13-Day Zambezi River Expedition (Pop-Roof Cruiser & Chef)

• A transfer from the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park

Your adventure begins. You will rendezvous at our Victoria Falls depot to start your trip as early as possible for briefing. You'll pack your soft (limited) luggage in the bush trailer and head off for a 4-hour drive through the bush of the Matetsi Safari Area to Robins Campsite in the Western section of Hwange National Park. You will arrive mid-morning in time to set up camp and then take a game drive in the vehicle before returning by sunset for dinner.

N.B. This is a participatory trip, half the fun of an expedition such as this, is in helping set up camp, prepare food, and clean up. Your camp assistant knows all the gear and is a trained chef but you will be fully immersed in camp life. Believe me, I have sat in luxury bush camps with nothing to do between game drives and meals, bored senseless. This trip will keep you fully occupied, just like it should be!

Main Destination:

Hwange National Park

Best Time To Visit July to October (Middle and end of the Dry season)

High Season June to October (Hwange’s main area can become busy)

Best Weather April to September (It hardly ever rains)

Wildlife in Hwange NP

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

LionCommon

BuffaloCommon

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

Show more

HippoCommon

HyenaCommon

CheetahOccasional

Wild DogOccasional

White RhinoVery Rare

Black RhinoVery Rare

LeopardRare

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Hwange NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore Hwange National Park

Today will be a gentle introduction to the wild, game-drive Western portion of Hwange National Park in the 8-seat, pop-roof Landcruiser, ideal for photography and game-viewing. Your eyes will acclimatize to seeing through the bush to spot animals and birds. This is just the start of your Zambezi Expedition, things are still relatively tame!

Main Destination:

Hwange National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Hwange NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Game Drives in Hwange National Park

You will break camp for a full day's game drive straight through the very center of Hwange National Park. You will stop off at waterholes along the way and stop for sightings. Getting further off the beaten track now and Zim will start showing you her magic. Your destination today is Sikumi Forest Reserve in the sandy eastern part of Hwange.

Main Destination:

Hwange National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Bordering Hwange NP without fences

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore Hwange National Park and Sikumi Area

The eastern part of Hwange is characterized by sandy soils with more open plains and less thick bush than the west. You will enjoy game drives in the area around the main camp, visiting hides and game viewing at various waterholes, or you can arrange a game walk from the main camp reception (own expense USD 50pp). Then, you will stop at the Painted Dog Conservation Center on your way home to camp.

Main Destination:

Hwange National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Bordering Hwange NP without fences

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Game Drives to Chizarira National Park

You will enjoy a beautiful drive down possibly the most scenic, winding road in Zimbabwe, over the Gwayi River Bridge and through remote tribal lands with your destination Chizarira National Park. Chizarira is Zimbabwe's most beautiful park and possibly her best-kept secret. Things will be getting more remote now. Your exclusive campsite is located overlooking uninhabited wild Africa as far as the eye can see. There are no lights to be seen on the horizon at night. You have it all to yourself! Now you will start to appreciate why Zimbabwe is so special.

Main Destination:

Chizarira National Park

Best Time To Visit July to October

High Season June to August (Chizarira never gets busy)

Best Weather April to September (Rains are uncommon)

Wildlife in Chizarira NP

ElephantOccasional

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraOccasional

HippoOccasional

HyenaOccasional

LionRare

Show more

LeopardRare

CheetahVery Rare

Wild DogVery Rare

GiraffeNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

WildebeestNone

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Chizarira NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore Chizarira National Park

You will load up on water and snacks and drive to the park offices to meet your ranger to walk you in the bush. They will allocate you a ranger with a rifle (USD50) who will walk you through the bush down a remote and increasingly spectacular riverbed into the gorge. This is an out-and-back hike, so you can vary length and duration depending on how you feel. Try to make it as far as the waterfalls about 4km from reception where you can swim in the plunge pool below but check for crocodiles first and do not swim in any of the bigger pools below the falls as there are some very large crocodiles down there living in surprisingly close to the pools!

Main Destination:

Chizarira National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Chizarira NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Drive to Marongora

This will be your longest drive of the trip. It will take you all day through the remote country the length of Lake Kariba, alternating human settlements and just plain wilderness with elephant spoor. You will take your lunch on the amazing Sanyati River Bridge then proceed towards Magunje with your destination being a working tobacco Farm near Karoi. The lovely farming family will show you to your campsite in the bush overlooking the farm dam.

Main Destination:

Marongora (Town)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Drive to Mana Pools National Park

You will have an early morning resupply in Karoi Town. Then, you will follow the winding road down into the Zambezi Valley. You will enter Zimparks Estate Land just 80km past Karoi, then 50km of tar to the Mana Turn off and the last 2 hours of your trip are through Virgin bush all the way to the Mana Pools Floodplain. You will have your exclusive riverside campsite all to yourself.

Main Destination:

Mana Pools National Park

Best Time To Visit June to October (Best wildlife viewing)

High Season July to September

Best Weather April to September (Rains rarely fall)

Wildlife in Mana Pools NP

ElephantAbundant

LionCommon

BuffaloCommon

ZebraCommon

HippoCommon

HyenaCommon

Show more

LeopardOccasional

Wild DogOccasional

CheetahRare

GiraffeNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

WildebeestNone

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Mana Pools NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore Mana Pools National Park

You will drive yourselves with the vehicle inside Mana Pools National Park while your assistant manages the campsite and prepares meals. It is full-participation camping and you are expected to help with camp chores and washing of dishes. That is half the fun anyway, seeing a hyena's eyes whilst washing your plate after dinner! But, it really does help to have someone take the main load of cooking for the team.

Main Destination:

Mana Pools National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Mana Pools NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore Mana Pools National Park

Another day in paradise. You can hire your own ranger to accompany you on both game drives and game walks. You will have perfect freedom to drive around the floodplain. You will take a walk and park the car. A ranger will walk you through the bush. Then, you will return to your vehicle and drive back to camp. What an absolute privilege to walk in this unspoiled wilderness.

Main Destination:

Mana Pools National Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Mana Pools NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Drive to Chitake Springs

You will break camp and head 70km into the wilderness to your exclusive campsite at Chitake Spring to live amongst one of the world's largest pride of lions. There is no walking at Chitake (due to the tendency of bushes to unexpectedly turn into lions!). Rather, you can sit quietly in your chair under the fig tree in the spring and wait for animals to come to the water below, or go view the baobab forest. Look for broken pottery shards on the ground. Please do not remove these out of respect, they are Shona burial pots. Buffalo herds will arrive to drink at any time in the spring. Their arrival will be heralded by a cloud of dust on the horizon. Lions are most active at night. Do not stray from the camp light at night.

Main Destination:

Chitake Springs (Mana Pools NP)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore Chitake Springs

Most action will happen early morning or at dusk so you will get up early and sit under the fig tree or visit the baobab forest. If you are patient, you will be lucky enough to see at least one of the huge buffalo herds come down to drink. Make sure you do not disturb them in any way! Even if you can't see the lions during the day, know that they are looking at you. After dark, the air will come alive with their roars echoing around camp. This is the wildest campsite in Africa, it does not get better than this.

Main Destination:

Chitake Springs (Mana Pools NP)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinks not included

Drive to Harare

You will break camp and depart no later than 9:00 am for the 9-hour drive to Harare so as to avoid driving in the dark on the worst-condition road of your trip. You will stop in Lions Den for a light lunch and should reach Sunbird Guest House, Harare before 6:00 p.m. This trip will change your life. I cannot guarantee you will see loads of lions or wild dogs or whatever your bucket list requires but I can guarantee you that you will love Zimbabwe. 80% of our guests want to move here after their trips.

Main Destination:

Harare (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• A transfer back to the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.