Compare Africa's Wildlife by Odysseys Unlimited

Day 1

Depart U.S. for Johannesburg, South Africa

Day 2

Arrive Johannesburg Upon arrival we transfer to our hotel in the suburb of Rosebank.

Day 3

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Johannesburg/Soweto We meet our fellow travelers today as we embark on a tour of the Soweto district of Johannesburg. Here we see the home of former Archbishop Desmond Tutu; visit Nelson Mandela’s home, which is now a museum; and tour the moving Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, where we learn more about apartheid and the Soweto uprising of 1976. Then we hear fascinating stories from a local Sowetan who was present during the uprising, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner together.

Day 4

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Johannesburg/Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe We fly today to Livingstone, Zambia, then transfer to Victoria Falls and our deluxe lodge located in the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve. This afternoon we see for ourselves the thundering falls, first “discovered” by David Livingstone and claimed for Queen Victoria in 1855. With its 300-­foot-deep gorge and soaking spray, “Vic” Falls is a wonder of the natural world.

Day 5

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Victoria Falls This morning we embark on a game drive to spot the elusive – and critically endangered – black rhino. Late afternoon we embark on a “Sundowner” dinner cruise on the Zambezi where we see wildlife on shore and in the water.

Day 6

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Victoria Falls After a morning visit to Victoria Falls town and a local village, this after­noon is at leisure at our deluxe lodge with its own watering hole and outdoor pool. Tonight we hear a fascinating guest speaker on “The Story of David Livingstone.”

Day 7

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Victoria Falls/Chobe National Park, Botswana This morning we visit a nearby school then travel two hours by motorcoach to Botswana and Chobe National Park, boasting one of the largest concentrations of game in all of Africa. After settling in and enjoying lunch at our lodge, this afternoon we embark on a game-viewing boat safari on the Chobe River, where we may see hippo, crocs, some of the park’s 450 species of birds (including the sacred ibis, carmine bee-eaters, fish eagle, and kingfisher), and perhaps a beautiful Chobe sunset. We dine tonight at our lodge.

Day 8

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Chobe National Park Known for its diverse terrain that attracts an exceptional array of wildlife – including the world’s largest elephant population (some 120,000), along with zebra, lion, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, and buffalo – Chobe covers 7,270 square miles of protected parkland. We’ll see a portion of this natural wonder on our early morning game drive and this afternoon’s boat safari. And this evening perhaps we'll see one of the sublime sunsets for which Chobe is known.

Day 9

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Chobe National Park We’re settling into a comfortable routine, with early morning and late afternoon game drives. In between game viewing activities, we’re at leisure to enjoy the amenities of our lodge on the banks of the Chobe River, adjacent to the park itself.

Day 10

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Chobe National Park/Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia This morning we board a privately chartered plane for the 1½-hour flight to Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia’s newest reserve (since 1983) and, as the former private sanctuary of Zambia’s president, the least developed. Here in one of Africa’s last stretches of pristine wilderness we have the chance to get closer to the animals than anywhere else. Late afternoon we engage in some of the lodge’s game viewing activities that include open vehicle game drives, fishing, guided canoe trips, bush walks, and boat safaris.

Day 11

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lower Zambezi National Park A day of game viewing activities in this 1,600-square-mile park on the southern end of Zambia known for its 100-strong elephant herds, unusually large prides of lion, plus buffalo, water­buck, antelope, impala, crocodile, hippo, kudu, wart­hog, eland, and leopard, among other wildlife; and where ebonies, leadwoods, figs, and acacias preside over the mineral-rich grassland. Together with Zimbabwe’s renowned Mana Pools Reserve situated across the river, the Lower Zambezi National Park forms a massive sanctuary and UNESCO World Heritage site where we’re certain to enjoy unparalleled game and bird viewing – and rarely see other safari-goers.

Day 12

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lower Zambezi National Park From our 14-room luxury lodge on the banks of the Zambezi, we have another day to engage in game viewing activities in this lush riverine environment of 50 mammal species and 400 bird species. With the Zambezi River, abundant game on the valley floor, and the Zambezi Escarpment as a backdrop, the Lower Zambezi National Park offers a dramatic setting for game viewing ... as does our lodge, where animals roam freely on the grounds. Tonight we celebrate our wildlife adventure at a farewell dinner.

Day 13

Meals: Breakfast

Lower Zambezi National Park/Lusaka/Depart for U.S. We travel by charter flight today to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, where we have hotel day rooms until our departure this evening for the airport and our overnight flight to the U.S.

Day 14

Arrive U.S. We arrive in the U.S. this morning and connect with our flights home.