Compare 12 Day South Africa, Vic Falls & Botswana Across Africa Safari by Ker & Downey Africa vs Extension: Victoria Falls by Road Scholar

Days 1 - 3: Cape Town

We may be biased but we can think of nowhere better to start your dream African safari than Cape Town. Offering the very best in cuisine, culture, entertainment, art and adventure and framed by the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town is riding high right now as one of the world’s best cities.

After arrival at Cape Town International Airport, where you will be met by your Ker & Downey local representative, you will be transferred to the Clarendon Bantry Bay, situated in an exclusive suburb of Cape Town on the Atlantic Seaboard.

Our Cape Town based travel team is standing by to help plan your perfect Cape Town experience. From the perfect afternoon picnic in Kirstenbosch Gardens to a half-day helicopter tour of the Cape Peninsula, insider tips on the latest pop-up markets and stores to which of Cape Town’s award-winning restaurants we frequent ourselves, we love nothing more than showing our guests the best the city has to offer and incorporating those small details into your tour planning.

Activities And Services

Cape Malay Cooking

Recommended

Cape Point Tour Half Day

Cape Winelands

Included

Accommodation, Breakfast, Transfers to and from Cape Town International Airport and your luxury boutique hotel.

Meals other than mentioned, sightseeing and activities other than specified, transfers other than mentioned, gratuities, visa costs, travel insurance and any items of a personal nature.

Days 4 - 6: Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve

On your fourth day you will be transferred from your hotel in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport where you will depart on the internal flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (the cost of this flight is not included in the tour price).

Hidden among a cluster of indigenous trees on the banks of the Msuthlu River, Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp offers its guests superior exclusivity in an intimate environment. This enchanting camp is found in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, who's gates open onto the unsurpassed wilderness of the Kruger National Park. It is the smallest of the Sabi Sabi lodges, providing you with a homely ambiance in a fairy-tale setting of seclusion.

Explore the plains that surround you on a morning and evening game drive, where you stand the chance to see the Big 5 among an assortment of other safari animals. A nature walk through the park led by a professional guide will give you a different prospective of the wilderness.

Activities And Services

Sabi Sabi Game Drives

Optional

Birdwatching at Sabi Sabi

Recommended

Starlight Bush Dinner

Included

Accommodation, all meals, beverages (only local house brands), scheduled activities (game drives and guided walks), emergency medical evacuation cover and all inter-camp transfers via scheduled air transfers (KMIA - Lodge - JNB(Incl)).

Excluded

Meals other than mentioned, beverages (Private collection wines, premium brands), sightseeing and activities other than specified, transfers other than mentioned (Flight: CTIA - KMIA (Excl)), gratuities, laundry, curio shop purchases, visa costs, travel insurance and any items of a personal nature

Days 7 - 8: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

On the 7th day you will be transferred back to the Sabi Sabi lodge airstrip for you scheduled flight (cost included) to OR Tambo Intl for your flight to Victoria Falls Intl (cost excluded).

Once landing at Victoria Falls Intl you will be met and transferred to Victoria Falls River Lodge. Built on raised wooden decks, the 13 luxurious tents all boast beautiful views of a river and the African bush and come with their own private plunge pools. The luxuriously furnished rooms are a fusion of European and African decor and make for an excellent location to explore the quaint town of Victoria Falls and the impressive Falls themselves.

Included in your stay is a rain forest canopy tour. This memorable canopy tour consists of 9 different slides that will take you through thick riverine vegetation over the Zambezi River. Zip over gorges and above the trees as you explore this beautiful region in a thrilling and breathtaking way.

Activities And Services

Rainforest Canopy Tour

Optional

Wild Horizons Elephant Back Safari

Recommended

Victoria Falls Bridge Tour

Included

Accommodation, breakfast, road transfer from VFA to the lodge and to your next lodge on the day of departure.

Excluded

Meals other than mentioned, sightseeing and activities other than specified, transfers other than mentioned, gratuities, visa costs, travel insurance and any items of a personal nature.

Days 9 - 11: Chobe River Front

On your ninth day, you will be collected from The Royal Livingstone Hotel and transferred by road to Chobe Game Lodge, situated on the banks of the Chobe River, inside the Chobe National Park.

All of the rooms at Chobe Game Lodge are river-facing, with spacious decks and air-conditioning, as well as a complimentary mini-bar. And because Chobe Game Lodge is located within the Park, you will get to set off just as the gates to the park open, which means you are out and about before any of the other visitors to the park.

The Chobe area is famed for its big population of elephants, and this is where you will be sure to tick off the first of the big five safari favourites. You will have the option of enjoying a boat cruise on the Chobe River, as well as daily game drives, guided nature walks and tours of the local community. Accept the warm and jovial human touch that Africans are so well known for, through the professional staff and the vibrant communities.

Activities And Services

Chobe Game Lodge game viewing

Optional

Chobe Game Lodge birding experience

Recommended

Chobe Game Lodge boat cruises

Included

Accommodation (As per Itinerary), All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), Beverages (Refreshments, local spirits and house wines (Excl: Premium Brands)), Scheduled activities (Morning and afternoon game drives, mid-morning and sunset cruises on a safari boat), Laundry service, Emergency medical evacuation insurance, National Park fees, All transfers to and from the lodge.

Excluded

Meals other than specified, Premium brand drinks, Gratuities, Sightseeing and activities other than specified, Visa fees, Travel insurance, Flights and transfers other than specified, Any items of a personal nature.

Day 12: Departure

On your last day of the tour, you will wake early for your final game drive and African bush sunrise, before returning to camp. You will be collected and transferred the short distance to Tubu airstrip before flying on to Maun airport for your onward journey orinternational flight home.

Included

Transfer back to Tubu airstrip and air transfer to Maun international airport for your onward journey.

Exclude

International flight & departure taxes.

Day 1
In Transit to Program
In Flight

Day 2
Arrive Johannesburg, Check-in, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Johannesburg D Courtyard Hotel Eastgate
Activity note: This extension is a pre-program option for Program 22424, The Best of Botswana: An In-depth Safari Experience. Hotel check-in from 2:00pm.

Afternoon: Check in at the hotel and relax before the welcome dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel, enjoy a buffet welcome dinner including a starter and entrée with side dish; a welcome drink, bottled water, coffee and tea are provided.

Evening: Orientation: Our Site Coordinator will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Our Group Leader for the extension and main programs will meet us at the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe airport tomorrow. Upon arrival at Victoria Falls airport tomorrow, all participants will need to obtain a single-entry visa for Zimbabwe. American citizens, please have US$30 per person cash in the exact change available for the visa; Canadian citizens need US$75 per person for the visa. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Day 3
To Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe’s Falls, Livingstone Class
Victoria Falls B,D A'Zambezi River Lodge
Activity note: Flight is approximately 1 hour 40 minutes. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day at Victoria Falls on mostly flat, paved paths.

Breakfast: Taken at the hotel, breakfast is an expansive buffet featuring a variety of cold cereals, fresh fruit, cold meats and cheeses, pastries and hot items such as bacon, sausage, tomatoes and mushrooms. Omelettes, eggs and waffles are cooked on demand. Fruit juices, coffee, tea and water provided.

Morning: We will check out of the hotel and transfer via motorcoach to Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo airport to board our flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Lunch: In flight.

Afternoon: Arrive Victoria Falls where we will clear customs and immigration; please be advised that long lines at Victoria Falls airport can sometimes cause delays while obtaining a visa. We will then transfer via minibus to the lodge, where we will check-in and settle into our rooms before being driven a short distance to see the Falls on the Zimbabwean side. Upon our entrance to the park, we will walk along the path with commentary from the Group Leader about the formation of the falls, as well as the local flora and birdlife seen. Since the waterfall spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it is visible from both countries, but the majority of the water falls on the Zimbabwean side. Viewing the Falls from this side provides numerous overlooks and truly gives us a feel for the full majesty of this natural wonder

Dinner: At the lodge, we will have a multi-course buffet including a choice of main dishes with meat and vegetarian options, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Tonight, we will hear a presentation from our Group Leader covering David Livingstone's exploration of the area and discovery of the Falls.

Day 4
Elephant Encounter, Free Time
Victoria Falls B,L,D A'Zambezi River Lodge
Activity note: Transfer to the elephants takes 30 minutes each way. Walk with the elephants for approximately 1 mile on uneven ground.

Breakfast: Lodge buffet.

Morning: By minibus, we will be driven to a nearby location for our elephant encounter. 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 be driven a short distance to our lunch venue.

Lunch: At a local café offering views of the Batoka Gorge, enjoy a set menu, plated, three-course meal, plus bottled water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in the town of Victoria Falls. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. In the early evening, we will regroup at the lodge and be driven a short distance to our dinner location.

Dinner: Our 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.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5
To Chobe National Park, Pre-Program Option Concludes
Chobe National Park B,L
Activity note: Lodge check-out by 10:00 a.m. Transfer may take up to 4 hours depending on immigration at the border.

Breakfast: Lodge buffet.

Morning: We will check out of the hotel and set out for our transfer via minibus across the border to Chobe National Park, Botswana to meet with the main scheduled program. At the end of our transfer, we will check into the lodge.

Lunch: At the lodge, enjoy a plentiful buffet featuring salads, a main entrée, and hot breakfast items such as sausage, bacons, and eggs cooked to order. Local non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages are included; premium alcohol is available for purchase.

Afternoon: After settling into our rooms, we will begin on the main program #22424 and follow the program accordingly.