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For the hive mind. I’m pontificating an open-jaw LHR-JNB and NBO-LHR with Victoria Fall and Zanzibar as the planned destinations. The plan will be for about 10 nights in Zanzibar at the end of the trip and we will have about 3 weeks total, maybe a bit more. Any suggestions for how to fill the first 8-10 days as we work our way to Zambia or Zimbabwe? The reason we will start in JNB is that flights north are much cheaper.
Very timely question. We are currently in Kasane, Northern Botswana and will transfer the 80km to Livingstone, Zambia tomorrow, to see the Viccy Falls.
So to your question, you could do what we did – hop over to Walvis Bay on the Namibian Skeleton Coast and work your way across the Kalahari safari parks through the Caprivi strip to Zambia/Zimbabwe.
There are safari trips and river cruises aplenty to suit all tastes. We took 11 days over this, but you could reduce this by flying to Windhoek for example.
Great fun!
Did you hire a car or take an arranged tour?
Very timely question. We are currently in Kasane, Northern Botswana and will transfer the 80km to Livingstone, Zambia tomorrow, to see the Viccy Falls.
So to your question, you could do what we did – hop over to Walvis Bay on the Namibian Skeleton Coast and work your way across the Kalahari safari parks through the Caprivi strip to Zambia/Zimbabwe.
There are safari trips and river cruises aplenty to suit all tastes. We took 11 days over this, but you could reduce this by flying to Windhoek for example.
Great fun!
Why have you chosen to see the falls from Zambia out of interest? Being in Kasane you’d get a much better view from Zim side. Are you staying at Chobe Safari Lodge? I’m so jealous. Love that part of the world.
Strickers, if you’ve only got 8-10 days I’d say you haven’t got time to go via Walvis Bay, flying to Windhoek and driving north towards Vic Falls would be a massive rush too. Plus one way car rental would be eye wateringly dear. Ten days is a lot in Zanzibar though.
Thanks Amy, I’ve promised Mrs S 10 days on the beach next year. Too much time jumping between hotels over the last few years, Sri Lanka/India/Maldives was 10 hotels over 25 days and Canada coming up is 11 over 24 days!!
In Namibia, we had a guide who drove us all the way – 2000km- it saved having to return a car to base. Having said that, its perfectly easy to drive as the roads are pretty good.
Re Zimbabwe, the inflation/money situation looks too much like hard work, and the good hotels are cheaper in Zambia so we chose to stay at the David Livingstone Safari Lodge. We will get a combined Zambia Zimbabwe visa we can spend a day on the Zimbabwe side where the Victoria Falls views are considerably better. This looks reasonably doable, and I’m not sure we need more than 2 full days in the immediate area on the falls.
In Kasane, we are staying at the Cresta Mowana next door to the Chobe Safari Lodge. This is probably only half a notch down from the Chobe, but has a large area with quite a lot of wildlife. Outside our door, there are several warthog families eagerly munching the grass, and to cap it all, this afternoon, outside our window we saw a troop of striped mongoose chasing away a small snake!
Bit hot though at midday. . . .
We just got back from out riverboat cruise on the Chobe River and this was quite a treat, with closeup views od crocs, elephants, African Fish Eagle and a glorious orange sunset
Ah great. This time last year I was there,
(And in 2018). So close to the elephants swimming in the Chobe river outside the lodge while on a small boat. I have a soft spot for Kasane and Vic Falls. The sunsets there are incredible. Have a fabulous time. So wish I was back there right now. May/June a bit cold for me at night though!Hope you don’t mind me jumping in on this thread. I’ve just booked return flights to JNB in September. First visit. Will have 4 weeks. Am planning travelling around SA before spending 5 days/4 nights in Vic Falls area. Haven’t decided yet where to stay but want to visit Chobe. Is Hwange NP worth visiting? Do you think I would need to allow more time than 5 days? I understand there is unlikely to be much water visible from Zambia side but considerably cheaper to stay there. How easy is it to travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe and visiting Botswana too?
Sorry lots of questions. TIA for any suggestions/information.
Hope you don’t mind me jumping in on this thread. I’ve just booked return flights to JNB in September. First visit. Will have 4 weeks. Am planning travelling around SA before spending 5 days/4 nights in Vic Falls area. Haven’t decided yet where to stay but want to visit Chobe. Is Hwange NP worth visiting? Do you think I would need to allow more time than 5 days? I understand there is unlikely to be much water visible from Zambia side but considerably cheaper to stay there. How easy is it to travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe and visiting Botswana too?
Sorry lots of questions. TIA for any suggestions/information.
When I went in 2018 it was early October and still quite a bit of water so you’ll see water but just from Zambia you won’t see the ‘fall’ as such really. I’ve never travelled to Zambia from there or been to Hwange but I’ve heard it’s very much worth visiting. Hope the others can help you. Botswana is expensive but Chobe is a great, bursting with elephants.
Royal Livingston is a lovely hotel to stay in on the Zambia side, as a bonus it has free access to the falls, that are within walking distance, We found it easy to organise a trip over to the Zim side through the hotel.
Hope you don’t mind me jumping in on this thread. I’ve just booked return flights to JNB in September. First visit. Will have 4 weeks. Am planning travelling around SA before spending 5 days/4 nights in Vic Falls area. Haven’t decided yet where to stay but want to visit Chobe. Is Hwange NP worth visiting? Do you think I would need to allow more time than 5 days? I understand there is unlikely to be much water visible from Zambia side but considerably cheaper to stay there. How easy is it to travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe and visiting Botswana too?
Sorry lots of questions. TIA for any suggestions/information.
5 days will give you a lot of options – so it depends on your interests. Travelling that area is very easy with lots of safari companies organising all kinds of trips. Buy a KAZA Univisa for unlimited crossings between Zambia and Zimbabwe for $50 per person.
If you want to visit all the parks and rivers, then maybe you need more than 5 days as the distances can add up. But if you just want to see the famous 5 beasts then you can probably just go for a couple of days to one chosen park. Look online, there are lots of decent reviews — good luck
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