Big Five Encounters
WHERE ELEPHANT AND BUFFALO HAVE RIGHT OF WAY
"I do regularly daydream, and Africa is definitely one of the places I go to." - Prince William
"Laying only inches away from the feeding elephant, I wondered if he knew I was there, would reach through the window to grab me, or worse one of my fishing rods... or if he even cared. I needn’t have worried, as minutes later he had scooped up all the Albida pods around my lodge, and drifted silently into the darkness, his mountainous form a ghostly silhouette in the moonlight. Drifting back to sleep myself, I knew I was once again home..." - Ant Williams
We had the privilege of growing up in Southern Africa's wilds and we no doubt took that for granted on occasion. It was only once we moved to Australia and then travelled the world, that we realised the extent to which Africa is quite literally, inimitable. So it goes without saying that we have always believed that everyone, in some crevice of their character, has ambitions to one day travel to Africa on safari. Many powerful and awe-inspiring words have been used to describe the African safari experience but, to be honest, none of them could do justice to the possibilities of a trip to the mother continent. The good news is that we won't be trying to find those words. Rather, we've crafted this itinerary to embody our interpretation of the essence of the Southern African wilderness. We have no doubt that it'll impress you.
sample itinerary - 14 days
Day 1-3 - We start in a big way with the rarest of the Big Five - the Black Rhino. We think this is the best place on Earth to track them in their natural habitat and enjoy in their presence. In addition to the world's largest free-roaming population of Black Rhino, this is also home to a surprising array of other desert-adapted wildlife including lion, gemsbok (oryx), giraffe and elephant to name a few. Finally, the accommodation is gorgeous and offers panoramic views of the enchanting, golden desert vistas.
Day 4-6 - You'll make your way eastward to 'the Great White Place', or Etosha National Park. Famed for its white sand-baked elephants and the vast, saline Etosha Pan, this desert wilderness will have you captivated throughout. You'll be based in the Ongava Private Game Reserve on Etosha's southwestern boundary, so your wildlife experiences will be abundant and experienced in complete privacy. As with every property in this itinerary, the accommodation is breathtaking - private outdoor dining with waterhole views anyone?
Day 7&8 - After the loop back to Windhoek, you'll board a commercial flight with Air Namibia to Victoria Falls - home to the world's largest waterfall and a natural wonder of the world. Accommodation options here are plentiful however two of our favourites include andBeyond Matetsi and the Victoria Falls Safari Club. Like the accommodation, activity options are abundant and you'll have available, for your selection, helicopter flights, Zambezi River cruises on an exclusive section of the river, elephant rides, white water rafting, guided tours of the Victoria Falls, a swim in the Devil's Pool, a village visit, bungee jumping and game-viewing to name a few.
Day 9-11 - After a short drive of a couple of hours, you'll arrive at Zimbabwe's largest national park, Hwange. Davison's Camp is located in one of the most game-rich areas of the park and you are guaranteed to see enormous herds of both buffalo and elephant, lions, leopards, and a variety of plains game. In fact, as home to over 100 mammal species, Hwange has the widest variety of mammals of any national park in the world. With over 400 species, birdlife is also prolific and with what you will have already experienced, you'll begin to feel like you're walking in the footsteps of an Attenborough documentary team.
Day 12-14 - In typical Diwa Zambezi fashion, we'll now be sending you to one of the world's wildest and most remote places, the Zambezi Valley. With the presence of the Zambezi River, a whole new safari dimension is added here and you'll undoubtedly finish your safari in glowing tones. A perennial favourite with guests, Mana Pools' magic stems from the sometimes indescribable - James will tell you of a magic that pervades on the Zambezi, the like of which he has been unable to find in other celebrated places on the globe. Imagine the capture of a creature as unique as a tigerfish, witnessed by a passing herd of elephants and accompanied by a lion’s roar in the distance. It seems unbelievable, but there are certain days on which it is a reality, and a step into the freedoms of a bygone era. We hope that says it all but if not, visit where you'll be staying :) - Enter Ruckomechi.
