THE BEST OF ZIMBABWE WING SAFARI
8 Days
Zimbabwe

The best game viewing areas of Zimbabwe are in the countries northern National Parks. Hwange, Matusadona and Mana Pools are legendary and this safari concentrates on these parks. Not only are we in the best reserves - but we also stay in the prime game areas within these parks. Air transfers move guests from one area to the next with the minimum delay. Safaris can be tailor-made for any duration. To follow is a sample eight day itinerary.

Day 1 : Victoria Falls

Guests arriving at Victoria Falls Airport are met and transferred to the Victoria Falls Hotel where accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis or The River Club on the Zambezi where accommodation is on a full board basis. There are many different activities available in and around the Falls, which can be booked either in advance - or on arrival. White water rafting, Elephant back safaris, bungi jumping and canoeing are all part of the experience on offer. Some of these activities will require a second night in Victoria Falls.

Days 2 and 3 : Hwange National Park

Guests are transferred to the Victoria Falls Airport and fly by charter aircraft to either Makalolo Plains, Little Makalolo, or Linkwasha the prime camps situated in private concessions in Hwange. The camps are luxury tented and offer game drives in open 4x4's, hides and walks.

Days 4 and 5 : Matusadona National Park

After a last morning's game drive, guests are flown to Matusadona National Park to Matusadona Water Wilderness. The camp offers great walks, boating, canoeing and game drives. Enjoy game viewing from unique, luxurious floating lodges.

Days 6 and 7 : Mana Pools National Park

From Matusadona, guests are flown eastwards, down the Zambezi valley to the Chikwenya Airstrip and to Chikwenya Camp on the eastern boundary of Mana Pools or Ruckomechi on the Western boundary. These camps are located within the scenic and game rich Zambezi Valley. Activities centre on game drives, walks, hides and canoeing along the banks of the Zambezi.

Day 8 : The safari ends

The safari ends after arriving at Harare.

Departure Dates 2005-2006

Departures are daily.

Pricing

The price depends on the Camps chosen as well as the duration of the safari.

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Guest Comments

It is hard to believe we are already back in America! Our trip to Africa this past month was by far the most amazing journey we have taken.The camps were great, the wildlife viewing incredible, and staff extremely interesting. We walked away from the trip with unique impressions about each place we visited and figured we would share them with you. The Victoria Falls Hotel was nothing less than what we expected. We had visited the hotel once before, several years ago, but our rooms this trip were far larger and more luxurious. They even upgraded Liz and Bill to the honeymoon suite, which had a huge private balcony. It was a great way to begin the safari. Makalolo, our first true safari camp, was surely one of our favorites. We will never forget the stories we heard from our guides Jane and Dave while sitting around the fire at night. The entire staff was very warm and made us feel at home. Carol, who was in charge of meals, accommodated the dietary request with everything they offered, including the desserts at tea time. They set the trend of putting Marge up front with the guide, the heater and a soda crate to help her into the land rover. The game viewing at Makalolo was great. During our last sundowner, we were standing on a plain with at least eight other large animal species. From there we moved on to Matusadona, where the floating chalets provided a nice change from the typical safari camps. From our chalets, we saw hippos, elephants and many other species going down to the water for a drink. The staff at MWW was equally interesting. Several of us went on a walk with Obert, during which we were charged by several elephants. It sounds crazy, but the experience was great. Since Obert had so much experience with animals, we felt comfortable and welcomed the excitement. We did see a black rhino in the wild, making the trip to Matusadona great. After Matusadona, we traveled to Ruckomechi, which was another favorite. The rooms are very large and luxurious, yet still have a great African feel to them. Caroline, the camp manager, was very warm and welcoming, along with Paul, Tamalin and Humphry. Game viewing was excellent, with sightings of a lion pride, a lone male lion without a tail, a cerval and a honey badger within one hour. The scenery was stunning in the Mana Pools area, with large acacia trees all around. From Ruckomechi, we set off on the Mana Canoe Trail. It was a pleasant surprise when our guide Andy invited Marge to join us for the first day of canoeing and a night at our first camp. She was thrilled and enjoyed every minute of it. They even invited to spend the third night with us on the canoe trail, so she spent only one night alone at Ruckomechi. Each time, the camp staff was more than happy to drive her to or from Ruckomechi and Chikwenya to meet up with us. The canoe trail was an experience that we will never forget. Before the trip, we were all hesitant when it came to hippos. However, after passing more than 1500 of them and learning about their behavior from our guide Andy, we gained a new appreciation for them. The 3 day journey provided some of our most rewarding game viewing. While in the canoes, we were charged by more than a few angry hippos. One time, Andy had to pull his gun for only the fourth time in his canoe trail career because he got a bad feeling from the loan bull. Fortunately, the hippo stopped a few paces short of trouble and we carried on with our journey. That was one of my favorite parts of the whole safari. Later that day, we were canoeing down the river and Andy randomly decided to walk up the bank to see if there was any interesting game on land. It turned out that there was a cheetah sitting under a tree. After we all got out of our canoes and walked up the bank, we saw something golden walking out of the grass. We thought it was a lion, but as it made its way toward the cheetah, it turned out to be a leopard (the first sighting of one for many in our group!). The leopard then chased the cheetah away, which was a great sight. Again, the food and guides were perfect. We are very glad that we chose to end our safari at Chikwenya. It was a nice way to wind down, and by far one of the most luxurious camps. The camp mangers, Foster and Josie (who asked us to say hello to you for them) were wonderful people and made our stay very enjoyable. The game viewing at Chikwenya was some of the best, with a sighting of two male cheetahs, along with several close elephant encounters. Overall, the trip was incredible. It is a shame the country receives such negative publicity. We discussed the situation with all of our guides, and had trouble deciding what we would tell people when we returned home; do we let everyone know what an amazing country Zimbabwe is, or do we keep it to ourselves as the guides suggest, and enjoy Africa as pure as it should be with not a lot of tourists and animals that still really are wild. I guess we'll end up somewhere in between. Everyone in our group would recommend Zimbabwe over any other place in Africa that we have been. While we hope the political situation improves, we also hope the camps and wildlife areas remain just as they are: remote, uncrowded and truly wild. Thank you for planning such an amazing trip for us.

R.M - USA

Where do I begin? In a word, amazing. Our trip was fantastic. Zimbabwe itself gets the lion's share of the credit but that's saying a bunch considering the flawless planning and execution. A brilliant itinerary. I can't thank you enough. Every stop had something about it that made us like it the best. Chikwenya had the most animals, our favorite guide (Kevin) and our favorite manager (Alison). Ruckomechi was comparably funky but it had its own charm and our guide was a classic (Paul). I'm really glad we went to both places at Mana. Makalolo was the benchmark for well run lodges- absolutely beautiful. They surprised my son with a birthday cake hidden in tree house lookout. A moment we'll never forget. The logistics were first rate. Never a glitch. Everyone did what they were supposed to do when they were supposed to do it. And with charm, grace, pride and humility. Unheard of. Please use me as a Zimbabwe booster for any wary Americans or Europeans. Its the least I can do.

R.E. - USA

Just a short note to say what a superb holiday my wife & I have just had in Zimbabwe & Mauritius. We are so pleased that we didn't allow ourselves to be put off by the press reports & thank you for your repeated reassurances on Zimbabwe. The accommodation & guides on safari, particularly at Ruckomechi were first class & the little touches such as a birthday cake were very much appreciated. With this being our first safari, we were a little apprehensive before we went but would unreservedly recommend both Zimbabwe as a destination. We will certainly do another safari with yourselves in the not too distant future. Many thanks for all your efforts personally towards making the holiday an experience of a lifetime which we will find hard to beat.

C.S. and S.S., U.K.

We still think of you and the unforgettable holiday with you every day - it is again the best in our whole life! With you it is just a dream to travel. Heinz and Barbara and Gebi and Marianne are completely ecstatic - for everybody it was the most wonderful holiday of their lives. They can't stop talking about you guys and the camps and Vic Falls and and and, and we all look forward to seeing you - 500 slides and 300 photos are waiting for you. Gordy, please bring your photos - especially the one with the Tiger fish - nobody believes me!

Austria

Well what can I say. I have no more bush sleeps to look forward to and I am already in a state of depression missing the awesome wildlife experience, we have just been witness to. I must say that my expectations were really high and that I am pleased to report how much better the lodges were than what I expected. The game viewing experience was simply amazing, and that was made more special by the sheer passion the guides and hosts had for each of their lodges and animals. We are both in a daze at the moment struggling to adapt to modern civilization, still letting it sink in. H and I really want to go back at some point again in the future, though she has her eyes set on Botswana and Namibia, but fell in love with Ruckomechi and the Elephants. We were missing the safari experience before we even left the country. The River Club too, is a special place in an unbelievable location. Our room was majestic. Thank you so very much for all the organisation and efforts you put in to make our holiday one to remember. I am not sure when we will make it back, but if I know myself and H...plans are secretly being set at the back of our minds. I hope I can talk to you again in the future regarding this.

J+H B - UK

We went on our honeymoon to Zimbabwe this year in August - spent a few days each in Water Wilderness (with Beks, Kirsty and Humphrey) and at Linkwasha (with Philippa, Martin and Kit). We had an absolutely fabulous time and would like to thank them personally for their company, expertise and hospitality.

M.C. and E.C. - UK

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