13 Day Romantic and Luxurious Southern Africa- Kalahari Desert, Okavango, Bazaruto Archipelago

Day 1-2:

Upon your arrival at Johannesburg International Airport you will be met by a member of the Falcon-Safari.com team and handed your travel documents. He will be holding a board with your names on it, and will show you to the check-in counter for your onward flight to Livingstone Airport in Zambia.

On arrival at Livingstone Airport, you will be met by our driver and transferred to the lodge by road.

A small, secluded lodge upstream from Victoria Falls, Tongabezi is set in a tranquil grove of African Ebony trees on a sweeping bend of the Zambezi River.

Accommodation consists of five luxury cottages and five spacious open-planned thatched houses. All have magnificent views of the river and a private verandah, and all are exotic architecturally.

You will be accommodated for 2 nights in the house of your choice: Tree House, Bird House, Honeymoon House, Dog House or Garden House.

Each house is set on the edge of the Zambezi River and has unique architectural features, four-poster oversized beds with large airy mosquito canopies, en-suite bathrooms, flush toilets with view, running hot and cold water (shower and bath).

The Honeymoon House is so-called because it was the first house built, but each of the houses is built with romance and indulgence in mind. The private balcony overlooking the river is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner under the stars, or you can choose to dine with the other guests on one of the river decks.

Activities include visits to Victoria Falls, Livingstone museums and markets, lazing at the swimming pool, birding, fishing, boating, canoeing, and walking – or simply watching the elephants, hippos and game go by. Noted for its absolute tranquility, Tongabezi Lodge is the ideal location to soak up the mystery of the Zambezi and pamper and rejuvenate your soul.

All your meals, drinks and activities are included in your stay.

Day 3-4:

After two nights at Tongabezi, you will be transferred in a private air-conditioned vehicle to Kasane Airport (a journey of approximately 80 minutes), where you will board a light aircraft for your flight over the spectacular Okavango Delta to Sandibe Camp (a flight time of 1hr 20mins). What a breathtaking experience this is!

Sandibe Safari Lodge is set on a permanent channel of the magnificent Okavango Delta, adjacent to the game-rich Moremi Wildlife Reserve on a 270 square kilometer (104 square mile) private concession.

The beautiful thatched lodge nestles between permanent water and grass-swept plains and was built with a commitment to treading lightly on the earth. The result is organic architecture that blends seamlessly with one of the most breathtaking landscapes in Africa. Sandibe is surrounded by an abundant array of wildlife, and throughout the year guests are enchanted by the changing moods of the Delta. Through exhilarating game-drives in open 4×4 safari vehicles, interpretive bush walks, Mokoro (dugout canoe) and eco-craft cruises, CC Africa’s professional guides share the wonder of this wetland wilderness.

Surrounded by forest, Sandibe’s twin-bedded cottages are styled in a fusion of ochres and tactile textures, with airy screen walls opening onto exceptional views of the Okavango Delta wetlands and savanna. The central dining and sitting area is tucked under a soaring canopy of trees.

After your evening game-drive, enjoy a delicious alfresco banquet of Pan- African cuisine in the outdoor boma, illuminated by dozens of candles and lanterns. Alternatively, your private deck provides a romantic setting for intimate candlelit dinners. Sandibe is also known for wonderful bush picnics in surprising settings.

Day 5:

After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airstrip for your short flight (45 minutes) to Jacks Camp, surely one of the most romantic camps on earth!

The camp is pitched on a low grassland knoll amongst an oasis of dignified desert palms and Kalahari acacia. After the rains, when the sea of grass is still high and feathery, the camp is all but invisible until seconds before your arrival!

The camp’s hub is a romantic canvas pavilion of low spires and finials, with a fluttering valance beneath its eaves. It could be the site for a medieval jousting tourney, were it not a deciduous green. Three poles support the main chamber where everyone meets for meals at a long communal dining table.

Ten green roomy and stylish canvas tents with en-suite bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers (for those who want to feel the Kalahari breeze on their skin) have been fashioned in classical 1940s style, creating an oasis of civilization in what can be the harshest of stark environments.

Persian rugs underfoot, cool cotton sheets and mahogany and brass campaign-style kit from the family safari stores form a striking contrast with the rugged wilderness viewed from the comfort of ones own verandah.

Drive out after tea through the verdant grasslands to the edge of the pans.

Stop to watch the sunset, and listen to an explanation of how the Makgadikgadi pans, the remnants of the worlds largest ever super lake, were formed.

Return to camp for a lavish dinner in the elegant mess tent, a designated national museum of Botswana.

Day 6:

Set off in the morning to visit some of the Kalahari’s sexiest meerkats (suricate to science-minded people and Timon to Lion King fans). Get up close and personal with these captivating creatures. On chilly mornings, you might well find a meerkat snuggling up to you for warmth. Or, in the absence of a termite mound or tree, using your head as a sentry lookout post!

By spending quality time with these incredibly social, superbly adapted animals, you will be able to see how they interact with each other and their environment. You also get the chance to see the desert through the eyes of a meerkat which, despite the fact that it is only a foot off the ground, is a pretty spectacular vantage point – and definitely one of the most special and memorable game experiences you will encounter in Botswana.

After a picnic breakfast, visit a remote cattle-post to learn about the traditional culture of the Batswana people. Uncharted Africa Safari vehicles are top-of-the-range Toyota Land Cruisers. They are extremely comfortable and have multiple thoughtful details that make them perfect for game viewing – such as roof top seats, leather bean bags for photography and ponchos to keep one warm on sunrise game drives.

Close by is the famous Chapman’s Baobab (also known as the Seven Sisters), which is acknowledged to be the largest tree in Africa, and was the campsite of early explorers like Livingstone and Selous when they pioneered the area. This gives you an opportunity to gain a fascinating insight into the history of the early explorers.

Return to camp for a rest and refreshing lunch. Uncharted Africa Safari Co. is renowned throughout the industry for menus that emphasize fresh tastes and originality. Three course meals under the stars include such treats as fresh tomato and basil soup, ostrich piccata, roast Botswana beef, delectable orange tarts and impossibly rich, but light, chocolate puddings.

Teas are indulgent affairs with treats like triple layer banana caramel cake, tangy lemon curd biscuits and the best brownies in the bush! All bread is baked daily, and full cooked English breakfasts are on offer every morning.

After tea, travel down to the pans where you will be given a brief safety talk before mounting your trusty quad bike to head off across the pans. Watch the sun set and the stars rise. This is one of the only places in the world where the silence is so complete you can hear the blood circulating through your ears.

Day 7:

Early in the morning, comb the edge of the extinct lake shore to find some of the many stone tools and fossils that litter the pan surface, and learn about the origins of early man.

Return to camp for a huge brunch before you bid farewell to the camp, in preparation for your light aircraft transfer to Maun, in time for your connecting flight at 15h00 with Air Botswana to Johannesburg, arriving at 16h40.

You will met in the arrivals hall and transferred to the Safari Club, which is conveniently situated near the airport. Dinner will be at your own expense tonight, but a delicious breakfast buffet is included in your stay.

Day 8-12:

After breakfast you will be transferred back to Johannesburg Airport (10 minutes) for your flight to Vilanculos in Mozambique (approx. 2 hours). The flight time from Johannesburg to Vilanculos is 2 hours. You will then transfer from Vilanculos by helicopter in 20-30 minutes to Azura retreat Benguerra Falcon.

Imagine an unspoilt Falcon within a National Park, deserted beaches of pure white sand, sparkling turquoise seas, swaying palms, sunny days and star studded nights…and you have Azura Mozambique.

Azura is the country’s first luxury eco-boutique retreat. Built and operated in partnership with the local community, it has just 15 villas, each with their own infinity pool and designed for the ultimate in pampering and privacy.

With unsurpassed levels of cuisine and service, a vast range of activities and experiences, and a unique African spa, you have the perfect Falcon getaway. The villas blend modern chic with all that is traditional in Mozambique. The creature comforts you would expect from a luxury boutique resort are there, set off by beautifully carved beams and traditional artwork beneath a local thatched jekka roof.

Each villa is just footsteps from the beach, yet designed with seclusion in mind. Nestled amidst the indigenous trees and bush, Azura has painstakingly created your own private sanctuary, where you can feel at one with the environment.

Wander down to the pristine white beach and welcoming azure sea beyond. Or lounge around on plump cushions and have your butler serve you tea. Tan in private beneath the swaying palms, and cool off in your sparkling plunge pool. Dine on your deck, or sip a cocktail in your beachside Sala as the sun goes down. Lie in your bath and gaze at the view, or shower beneath the stars. Do whatever you want to do. Azura’s villas are a welcoming place to stay… in fact you may not want to leave them at all!

Activities

The majority of activities at Azura are based in and around the sea. Guests can snorkel, dive, fly fish or big game fish, swim with dolphins, track down humpback whales on their migration, or go out with the Dugong Protection Team and search for the shy endangered mammal.

For those who want to stay on land, you can tour the Falcon, climb the sand dunes or visit the Falcon’s lakes. Alternatively they can take a dhow and picnic to a deserted beach. Your stay consists of 5 nights in a Luxury Beach Villa on a full board basis.

Day 13:

Transfer to Vilanculos airport, where you will catch your return flight to Johannesburg. OUR ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOU END HERE