zimbabwe
hwange and mana under canvas
Nine nights in northern Zimbabwe, walking Hwange and Mana Pools by foot and canoe, finishing at Victoria Falls.
- Private Safari
- From $8,905 pp
- 2 guests
- 9 nights
trip highlights
- Shinde sits beside a permanent lagoon in the northern Okavango, so mokoro, motorboat and game drives run from the same island year-round.
- On its private concession bordering Moremi Game Reserve, Shinde can run night drives and walking safaris that Moremi does not permit.
- In the dry season, from roughly May to October, Hwange's elephant herds converge on the permanent pan in front of Verney's Camp.
- From Bumi Hills the days follow the water on Lake Kariba, with boating, sundowner cruises and catch-and-release fishing for tigerfish.
Scroll for the full itinerary
From the Okavango Delta to Lake Kariba
This route links Botswana and Zimbabwe across twelve nights. It opens in the northern Okavango Delta on a private concession beside a permanent lagoon, crosses to Victoria Falls on the Zambezi, then moves to a private concession within Hwange National Park facing an elephant pan, and closes on the shore of Lake Kariba beside Matusadona National Park.
You travel by light aircraft and road, with days built around water and land: mokoro and motorboat in the Delta, game drives and walking safaris in Hwange, boating and fishing on the lake. The four properties are private-concession safari camps and a family-built hotel at the Falls, each chosen for what it puts within reach.
Daily Itinerary Breakdown
Okavango Delta by Water and Land
A light aircraft flight of around 25 to 30 minutes from Maun brings you to the private Shinde airstrip and a short road transfer to camp. The Shinde Lagoon holds water throughout the year, so you move between mokoro, motorboat and game drive from the same palm island whatever the season, with elephant, red lechwe and hippo across the floodplains. Because the concession borders Moremi Game Reserve, guides also run night drives for genets, civets and porcupines and walking safaris. Rebuilt in 2020 into the canopy of ebony and mangosteen, Shinde keeps its classic tented character across several tiers.
- Accommodation at Shinde
Victoria Falls and the Zambezi
The Zambezi drops into the Batoka Gorge along a curtain of falling water nearly 1.7 kilometres across, the falls the Lozi called Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders. Footpaths thread the rim rainforest to a run of viewpoints, and the drier months from June bring lower flow and clearer views of the gorge, sharpest from August to October. Above the falls the river runs calm for sunset cruises past hippos, crocodiles and elephants. Ilala Lodge Hotel is the closest hotel to the falls on the Zimbabwean side, an eight-minute walk from the rainforest gate, family-built since 1991, with its own Ra-Ikane cruise boats and lawns bordering Victoria Falls National Park.
- Accommodation at Ilala Lodge Hotel
A Private Hwange Concession and Its Elephant Pan
On a 10,000-hectare private concession within Hwange National Park, the days run between game drives across open plains ringed by teak forest and long afternoons on the deck above a permanent pan. In the dry season, from roughly May to October, the elephant herds converge on permanent water and gather at the pan metres from the tents. Walking safaris led by armed guides slow the pace to tracks, while night drives add porcupine, aardvark and occasionally pangolin; lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest range the plains. Verney's Camp is ten canvas tents on low wooden decks, opened in 2018, with sightings shared only with the camp's own vehicles.
- Accommodation at Verney's Camp
Lake Kariba and the Matusadona Shore
Days follow the rhythm of the water on Lake Kariba, with boating, sundowner cruises, birding and catch-and-release fishing for tigerfish, often shared with elephants and hippos along the bank. The Lady Jacqueline houseboat carries up to eight guests for a one-night sleepout along the Matusadona shoreline, with walking safaris and boat cruises. Land-based game drives and guided walks stay on Bumi's private concession near the north-eastern edge of Matusadona National Park, though wildlife moves freely between the two. Set on a hill above the lake, Bumi Hills Safari Lodge pairs an infinity pool that appears to meet the horizon with stonework interiors reopened in 2018 after renovation.
- Accommodation at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge
Ed Charles, BBC Producer
Fitzroy are true specialists in accessing the wilderness. They know where to go and importantly, when to go there. Highly recommended.
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zimbabwe
mana on foot and the matobo rhino
Twelve nights across Zimbabwe, from Victoria Falls and Mana Pools to Lake Kariba, Hwange and the granite of Matobo.
- Private Safari
- From $15,805 pp
- 2 guests
- 12 nights
zimbabwe & botswana
khwai camping to chief’s island
Twelve nights from Victoria Falls to the Chobe and across Botswana's Okavango, by vehicle, boat, mokoro and on foot.
- Private Safari
- From $8,995 pp
- 2 guests
- 12 nights
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our approach
remote, exclusive
& personal
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.
Get in touch to start planning yours.