Botswana/Namibia/Zambia/Zimbabwe
Wild Africa: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia & Zimbabwe
Program No. 3645RJ
Explore the wilds of southern Africa with experts, spotting elephants, lion and many other species while learning about conservation efforts and visiting the region’s natural wonders.
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15 days
14 nights
38 meals
12B 2BR 12L 12D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Fly to Botswana, Fly to Khwai, Overview of Botswana
Khwai Concession
4
The Okavango Delta, Termites
Khwai Concession
5
Endangered Carnivores, Delta Hydrology and Geology
Khwai Concession
6
Fly to Chobe National Park, Game Drive in Chobe
Chobe Riverfront
7
Sunrise Boat Ride, Safari Activities
Chobe Riverfront
8
Birding Walk, Overview of Zimbabwe, Boat Safari
Chobe Riverfront
9
Victoria Falls on Zimbabwean Side, Free Time
Victoria Falls
11
Game Drive, Night Wildlife
Lower Zambezi
12
Game Drive, Lion Social Structure, Boat Safari
Lower Zambezi
13
Local Village Visit, School and Community Projects
Lower Zambezi
14
Program Concludes
In Flight
15
In Transit From Program
In Flight
At a Glance
The thrill of spotting any member of the Big Five — elephant, leopard, lion, rhinoceros and Cape buffalo — is reason enough to journey to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. But these magnificent creatures aren’t the only ones who inhabit the grasslands and deltas of the region. Hippos, zebras, giraffes and antelope are just a few other residents that can be spotted during game drives along the Okavango Delta or in South Luangwa National Park, while crocodiles and myriad bird species bask in the waters along the Chobe and Zambezi rivers. Join wildlife experts and local residents for an insightful exploration into the habitats and conservation issues surrounding Africa’s natural wonders.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
I like to spend much of the day exploring. Whether walking through historic neighborhoods at a moderate pace or out and about on a coach, I prefer to keep my days full. Stairs don’t bother me, and I love to keep up with the group.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Feel the spray of the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls and learn about its discovery by David Livingstone.
- Interact with schoolchildren and villagers.
- Camp under the stars in Hemingway-style tents along the Okavango Delta.
General Notes
Group size limited to 17. Some dates of this program can be taken back to back with program "The Best of South Africa: Safari, Culture & the Garden Route" (#22444). Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Suggested Reading List
(13 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Wild Africa: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia & Zimbabwe
Program Number: 3645
Long Walk to Freedom
An unpretentious tale of an extraordinary life. Mandela recounts the circumstances of his imprisonment and ultimately his successful drive to end Apartheid.
The Last Elephants
African savanna elephants--among the most magnificent and beloved of our fellow mammals--are an extraordinary, social, and intelligent species. The Last Elephants, an homage to these animals and a clarion call for their preservation, is based upon a shocking finding: savanna elephant populations across Africa are being decimated, with two to three murdered every hour for their ivory. Without action, these elephants soon will vanish from our world. They are a species in imminent danger of extinction, and it is up to us to save them.
Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent
So often, Africa has been depicted simplistically as a uniform land of famines and safaris, poverty and strife, stripped of all nuance. This book offers stories that bring to life Africa’s rich diversity, communities, and histories.
Rogue Lion Safaris
After the death of his beloved, bankrupt gambler of a father, Dan Lynch follows his university degree in zoology to a run-down safari camp, where he can work as a trainee guide and, most important, be near George Sorensen, the owner. George is a wildlife genius, but no great businessman, and the camp is threatened by lack of visitors, competition from the much more luxurious set-up across the valley, and corrupt local politicians. In learning about the majestic landscape and fauna of Africa, Dan learns a lot about people – and about himself.
Fodor’s Complete Guide to African Safaris
This guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time.
Nervous Conditions
The was the first book published in English by a black woman from Zimbabwe, and won Best Book of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Africa section) in 1989. A semi-autobiographical novel, it focuses on a Shona family in post-colonial Rhodesia during the 1960s, discussing race, colonialism, and gender.
Out of Darkness, Shining Light
So begins Petina Gappah's powerful novel of exploration and adventure in nineteenth-century Africa—the captivating story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary Dr. Livingstone's body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there.
The Big Conservation Lie
This book takes the reader through Kenya’s conservation ‘industry’ and the players therein with all their prejudices, weaknesses and commitment to causes. It is a call to indigenous Africans to claim their place at the table where the management of their natural resources is being discussed, and invites well-meaning donors to look beyond the romantic images and detect the possible role of their money in the disenfranchisement of a people.
Elephant Dawn
In 2001, Sharon Pincott traded her privileged life as a high-flying corporate executive to start a new one with the Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe. She was unpaid, untrained, self-funded and arrived with the starry-eyed idealism of most foreigners during early encounters with Africa. For thirteen years - the worst in Zimbabwe's volatile history - this intrepid Australian woman lived in the Hwange bush fighting for the lives of these elephants, forming an extraordinary and life-changing bond with them.
Okavango, Africa’s Last Eden
In this handsome volume, master wildlife photographer Franz Lanting captures the wildlife and habitats of the Okavango
Southern Africa Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide
A popular, photographic guide to the mammals, birds, reptiles and habitats south of the Zambezi. With 300 color photographs and illuminating text.
The Safari Companion
An encyclopedic guide to the behavior of Africa’s mammals by a noted scientist.
My Life with Leopards
In 1993 game ranger Graham Cooke was given the opportunity to parent two six-week-old leopard cubs. Establishing himself and his charges in a small tented camp in the middle of the South African bush, Graham set about his task of habituating the cubs to the dangers of the wild in preparation for their eventual release.
