Victoria Falls, Namibia & Chobe National Park

Just around midday, as the sun reaches its highest point of orbit, your plane will touch down on the gently steaming airport tarmac. A Flame of Africa representative will be on hand to usher you into the magical world of Victoria Falls, an intoxicating mix of fiery falls and wildlife, fine dining and dusty roads begging to be explored.

We will then escort you to your destination, The Victoria Falls Hotel. Originally built in 1904 as lodging for railway workers, the hotel has evolved into five-star accommodation, and is an accredited member of The Leading Hotels of The World. Renowned the world over for its fine dining and serenely majestic escape into the long ago colonial era, it is surrounded by wide verandas that offer spectacular views of uniquely African vistas, and overlooks the Fall Gorge, a truly perfect spot for the tradition gin and tonic sundowners. A winding path from the hotel entrance leads you to the wonder of the unrivalled Victoria Falls.

At 15h30, you will be conveyed to the mighty Zambezi, where you will board the pontoon to enjoy a two-hour sunset cruise. There is no river that entices and mesmerises quite like this one, and its charm soon draws all who sail on her into an ethereal nether world of fiery sunset colours, African greens revealing the incredible river wildlife, and grey-blue streams of river water. All senses are heightened and delighted, especially when the boat draws close to the legendary spray of the Falls. Please bring a light jersey as well as your camera for the many photographic opportunities aboard. This cruise does include finger snacks, beer, wine, local spirits, and soft drinks for added enjoyment.

Dinner will be served at 19h30 in the Livingstone Room at The Victoria Falls Hotel – a multi award winning, fine dining establishment which requires a smart casual dress code. Prepare for an opulent dining experience, one which has set the benchmark for restaurant quality in Africa with seven course meals as well as an a la carte option, with wonderful live bands and dancing to complete the evening.

Breakfast will be served early, to accommodate an 08h00 collection for a two-hour guided tour of the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls. No photograph or video clip can adequately reveal the reality of these Falls – which reach their zenith toward May every year. Prepare to overwhelm all five senses as you walk along the wet and paved paths, smell the sounds of the cascading water, hear the intermittent calls of the exotic birds as they dart in and out of the vibrant vegetation, tantalising you with flashes of colour. This is truly Nature’s supreme masterpiece and the sheer power of the Falls will inspire and humble every visitor. Look out for the Big Tree, and various points of historic interest pointed out by your Guides, who will also provide fascinating detail of the flora, fauna, bird and wildlife that surround your Vic Falls experience. Raincoats will be provided where needed, and Guides are equipped to assist clients with photographic opportunities along the tour.

From this multi-sensory experience, guests will then be provided with an afternoon of leisure to either relax and enjoy the comforts of their hotel facilities; or engage in the many optional Victoria Falls activities available for tourists.

At 19h00, you will be escorted to the famous, traditional Boma Dinner, a three-hour long experience that will leave you replete and engorged with exotic flavours! Be prepared for far more than an ethnic culinary experience, as the dinner provides guests with a truly cultural experience, beginning with a Shona and Ndebele greeting which invites you to engage in the hand washing ceremony. The meal is preceded by a sampling of potent tribal beer and snacks.

The excellent cuisine includes a variety of game dishes as well as traditional dishes peculiar to the Zimbabwean culture. Each course enjoyed under the spectacular African night sky is enhanced by a feast of unending entertainment which ranges from traditional dancers, to a Sangoma, or storyteller, an expert in local folklore and heritage. You may also opt to have your fortune told by the all-knowing local fortune teller.

The Victoria Falls experience ends with a leisurely breakfast followed by a transfer across the border into Botswana and onto Kasane Immigration Point. Once you have cleared immigration, you will be escorted aboard for a 15-minute boat transfer across the winding Chobe River via Kasika Immigration Point, Namibia, where you will arrive at Chobe Water Villas.

Tucked away unobtrusively in a secret corner of the African wilderness, bordered protectively by two mighty rivers, the Villas offer a perfect haven for nature and wildlife, – and those escaping the world to this wetland paradise. The boutique lodge offers a stylish exclusivity for its guests and is truly a magical destination.

Please note, the daily opening hours of Immigration Offices are from 07:30 to 16:30.

Guests are invited to choose two activities per day from the tantalising array of activities available, each one of which is guaranteed to enrich your Namibian experience. These include the following:

MORNING GAME DRIVE

The morning game drives, between 08h00 to 12h00, are four to five hours in duration and comprise a drive into the Chobe National Park, an 11 700 km2 wildlife reserve, truly one of Africa’s wildlife gems and one of the greatest game reserves in southern Africa. It is particularly famous for the number of elephants that reside therein. Estimates vary on the elephant population, but what is guaranteed is that you will witness the unforgettable and humbling sight of these vast and majestic herds, sometimes as large as a few hundred, ranging through the reserve. Sightings of predators such as lion, leopard and wild dog are common, so prolific are they, that the area has been called the Galapagos of Africa. In order to ensure your experience is as wonderful as it should be, please pack binoculars, cameras and a windbreaker.

This drive includes park fees, tea, coffee, biscuits or rusks and bottled water. Please note that immigration formalities will apply.

MORNING CHOBE RIVER SAFARI

This river safari is for three to four hours, between 08h00 to 12h00, and is conducted along the banks of the Chobe National park. The Chobe River flows seemingly endlessly through the Caprivi flood plains and provides a haven for huge herds of buffalo and elephant as well as zebra, wildebeest and impala, hunted relentlessly by lurking predators. Guests are guaranteed to enjoy many memorable sightings of wildlife, fauna and flora.

The river safari includes park fees, tea, coffee, biscuits or rusks and bottled water.

AFTERNOON CHOBE RIVER SAFARI

The afternoon river safari is the same duration as the morning one, and begins at 15h30, ending at 18h30.

The afternoon river safari includes park fees, snacks, soft drinks, local spirits, beers, wines and bottled water.

AFTERNOON BOAT CRUISE ON THE CHOBE & ZAMBEZI RIVERS

With departure at 15h30, the afternoon boat cruise takes you on a romantically serene three-hour float on both the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers as the boat winds its way through the shorelines of three countries, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. Feel the warmth of the African sun caress your skin as you cruise down the historic Kasai Channel and view the wildlife drinking from the waters of the Impalila Island.

The cruise, ending at 18h30, includes snacks, soft drinks, local spirits, beers, wines and bottled water.

As per Day 5.

Your Chobe experience ends in an early afternoon flight from Kasane. Conclude the legendary experience with a leisurely breakfast before your airport transfer.