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Southern Africa offers an array of once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Nowhere else in the world does wildlife better. Few wildlife encounters can beat the sheer thrill of a face-to-face sighting one of the BIG 5: Africa’s most dangerous animals – lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo, and leopard. This collection of “safari royalty” is sure to add an exhilarating edge to your bucket list safari experience!   For those of you who don't have the time to devote a whole 2 weeks to our private group adventure, we've designed this abbreviated version so you don't miss out on the fun!

This is your chance to experience a truly customized, bucket-list worthy adventure! You’ll make new friends with adorable elephants in Zimbabwe, take an iconic photo of Victoria Falls - one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World (or view it from above in a private helicopter if you choose) - and top it off with an epic safari with ritual “sundowners,” and a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River with relaxing stays at 5* luxury game lodges! If an unforgettable safari experience with all the comforts of home is on YOUR bucket list, you won't want to miss this one!  Limited to only ten lucky clients – will one of them be YOU?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 ITINERARY

Thursday, September 27th, 2023 - Depart USA

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Friday, September 28th, 2023 - Arrival in South Africa

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You will then be met by camp staff for transfer to Singita Pamushana

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Friday September 29th, 2023
Singita Pamushana Lodge - Activities & Conservation

 

Wildlife & activity: What you’ll see at Pamushana

An extraordinary wilderness area next to the Gonarezhou national park in southeastern Zimbabwe, the Private Malilangwe Reserve is an incredibly vast conservation model supported by Singita Pamushana Lodge (the single largest private donor investment in the country). In the preservation of the wildlife and the land's local culture, you have the opportunity to take an active role in experiencing and playing steward to this most special place.

Game Drives: Professionally guided game drives with top resident rangers and game trackers provide the opportunity to come close to a great number of animals including big cats such Black maned lions, cheetah and leopard, both species of White and Black Rhino, rare Lichtenstein hartebeest and Sable, African wild dog, and an abundance of birdlife with over 400 species spotted.

Game walks: They are also offered in this astoundingly beautiful landscape to track wildlife on foot. With a Private guide helping you experience all the wonders of Africa and ensuring that your safe the entire time.

Cruises & Fishing: You can enjoy a quiet Sunset Cruise to take in the beauty of the region - or try your hand at Game Fishing at the bountiful lake brimming year-round with Bass, Tilapia, Tiger Fish & Catfish. Your tracker will also be at hand to offer delightful insights on how the local bush community use plants to fish.

Kambako Museum: Kambako is the local Shangaan word for ‘Old Bull Elephant’. The Kambako Cultural Museum is an initiative of the local Shangaan families where visitors can walk through hand-built working villages to learn about their rich heritage and bushcraft skills.

Save the Black Rhino: At Pamushana you can track both species of remaining African Rhino: In addition to White Rhino, you can see Black Rhino - one of the most difficult-to-find species in Africa with very few individuals remaining in the wild. Since 1998, the Black Rhino rehabilitation program at Malilangwe has been so successful in establishing stronger rhino populations within a safe habitat. In June of 2015, 10 rhino were also relocated from this group to Botswana in protected habitats.

Child Feeding Program: Your visit here supports the not-for-profit Malilangwe Wildlife Trust. In addition to caring for the wilderness, the Pamushana model also feeds 19,000 children in Zimbabwe every single day and offers core community development with educational and long term vocational undertakings. Further empowerment for the impoverished communities also ensures health care and irrigation schemes for agriculture, to grow food and offer provision for boreholes.

Archaeology & Hiking: Walk in the footsteps of the San Bushman, one of the oldest cultures on earth - the original huntergatherers, and explore ancient rock art, tens of thousands of years old.

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Saturday September 30th, 2023
Singita Pamushana Lodge - Activities & Conservation

  

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Sunday October 1st, 2023

Charter Flight - Lonestar Airstrip to Victoria Falls Airport

Today you will be flown in a charter plane to Victoria Falls Airport (VFA). Departure time will be confirmed with staff the prior evening.

Flight Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Please note there are strict guidelines regarding size and weight of luggage for charter flights. Please refer to the Important Notes at the beginning of this itinerary for details regarding these restrictions. Should you need to arrange for excess luggage to be stored while you are on safari, we are happy to help make these arrangements (extra charges will be applied for this service).

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Transfer from Victoria Falls Airport to Old Drift Lodge

On arrival at Victoria Falls Airport, you will need to clear Zimbabwe customs & immigration and collect your luggage.

You will then proceed to the Arrivals Hall where you will be met (look for your name on a sign) and transferred to Old Drift Lodge.

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Zambezi National Park, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Lodging: Old Drift Lodge  (3 nights) 

(view links: Old Drift Video and Website) 

       

Upstream of the iconic Victoria Falls, on the banks of the Zambezi River, lies Old Drift Lodge. The lodge boasts luxury accommodation overlooking the pristine Zambezi National Park, a mere 7 kilometers from the mighty Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Old Drift Lodge is nestled within a wild paradise frequented by elephant, buffalo, herds of sable, eland, zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck and impala.

The main lodge area has 360 degree views, North facing onto the Zambezi & South facing onto a water hole. A 7 kilometre stretch of river flows between the camp and the town of Victoria Falls, making Old Drift Lodge the closest lodge within the National Park to Victoria Falls.

The symphony of birdsong and calls of wildlife create a choir that enraptures all listeners and accompanies guests on this idyllic African experience.

The spacious canvas en-suite rooms exhibit and air of elegance that blends in seamlessly with the natural environment. The suites are resplendent with stylish furnishings and fittings, accentuated by an indoor and outdoor shower, private plunge pool and bath with a view.

Old Drift Lodge offers family friendly accommodation with an air of opulence and grace, in a wild and exuberant Zambezi National Park, Victoria Falls.

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Victoria Falls - Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River, with Old Drift Lodge

Sunset Cruise - This afternoon, we suggest you will enjoy cruising the placid, upper Zambezi River and celebrate the setting African sun setting on the river. Old Drift Lodge offers a unique and intimate way to view the Zambezi River. This single level cruise boat will be the first of it's kind on the Zambezi, custom built to maximize comfort, style, practicality and service. Please liaise with camp staff to schedule this included activity.

A variety of game is consistently spotted, such as elephant, hippo and crocodiles, as well as a vast plethora of bird species.

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Monday October 2nd, 2023
Victoria Falls - Tour of the Falls, with Old Drift Lodge

Tour of Victoria Falls - This morning we suggest you will take a trip to the Victoria Falls and enjoy a fascinating private tour.

(Please liase with lodge staff to schedule this activity.) When David Livingstone first saw the falls in 1865 he was in the company of 2 local tribesmen who showed him this Mighty Wonder of World. This site today is a world heritage site with the largest single curtain of falling water on the planet, also known as "The Smoke that Thunders." (Rainforest entrance fees are included separately in itinerary costs.)

The tour will begin with a visit to the world renowned Victoria Falls visitors center where you will explore the geological history of the area that created this magnificent spectacle. The sights, sounds, and aromas of the Falls are truly an awe-inspiring experience that provokes humbling feelings from within - here, indeed, is nature's supreme masterpiece. No photograph can begin to depict the reality, and nothing prepares you for your first sight.

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Victoria Falls - Aunt Flatter - Home Hosted Lunch

Home Hosted Lunch with Aunt Flatter: On the outskirts of Victoria Falls Town is Chinotimba Township which is where a lot of Zimbabweans working in the tourism industry in Victoria Falls live.

It's a friendly township with proper houses rather than shacks and it is here that Aunty Flatter and her like minded neighbors have started their own businesses. They welcome you into their homes to interact in an informal way and learn more about each others' countries, cultures and traditions.

As Flatter's daughters prepare a tasty traditional Zimbabwean meal, you are able to ask questions - and be prepared to answer some as well! The food ranges from beef and chicken stews to peanut laced pumpkin, mopane worms and the traditional sadza which is a corn flour mash and the staple food in many countries in Southern Africa. Expect a unique hour or two!

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Tuesday October 3rd, 2023
Victoria Falls - Elephant Encounter

The Elephant Encounter affords guests the opportunity to unobtrusively interact with some of the biggest personalities in Africa, in a pristine wilderness environment overflowing with raw natural beauty. You will spend time and connect with elephants in the most positive and natural way possible.

An open-design thatch Boma gives you with an uninterrupted view of the beautiful Masuwe River, and against this breathtaking backdrop, you will be given an insightful and educational presentation on the Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary and Orphanage. The sanctuary was founded on the principle of conservation, and one of the most effective ways to evoke a sense of environmental responsibility is to show you what stands to be lost.

You will have an opportunity to talk to guides that have journeyed physically and metaphorically, incredible distances with these elephants, and learn more about the complexities of the individuals and the herd structures. You will learn about the elephant as well as their history and how they came to be in our care as well as the threats facing elephant populations today, in an interesting and informative talk.

You will venture out into the bush to spend time with the elephant and the sight of the gentle grey mammals up close and personal will be imprinted on your’ minds’ long after you have returned home. Witness the special relationship the elephant keepers share with the animals and become a part of it. You will have the opportunity to take photographs with the elephants, marvel at their size and watch them behaving normally; browsing and interacting with one another.

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While staying at Old Drift Lodge you are free to choose two game activities per day. You have a choice of either a morning or afternoon game drive in the Zambezi National Park or you can enjoy a sunrise or sunset river cruise where you'll explore the river, islands, channels, and freshwater beaches where crystal clear waters abound. Being within a hair’s breadth of stunning wildlife, while sipping wine and nibbling on appetizers, is as close to heaven on earth as you are likely to get. We recommend doing the sunset cruise one evening! Please discuss with your guide what activities you would like to do, so these can be arranged. So much to do, so little time!

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Wednesday October 4th, 2023

Transfer from Old Drift Lodge to Victoria Falls Airport

Today you will be collected from the hotel lobby and driven to the Victoria Falls Airport, where you will connect with your commercial flight to Johannesburg.

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 Commercial Flight - Victoria Falls to Johannesburg

***This flight needs to be booked and is not included in the itinerary cost***

 

We recommend booking FastJet flight FN 8503

1:00pm Depart Victoria Falls Airport

2:55pm Arrive Johannesburg Airport

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VIP Assistance, Johannesburg Airport | VIP Assistance through Customs & Immigration.

Welcome back to Johannesburg. Once you land at Johannesburg International Airport, you will be met at the end of the aircraft tunnel (look for your name on a sign) and assisted by VIP Assistance with passport controls, getting checked-in and to your gate for your onward international flights to the US.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - US passports do not require visas to enter South Africa BUT must have at least two empty pages in their passports for each country visited. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of departure from the last country visited.

These flights need to be booked and are not included in the itinerary costs.

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Overnight Flight Back to the USA

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Thursday October 5th, 2023

Arrive back in the USA...

Thank you from Premiere Luxury Travel and Hills of Africa Travel!!

Thank you for traveling with Premiere Luxury Travel and Hills Of Africa Travel. Safe travels and we hope you have experienced the true magic of Africa!

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What's not included:

• International flights and domestic flights

• All meals not mentioned above

• All activities not mentioned above

• Travel Insurance (highly recommended)

• Gratuities

• Items of a personal nature

• Zimbabwe tourist visa: USD30 per person

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• • Yes, I'm ready to join and register!    Great, we are so grateful you'll be part of our fun group!  The first step to your amazing trip is to keep moving forward in this form and complete your registration.  Once you register, we'll be back in touch to have you provide, or for returning clients to verify, your client information and answer other specific questions regarding this trip.   It's time to get excited!
  • Need more time to decide or perhaps not the trip or time for you?   Just click on this link and let us know your trip interest so we can respond to your interest level appropriately!  

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