17 days - Cape Town, safari, the falls and Bazaruto
Seventeen days from Cape Town through a Hoedspruit safari camp to Victoria Falls, ending on Bazaruto island in Mozambique.
The journey
The falls are very full, safari conditions improve and the dry season brings clear, pleasant beach weather in Mozambique. A mild month in the Cape.
Cape Town, then a flight to Hoedspruit for three nights at Kapama.
You arrive at Cape Town International Airport, clear immigration and collect your luggage. An Iconic Expeditions driver meets you and takes you to your hotel for a rest after the flight.
After breakfast, a private half-day guided tour of Cape Town, a city rich in history and multiethnic culture, starts from your hotel, in the morning or the afternoon. You visit City Hall, the Castle of Good Hope (South Africa’s oldest surviving building), the Company’s Garden and Signal Hill for panoramic views of the city.
You then take the aerial cableway up Table Mountain, with wide views of Table Bay, Robben Island, Lion’s Head and the Atlantic coast. Look out for rock hyrax (dassies), enjoy a bite at the summit restaurant or browse the curio shop. The cableway operates only when the weather permits.
After breakfast, a private, full-day guided tour of the Cape Peninsula starts from your hotel and takes in both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines. The first stop is the fishing village of Hout Bay, set in a picturesque valley on the Atlantic shore. The road then follows the coast to the Cape of Good Hope Reserve and Cape Point, the south-westernmost tip of Africa and the legendary meeting place of the two great oceans. On the way back you pass the naval base at Simon’s Town, the fishing port of Kalk Bay and the leafy suburb of Constantia.
Along the way you have the chance to see a colony of African penguins.
A leisure day at your hotel to rest and unwind. Explore the Waterfront, do some shopping and enjoy some of the finest restaurants in the Cape.
Transfer to Cape Town airport for your flight to Hoedspruit (10:40 to 13:10). A road transfer of about 30 minutes takes you to Kapama Southern Camp.
After check-in you have a fresh lunch, then set out on your first game drive in search of the area’s wildlife.
Morning and afternoon game drives follow the lodge schedule. If you wish, you can skip an activity, stay at your villa by the pool and simply enjoy the African landscape with a cocktail in hand.
Another day on safari: spend it on game drives, or relax by the pool at your villa.
Victoria Falls, with a helicopter flight, a Zambezi sunset cruise and a day trip to Chobe in Botswana.
Transfer to Nelspruit (about three hours by road) for the flight to Livingstone in Zambia (11:35 to 13:30).
After airport formalities and collecting your luggage, a driver takes you across to the Zimbabwe side, a journey of about an hour to your hotel. Once you have checked in you have time to rest.
In the late afternoon you set out on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi, with a cold sundowner in hand, premium drinks, gourmet snacks and plenty of wildlife and birdlife along the banks. The cruise ends with a sunset over the river.
After breakfast, a guided tour of Victoria Falls (about 2.5 hours) lets you feel the power of the falls at close quarters.
The Flight of Angels (12 to 13 minutes) is a helicopter flight over the Falls, Batoka Gorge, Victoria Falls Bridge and Zambezi National Park, with an uninterrupted view from every seat.
In the evening, the Royal Livingstone Express carries you to the Victoria Falls Bridge for the sunset over the falls, followed by a gourmet five-course dinner.
After breakfast you are collected from your hotel at 07:20 for a day trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana, about an hour from Victoria Falls.
Chobe has the largest elephant population in the world, big prides of lions and great herds of buffalo, and with luck a leopard. It is also a haven for birders, with more than 460 species.
The day is in two parts: a morning boat cruise on the Chobe River and an afternoon game drive through the park, each lasting about three hours, with a hot lunch between them. Bring your passport for the border crossing.
A flight to Johannesburg and a night there before the flight to Mozambique.
Spend the morning at leisure, with a slow breakfast and some time at your hotel. You are then collected for the flight from Victoria Falls International Airport to Johannesburg (14:00 to 15:40).
Tonight you stay at an airport hotel in Johannesburg, so tomorrow’s flight to Mozambique starts without a long transfer.
Bazaruto island, reached by a flight to Vilankulos and a boat transfer.
After breakfast, fly to Vilankulos in Mozambique (11:35 to 13:05). You are met at the airport and taken by road, only 15 minutes, to the boat, from where a sea journey of 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the tides, brings you to Bazaruto island. Refreshments are served on board.
There is no jetty on the island, so you wade through knee-deep water to reach the boat and the shore. Settle in for five nights of island time.
The first full day on the island is yours to shape. Walk the beach, swim in the warm water or simply rest. Bazaruto’s waters are known for snorkelling, diving and sailing by dhow, and we can arrange whichever you prefer.
A second day at leisure, at a pace set by the two of you.
A slow day of sea and sand. If you would like to add an excursion, such as a dhow cruise or a snorkelling trip, tell us in advance so it can be arranged.
Your last full day on the island. Enjoy a final sunset on the beach before tomorrow’s departure.
Today it is time to say goodbye. You are taken back by boat and road to Vilankulos airport for your onward flight.
The detail
Seventeen days that move from the city to the bush, the river and the sea. You begin in Cape Town with a private city tour, a drive down the Cape Peninsula and a day to yourselves, then fly to Kapama near Hoedspruit for three nights of game drives.
Victoria Falls follows, with a guided tour of the falls, the Flight of Angels by helicopter, a Zambezi sunset cruise and a day trip into Chobe National Park in Botswana. The journey ends on Bazaruto island in Mozambique, with five nights of white sand and warm water, planned around privacy and time together.
Good to know
Photographs from the route, not stock library scenery.
Work down the list. Each step depends on the one above it.
The practical detail that decides whether a trip runs smoothly.
Days 5, 8, 11 and 12 each include a flight, so keep a change of clothes and your essentials in hand luggage. Your final documents give flight times for each leg.
There is no jetty at Bazaruto, so you wade through knee-deep water to the boat on arrival and on departure. Wear shorts or a light skirt, and pack your valuables in a dry bag.
You are collected from your hotel at 07:20 and cross into Botswana for the day, so carry your passports. Wear neutral colours, a hat and sunscreen for the boat and the game drive.
The Flight of Angels depends on weather and weight limits. Wear light, close-fitting clothing and secure hats and loose items. The falls tour can be wet in high water, so bring a light rain jacket.
Morning drives at Kapama start early and are cool in the open vehicle. Bring a fleece, and keep the afternoons for the pool if you prefer.
The cableway runs only when the weather permits, and wind is the usual reason for a closure. Carry a jacket for the summit.
Guides, drivers and lodge staff are customarily thanked with a tip. Your final documents give a guide to amounts.
Plan this journey
Every journey is planned around your dates and your party. Tell us who is travelling and when, and a specialist will come back with a tailored itinerary and a quote. Payment is by invoice.
