnal expeditions, and you may wish to extend your afternoon in camp before departing on a full night drive, roughly from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

*all activities are seasonably dependent, and offerings will vary according to water levels.

DAY 6 | TRANSFER TO BEAGLE EXPEDITIONS | 2 NIGHTS

Wake early for a final game drive at Karangoma, hoping to catch glimpses of the previous night’s predator activities. Return to camp for lunch before packing and taking a short drive to the helicopter landing zone for your transfer across the heart of the delta. Though not a scenic flight as such, your pilot may still alert you to elephant or antelope herds below, as well as informative facts regarding the delta landscape.

You will be delivered to your doorstep at the remote Kweene Trails camp. Kweene Trails is very much a bush camp. Off-grid and under canvas, it provides wonderful cuisine, comfortable private tents and warm hospitality, with compositing toilets and bucket showers. While the essentials are provided, Kweene Trails dispenses with the unnecessary trimmings of a luxury camp in favour of a pure wilderness immersion that no amount of money can provide.

After a short evening game drive, spend your first night around the campfire, listening to tales from your hosts, and fall asleep to the sounds of lion roaring and hyena chattering in the distance.