Botswana, Victoria Falls & Zimbabwe Safaris

The Victoria Falls, the Chobe River and the Okavango Delta lie close together where Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia meet. That makes it easy to see one of the largest waterfalls in the world and some of the best wilderness in Africa on one trip.

Botswana keeps visitor numbers low, so camps are small and many are reached by light aircraft. Zimbabwe and Zambia add big national parks, walking safaris and canoeing on the Zambezi.

Victoria Falls

The Zambezi drops about 108 m over a front of about 1.7 km. The local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, means "the smoke that thunders". The Zimbabwe side has most of the viewpoints facing the main falls; the Zambian side has the Knife-Edge Bridge and, when the water is low, the Devil's Pool. See Victoria Falls.

• February to May. High water. Huge spray, so you will get wet, and the spray can hide the view.
• June to September. Lower water and clearer views. A good balance.
• October to December. Low water. Parts of the Zambian side can be almost dry, but white-water rafting is at its best.

Activities include sunset cruises on the upper Zambezi, helicopter flights, rafting and the bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge.

Botswana

Chobe

About one to two hours by road from Victoria Falls, including the border crossing. Boat cruises on the Chobe River bring you close to large herds of elephant, especially in the dry season. See Chobe.

Okavango Delta

A huge inland delta, listed by UNESCO. Explore by mokoro (dugout canoe), boat, on foot and by vehicle. The flood arrives from Angola months after the rains, so water levels peak from about June to August, in the dry season. See Okavango Delta.

Moremi, Khwai and Linyanti

Moremi protects part of the delta. Private concessions such as Khwai and Linyanti allow night drives and walking safaris.

Makgadikgadi Pans

Wide salt pans with habituated meerkats and big skies.

Zimbabwe and Zambia

Hwange

Zimbabwe's largest national park, known for its elephant herds. See Hwange.

Mana Pools

A UNESCO-listed park on the Zambezi, known for walking and canoe safaris.

Lake Kariba

Houseboats and sunsets on a large lake on the Zambezi.

Zambia

South Luangwa, where walking safaris began, and the Lower Zambezi.

Best time to go

June to October is the dry season and the best time for game viewing, though October is very hot. From November to April the landscape turns green, prices drop and birdlife is excellent, but some camps close.

Good to know

• Visas. The KAZA UNIVISA, available to many nationalities, covers Zambia and Zimbabwe and day trips into Botswana at Kazungula.
• Luggage. Light aircraft in Botswana usually allow about 20 kg per person in a soft bag, including hand luggage.
• Malaria. The whole region is a malaria area. Ask a travel clinic for advice.
• Fishing. Tigerfish on the Zambezi are close by. See river fishing safaris.