Deeper Zimbabwe DAY BY DAY ITINERARY safaris in style with private guide info@deeperafrica.com www.deeperafrica.com Safaris in Style: Zimbabwe This is a privately guided safari with the volume on high; Zimbabwe safaris have superb wildlife viewing, accommodations and dramatic natural features. The country is less traveled, leaving you greater intimacy with the vast numbers of wildlife you encounter. The national parks are stunning and we have featured some of the best: Hwange National Park is the third largest in Africa, Mana Pools is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and Victoria Falls National Park will leave you awestruck. As well, a hallmark of Zimbabwe is the consistently high quality of guiding found throughout the country; a Zimbabwe Guide License is the most difficult to obtain in Africa. You will be stunned by how much you learn over the course of your adventure. Photo credit: Elephant Camp
SAFARI SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #1 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #2 Departs: TBD Arrives: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe DAY TRAVEL/ACTIVITY LOCATION CAMP Day 1: Arrive in Victoria Falls Victoria Falls Victoria Falls Hotel Day 2, 3, 4 & 5: Bush flight to Hwange Hwange National Park Somalisa Camp Day 6, 7 & 8: Bush flight to Bumi Hills Lake Kariba Bumi Hills Safari Lodge Day 9, 10, 11: Bush flight to Mana Pools Mana Pools National Park Kanga Camp Day 12: Flight to Victoria Falls Photo credit: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority
DAY 1 VICTORIA FALLS HOTEL VICTORIA FALLS Take an unforgettable tour of the world s largest falling curtain of water. At an imposing 355 feet (108 meters) tall, Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The falls is fed by the Zambezi River system and straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The noise of Victoria Falls can be heard from a distance of 25 miles (40 km), which is how it earned the local name of Mosi-oa-Tunya: the smoke that thunders. Get close and feel the curtains of mist envelop you. Here, the mile wide Zambezi River roars down a ravine and spews up a mist plume a thousand feet high. Prepare for a soaking as you stand on the precipice and stare down into this dizzying maelstrom. INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry Private Guide Photo credit: Victoria Falls Hotel
DAY 2, 3, 4 & 5 SOMALISA CAMP HWANGE NATIONAL PARK INCLUDED WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Lion EXPERIENCES Wild dog Elephant Walking safari Hippo Wildlife viewing Cape buffalo Night safari Cultural tours of Giraffe local villages Zebra Crocodile Leopard Cheetah Baboon High diversity of antelope, including rarer species such as lesser kudu, roan and sable More than 450 bird species Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry Private Guide Private Vehicle Enjoy a full day of wildlife viewing in Hwange National Park. There is much to see as Hwange is also home to 108 mammal species and 470 species of birds. Lions, elephants, buffalo, zebra and giraffes are all part of the mix. As a highlight, Hwange is a sanctuary for wild dogs, of which it is estimated that less than 7,000 remain in the wild. Of course, it doesn t matter how many animals are in a park if you cannot find them. That won t be a problem for your guide Zimbabwe Professional Guides are among the best in the world. Getting a guiding license in Zimbabwe is a rigorous process where many are called, but few are chosen. A would-be guide must apprentice under a senior guide for a minimum of three years. During apprenticeship, guide candidates study a range of ecological subjects as well as current events and communication. At the end of the apprenticeship, a rigorous exam must be passed. The pass rate is said to be less than 20 percent. Going on safari with a Zimbabwe guide is not only enjoyable, it is profoundly educational. Photo credit: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority
DAY 6, 7 & 8 BUMI HILLS SAFARI LODGE LAKE KARIBA INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry Private Guide Private Vehicle WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Elephant Lion Leopard Buffalo Zebra Hippo Crocodile More than 450 bird species EXPERIENCES Walking safari Wildlife viewing Boat cruise Fishing The Zambezi River was dammed in 1958 to create electricity for the surrounding communities; Lake Kariba was formed as a result. Now travelers to the park experience a dramatic lake and shoreline grassland, a haven for birdlife such as herons, egrets, kingfishers and storks. Nile crocodiles and hippos thrive in the lake, as do elephant, buffalo, lion, cheetah and antelope. Before the gorge was flooded, the land that would become the lake bed was razed, releasing important nutrients into the earth that have since seeped into the lake and contributed to its impressive biodiversity. Several fish species have been introduced to Lake Kariba, but its most famous resident is the mighty tiger fish. An indigenous species, the monstrous tiger fish is aptly-named, with its namesake s teeth and the ability to swim in 30 mph bursts. Photo credit: African Bush Camps
DAY 9, 10 & 11 KANGA CAMP MANA POOLS NATIONAL PARK INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry Private Guide Private Vehicle Lion Leopard Cheetah Wild dog Buffalo Zebra Elephant Hippo Jackal Crocodile WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS High diversity of antelope, including kudu, roan waterbuck, bushbuck and impala More than 380 bird species EXPERIENCES Walking safari Wildlife viewing Kanga Under the Stars Bird watching Day visits to the Zambezi River You will be staying in the Kanga Pan, about an hour s drive from the Zambezi in the heart of Mana Pools National Park. The Kanga Pan is pure and unspoilt African experience. The area is very diverse and has multiple open vlei lines, river systems of the Ruck-omechi River, and mixed forest types from mopane woodland to Jesse bushes and riverine forests. Kanga Pan is the only known source of water in the area year round, and during the dry season it has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in all of Africa. Within Mana Pools National Park you will encounter the country s biggest concentration of hippo and crocodiles. During dry season, animals congregate around the water holes. The area is home to threatened species like the lion, cheetah, Cape wild dog, leopard and the brown hyena. The park derives its name from four large permanent pools formed by the meanderings of the middle of the Zambezi; Mana means four in Shona, the local dialect and major language of Zimbabwe. Photo credit: Little Ruckomechi
COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION INITIATIVES LONG SHIELD GUARDIANS Sometimes a horn can be more powerful than a gun. LONG SHIELD GUARDIANS This is one tenet that Long Shield Guardians a courageous group of local men and women from the Village of Dete who work to protect lions of Hwange National Park employ to great success. Armed with only drums and vuvuzela horns, the Guardians mediate human-wildlife conflict by deterring and redirecting with sound any lions that have encroached on village space or farmland, moving them back to areas where they are protected. Local communities around Hwange National Park often come into conflict with lions that roam near their schools and villages, or threaten their cattle. When the Guardians sound the alarm, the cattle can then be moved and villagers and children are able to stay out of the path of the lions. The Guardians are mentored by the Hwange Lion Research Project, part of Oxford University s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit ( WILDCRU ). WILDCRU S Lion Research Project has radio tracked over 100 Hwange lions and their research assists Zimbabwe authorities with conservation strategies. If you would like to meet with Long Shields Guardians during your visit to Hwange, we can arrange this in advance of your trip. If you would like to support the work of the Long Shield Guardians, talk with Karen Zulauf of Deeper Africa. Photo credit: Long Shield Guardians
DAY 12 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL BUSH FLIGHT Departs: Mana Pools National Park Arrives: Victoria Falls INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #1 Departs: Victoria Falls Arrives: TBD INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #2 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD Photo credit: Little Ruckomechi
COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION INITIATIVES LONG SHIELD GUARDIANS Sometimes a horn can be more powerful than a gun. LONG SHIELD GUARDIANS This is one tenet that Long Shield Guardians a courageous group of local men and women who work to protect these predators employs to great success. Armed with only drums and vuvuzela horns, the Guardians mediate human-wildlife conflict by deterring and redirecting with sound any lions that have encroached on village space or farmland back to areas where they are protected. Local communities around Hwange National Park often come into conflict with lions that roam near their schools and villages, or threaten their cattle. When the Guardians sound the alarm, the cattle can then be moved and villagers and children are able to stay out of the path of the lions. The Guardians are mentored by the Hwange Lion Research Project, part of Oxford University s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit ( WILDCRU ). Moreover, WILDCRU S Lion Research Project has radio tracked over 100 Hwange lions and their research assists Zimbabwe authorities with conservation strategies. If you would like to meet with Long Shields Guardians during your visit to Hwange, we can arrange this in advance of your trip. Additionally, if you would like to more directly support the work of the Long Shield Guardians, visit http:// www.africanbushcampsfoundation.org/mobile-cattle-boma-initiative-a-receives-boost. Photo credit: Long Shield Guardians
ADDITIONAL SAFARI INFORMATION INCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI Full board accommodations in all lodges and tented camps All meals as specified in itinerary All park and entrance fees Private 4x4 Land Cruiser, unlimited wildlife viewing, guided waking safari, boat safaris Private Zimbabwe professional guide Natural Learning Program All in-country transportation Enrollment with SATIB Evacuation Service Laundry Alcohol & Beverages Beverages in your 4x4 safari vehicle Bottled water available at all times Extensive pre-departure briefing and materials including health information, reading list and map EXCLUDED FROM YOUR SAFARI Gratuities We plan your wildlife adventures in areas where wildlife habitats are known to exist for the season and time you are traveling. Still, animals in the areas you are viewing are not in a zoo. They run freely, and we cannot always anticipate their movements. 2018 CUSTOM DEPARTURES & PRICING April - June, November 6 guests: $9,199 USD per person 4 guests: $9,999 USD per person 2 guests: $12,449 USD per person Single supplement: $1,399 USD July - October 6 guests: $11,299 USD per person 4 guests: $11,999 USD per person 2 guests: $14,559 USD per person Single supplement: $4,099 USD All pricing is in US dollars. Arrivals and departures are through Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Prices do not include international air travel. All itineraries and pricing are subject to change. 2018 pricing $9,199 - $14,559 Best Value Also, Deeper Africa uses best efforts to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that occur in Africa that require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions whenever necessary. 5353 Manhattan Circle, Suite 202 Boulder, Colorado 80303 303.415.2574 720.565.0512 fx www.deeperafrica.com safaris in style