Chobe, the Delta & Victoria Falls: Elephants and Water

Today you experience the timeless magic of the Okavango by water. After an early breakfast, your expert poler eases you silently through the clear, reed-lined channels by mokoro, drifting past waterlilies, painted reed frogs and darting malachite kingfishers, while red lechwe splash across the floodplains and elephant graze the islands beyond. You may step ashore for a guided walk, learning to read tracks and birdsong with your guide, or explore deeper waterways by motorboat past hippo and crocodile. The silence and reflections are profound. Back in camp for brunch and a siesta through the heat, you head out again in the golden afternoon by mokoro or boat, ending with sundowners on a quiet lagoon as the sky flares orange. Dinner is served under the stars, with the wild night sounds of the Delta all around. Rest well.

Today is devoted to the extraordinary wildlife of the Okavango, exploring by open 4x4 and on foot. Setting out at dawn when the bush is cool and active, your guide tracks the Delta's big game across islands and floodplains, lion prides, elephant families crossing the channels, and, with luck, leopard and packs of endangered African wild dog, alongside giraffe, zebra, buffalo, hippo and elegant lechwe. You learn to read the drama written in tracks and alarm calls, and pause for coffee amid the wilderness. After brunch and rest through the midday heat, an afternoon drive follows the animals as they stir, ending with a sundowner as the sky turns to fire. Some camps offer a thrilling night drive in search of nocturnal hunters. Dinner and stories follow around the campfire, deep in the wild Okavango. Rest well beneath the star-filled sky.

After a final morning activity in the Delta, you fly by light aircraft north to Chobe National Park, Botswana's first national park and home to the largest elephant population on earth, gazing down on the wilderness as it changes beneath you. Landing near the Chobe riverfront, you transfer to your lodge overlooking the river, where the wildlife spectacle begins the moment you arrive. This afternoon you take to the water on a boat cruise along the Chobe River, gliding close to elephant families bathing and crossing the channels, past hippo, crocodile and buffalo coming down to drink, beneath skies alive with birds, as the sun sets in a blaze over the water. You return to your lodge for dinner overlooking the river. Rest well to the distant trumpeting of elephants along the Chobe, poised for more of this wildlife paradise tomorrow.

Today you explore Chobe National Park by land and water, making the most of its extraordinary game. At dawn you set out on a game drive along the riverfront and into the woodlands, where enormous herds of elephant and buffalo gather, and lion, leopard, sable and roan antelope are all possible, alongside giraffe, kudu and zebra. You return for brunch and rest through the heat, then head out again in the afternoon on another exhilarating boat cruise as the light turns golden, the classic Chobe experience, with hundreds of elephants coming down to drink and cross, hippos yawning, and one of Africa's great sunsets flaring over the water. You savour a sundowner amid this abundance of life before returning to your lodge for dinner. Rest well beside the great Chobe River, its banks alive with the sounds of the African night.

Today you enjoy a further full day in Chobe, savouring its wildlife by 4x4 and boat at your own pace. A dawn game drive explores different reaches of the park, from riverfront floodplains thronged with elephant and buffalo to inland woodlands where lion and leopard lie up, with excellent sightings of antelope, giraffe and birds throughout. After brunch and a midday rest, you choose your afternoon, another sunset river cruise gliding among the elephants, or a game drive following the animals as the light softens and predators begin to stir. Chobe rewards repeated outings, revealing something new each time, and your guide's deep knowledge brings the ecology of this great river wilderness vividly to life. You pause for a final Chobe sundowner over the water before a farewell dinner at your lodge. Rest well, ready to journey to Victoria Falls tomorrow.

This morning, after breakfast and perhaps a last look for elephants along the Chobe, you transfer by road across the border to Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, an easy and scenic journey from Kasane. On arrival you settle into your hotel near the Falls, steeped in the grand safari atmosphere of this historic town, and pause for lunch. This afternoon you take a guided tour of the Falls themselves, walking the paths along the rim through the rainforest kept perpetually green by the spray, awed by the sheer scale and power as the mighty Zambezi plunges into its mile-wide chasm in a roar of mist and rainbows. As evening falls you might enjoy a sunset cruise on the Zambezi above the Falls, sipping a drink as hippo surface and the sun sinks. Rest well to the distant thunder of the Falls.

Today is yours to savour the wonder and thrill of Victoria Falls at your own pace. You might return for a closer look at the Falls in different light, or take to the air on an optional helicopter or microlight flight, the 'Flight of Angels', for a breathtaking aerial view of the Zambezi plunging into its zigzag gorges. The adventurous can raft the wild rapids below the Falls, bungee from the bridge, or zip-line across the gorge, while gentler pleasures include a visit to the curio markets, a guided walk to the boiling pot, or high tea overlooking the bridge. Victoria Falls is a hub of adventure and beauty, and there is something for every taste. This evening, perhaps enjoy a final sunset cruise on the Zambezi or a dinner of local specialities. Rest well, reflecting on the wonders of Botswana and the Falls you have experienced.

After a final leisurely breakfast, and perhaps a last look at the thundering Falls or some souvenir shopping in the curio markets, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced a spectacular sweep of the wild heart of southern Africa, gliding by mokoro through the reed-lined channels of the Okavango Delta and tracking its big game, watching hundreds of elephants gather along the Chobe River at sunset, and standing awed before the thundering, mile-wide curtain of Victoria Falls wreathed in spray and rainbows. The images stay vivid long after you land, the silent mokoro among the lilies, the elephants of the Chobe at dusk, and the Zambezi thundering into its chasm. Botswana and the Falls offer wilderness, abundance and raw natural power in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this extraordinary corner of Africa.