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18 Day Inspiring African Safari
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
Experience a superior level of comfort. Our Small Group tours have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. Travel with no more than 26 people, allowing for a more personalised and immersive experience. Please see the Important Information on your selected tour for the exact group size.
Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised and awarded for its handling of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.
We have adopted the advice of the WHO to ensure all customers can travel with the knowledge of how to travel safely and with confidence.
Australian owned and operated with 100% Australian Customer Service support
We are proudly 100% Australian owned and operated, with our head office located in Melbourne, Victoria. When you make your booking, you will receive dedicated and ongoing support from our team of travel professionals throughout your booking, up until you are due to depart.
✓ Limited Time Offer - Add return international airfares for only $999
✓ Small group tour, up to 12 guests only
✓ Incredible sightseeing, including the stunning glory of Victoria Falls and thrilling game drives to witness the amazing wildlife in Kruger, Chobe, Hwange and Matobo National Parks
✓ 12 nights boutique lodge and hotel accommodation
✓ Including 2 nights on a spectacular houseboat on Lake Kariba
✓ Daily breakfast, 6 lunches and 10 dinners
✓ Fully escorted by professional tour leader
✓ All internal Africa airfares
✓ Dedicated Mercedes Benz Sprinter vehicle transportation
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to South Africa!
Today you will meet your tour companions and Tour Leader at 6pm at the hotel lobby. Check the front desk for a welcome note from your Tour Leader for more information in this regard. The rest of the day is free for you to settle in for your African safari adventure.
Check in: If arriving prior to standard check-in time, which is generally 3pm local time, you are welcome to leave your luggage with hotel reception and explore your surroundings until check-in becomes available, as there are no scheduled activities on Day 1 of the itinerary. The hotel may grant early check-in, however this is strictly subject to availability and at the hotel’s discretion.
This morning we’ll head to the airport for your flight to renowned Kruger National Park.
Kruger is one of Africa’s largest game reserves. Hundreds of mammals make their home here, as do diverse bird species such as vultures, eagles and storks. Kruger is one of the best places in Africa to spot the Big Five in one fell swoop. The park boasts nearly two million hectares of unfenced African wilderness and delivers an exceptional safari experience.
Your stay will give you a front-row seat to where predator and prey meet – this reserve is located in enormous Kruger National Park, home of the illustrious Big Five game animals. The lodge is perched on the banks of the Crocodile River.
After lunch, we’ll embark on a sunset game drive to the Marloth Park area.
Today we'll set out for a full day game drive, spotting wildlife in their natural habitat. We’ll see the animals at the start of their day – when they are hungry and most active.
It’s about a one and a half hour drive to Nelspruit Airport for the flight to Livingstone.
You’ll be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in Victoria Falls, the major waterfall on the Zambezi River at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It’s about a two-hour trip, including border control. The afternoon is free for you to relax or explore.
This is an unforgettable African experience, a feast for the senses – the night’s entertainment includes storytelling, cultural performances and drumming. You’ll even have the chance to don a traditional robe on arrival. The four-course traditional feast includes a barbeque buffet and local delicacies like smoked crocodile tail and hunter’s game stew.
Starts: approx: Operates either morning or afternoon. To be confirmed on tour by your Tour Guide.
Duration: approx: 2 ½ -3 hours
Please note the start and duration times outlined are subject to change based on factors beyond our control such as traffic and weather conditions. Your Tour Guide will confirm operation times with you whilst on-tour and can answer any further questions you may have.
Relax and enjoy the spectacular African sunset on a river cruise along the Zambezi River, fondly referred to as the “River of Life”. Flocks of birds skim the waterline and you’ll spot a variety of game, like hippo and elephant. This cruise includes finger food, beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks.
Starts: approx:
4:30pm (pickup from hotel at 3:45pm in summer)
4:00pm (pickup from hotel at 3:15pm in winter)
Duration: approx: 2 hours
Please note the start and duration times outlined are subject to change based on factors beyond our control such as traffic and weather conditions. Your Tour Guide will confirm operation times with you whilst on-tour and can answer any further questions you may have.
After breakfast, meet your tour leader at hotel reception for a guided tour of the mighty Victoria Falls.
One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, it’s nothing short of awe-inspiring to witness the thundering power of the waters. At over one kilometre wide and over 100 metres high, this is the largest curtain of water in the world. The locals call it Mosi-ao-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders”.
The rest of the day is at your leisure.
At ground level you can feel the enormous power of the Victoria Falls as tremendous volumes of water pound into the chasm below. But it is only when you take to the air that you can take in the enormity of this mighty spectacle. This 13-15-minute flight soars over the Victoria Falls, continuing downstream over the Batoka Gorges.
Starts: approx: 1pm
Duration: approx: 13-15 minutes
Please note the start and duration times outlined are subject to change based on factors beyond our control such as traffic and weather conditions. Your Tour Guide will confirm operation times with you whilst on-tour and can answer any further questions you may have.
After breakfast, meet your tour leader at hotel reception for a guided tour of Chobe National Park.
The destination is Kazungula where you will board a boat cruise on the Chobe River The river cruise will give you another vantage point – lookout for hippos, crocodiles and a dazzling array of water birds, making for excellent up-close photo opportunities.
After lunch, jump on safari vehicles for an afternoon tour of Chobe National Park. The second largest national park in Botswana, Chobe covers a whopping 10,566 square kilometres, and boasts one of the greatest concentrations of elephant found on the African continent. There are about 120,000 of these majestic creatures living around here. You’ll have the opportunity to view the abundant elephants and big game animals in their natural habitat, including the famed Big Five – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo.
After a day-packed adventure, return to your accommodation in Victoria Falls.
Today we’ll make our way back to Zimbabwe as we make our way to Hwange National Park, arriving in time for lunch. Over the next two days, we'll have plenty of time to explore this vast wilderness on game drives.
Hwange National Park is one of Africa's finest, with some of the best game viewing you can experience anywhere on the continent, yet fewer tourists. It's home to many predators and endangered species plus varied birdlife.
Your stay at this lodge offers an array of safari experiences, as well as all meals and most beverages. There will be time to settle in before embarking on an afternoon safari.
Revel in a whole day spent exploring the magnificent Hwange National Park. The largest natural reserve in Zimbabwe, Hwange's grasslands and woods are home to 105 mammal species, including 19 large herbivores and eight large carnivores. The Big Five can all be found here, as well as many other predators.
Today we head off to Binga, located on the southeastern shore of Lake Kariba, where we'll board a luxury houseboat for a relaxing two-night trip.
Lake Kariba is the world's largest man-made lake and reservoir by volume. It lies 1,300 kilometres upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. We’ll set sail at midday and enjoy lunch on board as our voyage takes us to the Sengwe River for afternoon wildlife spotting and sunset, followed by drinks and dinner onboard. Drinks include soft drink, beer, cider and selected wines.
In the morning, make use of a wide range of activities available, based on your preference, whether fishing, walking or game viewing. When we return to the boat, breakfast will be served while cruising to Elephant Bay, where we'll moor at one of the islands and enjoy the sandy beaches.
This afternoon, watch the famed Kariba sunset over the sprawling lake as we end the day with a relaxing cruise on the tender boat. We’ll enjoy drinks and snacks as we soak up the beautiful scenery and magical colours of this enchanting sunset.
After disembarking, we’ll head for the Matobo this morning, approximately a seven hour journey. The majestic Matobo Hills is an extensive area of rolling hills that features massive granite outcrops and boulders, not to mention one of the most outstanding rock art collections in southern Africa.
There will be a detour through the town of Bulawayo for a glimpse of its charming colonial buildings, before heading to camp.
Matobo National Park is home to both white and black rhinoceros, sable antelope and the world’s densest population of leopards. Birdlife is also prolific, and includes the highest concentration of black eagles in the world.
This area is of great spiritual and cultural significance to the local people.
Take your pick today from the array of optional activities – start your day tracking rhino spoor, or explore the scenery and wildlife of the park on game drives. Visit a local village, or see Cecil John Rhodes’ grave – a British businessman, mining magnate and politician in southern Africa, and a polarising figure locally.
After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll check out and make our way to Nata.
This afternoon, we’ll visit the Makgadikgadi Salt Pan, situated in the middle of the dry savannah – one of the largest salt flats in the world. The pan is all that remains of the once-enormous lake. Enjoy these landscapes as we watch the sunset.
Dinner will be at the lodge.
We’ll leave our lodge and head for the small village of Gweta in northeast Botswana.
It’s about a six hour journey to the Ntwetwe Pan, where we’ll encounter some of Botswana’s distinctive landscapes and extraordinary creatures. The wider Makgadikgadi Pan comprises three separate salt pans – Sowa (or Sua), Nxai and Ntwetwe. Together, these three pans cover some 30,000 square kilometres of northeastern Botswana, making it the largest collection of salt pans in the world.
Ntwetwe Pan was fed by the Boteti River until it was left permanently dry following the construction of the Mopipi Dam, which provides water for the diamond mines in Orapa. The outlying fringes of the pan are lush with green grass, enticing further wildlife to the area, including large herds of wildebeest, zebra and antelope in their thousands. Needless to say, there are also a healthy number of predators such as lion, cheetah and hyena around!
We’ll head out in open 4x4 vehicles and enjoy sundowners and snacks in the wild as we observe the amazing scenery.
You’ll have the option of sleeping under the stars tonight at the pans (from June to September only) There is no better way to experience the solitude and stillness of the Makgadikgadi than to sleep under the glistening Milky Way – truly a once in a lifetime experience.
It’s an early start to get up close and personal with some of the Kalahari’s most fascinating inhabitants, the meerkats.
After breakfast, we’ll make our way to Maun. It’s approximately three hours away.
Maun is a bustling safari town, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. The name Maun is derived from the San word maung, which translates to 'the place of short reeds'. The village became the capital of the Batawana people in 1915.
The afternoon is yours to spend at leisure when we arrive, perhaps relaxing next to the lodge's pool, or, if you are keen for some excitement, taking an optional scenic flight over the delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and truly glorious oasis.
It’s an early start today to take a drive to the mokoro station, where we will board dug-out canoes (mokoro) and float through the thick vegetation of the Okavango Delta, discovering a wealth of birds and wildlife. Unlike other deltas, the Okavango flows into the Kalahari Desert without ever reaching the coast.
Led by a local guide, we’ll learn about the Delta and its spectacular ecosystem. It’s a fascinating day learning about the culture and way of life of the tribes here and how they survive in the watery wilderness. Bird watchers will be in heaven as you witness nest making, feeding the young, mating behaviour and foraging with a truly amazing variety of birds. A picnic breakfast, lunch and drinks are included.
We’ll return to the lodge in the later afternoon.
After checking out, you’ll be taken to Maun Airport for your flight to Cape Town.
You’ll be met on arrival and transferred to your guest lodge, about 45 minutes away.
Enjoy one last delicious breakfast this morning, before your African safari adventure comes to an end.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this extraordinary journey.
Check out: Check-out time is generally between 10am and 12pm. You are welcome to leave your luggage at the hotel reception and spend your final moments of free time exploring the area or, alternatively, please speak with hotel staff if you would like to extend your check-out time. This service is subject to availability and will likely come at an additional cost. Hotel staff will be able to help you book an airport transfer if required. Alternatively, we can arrange this transfer for you at the time of booking.
Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised and awarded for its handling of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.
We have adopted the advice of the WHO to ensure all customers can travel with the knowledge of how to travel safely and with confidence.
Australian owned and operated with 100% Australian Customer Service support
We are proudly 100% Australian owned and operated, with our head office located in Melbourne, Victoria. When you make your booking, you will receive dedicated and ongoing support from our team of travel professionals throughout your booking, up until you are due to depart.
Flexible Date Change Option
Book now, change later with our Flexible Date Change option. You may select this $99pp option at time of purchase, giving travellers the flexibility to change your date without penalty (subject to availability, less third party costs incurred, plus any applicable surcharges for the new date selected).
Date change must be requested prior to 65 days before your original selected departure date*. Once inside 65 days of departure, date changes are not permitted.
*some packages may have a varied period in which you can request a date change due to limitations with the third-party provider.
Please refer to our 'Book with Confidence' section for terms and conditions.
The Flexible Date Change option does not cover cost incurred for components not fulfilled by Inspiring Vacations or in the event extra services have been booked with Inspiring Vacations outside of the standard package, including but not limited to airfares, pre/post accommodation or insurance.
Cooling off period
If you change your mind within 7 days of making your booking online, you can request a refund of your initial deposit payment as part of our cooling off period.
Once your purchase date falls outside of the 7 day period, our standard terms and conditions will apply. Please ensure that any request to cancel your booking is received via email to [email protected], including the reason for cancellation.
Deposit & Payments
Booking Process
Limited Time Offer - Return Economy International Flights for $999 per person
Premium Economy or Business Class Upgrades;
Please specify this in the “Special Request” field when completing your booking and you will be quoted for the additional fare at the time of booking your flights.
Extending Your Stay;
If you would like to enhance your holiday by extending your stay pre- and/or post-tour or including a stopover in another destination, please include this information in the “Special Request” field when booking. Surcharges may apply at time of booking.
To enhance your journey, we are offering guests a choice of the following optional activities (prices are per person):
Optional tours can be selected once you have finalised your tour purchase and paid your deposit. When completing your Passenger Booking Form, you will be asked if you would like to add Optional Tours, where any applicable cost will be added to your final balance. If you choose not to select them at this time, you can choose to add them later by logging in to your Account online or speaking with your Dedicated Support Agent for assistance.
Please note that you must select your Optional Tours no later than 65 days before departure, after which you will be required to purchase them on tour. Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability. We appreciate your understanding.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a “3”:
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences however any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is available on this tour at a cost of $2428
Triple Share
Not Available
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation and hotel details will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
4-12 people.
Trip Style - Small Group Tour
These tours are our proudest creations. They have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. You will travel with only a maximum of 12 other guests. Enjoy choice features such as hand-picked accommodation, a sampling of the region’s best culinary delights and a range of optional activities to choose from to best suit your travel style.
Children
Children must be 5 years old or over and share a room with parents at all times. Children are the same price as adults.
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