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Tour destinations
Zambia: Victoria Falls - Zambezi River - Zimbabwe: Chinhoyi Caves - Chimanimani National Park - Antelope Park
Tour dossier: 
Starting our tour early, we cross over the historical railway bridge that links Zimbabwe and Zambia at the Victoria Falls. This bridge was completed in 1905 and was placed, at the request of Cecil John Rhodes, so that the spray from the falls could embrace the railway carriages as they crossed from one side to the other. Once in Zambia there will be a short stop to collect any additional passengers and then we have a long drive to reach the camp for the evening.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Today we will be beginning our canoe adventure in to the Lower Zambezi National Park. Starting early in the morning we will be taking the minimum of equipment necessary and ‘bush camping’ on an island this evening, surrounded by wildlife, including the hippo. This is a unique experience as we will be a long, long way from any form of civilisation!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This is the second day spent on the mighty Zambezi River. As we are travelling downstream with the current the physical effort required to negotiate the river is not extreme and many happy hours can be spent simply drifting and enjoying the beautiful scenery, birdlife and company. At certain times of the year it may not be possible to canoe on the river due to extreme temperatures or water levels. In this instance the 2 days normally spent on the river will be swapped for a 2-night houseboat excursion on Lake Kariba.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
In the morning there is a transfer through the Lower Zambezi National Park and back to the truck. All together again, we will pass through the Chirundu Border (sometimes a time consuming process) and re-enter Zimbabwe. From Chirundu it is not a long trip to Chinhoyi. Probably best known for cave diving, the Chinhoyi caves system is the largest publicly accessible cave system in Zimbabwe and reputably a ‘mysterious’ area.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After visiting the caves it is a short drive from Chinhoyi to Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, where we will stop for some shopping, lunch and exploration. Although Harare has not had a lot of positive press in the last 10 years, many will be surprised at just how safe and accessible this small, modern capital is. After lunch we will be travelling to the Eastern Highlands and the Chimanimani National Park. The Mountain range that separates Zimbabwe and Mozambique is the site of some simply spectacular hiking and scenery and with time permitting we will take a short walk to the well-known Bridal Veil Falls in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
It is possible to spend another full day hiking in the Chimanimani, or take a day trip to Zimbabwe’s only rain forest on the Mozambique Border. Chirinda is the southernmost rain forest in Africa and home to some spectacular large mahogany trees. A short hike to ‘the big tree’ is a lovely outing and a fantastic spot for a picnic lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
No visit to Zimbabwe could possibly be complete without visiting the world-famous Great Zimbabwe ruins. Dating from around the 11th century these iron-age ruins have been the source of much speculation and disagreement over the years. Built without any mortar some of the walls are up to 5 metres high and still standing after so many centuries. This site was also home to 8 carved Zimbabwe birds, the image of which is found on the Zimbabwean National Flag.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning we drive to Gweru, home to a place called Antelope Park. This is a unique place and home to The African Lion Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) and the world’s first Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the wild Programme. On arrival we have some time to relax and then decide on any of the optional activities available here. In addition to the Lion program there are also Elephants, horse riding, canoeing, fishing and a marketplace selling local crafts, including woven goods.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We have a second day here in which to really enjoy all that is on offer. This is a fantastic opportunity to spend some quality time with Africa’s wildlife. In the afternoon we have an included walk with the Lions that are part of the rehabilitation and release program.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
It is not a long drive to Bulawayo and the Matobo National Park (and also a World Heritage site) where we have a full afternoon of activities. Here we will visit the grave of Cecil John Rhodes, love him or not, he was a big part in Zimbabwe’s history. We will also be taking a game drive in the Matobo National Park, which is home to a very successful breeding program of Black and White Rhino. In the evening there are a number of local restaurants to choose between in Bulawayo.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After a short visit to the Bulawayo Historical Museum we start the drive back to South Africa. We cross the border at Buitbridge, which can sometimes take a long time, and return to South Africa where we will camp at the border town of Messina.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we leave early for the journey South along the Great North Road for our final destination in Johannesburg, the City of Gold. We will gradually move up from the Bushveld and Baobabs of the Limpopo Province through citrus and maize fields to the heavily populated and industrialised Highveld and Gauteng Province, the powerhouse of Africa. We will travel through Pretoria, one of South Africa’s capital cities, before arriving in Johannesburg in the late afternoon. Although this final night is not included in the tour most people choose to get together for a final meal out at one of Johannesburg’s many excellent restaurants.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
t +27 (0)21 447 88 55
Unit 413
Old Castle Brewery
Beach Road
Woodstock
Cape Town
