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Highlights

  • Zambezi River & Victoria Falls adventures
  • Big 5 game viewing in a premier reserve
  • Barefoot-luxury in the Seychelles
  • Educational island tours & off-road game drives
  • Spot leopard & nocturnal creatures
  • Bush & beach spa treatments
  • Sunset boat cruises on the Zambezi River

Overview

You kick off your 13-day tour on the Zambian banks of the Zambezi River at Thorntree River Lodge, just a few kilometres upstream from the world-famous Victoria Falls. Geared for both relaxation and a host of adventure-filled activities, this riverside retreat is an idyllic base from which to discover this spectacular waterfall which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.

It's then off to the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve across the border in South Africa. Immerse yourself in the raw wilderness of the Sabi, where you stay in a lavish riverside villa in the heart of Big 5 territory at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge. On the exclusive reserve, enjoy 4x4 game drives and informative walking safaris led by an expert ranger-and-tracker team.

From the Greater Kruger, you will spend a night at The Residence – a luxurious hotel in Johannesburg’s affluent neighbourhood of Houghton, where no request is too big - before a short stayover at the Eden Bleu Hotel in the Seychelles. Your final Seychellois home is a chic beachfront cottage overlooking the gin-clear waters of the Indian Ocean on St Denis Island. Spend heady days sunbathing on the footprint-free beach, dipping in the bright-blue lagoon, scuba diving on the reef and exploring the dense forests of this pristine castaway-fantasy island.

Make a Positive Impact Through Travel

This Positive Impact Safari includes a donation to a Wildlife initiative

When you book this safari Go2Africa will donate $20 to support the Endangered Wildlife Trust with tracking and monitoring equipment required to provide protection for endangered species.

This Positive Impact Safari includes a donation to a Community initiative

When you book this safari Go2Africa will donate $30 to Maunga Village Primary School near Livingstone, to improve the school’s facilities and provide access to food for learners.

Summary

  • Tour Duration: 13 Days

Accommodations Visited

Day to day

Itinerary

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Tongabezi Lodge-Victoria Falls

Days 1-3: The Smoke that Thunders

Zambia
Detailed breakdown

Days 1-3: The Smoke that Thunders | 3 Nights

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Zambia

Depart OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for the Zambian town of Livingstone, where you will land at Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport. A comfortable road transfer takes you to your home for the next three nights - Thorntree River Lodge. This stylish, contemporary lodge sits just upstream of Victoria Falls on the banks of the Zambezi River.

The nearby Falls are a must-visit, especially during a full moon when a lunar rainbow forms over its 108-metre-high cascade. The array of white-knuckle activities available at the Falls will keep adrenalin junkies busy too. Guided 4x4 game drives and birding walks are fantastic opportunities for wildlife viewing and an idyllic boat cruise on the hippo-highway of the river is a signature Zambezi experience not to be missed.

You will never tire of the splendid wilderness views from the comfort of one of the lodge's several lookout decks and sunken wooden deck, nor those afforded from the privacy of your suite's private, furnished one. While away the afternoon in the nook of a giant sofa with a book chosen from the library or find respite from the heat of the day in your private plunge pool.

Tongabezi Lodge-Victoria Falls

Days 4-6: Total Luxury at Lion Sands | 3 Nights

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Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Kruger Private Reserves, South Africa

After one last breakfast in Zambia, you will transfer back to Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Airport to cross the border into South Africa. Your flight lands at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, where you are fetched by a private driver and driven to Lion Sands Ivory Lodge.

Set on the banks of the Sabie River, your lavish and contemporary villa is located on a private concession within South Africa’s premier Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, which borders the Kruger National Park. Thrilling 4x4 game drives and informative walking safaris through untamed game-rich wilderness are led by an expert ranger-and-tracker team. Expect excellent game viewing with reliable leopard sightings in a Big 5 reserve where off-road driving is permitted for unique wildlife encounters and an unmatched animal tracking experience. For a more unusual outing, join a hippo tour along the Sabie River and experience up-close encounters with these land-shy animals while crocodiles sun themselves on the riverbank. Night-time game drives expose nocturnal bush life, including bush babies, genet, or even a stealthy predator hunting and stalking its prey.

Your incredibly spacious 2-roomed glass-fronted villa features its own rim-flow pool and a dedicated butler. Take your meals on the lower wooden viewing deck with expansive wilderness views, in the privacy of your villa, or alfresco around a roaring fire beneath the starlit sky. Retire to your suite’s exquisitely appointed living area and curl up in front of the cosy fireplace before sinking into your king-sized bed for a contented night’s sleep.

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Day 7: One Night in the City of Gold | 1 Night

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Johannesburg, South Africa

This morning, you are transferred to Skukuza Airport, where you board a flight to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Here, you are met by a representative from The Residence and escorted in a Rolls Royce to the hotel.

Located in the affluent neighbourhood of Houghton – home to late President Nelson Mandela – this hotel is characterised by regal charm and boasts superb attention to decorative detail in everything from its extravagantly furnished sitting areas and lounges to your airy, individually designed suite. The perfect respite after six days on safari.

The Residence Johannesburg - swimming pool
The Residence Johannesburg- bedroom interior
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Day 8: Off to the Beach | 1 Night

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After breakfast, you are transferred back to OR Tambo for your flight to the Seychelles. From Seychelles International Airport, it is just a 10-minute drive to the Eden Bleu Hotel.

With direct access to the world-class yacht marina, Eden Bleu is a water-sport lover's dream. In the evening, head to Bourgeois Bar for a sundowner and a light meal, and then to the casino to see if Lady Luck is smiling on you. All rooms have views of Eden Island, the marina or the beautiful granite peaks.

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Days 9-12: The seclusion of Denis Island | 4 Nights

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Private Islands, Seychelles

In the morning you are transferred back to Seychelles International Airport from where you fly in a light aircraft to remote Denis Island. Your Crusoe-chic beachfront cottage sits under the shade of coconut palms and overlooks the gin-clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Spend heady days sunbathing on the footprint-free beach between refreshing dips in the bright blue lagoon. Exploring the inviting ocean’s depths on a reef dive – or even wallowing in the shallows with a snorkel – get up-close to triggerfish, pirouetting rays and gliding turtles.

Wander through the thick of the island’s forest that echoes with birdcall while discovering the immense diversity of flora and fauna. Resident conservationists conduct educational island tours, which provide fascinating insight into its history and conservation background. Watch the talented chef in the open kitchen as he uses ingredients sourced fresh from the island’s gardens or the surrounding Indian Ocean to prepare innovative cuisine to tantalise the senses; whether for a 5-course dining room affair, breakfast in bed or a romantic candlelit beach dinner under a star-studded night sky. Each time you return to your seaside beach cottage you are floored by the spectacular views from your verandah, furnished with a comfortable day bed overlooking the water just a few steps away. Lulled by the sound of the ocean rhythmically lapping the shoreline, fall into a deep slumber and dream of Africa.

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Day 13: Bid Africa goodbye

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After breakfast you fly back to Seychelles International Airport for your transfer to Johannesburg where you connect with your onwards flight home.

Inclusions tick icon

Inclusions

  • All return transfers as specified in the itinerary
  • Flights as specified in the itinerary
Exclusions tick icon

Exclusions

  • International flights
  • Airport taxes
  • All meals and drinks not specified
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature