A Safari Exploration

On arrival in Africa, you will meet Andrew and fly into the northern Serengeti, into the heart of the Great Migration for the famous crossings. Rich pride heartlands are guaranteed; the northern Serengeti is action-packed. Wayo Serengeti Green Camp is the newcomer on the mobile camp scene. With prime locations away from busier areas, you can embark on early morning expert walking safaris or head straight for the river and the crossings. It’s a wonderfully designed mobile camp whose value has sent shockwaves across the park. Fly camping in “star tents” is also possible; one of the purest experiences in Africa. Jean du Plessis, founder of Wayo Africa and one of the Serengeti’s very best guides, will guide you during your time in the park. Nowadays, Jean wears two hats and is also Wilderness Safaris' Head of Tanzania. His knowledge and walking skill are legendary, while he has a track record of employing staff from the local villages and making them expert guides.

From the Serengeti, you will fly to Uganda for our next focus: the mountain gorillas of Bwindi. It’s common knowledge that eyeballing a gorilla is not recommended by any guide, but being in the midst of a family group is one of our planet's most exhilarating experiences. Staying at Buhoma Lodge in the heart of Bwindi, the prime activity is morning treks. The area around Buhoma is regarded by many guides as the best habitat for gorilla trekking anywhere in Africa. We will be doing two treks - no trek is the same - and then fine-tune your afternoons. Bwindi and this forest as a whole have over 350 bird species and more than 200 types of butterfly. Andrew will lead hikes to explore the jungle while we will also visit Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka’s Research Clinic and meet with Gladys herself.

From Uganda, you will take your longest flight as you journey down to Lusaka in Zambia, and then on to Lower Zambezi National Parks. The Zambezi Valley is our founder Julian’s favorite region; the place he would ‘go on safari to tomorrow’. And the camp? Chula Island Lodge…a phenomenal wilderness experience in an intimate, adventurous camp on its own private island. This is back to sensational big game wildlife viewing on and around an island in the heart of the Zambezi River. The rooms at Chula are unique - the sides are essentially just net walls, providing an unobstructed 270-degree view of the bush at all times of day and night - adventurous Africa at its best! Renowned private guide and owner Kyle Branch - one of the very best we know anywhere - will be your guide here. This is Kyle’s place, and a camp that showcases the diversity of safari. Boating, canoeing, fishing, walking, and game drives are all possible. A special place.

From the sensational Lower Zambezi, you will then fly to Victoria Falls, staying for two nights at the famous Victoria Falls Hotel. Wilderness (Safaris) CEO, Keith Vincent, will welcome you to Zimbabwe and introduce you over dinner to his playground of southern Africa. The Vic Falls Hotel is the oldest and grandest hotel on the Zimbabwean side of Vic Falls. After visiting some of the best game locations across Africa, this is a chance to pause, reflect, and experience the power of the waterfall itself. Often best viewed from the sky, we have included a helicopter flight for you to see Victoria Falls from above. Sue Goatley, Wilderness head of Impact for the Zambezi region and lead for the exceptional Children in the Wilderness project, will be with you whilst visiting Victoria Falls. Understanding the region's challenges and learning about CITW takes the depth of this safari to another level.

From Victoria Falls, we will fly you into the Okavango Delta to explore one of Botswana’s most pristine and exclusive concessions at Kweene Trails. Kweene is the only truly mobile safari camp in Botswana’s high-end private reserves. Botswana is famous for its incredibly expensive private reserves; exclusivity at this level is out of reach to many. However, Kweene has changed everything. Accessed only by helicopter, Kweene Trails follows the Kweene River system in the western Okavango. It is an area famous for its ever-changing lion dynamics and resident packs of wild dogs. A quintessential Okavango game viewing area, known only to the best guides. It is an area that we absolutely love. And who better to know the intricacies of the wildlife and habitat at Kweene than owner and founder of Kweene, Simon Byron. Simon is one of Botswana’s most recognized guides, and Kweene Trails is very much the hot topic of the industry in Botswana.

From Botswana, we fly down to Cape Town for the final few days of the tour. Private guide Howie Owen meets you on arrival, one of the most experienced, knowledgeable, and ultimately best guides in South Africa’s western cape. Our four nights here will be spent in the heart of Cape Town, at the boutique hotel Four Rosmead. There are a host of options here to choose from, if we’re honest! The key is to use the hotel as a base and to explore the city the way the locals do. Whatever your taste, your time in the city will be tailored by Howie. Remote off-the-beaten-track wineries, Michelin-starred meals, or private barbecues on the beaches. Cape Town rounds off this safari; a perfect end to an epic trip that has showcased the very best parts of the safari continent.