Sample Trip

The Iconic Safari

“The Sabi Sands, Victoria Falls, Chobe & the Okavango Delta”

Budget level: Mid-Range

Country

Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe

When to Go

All year

Duration

12 Nights

Safari Type

Lodge

Location

Northern Botswana, Okavango Delta, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Victoria Falls

Kids Min Age

Safari Rating

adventure

wilderness

wildlife

comfort

photographic

guiding

A safari showcasing all of the Iconic destinations you’ve heard of and absolutely have to experience in Southern Africa! The Big 5 packed Sabi Sands Game Reserve, the world wonder Victoria Falls, the elephant paradise Chobe National Park and the famous Okavango Delta.

Itinerary in Brief

3 Nights Notten’s Bush Camp

2 Nights Victoria Falls Hotel

2 Nights Chobe Game Lodge

2 Nights Savute Safari Lodge

3 Nights Xugana Island Lodge

If you only had one safari in Southern Africa, then let this be the one! It covers all the bucket list locations you absolutely have to see! It’s also the perfect safari for first timers on safari and gives you access to the best safari sections of 3 different African countries all-in-one.

The safari starts with 3 nights in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, an area known for its ridiculous concentrations of the sought after ‘Big 5’. You can expect to see all 5 members of the Big 5 here within these 3 days, so it’s safe to say that you’re off to a VERY good start! From the Sabi Sands, a direct flight takes you to either Livingstone or Victoria Falls where a short transfer will take you to your lodge for the next 2 nights. Experience the natural world wonder that is the Victoria Falls and choose from a huge array of other adventure activities available in this tourist friendly town. Then another transfer drive across the border to Botswana, see’s you exploring the Chobe river, the northern most tip of Chobe National Park. The concentrations of wildlife, especially in the dry season, along the river is simply incredible. Afternoon boat cruises along the river come highly recommended! Then, after the Chobe river front, a charter flight will take you from Kasane Airport to the famous Savuti section of Chobe National Park. Spend 2 nights here in search of the abundance of predators that Savuti has become so famous for in many documentaries. Then lastly, another charter has you flying into one of the most iconic safari destinations in Southern Africa – The Okavango Delta. Spend a full 3 nights in one of the most pristine wilderness and safari regions in Africa and experience a wide range of different activities, both land and water based! A final charter then takes you to Maun in-time for onward connections.

The Iconic Safari – is just as the name suggests, and exposes you to those Iconic bucket list safari destinations in Southern Africa. The safari is perfectly suited for all travellers but works especially well for first timers on safari. The tour can also be tailored to suite most budgets by simply adapting the accommodation to match.

sabi sands nottens bush camp loungers pool

chobe game lodge honeymoon suite private patio

lion savuti botswana photo safari male mane

Detailed Itinerary

Nights 1-3: Notten’s Bush Camp Nights 4 & 5: Victoria Falls Hotel Nights 6 & 7: Chobe Game Lodge Nights 8 & 9: Savuti Safari Lodge Nights 10-12: Xugana Island Lodge

Nights 1-3: Notten’s Bush Camp

Notten’s Bush Camp is a hidden gem in the famous Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, one of the oldest and finest family run lodges in Africa. Notten’s Bush camp offers an authentic African safari experience, as well as impeccable standard of service and warm hospitality.

Nine elegantly decorated suites with open plan bedroom and en-suite bathroom. All suites have both indoor and outdoor showers. Each suit leads onto a private wooden deck overlooking the bush.

The main area offers an indoor lounge and a fully stocked bar and wine cellar, as well as an open-plan lounge and dining area leading to a wooden overlooking the vast plain and waterhole. The camp also boasts a 20-meter lap pool for cooling off in the hot summer months. Treat yourself to a massage in the Notten’s Nature Spa…

With plenty on offer as far as activities go, early morning and evening game drives safaris in an open-top Land Rover with an experience guide. Guided bush walks with an armed game ranger knowledgeable in all aspects of conservation, ecology and the environment of the bush are also on offer and highly recommended.

Nottens Camp is highly recommended and the BIG 5 is all but guaranteed for those travelers with limited time or looking for those unique photos!

Nights 4 & 5: Victoria Falls Hotel

Zimbabwe’s grandest and oldest luxury hotel has been an icon for luxury in Africa since 1904. Walk down the hallways and you will be taken back in time where royalty and celebrities once walked.

Choose from a delightful array of rooms options, Standard and Central Deluxe Rooms, to Honeymoon, Royal and Presidential Suite most with commanding views over the manicured gardens, the impressive Victoria Falls and Batoka Gorge.

Serene lily ponds, arched loggias and broad verandas – offering magnificent vistas – seem custom-built for a spot of high tea or a relaxed gin and tonic, while a private path leads to the falls, an idyllic 10-minute walk away.

The hotel presents a connoisseur’s delight of dining options. The opulent Livingstone Room consistently sets the benchmark for fine dining in Africa. The thatched outdoor-style Jungle Junction restaurant offers a fusion of African flavours followed by nightly entertainment. The Stanley Terrace offer light meals and their famous High Tea, a MUST DO!

Nights 6 & 7: Chobe Game Lodge

Set along the banks of the famous Chobe river, this is the only lodge in this section of the park, which means they are they first out in the field and the last back as per the regulations.

Alike most of the accommodation in this region, Chobe Game lodge is more of a hotel style than the typical safari lodge. However, its advantage being that it’s the only lodge within this section of the park. A major selling point as the others are within the town of Kasane.

The lodge has 47 guest rooms all having the modern day luxurious you would expect to find in a major city hotel. There are also four deluxe rooms which have private plunge pools. The main communal areas and facilities are a swimming pool, gym, massage room, lounge, library, bar and dining area.

The wildlife viewing in Chobe is remarkable at all times of the year but is particularly dense with wildlife in the drier parts of the year. One downside of this region however, is that is can be very crowded during the peak safari season.

Nights 8 & 9: Savuti Safari Lodge

Savute Safari Lodge is situated along the edge of the unpredictable Savuti Channel which flows some years then runs dry for many more years. The Savuti region can be busy at certain times of the year, but this lodge creates a private retreat away from the other tourists and camping grounds where it sports its own waterhole.

The lodge can accommodation a maximum of twenty-four guests in eleven comfortable thatched chalets, of which one is a family unit. They are all on raised platforms overlooking the Savuti Channel and contain a joint bedroom and lounge area as well as an en-suite bathroom with hot shower.

The main communal area also boasts views onto the channel, where you will find the lounge, bar, dinning area’s and a fireplace. One of the big attractions to this lodge is its swimming pool as the hotter months of the year can be extreme in Savuti with temperatures well above the 40’s Celsius.

Nights 10-12: Xugana Island Lodge

Xugana Island Lodge is situated on a private concession and takes full advantage of this magnificent site. An expansive deck and al fresco dining area overlooks the vast, pristine body of water that makes up the permanent Okavango Delta.

The lounge, bar and dining areas are set back under the Ebony and African Mangosteen tree canopy in open-sided thatched structures, and the swimming pool, located within the mature gardens in the centre of the island, is a perfect place to relax.

The lodge accommodates only sixteen guests in large, raised, reed and thatch lagoon-facing chalets, with en-suite facilities and private viewing decks optimally placed on the shaded fringe of the island.

Xugana Island Lodge is in a private concession offering a range of activities giving you the chance to experience a true Okavango Delta safari. All activities are conducted by experienced professional guides. Explore the crystal-clear waterways by mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) or motorboat for the chance to enjoy the magnificent variety of bird, plant and reptile species found in the area.

Your experienced guide will also take you on a guided nature walk on surrounding islands in the concession, giving you the chance to experience nature up close and personal. Day and night game drives are also available within the private concession for a chance to search for the prolific wildlife found in the area.

Catch and release fishing for bream and tiger fish is also offered as an added activity at the lodge (season dependent).