Tour code

Botswana & Zimbabwe Ivory Route Safari

BotswanaNamibiaZimbabwe

15 day small group non-participation Classic Journey

This classic journey covers Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe & the core of the international Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Departs:
Victoria Falls
Ends:
Victoria Falls

Accommodation

14 nights in 3+ star lodges & tented camps
15 Days From

€4 850

Single supplement
€1 030 pp
Tour code

Botswana & Zimbabwe Ivory Route Safari

BotswanaNamibiaZimbabwe

15 day small group non-participation Classic Journey

This classic journey covers Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe & the core of the international Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Departs:
Victoria Falls
Ends:
Victoria Falls
Accommodation
14 nights in 3+ star lodges & tented camps
15 Days From

€4 850

Single supplement
€1 030

Downloads

English
German/Deutsche
This classic journey covers Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe & the core of the international Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.

This initiative is a multi country effort to create a vast network of interlinking reserves and provide corridors for wildlife movement along natural migration routes, particularly for elephants. The lodges are beautiful, comfortable & make for a great adventure safari. 

Highlights
Information
Overnight

The accommodation throughout this classic journey is of 3+ star style and are chosen not only for their service and comfort level but also for their wonderful locations and local wildlife viewing opportunities. All rooms have private en suite facilities. The Moremi lodge on a private concession between Chobe NP and Moremi GR is a particular highlight. 

Meals

14 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 8 dinners are included. All of which are provided by the lodges at which we are staying. Due to travel arrangements or game viewing activities, 3 of the lunches will be packed picnic lunches. Where meals are not included there will be an opportunity to buy a meal en route, but these are mostly travel days so a quick stop is required. 

Transport

For the majority of this safari you travel in a Mercedes Sprinter bus with 12 forward facing seats and air conditioning; or (on 30% of tours) in a Sunway Safari truck with 12 seats. For the game drives in Hwange, Matobos, Moremi and Chobe we use open sided 4WD vehicles with local guides. 

Non participation 

This is an adventure tour, and as such please expect to get involved. Where there are porters, they’ll help you, otherwise you’ll need to carry your own bag. Included meals are all lodge provided. 

If you have a particular interest, please let your safari leader know, and he/she will endeavour to make your journey more rewarding. 

Responsible Tourism
tours_LM21_RT_2

good-to-go-framed

Botswanan conservation lands surrounding the national parks are leased by the government to tourism businesses for the benefit of the local communities. The lodge we use outside Moremi not only employs staff from the local village but also contributes financially towards the community trust. The village board use that income for the betterment of the local people. The lease environmental management plan is for the benefit of conservation of the region.

We accept children 12-18 with accompanying adults on scheduled tours (for private groups we can accept younger children).

If the clients are older than 65 years, then we require a medical certificate too (stating client is fit and healthy to embark on a multi-day tour covering long distances etc).

Botswana is centrally located in Southern Africa and mostly has a sub-tropical climate. Largely Kalahari desert, there are sizable differences between the day and night temperatures and virtually no rainfall. In the Delta temperatures are more moderate due to the abundance of water. Botswana is a wonderful destination all year round…

Dry season is from May to October: The game viewing is superb and wildlife is very easy to spot.
May:– Autumn temperatures are typically 10°C/50°F to 28°C/80°F.

June, July & August:– Winter morning game drives can be cold at around 6°C/42°F, but it warms to +-25°C/78°F.

September & October:– Spring begins and temperatures warm up to +- 34°C/100°F. The migration of the Southern Carmine Bee-eaters is a sight to behold and a must-see for this time of year.

Green season is from November to April: Baby season and nothing beats seeing a lioness with her cubs, or other young animals at play.
November & December:– Typically cooler than October and between 20°C/69°F and 33°C/91°F. The more desert areas can still have very hot days.

January & February:– The Summer or “Green” months, with occasional storms in the afternoon. Temperatures are around 32°C/90°F in the day.

March and April:– The waters of the Delta start to rise and large herds of elephant and buffalo begin to make their way back to the Okavango as winter approaches. Lovely, clear weather and few clouds prevail, but the nights are cooler and the days very comfortable at around 30°C/87°F.

Maun_Chart
Victoria_Falls_Chart
This classic journey covers Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe & the core of the international Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area. This initiative is a multi country effort to create a vast network of interlinking reserves and provide corridors for wildlife movement along natural migration routes, particularly for elephants. The lodges are beautiful, comfortable & make for a great adventure safari.
Day 1 Victoria Falls

The majestic sight of the mighty Zambezi River plunging over the Victoria Falls, welcomes you to your Zimbabwe and Botswana adventure. We check into our lodge before we explore the falls and tropical rain forest surrounds on foot in the afternoon before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner (own expense). 

Day 2 - 3 Hwange National Park

Hwange National Park is a wildlife jewel, famous for its big game and large herds of elephant. Hwange is home to a wide variety of habitats, from it’s western regions on the edge of the Kalahari through large grass plains to the forested woodland in east Hwange. Our comfortable lodge for two nights is situated on the private concession on the eastern boundary of the park, our time is spent on a full day game drive, in open 4WD vehicles, in the park in search of big game. 

Day 4 - 5 Matobos National Park

The rounded granite boulders and undulating valleys of the Matobos National Park are home to some of the last of the rhino in Zimbabwe. We spend our day on an excursion into the park that includes a game walk to see the rhino, discovering the ancient Bushmen paintings that adorn the rocks, and admiring the landscapes from Worlds View, the site of Cecil John Rhodes’ grave.

Day 6 Nata

This morning we leave Matobos and head west towards the Botswana border, we cross at Plumtree and we make our way to the Nata area for our overnight stop. In the late afternoon we will head out onto the Makgadikgadi Pans, vast saltpans that seem to stretch on to infinity. We will explore the area and have some fun taking photographs before the golden sun sets over the horizon.

Day 6 Maun

Maun’s name is derived from a San word meaning “place of the short reeds” is nestled at the southern end of the Okavango Delta where our lodge overlooks the beautiful Thamalakane River. Here we prepare for our trip into Moremi Game Reserve and our afternoon is free to bird watch along the river, relax around the pool or take a optional scenic flight over the Okavango Delta (own expense). 

Day 8 - 10 Moremi Game Reserve

Startling and unexpected contrasts are created as the waters of the Okavango flood into the drier Kalahari creating the magnificently rich wilderness area with amazing wildlife of the Moremi Game Reserve. Rivers, lagoons, savannah, woodland, Moremi offers some excellent game viewing. With over 400 species of birds, Moremi is also a great place to sight leopard, lion, wild dog, elephant, giraffe and a variety of antelope. We spend our time on game drives in Moremi GR and the surrounding concession along the Mababe River where the lagoons attract the thirsty animals to drink in the late afternoon. Our tented bush camp is on a private concession east of Moremi, where we enjoy our meals while watching the animals drinking and enjoy the wilderness far from civilization. On the morning of day 10 we have a game drive on the concession before heading back to our hotel in Maun. 

Day 11 - 12 Okavango Delta

We drive around the Okavango Delta, and north to our lodge on the banks of the Okavango Pan handle. From the lodge we’ll explore the Okavango by mokoro and motor boat. Tranquil reed lined rivers, crystal clear water and abundant bird life. Time to rest, relax and enjoy the views of the Okavango Delta. 

Day 13 Caprivi

Crossing out of Botswana into Namibia and the Mahango Game Reserve. We game drive through the reserve to our lodge on the Kavango River. We spend our afternoon exploring on a river cruise.

Day 14 Chobe National Park

The Caprivi Strip, Zambezi Region, is a thin wedge of Namibia, which separates Botswana in the south and Angola in the north. We cross the Caprivi, back into Botswana at Ngoma and head to our lodge in the town of Kasane. The Chobe river attracts large herds of elephant as it flows lazily along the northern boundary of the Chobe National Park. Our final afternoon is spent on arguably the best wildlife activity in Southern Africa, the game-viewing cruise. See herds of elephants, large crocodiles, pods of hippo and other wildlife as they quench their thirst at the end of the day. The magnificent river sunset is a photographer’s dream.

Day 15 Victoria Falls Zimbabwe - Tour Ends

Enjoy an optional early morning game drive (own expense) before our last breakfast together. We bid a sad farewell before we embark on a road shuttle transfer to either Kasane airport in Botswana, or Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe, in time for midday flight departures. Our tour ends 10:00am

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Karen & Gail

“Our trip was fantastic in so many ways. I’m glad we travelled for 5 weeks and did so many different things. South Africa is an amazingly beautiful, friendly and complicated country. And seeing all the animals in their natural habitats was beyond enthralling – I can’t actually think of the right superlative. It was almost a religious experience (that said from a confirmed agnostic). You’re probably interested in feedback about the Sunway safari. Our guides, Pumi and Wayne, were fantastic. We learned so much from them. I was really impressed. They were very happy to answer our questions about their lives and families too. They couldn’t have been any kinder or more knowledgeable.”

Tony & Janet

Hello Sunway, I’m delighted to provide some additional feedback regarding our recent ‘classic/ivory route’ accommodated tour (Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia). This was a very full-on tour, brilliantly facilitated by Chris and Bryan. No praise is too much in terms of their professionalism, warmth, friendship, knowledge and sense of fun! Chris drove us 1000s of miles with great care and Bryan contributed in so many ways, making them a team that you must be very proud of. We were hugely grateful that Chris was able to find a solution to the fuel crisis in Zimbabwe – otherwise our tour would have been over before it had really begun! I would be very pleased if the directors of Sunway could be made aware of our praise and thanks – we returned to the UK feeling enriched and much more knowledgable about Southern Africa, its people, fauna and flora.

Mario & Anne

Hi Dirk, Thank you once again for yet another wonderful trip with Sunway Safaris. We have just returned from the 2-week Botswana & Zimbabwe Ivory Route, which exceeded our already high expectations (we have traveled several times with Sunways). The route was well chosen and the activities as well. The accommodations were all good, Hyena Pan was again fantastic with the many animals at the waterhole. The travel times were long but absolutely in order. Our highlights were: – Matobos National Park, where we were only a few meters away from the rhinoceros (mummy, dad and baby) – Moremi Game Reserve, where we have seen a young leopard have torn a little impala – Shakawe – Okavango Delta, where we spent a night on a houseboat – Maun – the flight with the open helicopter over the Okavango Delta (at his own expense) – Chobe National Park, where we have seen a lot of elephants and of course a leopard with its two babies. We will never forget this trip – our honeymoon. Many thanks to Sunway Safaris and our two guides Chris Zvidzayi and Chris Zulu who have made this possible. All in all, we can only recommend Sunways and already plan another safari with Sunways next year.

Vonne & Ray

This morning we leave Matobos and head west towards the Botswana border, we cross at Plumtree and we make our way to the Nata area for our overnight stop. In the late afternoon we will head out onto the Makgadikgadi Pans, vast saltpans that seem to stretch on to infinity. We will explore the area and have some fun taking photographs before the golden sun sets over the horizon.

If you would like to have your comments on your trip with Sunway posted on the website, please email your review to marketing@sunway-safaris.com and we will load it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have any questions regarding your planned African Safari? The list below provides answers to many common questions we get asked with almost every tour.

Sunway Safaris does not supply bottled drinking water. There is however clean drinkable water throughout Southern Africa. Tap water in most places is good to drink, and you can always ask your guide for advice if unsure. Each safari truck has a 150ltr water tank, which can be used for drinking. For those who are concerned about the water it is possible to purchase bottled water at own expense.

From an environmental point of view, we ask each client to consider how many plastic bottles they throw away. We suggest you either bring a water bottle from home, or buy a 1.5 ltr bottle of water at the start of the tour. You can then refill that water bottle from the truck or from tap. (if every Sunway client bought a 1 plastic bottle every day, we would use over 40,000 plastic bottles a year! So please help us by re-using your water bottle).

Sunway will provide three scrumptious meals per day, unless specified in the itinerary [B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner], from lunch on the day of departure until breakfast on the last day of your tour. Good healthy meals make happy travelers. The tour leaders do all the shopping and meal planning for each group. They will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. Each tour has 1 cool box / freezer for the meats and fresh produce only, and 1 cool box for drinks. Please be aware that, due to the diverse tastes of our clients, we are unable to accommodate individual food preferences on our group tours. The group shared meals we provide are subject to available produce, and in our sometimes remote destinations, the variety of ingredients is sometimes limited. However, we do take allergies, vegetarian and vegan dietary requirements into consideration to ensure everyone has suitable meal options. Please bring this to our attention at time of booking.

A rough idea of what meals can be expected:

Breakfast – Cereals and milk or bread/toast, jam and fruit with coffee and tea or the occasional cooked breakfast.

Lunch – Cheese, cold meats, fish, fruit, pasta salads and bread or rolls.

Dinner – Potjies (stews), braais (barbecue), stir fries, curries etc prepared on a wood fire or gas stove.

On several nights we visit local restaurants, which because of individual tastes will be an own expense meal.

Yes, Malaria prophylaxes are required on all of the safaris that we offer. Some trips, like the South Africa Scenic or Rainbow Route, are only in a Malaria area for 5 days, while others, such as the Zambia, Malawi & Mozambique Trade Route, travel through malaria areas for all 21 days. Your tour leader will advise you when you enter a malaria area, and when you exit a malaria area.

Do not be put off visiting Southern Africa because of malaria. Realistically most of Southern Africa is low risk area and if you use prophylaxis, use insect repellent and cover up at dusk with long shirt or trousers, the chances are very low that you would contract malaria. Of the thousands of clients that Sunway has carried since 1994 we know of only 1 case of a client contracting malaria, and only a handful of guides (and remember that the guides do not even use the tablets). Clients visiting Malawi and Mozambique should pay most attention to precautions as those two countries are warm and wetter, and therefore have higher incidence of malaria.

Please contact your local physician for latest information on malaria prophylaxis and what type of prophylaxis will be best suited for the area that you are visiting.

If you feel when you get home that you have flu like symptoms, headache, stiffness, nausea, fever, then it’s best to consult your doctor immediately. Remember that prophylaxis do mask the symptoms, so get checked out – and remember to tell your doctor that you’ve been to a malaria area. Malaria is easily treatable if detected early.

If you are joining a camping trip, the Sunway tents have mosquito netting on the windows and door. Mosquitoes spend the heat of the day in shaded areas, so please remember to keep the mosquito net on the door closed during the day too, so that mosquitoes do not enter your tent. At night, you can sleep with the tent window flaps open, and the door rolled up, but remember to keep the mosquito net zipped closed. This will keep out the little biting things (like mosquitos) and the big biting things (like lion and hyena Smile).

On the accommodated safaris, if we visit a malaria area, or a place with mosquitoes, then the accommodation will have nets provided. In areas where there are low numbers of mosquitoes and/or no malaria, mosquito nets will not be provided. These include places such as Knysna, Hermanus, Cape Town, Swakopmund, Windhoek etc.

Memory cards and other photographic accessories will be available several times on tour. A camera with a zoom lens from wide angle to telephoto, 35-200mm, is advisable to capture both scenic and wildlife shots. Each vehicle is fitted with a 12/24V cigarette lighter – this should not be relied on for charging camera batteries and we recommend you bring a 2nd battery. Remember you can also charge your camera on those nights we use accommodation (SA 220V)

If you are joining a camping trip, you will need to bring your own sleeping bag (and small camp pillow) and a towel. Should you not have, or do not want to buy a sleeping bag, you can rent a sleeping bag and camp pillow from the Sunway office for Euro 1 per sleeping bag per day on tour. Please book this at the time of booking.

On the Accommodated Adventures & Classic Journeys, all bedding is provided, and you will not be required to bring a sleeping bag or pillow. At most accommodation establishments, towels will be provided, but it is always a good idea to bring a small travel towel for the beach or swimming pool. If you are traveling on a tour that visits the Okavango Delta please make sure to bring a small towel with you as there are no towels supplied.

Due to space and weight limitations within each safari vehicle, luggage should be kept to a maximum of 12kgs per person (excluding camera equipment / day bag). The bag should be of a soft sided duffel bag / back pack design – no hard cases or hard sided bags will be accepted. While many people feel that they will need their full quota of 20kgs, people quickly realise that they have packed far too much.

Yes, Mastercard and Visa credit cards and debit cards are widely accepted throughout Southern Africa. American Express is not widely used in Southern Africa.

You’ll be able to use credit card to pay for most restaurant meals, and at most formal shops.  Optional activities in Cape Town, Swakopmund, Maun, Livingstone and Victoria Falls can also be paid by credit card. More specific details available in the downloadable Sunway general information dossier.

Sunway includes all activities in the safari, as detailed in the itinerary. You will therefore not be spending lots of money on additional excursions like game drives, national park fees, bush walks etc – those are included as per your itinerary. There are on some routes, opportunities to do additional own expense activities, such as helicopter flights, white water rafting or canoeing etc – please refer to the optional activities page for wages (right hand menu).

You will need some cash to purchase snacks, drinks, perhaps local curios, and some restaurant meals. For meal expenses you should count the number of lunches and dinners not included in the specific itinerary and then work on about US$15 to US$25 for a sit down restaurant dinner (including a glass of wine or a beer), about US$6 to US$12 for a light lunch or take away. (local currency will be required, but as an indication we’ve shown US$). In most restaurants you will be able to pay buy credit card – Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted, but Diners Club is not.

Bottled water is approximately US$1.50 per liter and a can of beer or coke is roughly US$2.00.

If you budget on +/-US$ 25 per day, you will have ample cash available for out of pocket expenses. Please bear in mind that this daily budget, does not include the expenses of optional activities such as white water rafting, shark cage diving or helicopter flights etc. The prices for these optional extras can be found on our downloadable detailed tour dossier.

Tipping is often a major issue for clients, especially when it comes to tipping the guides that we sometimes use for various activities (e.g. game walks, polers in the Okavango Delta etc). Clients sometimes find it difficult to get a realistic value of the local currency and what it is worth in the local economy. We suggest that a tip of 1-3€ per client per ½ day activity, or the local currency equivalent, is acceptable.

Your two Sunway tour leaders also work extremely hard to ensure that your safari runs smoothly and that all the clients on tour are happy. They are more often than not in bed last and up first, do most of the cooking and also give as much information to the clients about the areas that are visited and of course flora and fauna. We suggest that a tip of 2–5€ per client per day per tour leader is reasonable. A general procedure for tipping the guides, is for the group to collect the guides tips, and place in 2 separate envelopes for each of the tour leaders.

As in all cases with tipping, the final decision of the amount tipped is up to the individual. It is up to you to decide if you thought the service was poor, or exceptional, and the amount tipped should reflect that. The amounts quoted above are guidelines for you to get an idea of what to tip.

Southern Africa, like all 3rd world regions, has its problems, but your tour leader knows all of the areas intimately and will endeavour to show you all of the highlights while always taking your safety into account. Sunway plans the itineraries to visit interesting places, while not placing clients in harms way.

Like all practical advice about safety, be aware of your surroundings but not paranoid. As you would anywhere in the world, don’t leave valuables such as wallet and cameras unattended or in plain view. IE: don’t leave your camera on a restaurant table while you dash to the loo, or leave your wallet on the bed in your room while you’re not there. The temptation for cleaning staff may be too much.

Please also bear in mind that the people in many of the places you will visit are living in difficult and sometimes poor conditions. To them the possessions you have are signs of your relative wealth, and therefore please be sensitive to their position. Don’t create that temptation in their mind by “flaunting” your valuables.

When entering a wilderness area your tour leader will give you a full safely briefing. If you follow the simple rules while in wilderness areas you will have nothing to worry about  when in close proximity to wild animals. On game drives keep quiet and don’t make any sudden movements. On game walks walk in a single file, keep quiet and listen to your guide’s instructions and you will enjoy and amazing wildlife experience. When staying in un-fenced campsites do not wander off alone, always make sure that you are aware of your surroundings.

Follow your guide’s instructions and you’ll have a great time.

Yes, all clients travelling on a Sunway safari are required to have their own comprehensive travel insurance. The travel insurances needs to cover lost luggage, missed flights and most importantly comprehensive medical cover in the un-likely event of you being injured while on safari.

Please note that while most credit card companies offer travel insurance if you have bought your airline ticket on your credit card, we have found that cover is not sufficient for adventure travel in Africa. We strongly recommend you buy additional specific travel insurance. You need to buy this insurance in your home country, before you travel and your local Sunway travel agent can assist you with this.

The minimum age for our guests is 12 years old, although we do occasionally make exceptions depending on the specific itinerary, the group make-up and sometimes during our low season. Please note that a child of 12-17 years will only be accepted for travel with an accompanying adult.

On some of our safaris we camp wild in remote areas and these campsites are not fenced, so it is possible for wild animals do enter the campsite. It is important that parents make sure that the children listen and follow the guide’s safety instructions. Parents are also required to supervise their children at all times so as not to affect the enjoyment of the tour for any other clients.

We, as Sunway, do not believe that age should be a determining factor on the enjoyment of life! Therefore we do not have an upper age limit.

But clients who are older than 65yrs are required to submit a medical self declarations letter or doctor’s report stating that they are fit and healthy and that they will be able to undertake a safari that includes a moderate level of physical activity, some long driving days and some moderate full day walks. This is not an onerus document, but rather an indication that the client is aware of the style of tour that they will be joining, and capable of participating in all activities on tour. We’ve found that we have many fit and healthy clients who are over 65 years of age, join Sunway trips, and put the younger clients to shame on the mountain walks!

How-to-book-your-Sunway-safari

By booking with your local agent you’ll be advised by a knowledgeable consultant who knows the Sunway tours. You’ll be covered by the travel laws of your country, assisted in your home language, in your own time zone and your agent can assist with travel insurance and visas. You are welcome to contact Sunway and we’ll recommend an agent.

Sunway shows live availability online. Your agent can hold a provisional booking for up to 7 days with no-obligation.

To confirm your safari reservation your agent will require a 20% deposit and a completed booking form. And voilá, you’re off on an adventure!

Optional extra activities

Please Note: Optional Extra Activities are not inclusive of this tour.

Meals: Dinner $20-30, Lunch $15-20, Beer $3, Cold drink can $2, Bottled water / litre $2-3.

Flight over Okavango 45min $100-145 (subject to the number of people sharing the aircraft).

Helicopter flight 23min $150

Canoeing (per hour) $15, Scuba diving $75 (per dive), Sailing (per hour) $25, Wind surfing (per hour) $15.

Scuba diving (per boat launch dive including equipment) $90, Snorkeling (including equipment and boat launch) $10, Deep sea fishing, ski boat 5 hours $150

Dune boarding $42, Flight 1½ hour desert $540, Flight 2½ hour Sossusvlei $1020, Flight 3 hours Skeleton coast $980, Deep sea fishing, ski boat 5 hours $132, Sky diving tandem $205, Ballooning Sossusvlei 2 hours $540.

Kruger N.P. night drive $25, Bloukrans bungi $85, Table Mountain cable car $35, Robben Island cruise $30, Seal Island cruise Houtbay $10, Abseiling Cape Town $65, Scuba diving $50, Shark cage diving full day (including transfer) $180

Game drives (2 hours) $70, Flight – helicopter 15min/30min $195/370, Flight – micro light $185/370, Rafting ½ day $170, Rafting full day $185, River boarding 1/2 day $210, Bungi jumping $175, Canoe upper – Zambezi ½ day $115, Canoe upper – Zambezi 1 day $160, Zambezi cruise $70-90

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