Family Zimbabwe's Falls, Hwange & Kariba

After jetting into the upgraded Victoria Falls International Airport, you will be met by your driver and transferred via a shared vehicle to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, a sprawling property that has views over Zambezi National Park. Once you have settled into your family cottage, head for the swimming pool to cool down or enjoy an iced drink on the sun-splashed deck, which has views of a popular waterhole (visits to the photographic hide can be arranged) and the park beyond. The lodge also has a complimentary shuttle that runs a regular service to various places in Victoria Falls Town, including the outdoor craft market and an upscale indoor shopping arcade that stocks great mementos and gifts.

At midday each day, the lodge hosts a ‘lunch’ for raptors, when hundreds of vultures and marabou storks are attracted by the meat left out for them. This spectacle allows you to see these often endangered birds of prey up close, and to get sensational photos of them feeding en masse.

After a peaceful night’s sleep, you will be ready for your full taste of the Victoria Falls today. A guided tour will take you to the best viewing spots, and your guide will chat about the geology of the Falls, their history and how they change depending on the rains in the far-off Angolan Highlands. The wettest time of year – and thus the time when the waters and spray are at their highest – is from about February to May (your guide may deck you out in raincoats and umbrellas, and be sure to protect your camera from the moisture). On very clear nights when the moon is full and the spray high, you may be able to see one of nature’s loveliest sights: a lunar rainbow arching its way over Batoka Gorge.

Surrounding the Falls is lush rainforest and be on the lookout for acrobatic monkeys, shy antelope and bright flowers amid the emerald foliage. Very tame warthogs are also known to visit the area but – as with all animals in Africa – keep your distance while enjoying their comical antics.

One of the undisputed highlights of a visit to Victoria Falls is a sunset cruise on the Chobe River. Departing in the late afternoon on a spacious cruiser, you and your family can set back and savour the ultimate in armchair game viewing: matriarchal herds of elephants frequently cross the river, the adults protecting the babies by keeping them in the middle of the group and helping them up the slippery, muddy slopes; pods of hippos blow bubbles and occasionally show off their impressive jaws; implacable Nile crocodiles lie on the shores, warming their massive bodies under the African sun.

Cruises are also perfect for birders, who should look out for terns, waders, spoonbills and the most iconic of all African freshwater species – the African fish eagle, which has an unforgettable cry as it scans the river for tigerfish and Zambezi bream. Drinks and snacks are served on the boat as the sky slowly changes from brilliant blue to soft pink…

On Day 4, you bid farewell to Victoria Falls for the drive to Hwange National Park and Somalisa Acacia, which has just four tented suites and its own waterhole for the park’s famous elephant population to slake their thirst.

Hwange is Zimbabwe’s biggest national park and extends to the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making for an interesting blend of scenery and game. There are about a hundred mammal species here and approximately 400 different types of birds. Thanks to special conservation projects, Hwange’s wild dog and leopard populations are making a welcome and significant comeback.

Your time at Somalisa Acacia will fall into the timeless rhythms of safari: up before dawn to see the animals coming down to drink in the morning, back to the lodge for brunch and relaxation, back out into the bush in the late afternoon to see the nocturnal predators gearing up for the evening. Because it is in a private concession, you will also be privileged to undertake night drives and nature walks with a trained and experienced guide. Both offer a completely different experience of the wild: on night drives, look out for owls, porcupines and anteaters; on nature walks, discover animal spoor, dung, hollows, insects, butterflies and birds.

Your suite will have a copper-sheathed bathtub and a log-burning fireplace, both of which are perfect for warming yourself up after returning from a chilly night drive.

It is now time to shift down a gear and ease into the final part of your African holiday. On Day 7, discover yet another massive expanse of water: Lake Kariba is the world’s largest manmade dam by volume and spans the Zimbabwean-Zambian border. It is dotted with idyllic islands and you will be able to spot both game and birds from the decks of The Matusadona, a luxurious safari cruiser.

While the chef whips up delicious meals and snacks, you will set off with the rest of the crew on speed boats and pontoons to see other parts of Kariba, and perhaps even try your hand at tigerfishing. As a significant water source, Kariba attracts plenty of game and once again you will be able to watch herds of buffalo, impala, giraffe, zebra and elephant quench their thirsts. Parts of the lake border Matusadona National Park and if your cruiser passes this stretch, be on the lookout for lion and leopard on the shore.

After four blissful nights on the water, you will be driven to the Bumi airstrip for your short flight back to Victoria Falls International Airport, your Zimbabwe adventure ending but never forgotten.