Transfer to the elephants takes 30 minutes each way. Walk with the elephants for approximately 1 mile on uneven ground. Periods of standing at the Trust. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day at Victoria Falls on mostly flat but potentially wet/slick, paved paths.
Breakfast at the elephant encounter site will be a plated, full English breakfast consisting of eggs cooked to order, grilled bacon, grilled tomato, baked beans, sausage and toast. Fruit juices, tea, coffee and water will be included.
We will have an early start for the morning’s field trip. By motorcoach, we will be driven to a nearby location for our elephant interaction. Here, we will have an opportunity to learn more about the past, present and future of elephant conservation from local experts. We will also gain insight into these gentle giants through up close, personal time with the elephants that reside here. In the company of our local experts, we will be escorted on a walk alongside the elephants through the pristine bush and valley of the Masui River. Upon conclusion of the encounter, we will enjoy breakfast on site. Then, we will re-board our minibus for a very short drive to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, where we will learn how the Trust’s local conservation efforts are making a major impact in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). The Trust has four main areas of operation: Rescue and Rehabilitation; Wildlife Research; Wildlife Disease and Forensics Laboratory; and Community Outreach. In the company of a local expert, our visit will incorporate an overview of the Trust and its facilities, including the wildlife rehabilitation area. In the late morning, we will be driven back to the hotel for a few hours of free time before the afternoon activities.
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and will be on your own to enjoy what you like.
In the afternoon, we will regroup at the lodge and hear a presentation by a local historian, given over afternoon tea, on David Livingstone's "discovery" of the Falls. Afterward, we will be transferred by minibus to the Victoria Falls park entrance, where our Group Leader will lead us on a walk to the magnificent Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Victoria Falls is where the Zambezi River opens out into an extravaganza of roaring, spray-tumbled water, known to the locals as "Mosi oa Tunya" (the smoke that thunders). Few sights are as awe-inspiring as this when the ground rumbles with the forces of the water. Following our visit, we will be transferred back to the lodge with time to freshen up before dinner.
Our farewell dinner will be taken at a neighboring lodge and consist of a 3-course, set menu meal including bottled water, coffee, tea; additional beverages available for purchase.
At leisure.
