Zambezi River & Botswana Safari

Arrive in Livingstone, Zambia / Sunset river cruise

Upon arrival at Livingstone Airport, you’ll be transported to our lodge, where you will have an opportunity to relax on the deck by the river as you adjust to the different time zone. If you’re not feeling too jet-lagged, consider a visit to one of the seven natural wonders of the world—Victoria Falls. This impressive sheet of falling water spans an impressive 5,604 feet and drops 100 feet down into a narrow gorge creating a spectacular view and some of the most exciting whitewater on the planet.

For your early evening entertainment, we’ll embark on a cruise on the upper section of the Zambezi River, giving you a chance to watch the African sun set behind the ancient Baobab trees. Hopefully, we will get glimpses of elephants and buffalo on the banks and pods of hippos relaxing in the water. This is a wonderful way to unwind, meet the rest of your group, and get a feel for the delights of Africa.

Later this evening there will be a group meeting where you’ll have the opportunity to meet your guides, pick up your dry bags and get an overview of your next seven days. Sleep tight, for the Mighty Zambezi awaits!

Embark on the Zambezi Whitewater Adventure

Today, we’ll head to the base of Victoria Falls for the start of our Zambezi River rafting adventure!

The Batoka Gorge provides a magnificent backdrop for our safety briefing before we don our high-float PFDs and practice our paddling techniques in the warm water of the river. Our epic journey begins with “Morning Glory,” a real eye-opener, before one of the biggest commercially run rapids in the world, “Stairway to Heaven.” This is a day of unparalleled fun, with rapids such as “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Midnight Diner,” which feature one of the biggest waves you will see on any river. This is expedition rafting at its best and consequently some rapids we are not able to run in a raft, but our kayakers will delight you as they take on the likes of “Commercial Suicide,” a great spot for photos. We will transfer the rafts around this rapid, then continue downstream to our fitting finale, “The Gnashing Jaws of Death.”

A secluded, sandy beach is our camp for the night, where your guides will create a feast upon which you can celebrate your first day on the river. Relax, watch the sun disappear behind the basalt cliffs, and enjoy your first night under the stars. (B, L, D)

Zambezi River Rafting

After a hearty breakfast, we load all our equipment into the rafts and the fun continues. Our morning’s entertainment begins with rapids known as “Creamy White Buttocks” and “The Mother.” Our guides will explain how they got their names (if you don’t manage to work it out on your own). 

The highlight today is one of the most famous and thrilling commercially run rapids, “Number 18,” also called, “Oblivion.” It isn’t the first wave that gets you, nor the second, but the third crashing wave that normally has all the photographers poised, ready to capture your big moment. 

We’ll arrive at camp on a gorgeous expanse of sand a little further downstream and prepare dinner while admiring the fish eagles gracefully soaring overhead. (B, L, D)

Zambezi River Rafting

To ensure we are all fully awake, our first rapid, “Morning Shower” provides us with just that: an invigorating burst of refreshing whitewater. The river begins to widen today but that doesn’t mean that the rapids get any smaller, especially with one of the more technical and exhilarating rapids to conquer, “Open Season.” A huge adrenaline rush is a certain recipe to stimulate our appetites while we polish off the fresh salads prepared for lunch. The afternoon brings along “Chamamba” and the outstanding ride through “Upper Moemba,” after which we’ll stop at a glorious beach for the night within sight of the magnificent Lower Moemba Falls. Here we can sit back and enjoy the beauty of this majestic section of the river while recounting the day’s events. (B, L, D)

The Zambezi River / Helicopter Flight Over the Canyon

Today we portage the rafts over Lower Moemba Falls and drift downstream for an hour. We’ll pass by the site for the joint Zambia/Zimbabwe power project, which threatens to flood nearly the entire section of river that we raft. At Chabango Falls (another mandatory portage) we will unload all our gear from the rafts and have a tasty lunch in the shade.

With our now empty rafts, we may get the chance to run the longest and one of the biggest rapids on the Zambezi, “Ghostrider.” This adrenaline-charged ride provides a fitting climax to our journey. At our take-out, helicopters are waiting on the riverbank to transport us back to Livingstone. We’ll fly back up the magnificent Batoka Gorge, which gives us a bird’s-eye view of all the impressive rapids we conquered on our Zambezi adventure. 

Following this incredible flight, we’ll be dropped off at a beautiful lodge overlooking the river. This evening, we’ll gather for a celebratory dinner and lively conversation recounting our exhilarating time on the river. (B, L, D)

Chobe National Park, Botswana

Enjoy a gorgeous view this morning over a leisurely breakfast at the lodge. We then travel to the Kazungula border point with Botswana, pass through immigration, and continue on to Chobe National Park. 

The afternoon will be spent on a safari tour. Chobe National Park is famous for its huge herds of elephants, as well as antelope, hippos, baboons, and lions. Time permitting, we’ll also enjoy a sunset safari before returning to our tent cabins overlooking a watering hole. (B, L, D)

Chobe National Park Safari

Awaken to the real sounds of Africa and an early morning safari, the perfect time to see lions and leopards before the heat of the day’s sun drives them into the shade. After the safari, we will return to the lodge for breakfast. We’ll have the late morning to relax, read, or maybe cool off with a shower before lunch. This afternoon we head out for more wildlife viewing before enjoying pre-dinner drinks, looking out on the African plains and the setting sun. Enjoy a delicious evening meal at the lodge, then sit outside and watch the wild visitors at the watering hole. (B, L, D)

Chobe National Park and Return to Livingstone

During breakfast, we may have one last chance to see Botswana’s unique wildlife before packing our bags and enjoying a scenic drive to the border. You will be then transported back to the Livingstone International Airport, arriving in time for flights departing after 12 PM. (B)