Zimbabwe Wildlife safaris and game drives Trips

This trip could not have been better. Everything was meticulously planned and flawlessly implemented, the lodgings were beautiful, and the itinerary was just what I wanted: wildlife-centered. The safari guides were truly super-human in their ability to track and find the animals. They seemed to communicate with them and read their moods, all the while talking quietly to us about the animals' diet, behavior, habits, and lifespans. Because we covered some long distances, we were able to see a lot of the countryside of Botswana and Zimbabwe, and we got to go to places that I couldn't have gotten to on my own. It was a all-around superb trip.

This was a fascinating trip with a carefully planned itinerary and a very knowledgeable guide. The Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park provided marvellous wildlife viewing and we saw, amongst others, leopard, lions, elephants, painted dogs, zebra, crocs, hippos, many types of antelope and a big range of birds. The accommodation was excellent in variety, character and quality. We were always skillfully looked after by our guide Phenyo. His skill in finding and tracking wildlife was really impressive.

This trip was amazing. We had an experience that we never could have got from staying in a lodge. Yes the nights were cold and a tent is not luxury but I would not have wanted to miss a second of it. If you are open to some adventure and bush camping then I highly recommend this trip.

This was an amazing experience. Most of the accommodation was excellent, however, the house boat on the delta was not the one mentioned in our final itinerary, and the rooms were very small, however the staff on board were excellent and looked after us well producing excellent food in a tiny kitchen. The staff at Batonka lodge in Victoria Falls deserve a special mention too. Travel was via an open sided vehicle which was excellent for viewing animals but got very cold and blustery on the two days of long journeys, make sure you bring warm clothing, gloves and a scarf or mask to prevent breathing in dust. There were two long travel days, particularly the day traveling through Namibia, the border crossing took longer than expected due to the introduction of a required visa a few months earlier. An extra night slotted in Namiba would have taken the pressure off. I cannot fault our guide/driver Phenyo, his ability to spot wildlife was extraordinary, he was so knowledgeable about every bird and animal we saw and had an excellent understanding of animal behavior which he passed on. He looked after us from start to finish and was always so positive. I chose this trip for the wildlife abs it did not disappoint, from a pack of hyenas eating a dead elephant to a leopard resting, multiple lions and what seemed like hundreds of giraffes and elephants to mongooses and even honey badgers. The optional boat trip at Chobe was another highlight. If you like wildlife then this is the trip for you. I loved every minute.

I thought every single day was the best day of my life... Until the next day came along and overtook it, and then the next day and the next... The Okavango Delta is pure magic. Easily the best place to see wildlife in Africa (and I have been to most of them on Contiki's). Its remote, there are barely any other tourists on safari out there and it felt like we were truly in Africa, experiencing it for how it should be and not a tourist destination to see wildlife. The camping set up there is awesome, you arrive and everything is set up from your tents and bedding, to a fire place to sit around at night, to a dining tent and chill tent on the river to watch elephants come downt to drink in the middle of the day - right in front of us! On the Game Drives we saw lions and even Wild Dogs (Painted Wolf) pups as well as the adults on the hunt. The safari vehicles had fridges to keep the beers cold, charge ports for our phones and a roof to climb on to watch the sunset over the Delta's waterways while lions were calling in the distance. The Meerkats at the salt pans were amazing to see go about their day without even giving us a glance as we got close for photos and the sunset on the pans where you can see the horizon 360 degrees around you was extra special. And Chobe was out of this world... That sunset on the river when everyone had left the park but we stayed in it at Contiki Special Campsite, plus the leopard in the tree... Goosebumps... And I nearly forgot the adrendline and pure adventure of Victoria Falls. Bungeeing, rafting, heli flights, walking safaris... It has everything to get the heart racing but also some activity from sitting on safari vehicles. I guess some of the activities are pricey, but I felt super safe doing everything and would always rather pay a higher price for safety on the adventurous activities. I'd reccomend them all! The accommodation here felt so fancy with swimming pool, the spray of the falls in the distance, elephants drinking at the waterhole in front and out the back you could safely walk into town to do some shopping or exploring... A trip I could VERY easily do again and again. Every safari drive is different with varying chances of seeing different animals doing different things (drinking/eating/hunting/playing with babies etc etc). Every drive felt special and unique... The Africa bug has bitten me hard - I cant wait to go back

A terrific experience of seeing wonderful animals close up in their natural environments and enjoying the hospitality of so many people so proud to show their countries to best advantage.