12 day ultimate Zimbabwe safari

Upper Zambezi, Lower Zambezi and everything in between 12 day ultimate Zimbabwe safari

Zim’s a bit of a charmer. 12 day ultimate Zimbabwe safari starts in the meandering stretches of the Lower Zambezi, you’ll spend 12 days exploring its hippo-filled rivers and lakes. You’ll head up stream to the foothills of the Matusadona on the elephant-lined shores of Lake Kariba, detouring to Hwange’s thronging waterholes, and then on to Zimbabwe’s true sweetheart: Victoria Falls.

In between all the game drives and walking safaris, there’s a ton to be done. You’ll spend your mornings on a game drive or paddling your way past hippos and flat dogs* in Mana Pools, while afternoons are perfect for a spot of catch-and-release tiger fishing. (Pack your muscles, these guys love a good fight.) Lake Kariba offers sunrise boat cruises and stunning views, and you’ll get up close and personal with Hwange’s elephants from the cover of the hide. To top it all off, you’ll get to gaze down on Victoria Falls on a thrilling helicopter flip. By the end of 12 day ultimate Zimbabwe safari you’ll be walking on water.

*Those are crocodiles, in layman’s terms.

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Highlights

Tracking elephants on foot in Mana Pools.
Canoeing down the Lower Zambezi, or trawling its waters for tiger fish (cold beer in hand).
Riviera living on the edge of Lake Kariba, listening to lions roar.
Hwange’s giant elephant herds – and the rest of the Big Five too.
Indulging in an elegant high tea on Stanley’s Terrace at the Victoria Falls Hotel.
Fuelling your inner adrenaline-junkie with all the daring activities Vic Falls has to offer.

Cool & Unusual

Book a scenic heli flip for an angel’s-eye view of Victoria Falls.

Break it down Itinerary overview

Nights 1 to 3 Mana Pools, tip-toeing Ellies

The adventure begins! You’ll catch a small bush plane in Victoria Falls and follow the Zambezi downstream, past Lake Kariba, and on to Nyamatusi in Mana Pools. Here’s where you’ll spend the next three nights, in one of just four luxury tents bang on the water’s edge. Talk about views! You’ll canoe on the Zambezi and game-view on a sunset booze cruise.

Nights 4 to 6 Lovely Lake Kariba

Today you’re up and away on your second charter flight. Next stop: Bumi Hills. On the shores of Lake Kariba, life slows down to a delicious hum. You’ll hear the heart-warming tale of Bumi’s most famous resident, Ben the elephant – prepare yourself – and you’ll drain your batteries taking photos of Kariba sunsets. And when you’re not out on a game-drive, fishing for bream or watching buffalo graze along the shoreline, there’s always time for a massage and a refreshing G&T.

Nights 7 to 9 Hello, Hwange!

It’s time to swap muddy red elephants for Hwange’s grey ones. You’ll board another tiny bush plane (the scenic transfers never get old) and scoot off to the award-winning Somalisa, with its golden grasslands and oversized copper bathtubs. Over the next three nights, you’ll head out in search of the Big Five, get swept away by some serious predator action, and peer out of the hide at the waterhole’s endless stream of visitors.

Nights 10 & 11 Bygone elegance in Vic Falls

Leaving Somalisa won’t be easy, but at least you’ll do it Out of Africa-style. Your final bush plane hop brings you back to where it all began: Victoria Falls, where you’ll step back in time for two romantic nights in the Victoria Falls Hotel. You can opt to take a thrilling helicopter flip above the Falls, tour the rainforest below, and even lunch on Livingstone Island. Just save some room for a high tea fit for royalty on the hotel’s red-bricked terrace - you can thank us later.

Your stay Camps & lodges

3 Nights

Nyamatusi Camp

One either side of the Zambezi, an age-old debate rages: which of its banks is better. But when you’re staring out at the river from one of only four intimate suites at the tail end of the Great African Rift...

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3 Nights

Bumi Hills Safari Lodge

From their vantage point above the shores of Lake Kariba, Bumi’s ten spectacular suites take African riviera living to natural-fibred new heights. The views alone are worth the visit. At just the right angle, it’s impossible to tell where the...

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3 Nights

Somalisa Camp

Laden with copper bathtubs, beaten silverware and golden grasslands stretching as far as the eye can see, there’s an air of alchemy to this Hwange hideaway. Reclusively set in a private concession in the heart of Hwange National Park, you’ll...

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2 Nights

Victoria Falls Hotel

Cross the pillared threshold of this grand Edwardian edifice and you won’t know if you’ve stepped out of a taxi or a Tardis. Decked out in gleaming white safari suits topped with pith helmets, beaming doormen usher you into a...

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