An Exclusive Escape to Zimbabwe & Botswana: Victoria Falls, Khwai & the Kalahari

In Johannesburg, assistance with customs and transit formalities, then a one-hour-and-40-minute flight to Victoria Falls. On arrival, you'll receive a warm welcome and be taken to private vehicle to transfer to your hotel, just a 25-minute drive away. Enjoy a two-night stay in an elegant and charming colonial hotel, with its wooden buildings and thatched roofs. Just a ten-minute walk from the falls, a table in the terraced gardens makes for perfect romantic evenings, blissfully facing the clouds of water vapour released by the nearby torrents. Cool off around the swimming pool, sip a gin and tonic and try various tea mixes. It's a cosy and intimate atmosphere, still imbued with British distinction, an ideal place to start this journey that is full of unusual and amazing places to stay.

Victoria Falls is one of the world's most iconic natural wonders, a must-visit for any visitor to southern Africa. Discovered in the late 19th century by David Livingstone, they are located in the heart of the former British Empire in Africa and everything from steam trains to the architecture of certain hotels and buildings harks back to former times. A time when the continent was still an unknown land, heralding the promise of the greatest adventures.
Included the itinerary – Private tour of Victoria Falls. The sight of the mighty Zambezi is like nothing else on Earth: the falls throw out millions of cubic feet of water over a distance of over one mile into a gorge more than 300ft downstream. The clouds of water droplets can be seen from miles away. The rainforest facing the falls offers an amazing view and is home to a wide range of wildlife. A private guide will lead you along the swollen gorge for around two hours.
Included in the itinerary – Private sunset cruise aboard the Ra-Ikane. A magnificent sailing experience on the Zambezi River aboard a luxurious boat, at a time of day when the sky is lit up with changing colours. This elegant little wooden boat is straight from another era, inspired by the one Livingstone used, and glides along the meandering course of the river to encounter hippos, crocodiles and other animals who have made these wild banks their home. The water shimmers with coppery hues and the passing shadows of birds flying above. Be carried away in the moment with a refreshing drink in your hand. This intimate cruise lasts two hours and is with a local guide.

In the morning, leave Zimbabwe and head for the wilderness of neighbouring Botswana. Board a small taxi plane and head to the incrwdible Okavango Delta, one of Africa's most iconic destinations, and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is very flat and covers a huge area. It's only really from the air, skimming the tops of palm trees in the delta that you really get a true sense of the topography of this rare ecosystem, as well getting some of the most spectacular photos, of course. After about 30 minutes, approach the land of the Khwai community, east of the delta. Enjoy a two-night stay in a small and nomadic camp, exclusively private for you, nestled in a little-known wilderness area of the Khwai region. It houses just a few tents and is surprisingly comfortable and refined for such a remote area. The camp is an extremely light build, leaving no marks on the surrounding environment and giving the exhilarating feeling of living at the mercy of powerful nature. Of course, rangers keep watch and your safety is guaranteed, but it's not uncommon for the tent to shudder at night from the roar of a nearby lion. Tarps laid on the floor and adorned with pretty rugs, two simple white canvas kiosks covering a seating and dining area, lit by suspended storm lanterns, off-white sofas arranged outdoors around the campfire, the round pointed-roof tent is extended by an outdoor shower and a wooden parapet furnished with safari chairs, forming a small observation deck, and creating an overall enchanting and highly atmospheric experience. During the day, request a picnic basket to be enjoyed in a truly natural setting. In the evening, a candle-lit dinner is served around a table dressed with a white tablecloth, porcelain plates and tingling crystal glasses.

In the far north of Botswana, in the northern part of the delta, lies the small village of Khwai, which has been involved for several years in eco-tourism. While in Khwai, you'll meet the BaBukakhwe River Bushmen who have lived in the region for thousands of years. Beyond the floodplain surrounding the Khwai River, lie superb shoreline forests, populated by large acacias and leadwood trees, and home to hundreds of bird species. The wildlife here is among the richest in Africa and it is attracted here in the dry season by the watering holes.
Included in the itinerary – Guided safaris on the Khwai Reserve. At dawn and dusk, during the cooler times of day when animals are most active, experience a wildlife encounter in a 4x4 or 'mokoro', a long traditional Botswana canoe guided with a pole, always in the company of experienced rangers. Two totally different and memorable ways of exploring the area, for a private experience in the lap of luxury.

In the morning, a helicopter lands just outside the camp. In just one hour, it transports you to the middle of the arid Kalahari, north-west of the delta. Flying low over this huge expanse of wetlands and then on to the dry savannah is a majestic sight. Enjoy a two-night stay in a very special lodge, comprising just a few buildings made of clay, wood and thatch. Rustic but extremely chic, it's a completely original location in Botswana, and totally off the beaten track: not really a safari lodge, or a classic end-of-trip beach stop, just the incredible experience of impeccable service, solitude and total exclusivity and a wonderful moment of relaxation in the desert after a few intense days in the bush. The lodge's decor features a blend of crafts, African art and beautiful bespoke or sometimes upcycled furniture. The tented suite, sufficiently set back from the other five that make up the lodge, is pitched on stilts, topped with a thatched roof lined with an overhead mosquito net falling into a soft tent above your bed. Once the curtain is drawn back, it enjoys sweeping views of the Kalahari on all sides. The furniture, carved from a magnificent dark, solid wood, is softened by an extremely romantic colonial atmosphere that contrasts with the modern facilities. Outside, on a raised wooden deck, there is a deep white porcelain bath with a contemporary egg shape, perfect for slipping into in the evening, under the light of the storm lantern. Situated close to a watering hole, this suite offers the opportunity to watch animals drink at dawn or after dark. Two fatbikes - mountain bikes with extra-wide wheels - are available for guests to reach the central part of the lodge. This communal house offers the same keen sense of comfort, as well as a long swimming pool extending out into the infinite savannah, an entire pavilion dedicated to sports, a spa and a dining room. The latter serves breathtaking contemporary French-Botswana cuisine for a fine dining experience in the great desert.

Included in the itinerary - Tennis, golf, mountain biking and riding, all in the middle of the desert. Plus safaris, of course. Although the ecosystem differs greatly from the Okavango Delta, the best times for viewing the wildlife are the same. Sometimes, you don't have to go far: elephants come to drink from the lodge's swimming pool. In the savannah, zebras and blue wildebeest abound, oryx strut around with their long V-shaped horns. Rarer still, lions and hyenas prowl around and closely monitor their prey. In the Kalahari, the focus is on smaller animals but they're just as fascinating. Take the meerkats, standing upright on their hind legs, nervously keeping watch around their burrows. Like honey badgers and mongooses too, or strange aardvarks, which look like little pigs with bunny ears. Safaris are by car or on foot. The latter is an intense and unique experience. Nearby, Gcwihaba Caves are an amazing geological wonder and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hiking through the savannah with a Bushman guide, from a traditional tribe of Kalahari hunter-gatherers, will reveal the many hidden treasures of this ecosystem.

Transfer by car to Maun, for the return flight. Overnight flight and arrival the next morning.