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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DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Aug 28 - Sep 11, 2024
Starting at
12,299DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jun 26 - Jul 10, 2024
Starting at
13,299Not seeing the date you're looking for?
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15 days
14 nights
35 meals
12B 3BR 8L 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
10
Livingstone’s Explorations, Fly to Mfuwe, South Luangwa
South Luangwa National Park
11
Bush Walk, Game Drive, Night Wildlife
South Luangwa National Park
12
Tracking Wildlife, Local School and Community Projects
South Luangwa National Park
13
Game Drive, Lion Social Structure, Final Game Viewing
South Luangwa National Park
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
Walking up to two miles over varied terrain; potentially slick paths. Long rides in open-air safari vehicles, requiring stamina and stability getting in/out of vehicles. Elevations up to 5,575 feet.
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.
What You'll Learn
- 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.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Sam Mushandu
Sam was born in a small village in southeast Zimbabwe. Growing up in the village gave him an appreciation for nature, particularly during holidays when he would herd his family’s cattle in the bush. Sam attended Bulawayo Commercial College and is an award-winning safari educator. He has lead learning safaris throughout southern Africa, including top destinations like Hwange and Kafue National Parks. Sam lives with his wife and family in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and enjoys history and fishing. (Be prepared to hear some fishing stories!)
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Johann Roscher
View biography
Johann Röscher was born in South Africa and grew up on State Forestry stations along the coastal belt of the Cape Province. He joined the military and studied at the North West University, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. After traveling through the Middle East and Eastern Europe, he returned to South Africa to work as a socio-political researcher. Disillusioned with city life, Johann decided to change careers and lead safaris. He’s been taking groups on safaris in Kalahari and Okavango Delta for 17 years, and he’s never been more content with his choice to move to that beautiful and remote region.
Keith Chisnall
View biography
A local of northern Zimbabwe, Keith Chisnall relishes in showing the bush culture to travelers from around the world. As a child, Keith learned the medicinal value of bush plants, how to track animals, tribal customs and the indigenous flora and fauna, and his knowledge has only grown since then. He’s worked as an engineer, salesman and detective, but his most meaningful work has been in leading educational adventures. After over 20 years of experience leading groups in “Big Five” territory, you can rely on Keith to explain every aspect and every detail of the wilderness!
Sam Mushandu
View biography
Sam was born in a small village in southeast Zimbabwe. Growing up in the village gave him an appreciation for nature, particularly during holidays when he would herd his family’s cattle in the bush. Sam attended Bulawayo Commercial College and is an award-winning safari educator. He has lead learning safaris throughout southern Africa, including top destinations like Hwange and Kafue National Parks. Sam lives with his wife and family in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and enjoys history and fishing. (Be prepared to hear some fishing stories!)
Khule Ndlovu
View biography
Mkhulekelwa Ndlovu — Khule for short — was born in Matebeleland, Zimbabwe, in 1971 and grew up in a small village as the youngest of nine children. After completing his primary and secondary education, he worked for a vet who took him to game farms where he met rangers and safari guides who inspired him. Khule qualified for Zimbabwe’s prestigious Professional Guide designation in 2001 and has never looked back. He currently resides in Victoria Falls with his family. Khule loves nature and guiding is his passion.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Okavango, Africa’s Last Eden
In this handsome volume, master wildlife photographer Franz Lanting captures the wildlife and habitats of the Okavango
The Safari Companion
An encyclopedic guide to the behavior of Africa’s mammals by a noted scientist.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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