Day 1

Arrive Victoria Falls,Zimbabwe where we will meet you and transfer you to the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, a beautiful brick and thatch lodge that provides the best accommodation in Victoria Falls and where you will overnight. The lodge is situated on the edge of Victoria Falls town and looks out across the valley to the Victoria Falls National Park, beyond which you can see the Zambezi River. Warthogs, banded mongooses, baboons and monkeys are regular visitors, while elephant and buffalo roam in the valley below. In the afternoon we will take you to the world famous Victoria Falls, locally known as "Mosi oa Tunya", the smoke that thunders. In the evening we will take you to dinner at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge restaurant, which overlooks a floodlit waterhole from where you can watch the animals coming down to drink while you dine. Victoria Falls is also the centre for a number of adventure activities such as the best one-day white-water rafting in the world, horse or elephant back riding, scenic flights over the Victoria Falls in a helicopter, microlight or ultralight, bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge or a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. (For additional activities you will need to spend two nights.)

Day 2

Gavin will meet you at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge immediately after breakfast, from where you will be transferred the short distance to Botswana by road and on to Kasane airport, from where you will be flown by light aircraft to the Okavango Delta and the Okavango Delta Lodge. Accommodation is in large, luxurious safari tents, individually sited on raised teak platforms with full en suite facilities and a private deck. The main thatched building houses the bar, lounge and dining room. The lodge has a swimming pool as well as an elevated observation platform that looks out over the lagoon.

Day 3

  A full day exploring the Okavango Delta, a unique area that consists of 16,000 square kilometres of channels, lagoons and islands. Activities include wildlife walks and the opportunity to experience the serenity of the Okavango by mokoro (canoe) or motorboat. This area is a haven for some rare species such as the elusive sitatunga antelope and the Pel's fishing owl.

Day 4

After a last morning activity you will be flown by light aircraft to Camp Savuti in the Savuti area of the Chobe National Park. Accommodation is in large luxury en suite bungalows situated on the banks of the flowing Savuti Channel. Early in the year this area is the focus for Botswana’s zebra migration, while later in the year the area becomes home to large numbers of bull elephants. Breeding herds of elephant and buffalo can be see all year round, along with giraffe, wildebeest, impala and warthogs. Lion, leopard and wild dog can also be found, and the birdlife is prolific year round. Enjoy your first afternoon of wildlife viewing in Savuti.

Days 5 and 6

Full days spent wildlife viewing in the Savuti area. Early starts are preferable in order to give the best opportunity to experience the predator activity that has made Savuti famous in numerous National Geographic films. One can spend many hours at the various water points where the animals concentrate to drink, and you can get close to the bull elephants for that special photograph. The area has many interesting natural history aspects as well as a great variety of animals and birdlife to find and learn about. Whether looking into the life cycle of the termite, the aerobatic mating display of the lilac-breasted roller or the interesting feeding habits and social structures of the elephant herds, this is an area where your interest can be held at every turn. 

Day 7

After a last morning wildlife viewing followed by brunch, Gavin will transfer you by road to the Chobe River area of the Chobe National Park and the Chobe Lodge where we will overnight. The lodge is situated on the banks of the Chobe River and has a swimming pool. The air conditioned rooms and outdoor dining area overlook the Chobe River. Baboons, monkeys, warthogs and banded mongooses are frequent visitors by day, and by night larger mammals wander by. 

Days 8 and 9

Full days wildlife viewing in the Chobe National Park where, thanks to the permanent waters of the Chobe River, one can be assured of seeing a wonderful variety of birds and animals including breeding herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, roan, sable, kudu, impala and Chobe bushbuck, as well as keeping a look out for the predators. This is also the only area in Southern Africa where the puku can be seen. On one of the afternoons Gavin will take you out by boat on the Chobe River to photograph hippos, crocodiles and, if lucky, find a herd of elephants swimming and playing in the water. Good bird sightings that include the malachite and giant kingfishers as well as the endangered African skimmer can be found along the river's edge.

Day 10

After a last morning wildlife viewing we will leave Botswana, transferring across the border to Zimbabwe and on to the Victoria Falls airport, arriving in plenty of time for your onward connections.

Gavin Blair Safaris aim is to give you the maximum wildlife experience, and as such Gavin will give you the opportunity to be out wildlife viewing from the time the National Parks open until they close. Picnic lunches can be arranged so enabling you to stay out all day, or you can return to the lodges for lunch but then go straight back out again - the choice will be yours. As you will have the exclusive use of our own safari vehicle this also means that you will not be tied to the lodges strict timetables, that typically offer a maximum of a three and a half to four hour game drive in the morning and just three hours in the afternoon - as such we offer many more hours wildlife viewing than your typical safari, and so a safari with Gavin Blair Safaris can double your time out in the bush. Of course having a vehicle to yourself has other advantages, not least the fact that you will not have to fit in with other guests conflicting interests. You will also have the benefit of a highly experienced and respected guide, who has an intimate and inexhaustible knowledge of the wildlife as well as a very genuine and infectious enthusiasm for all aspects of Africa's fauna and flora - so ensuring a safari adventure not to be forgotten. Our return rate of 78% is further proof of our high standards and commitment to your enjoyment of the complete safari experience, as the testimonials page on our website will show.

The safari will be totally exclusive to you, your family and any friends you choose to accompany you - i.e. we do not mix groups unless specifically requested. Prices are fully inclusive of all accommodation, park fees, air charters, road transfers, activities (except additional activities in Victoria Falls), food and drinks (premium brands excluded). International flights are not included. The vehicle used will be for your exclusive use for the entire safari and Gavin will be your personal guide throughout

For those who would like to extend their safari the itinerary can include a visit to the Kalahari to see the unique wildlife of the area and also to enjoy an authentic Bushman experience. The wildlife of the Kalahari includes species that you will not see in the Northern National Parks and Game Reserves of Botswana, such as eland, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest and ground squirrels. There will also be the opportunity for night drives to see some of the nocturnal wildlife of the area, including the ubiquitous spring hare and, if lucky, the brown hyena. Your time in this area will be spent combining wildlife viewing with Bushman activities - these activities will include walks through the bush with the San, widely recognized as having the oldest culture still surviving. During the walks you will be shown how the Bushman dig for edible roots, collect seeds, nuts and berries, and search for the plants they use for medicinal purposes. You will be shown how the Bushman make fire, and have the chance to try out the food collected. Animal tracks and dung will be pointed out to you, and the Bushman will explain to you what they learn from the spoor. You will also be shown the plants the Bushman collect to make ropes, bows and arrows, and they will explain their hunting techniques and demonstrate how they make a trap.

For those with more than a passing interest in the Bushman way of life there will also be the opportunity to visit an authentic Bushman village, where you will be able to interact with the Bushman while they cook, make crafts, play games (with the help of sticks, wild melons, dung and rope) and listen to them telling stories. An evening visit to a Bushman village will give the opportunity to see the San's cultural dances - typically the women will sit around the fire clapping hands and singing, some of them playing traditional musical instruments, while the men dance around them in a circle. The dances all have a theme that is relevant to the life and experiences of the Bushman. All in all this is an experience that we would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in the worlds oldest culture.