Where Giants Roam - Victoria Falls, Chobe & Hwange Safari

Where Giants Roam - Victoria Falls, Chobe & Hwange Safari

Botswana and Zimbabwe are home to the highest elephant populations in Africa. Sightings of these gentle giants will be commonplace as we make our way through national parks and private concessions - but they won’t be the only highlights. You’ll have the chance to soar over Victoria Falls by helicopter (and stroll underneath its iconic bridge); embark on a Chobe safari at dawn and cruise its mighty river at sunset; and spend four magical nights at Sable Valley, an intimate safari lodge bordering Hwange National Park that gained a royal seal of approval from the late Queen Elizabeth II. Adventures aside, there’s also time to glimpse local life - watching an innovative theatre show, dining at a sustainability-focused township restaurant, and visiting a wonderful community project.

What's Included:

• 10 nights in hotel and 2 in flight
• 24 meals: 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 10 dinners
• International flights. Prices are based on return flights with Ethiopian Airlines from London Heathrow.
• Titan tour manager
• Porterage
• Nationwide return chauffeur service

• 3 days free time

  Excursions:

• Simunye cultural show at Victoria Falls Theatre
• Guided tour of Victoria Falls
• Township dining experience
• Theatrical talk & bridge walk at Victoria Falls Bridge
• Helicopter ride over Victoria Falls or sunset cruise on Zambezi River
• Safari game drive in Chobe National Park
• Chobe River cruise
• 4 safari game drives at Sable Valley
• Hwange community visit
• Safari game drive in Hwange National Park

Day 1: UK - In flight

Titan Travel's nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Victoria Falls via Addis Ababa.

Day 2: Victoria Falls

After arriving in Victoria Falls, you’ll transfer to Titan's hotel. It’s set in a fantastic location - you’ll sometimes feel spray from the Falls themselves, just 400m away - and has views of a watering hole often frequented by elephants and buffalo. You’ll have some free time to relax, before we head to an open-air theatre for an incredible performance of ‘Simunye’, a tale of love, community and togetherness told through puppetry, dance, music and visuals. A fantastic way to kick off our adventure.

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Simunye cultural show at Victoria Falls Theatre (evening) Dinner

Day 3: Victoria Falls

A guided tour of Victoria Falls reveals the awesome power of the world’s largest curtain of falling water. It’s known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or the ‘Smoke that Thunders’ - and once you hear its roar and feel the cooling mist thrown up by the cascades, you’ll understand why. The afternoon is at leisure to relax or explore under your own steam. Titan's hotel is close to craft markets selling locally made handicrafts - perfect for picking up a few authentic souvenirs of your tour. Dinner this evening is at Dusty Roads, a traditional Zimbabwean restaurant in the heart of Chinotimba, the largest and oldest township in Victoria Falls. Step into a welcoming home-from-home where tasty dishes using fresh, local ingredients, are cooked to perfection over smoky charcoal fires.

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Guided tour of Victoria Falls (morning) Township dining experience (evening) Breakfast and Dinner Free time

Day 4: Victoria Falls

Another day of incredible experiences awaits. This morning, you head back to the Falls, where you’ll have the rare opportunity to walk underneath the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge. A theatrical performance reveals the history behind the design and construction of the bridge, now a designated landmark of civil engineering. You’ll then harness up to walk along the catwalks beneath the bridge, admiring the Falls and gorge from a spectacular new perspective. There are some steps to navigate and places you’ll need to duck down under the iron works - if you don’t think the walk is for you, there’s a great little museum and coffee shop to visit instead. In the afternoon, you’ll have a choice of included excursions. The first is an exhilarating 12-minute helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, soaring above the spray and spotting rainbows in the veil of mist. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the raw power and beauty of this world wonder from above. After your flight, you’ll have the afternoon at leisure - perhaps visit one of the new breweries or gin distilleries that have popped up in town recently. The second option is a more laid-back one: a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River. As the sky shifts from blush-pink to crimson, you’ll be nibbling canapés and sipping cool drinks (both included) and keeping a close eye out for hippos and crocodiles wallowing in the shallows (or even elephants enjoying an early evening bath). If you’ve taken the helicopter flight, you’ll still be able to join the cruise if you like - you’ll just need to pay locally.

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Theatrical talk & bridge walk at Victoria Falls Bridge (morning) Helicopter ride over Victoria Falls or sunset cruise on Zambezi River (afternoon) Breakfast

Day 5: Chobe

A 90-minute drive takes you into Botswana, and your hotel in Kasane, on the banks of the mighty Chobe River. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy your surroundings - perhaps have a dip in the pool or take your binoculars onto the terrace to spot some of the incredible birdlife that the river attracts.

Today includes… Breakfast and Dinner

Day 6: Chobe National Park

Your Chobe safari begins bright and early as you head into the national park with Titan's expert guide. Travelling in custom-built 4x4 vehicles, you’ll make your way across open savannahs, lush floodplains and dense woodlands in search of elephants, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest and impala. If you’re lucky, you might even spot some of the more elusive residents of Chobe National Park, such as lions, leopards and wild dogs. Your afternoon is at leisure - why not treat yourself to a few hours in the spa?

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Safari game drive in Chobe National Park (morning) Breakfast and Dinner Free time

Day 7: Chobe National Park

After a morning relaxing at the resort, you’ll spend the afternoon on a Chobe River cruise. Keep a look out for hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, antelope and more, and soak up the views as we gently travel through the pristine wilderness of Chobe National Park. The birdlife is incredibly varied here, so keep binoculars to hand.

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Chobe River cruise (afternoon) Breakfast and Dinner Free time

Day 8: Victoria Falls - Hwange

Your route to Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park takes you back past Victoria Falls and on to Hwange, stopping along the way to change to 4x4 safari vehicles, which will transport you to our authentic lodge at Sable Valley, searching for wildlife along the way. This intimate, family-owned camp sits on a private reserve that teems with wildlife and shares an unfenced border with Hwange National Park. You’ll stay in one of 11 thatched rondavels (a traditional African hut with a round shape and a conical roof) - perhaps the same one loved by the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who stayed here in the ‘90s. You’ll have some time to settle in and explore before dinner. Why not venture to the lodge’s innovative underground hide, where you might have a close encounter with an elephant, buffalo or sable antelope?

Today includes… Breakfast and Dinner

Day 9: Sable Valley Private Reserve

Tea, coffee and biscuits will soften the pre-dawn wake-up call, as you prepare to head out on your first safari game drive in Zimbabwe. The lodge’s 15,000 acres are home to a huge array of wildlife, from buffalo and big cats to bat-eared foxes. Between May and September, more than 2,000 elephants can be found at the watering holes here. Spend the afternoon relaxing on the patio or by the pool, before afternoon tea and cake is served. Our eye-opening sunset safari concludes with a gin sundowner in the bush, where we’ll toast to an amazing first day at Sable Valley.

Today includes… Excursions & visits: 2 safari game drives (morning and late afternoon) Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Free time

Day 10: Hwange National Park

We visit the wonderful residents of a community care home in Hwange this morning. Many have fascinating stories to tell about life in this part of the world and love to have visitors - it’s a great chance to learn a little more about what the day-to-day is like here. You’ll also have a chance to meet others from the local community, who will give you some insight into the valuable work being done to mitigate conflict between humans and wildlife. Your afternoon will be spent exploring Hwange National Park on safari. Zimbabwe’s largest national park, its landscape shifts from semi-desert scrubland to wooded valleys, while the wildlife roll call includes lions, leopards, rhinos and elephants.

Today includes… Excursions & visits: Hwange community visit (morning) Safari game drive in Hwange National Park (afternoon) Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 11: Sable Valley Private Reserve

A final day to soak up all that Sable Valley has to offer. Dawn and sunset safari game drives bookend the day; in between, perhaps venture to the treetop platform for more wildlife-spotting, or relax with a coffee overlooking the incredible Dete Vlei, a dried-up riverbed that attracts great herds of buffalo and elephant.

Today includes… Excursions & visits: 2 safari game drives (morning and late afternoon) Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Free time

Day 12: Hwange - Victoria Falls

Transfer back to Victoria Falls for a one night stay.

Today includes… Breakfast and Dinner

Day 13: Victoria Falls - In flight

Tranfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK.

Today includes… Breakfast

Day 14: UK

Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.