Compare African Safari: A Close-up on Wildlife by Road Scholar vs 10 Day Lower Zambezi Canoeing and Kafue National Park Safari by Absolute Zambia Safaris

Day 1
In Transit to Program
In Flight

Day 2
Arrive Johannesburg, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Johannesburg D Courtyard Hotel Eastgate
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 2:00 pm

Afternoon: Check in at the hotel and relax before the welcome dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel, enjoy a buffet welcome dinner including a starter and entrée with side dish; a welcome drink, bottled water, coffee and tea are provided.

Evening: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. We have set aside free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We are fortunate to have as our Group Leader a knowledgeable expert who will also serve as our primary lecturer for most of the program. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Day 3
Apartheid Museum, Liliesleaf Farm
Johannesburg B,L,D Courtyard Hotel Eastgate
Activity note: Drive time to the Apartheid Museum is approximately 30 minutes; to Liliesleaf Farm is approximately 1 hour. Drive time is traffic-dependent.

Breakfast: Taken at the hotel, breakfast will be an expansive buffet featuring a variety of cold cereals, fresh fruit, cold meats and cheeses, pastries and hot items such as bacon, sausage, tomatoes and mushrooms. Omelettes, eggs and waffles can be cooked on demand. Fruit juices, coffee, tea and water provided.

Morning: Boarding our motorcoach, we will transfer to the southern edge of Johannesburg to visit the award winning and internationally acclaimed Apartheid Museum; a local expert will join us here. This beautiful museum gives a balanced account of 20th century South Africa. It recounts the political upheavals beginning in the last century and moves on to the transition from a racist state into the new era of hope and freedom as a democracy. Discussion: History of South Africa and apartheid. From the museum, we will transfer to Liliesleaf Farm, a location which played a key role in the struggle against Apartheid.

Lunch: Taken at the café at Liliesleaf, lunch will be a two-course, set menu meal plus water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: In the company of a local expert, we will explore Liliesleaf Farm on foot as we learn more about the anti-apartheid movement and the role the farm played in the struggle. Liliesleaf was purchased in 1961, at a time when the apartheid state started to clamp down more forcibly on the liberation movement. As a 'nerve center' of liberation activities, the meetings that took place at Liliesleaf from 1961 to July 1963, and the events that transpired after the 1963 police raid on the property, mark a seminal shift in South Africa's liberation struggle history, and fundamentally changed the course of South African history. At the end of the afternoon, we will return to the hotel with time to freshen up before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 4
Fly to Zambia, Local Orphanage Visit
Livingstone B,D Thorntree River Lodge
Activity note: Flight time 1 hour 45 minutes. Drive time from town to the lodge is 20 minutes.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: This morning, we will transfer to the Johannesburg airport to board our commercial flight to Livingstone, Zambia.

Lunch: Lunch in flight.

Afternoon: After arriving in Livingstone, we will visit a nearby local orphanage. Here, we will have a chance to learn about the effects of AIDS, an unfortunate, integral part of Zambian life and culture. We will also interact with local children and foster parents. Afterward, we will transfer to our lodge and settle-in. In the late afternoon, our Group Leader will give us an overview of Zambia.

Dinner: Dinners at the lodge will vary each night between set menu plated choices and buffet options. There will always be a starter, main meat or vegetarian entree with assorted vegetable or starch side dishes, and a dessert. Bottled water and table wine provided, with additional drinks available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5
Victoria Falls from Zambian Side, Livingstone Museum
Livingstone B,L,D Thorntree River Lodge
Activity note: In order to access all of the viewpoints at Victoria Falls, one must go up and down around 150 stairs one way; the path may be slick due to the waterfall's mist, too. It is possible to still see the waterfall without climbing all of the stairs, but only from one viewpoint. Drive time lodge to Falls is 30 minutes; museum to lodge is 20 minutes.

Breakfast: Breakfasts at the lodge will be an expansive buffet consisting of many bread, cereal and fruit choices in addition to various hot English-style breakfast dishes. Coffee and tea provided.

Morning: Boarding our minibus, we will transfer into town to visit the famed Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi River opens out into an extravaganza of roaring, spray-tumbled water, known to the locals as “Mosi oa Tunya” (the smoke that thunders). Few sights are as awe-inspiring as this, when the ground rumbles with the forces of the water. On foot, we will view the Falls this morning from the Zambian side, followed by a visit to the local crafts market. After the Falls, we will transfer into Livingstone, where our Group Leader leads an excursion of the town and its colorful produce market. Livingstone is a classic old colonial town of former Northern Rhodesia, which can still be seen in some of its architecture. In the company of a docent, we will visit the Livingstone Museum, known for its archaeological and ethnographic displays, but most notably for its artifacts that belonged to Dr. David Livingstone. In the late morning, we will return to the lodge.

Lunch: Lunches at the lodge vary each day between plated a la carte choices and buffet options. There will always be a starter, main meat or vegetarian entree with assorted vegetable or starch side dishes, and a dessert. Water, tea and coffee provided, with additional beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in the town of Livingstone. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 6
Victoria Falls from Zimbabwean Side, Game Drive
Upper Zambezi River B,L,D Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge
Activity note: In order to see all viewpoints at the Falls, approximate length of walk is 2 miles. It is possible to walk less and see some, but not all, viewpoints. Paths may be slick from mist, but are mostly flat. Drive time between Thorntree Lodge and Victoria Falls is approximately 1 hour including border crossing. Drive time between Victoria Falls and Imbabala Lodge is 1 hour.

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: To start our day, we will transfer over the border into Zimbabwe, where we will see Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side. Because the waterfall spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it is visible from both countries; however, viewing from the Zimbabwean side is preferred as more of the water falls on this side. On foot, our Group Leader will show us how, through the millennia, the forces of nature have created this marvelous spectacle, Africa’s greatest waterfall. Afterward, we will continue in our minibus to Imbabala Lodge to settle in and enjoy the riverfront scenery.

Lunch: Lunches at the lodge will consist of a small buffet with starter salad, main entree, side dish, and dessert. All local brand beverages and water included; premium-brand alcohol available for purchase.

Afternoon: Over afternoon tea, our Group Leader will give a lecture, "Overview of Zimbabwe." Then, we will embark on a late afternoon game drive in the private reserve surrounding the lodge. The 5,000 acre national park concession has nearly nine miles of private Zambezi River frontage. The reserve also borders the Chobe Forest Reserve, which is renowned for its massive elephant population. Game drives will be in open-air safari vehicles in the early mornings and late afternoons, when the animals are most active. Each game drive lasts for approximately 3 to 4 hours, with a rest break half-way through. Game drives consist of moving slowly through the reserve searching for predators and other animals.

Dinner: Dinners at the lodge will be a small buffet with starter salad, main entree, side dish, and dessert. All local brand beverages and water included; premium-brand alcohol available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 7
Safari Activities
Upper Zambezi River B,L,D Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge
Activity note: Game drives typically last between 3 to 4 hours in the early mornings and late afternoons, when the animals are most active.

Breakfast: At the lodge prior to the morning game drive, early morning tea/coffee and light breakfast items will be served, such as fresh fruit, rusks, muffins, and cereals. Upon return from the morning game drive, hot breakfast items such as eggs, sausage, bacon and toast will be provided at the lodge.

Morning: We will climb into our safari vehicles for a morning game drive in the lodge’s private reserve. Each vehicle will have its own safari specialist to provide details on the flora and fauna encountered during the drive.

Lunch: At the lodge.

Afternoon: The early afternoon will be at leisure to rest, relax and enjoy the lodge's amenities. Following tea, we will walk a short distance to the launch to board our boat for a game-viewing safari on the Zambezi River. Here, we may have the chance to spot wildlife coming to drink and bathe in the river, as well as observe the multitude of birds that gather on the river’s banks. Refreshments will be served on the boat as we watch one of Africa's stunning sunsets. We will return to the lodge after dusk, in time for dinner.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 8
Chobe National Park
Upper Zambezi River B,L,D Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge
Activity note: The transfer from Imbabala to Chobe National Park takes approximately 30-45 minutes, including the border crossing. Game drive lasts 3 hours; boat safari lasts 2 hours.

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: A short drive this morning takes us over the border into Botswana and Chobe National Park, where we will go on a game drive within the park. Chobe National Park remains one of Africa’s prime game-viewing areas. Here, one finds all of the “Big Five,” except for rhino. This is elephant country, home to the largest population of elephants in the world…many of these great grey giants can be seen at this time of year (note that seasonality makes a big difference in how much game one will see. If it’s dry, larger herds gather; if it has recently rained, the animals will be more dispersed). The park forms part of Botswana’s northern-most border and is a contrast of desert aridity and flood plains. The Chobe region is best known for its vast magnificent river and floodplains filled with grazing herds of big game. Buffalo, sable, lion, leopard, hippo, hyena, and many species of antelope find safety in this huge national park. Chobe is one of Africa’s most pristine ecosystems and greatest wildlife refuges.

Lunch: We will enjoy lunch at a lodge near Chobe National Park, with a beautiful view over the Chobe River. Lunch will be an expansive buffet with numerous salad, main dish and dessert options. Coffee, tea and water provided.

Afternoon: During our game-viewing boat safari this afternoon, we will explore the Chobe River by motorboat, potentially coming face to face with elephant, buffalo and other wildlife that gather on the banks of the river to drink and bathe. Immersed in this unique environment, we will view numerous birds including sacred ibis, blue heron, goliath heron, saddle-billed storks, marabou storks and little egrets. After the boat safari, we will drive back across the border to Imbabala Lodge.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 9
Hwange National Park, Elephant Behavior
Hwange National Park B,L,D Ivory Lodge
Activity note: Total transfer time to Hwange National Park is 3.5 hours, done in an enclosed minibus.

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: This morning, we will head south to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s premier safari destination. Hwange is legendary for its wonderful array of wildlife, particularly the massive herds of elephant and buffalo. In the summer months, large antelope herds migrate onto the plains, closely followed by large predators. Shallow pans are spread throughout the park, around which wildlife congregate, making for excellent and reliable game viewing. Elephant, Cape buffalo, sable, roan, southern giraffe, blue wildebeest, impala and sometimes even gemsbok (oryx) can be seen here. This park is one of the best for predators - lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah are regularly sighted, along with the smaller African wildcat, serval, honey badger, civet and spotted hyena. Bird life in the area is also prolific, with more than 400 species found.

Lunch: Lunches at Ivory Lodge will be small buffets with a starter, main dish with side, and dessert. Dishes often vary between brunch and lunch offerings. All local brand beverages, water and coffee/tea provided; premium brand alcohol available for purchase.

Afternoon: The early afternoon will be at leisure to rest, relax, or explore the lodge's wildlife viewing hide. Over afternoon tea, our Group Leader will give a lecture on elephant social structure, behavior and culling issues. Following the lecture, we will board our safari vehicles for a late afternoon game drive, searching out the Presidential Herd of elephants resident in the area, as well as other animal and bird life.

Dinner: Dinner tonight will be a plated meal at the lodge consisting of a salad or starter, main course with side, and dessert. All local brand beverages, water and coffee/tea provided; premium brand alcohol available for purchase.

Evening: A short night game drive will be offered in search of the nocturnal species active in the area.

Day 10
Game Drives, Importance of Termites
Hwange National Park B,BR,D Ivory Lodge
Activity note: Optional bush walks are over uneven terrain with the duration dependent on participant ability.

Breakfast: Coffee/tea and light breakfast items, such as cold cereal and rusks, will be served before the game drive.

Morning: On an early morning game drive, we will search for the varied wildlife in the area. Upon our arrival back in camp, a hearty brunch will await us, followed by the heat of the day at leisure. The camp’s viewing “hide” provides a great place to safely observe animals coming to drink from the waterhole in the heat of the day. A bush walk with a safari specialist will also be available for those interested, where we may encounter wildlife and explore the little surprises in the bush.

Brunch: At the lodge, brunch will be a small buffet consisting of hot and cold breakfast and lunch dishes. All local brand beverages, water and coffee/tea provided; premium brand alcohol available for purchase.

Afternoon: During tea, our Group Leader will give a lecture on termites, followed by a late afternoon game drive.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: A short night game drive will be offered in search of the nocturnal species active in the area.

Day 11
Game Drives, Lion Social Structure & Behavior
Hwange National Park B,BR,D Ivory Lodge
Activity note: Optional bush walks are over uneven terrain with the duration dependent on participant ability.

Breakfast: Light breakfast at the lodge.

Morning: On our morning game drive, we will search for wildlife that may have eluded us thus far. Then, we will return to camp for a hearty mid-day meal and the heat of the day at leisure. A bush walk with a safari specialist will also be offered this morning.

Brunch: At the lodge.

Afternoon: This afternoon's tea-time lecture will focus on lion social structure and behavior, given by the Group Leader. Afterwards, we will depart on our final afternoon game drive of the program.

Dinner: At the lodge.

Evening: A short night game drive will be offered in search of the nocturnal species active in the area.

Day 12
Return to Victoria Falls, Elephant Encounter
Victoria Falls B,L,D A'Zambezi River Lodge
Activity note: Transfer time to Victoria Falls is 2.5 hours in an enclosed minibus. Transfer time from the lodge to the elephant encounter site is about 30 minutes. Walk at the elephant encounter site is along flat, uneven, dirt pathways for around 1 mile.

Breakfast: At the lodge.

Morning: We will embark on our last early morning game drive of the program. In the late morning, we will transfer from Hwange to the Victoria Falls restaurant where we will enjoy lunch today.

Lunch: Taken at a local restaurant with scenic views, our lunch will be a 3-course, plated, set menu offering; bottled water is included with additional beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will transfer to our lodge for check-in. This afternoon, we will be driven to a nearby location for our elephant encounter. Here, we will have an opportunity to learn more about the past, present and future of elephant conservation from local experts. We will also gain insight into these gentle giants through up close, personal time with the elephants that reside here. In the company of our local experts, we will be escorted on a walk alongside the elephants through the pristine bush and valley of the Masui River. Upon conclusion of the encounter, we will enjoy a selection of hot and cold canape’s and sundowners, including local beers, wines, soft drinks, water, coffee & tea. We will be driven back to the lodge in time to freshen up before dinner.

Dinner: At the lodge, dinner will consist of a buffet with starter, choice of main dishes, variety of side dishes, and desserts. Bottled water, tea and coffee will be provided with additional beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 13
Local Village, Free Time
Victoria Falls B,D A'Zambezi River Lodge
Activity note: Transfer to Intabayengwe Village is approximately 30 minutes one-way in an enclosed minibus.

Breakfast: Taken at the lodge, breakfast will consist of an expansive buffet with many cereal, fruit, bread, and cold meat and cheese options, with hot items including eggs, sausage and bacon. Coffee, tea, milk, fruit juice and water provided.

Morning: We will be driven to Intabayengwe Village, a nearby traditional village, where we will have the chance to meet members of the community and see how they live. Visits to some of the homes and the local pre-school will begin our morning. We will also help the local women prepare a traditional meal and see what role women play in the village. The visit will also take us to a local, illegal “moonshiner’s” distillation facility where we learn about this underground industry. Upon conclusion of our visit, we will return to the lodge.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and will be on your own to enjoy what you like.

Afternoon: Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in the town of Victoria Falls. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. In the early evening, we will regroup at the lodge and be driven a short distance to our dinner location.

Dinner: Our farewell dinner will be taken at a neighboring lodge and consist of a 3-course, set menu meal including bottled water, coffee, tea; additional beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 14
Program Concludes
In Flight B
Activity note: Transfer from the lodge to the airport is 30 minutes. Flight time is 1 hour 40 minutes.

Breakfast: Lodge buffet.

Morning: Following breakfast, a noted local historian will discuss the story of Scottish explorer Dr. David Livingstone, who first visited Victoria Falls over 150 years ago, and whose journeys laid the ground work for the Colonial era that followed. Mid-morning, we will transfer to the Victoria Falls airport to board our commercial flight to Johannesburg.

Lunch: In flight.

Afternoon: Mid-afternoon, we will arrive in Johannesburg and connect to our international return flight home. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Day 15
In Transit From Program
In Flight
Morning: Early morning arrivals in North America.

Day 1: Arrive & Transfer to Pioneer Lodge – Lusaka

Arriving at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka (LUN), where you will be welcomed by our representative who will then assist you with luggage and transfer you to Pioneer Lodge where you will spend your night before your fantastic canoeing Safari on the Zambezi River in lower Zambezi.

Check-in relax, enjoy your room and later it's dinner and bedtime.

Zambezi Breezer ,Chirundu (Canoe Safari Day 1)

Morning Breakfast at Pioneer Lodge, then our driver will transfer you to Zambezi Breezes in Chirundu where your canoeing Safaris will start.

Meet at Zambezi Breezes in Chirundu at approximately 10:00 for a two-hour drive downstream to the lunch place. After a briefing and lunch on the edges of the river, you begin your afternoon canoeing to Mtondo Island for your very first night camp, arriving at around 17:00.

Canoeing on the first day is kept to the mainstream on a natural going strong current. Setting up the lodge accompanied by tea or coffee, snacks, later dinner before retreating at night.

Day 3: Lower Zambezi (Canoe Safari Day 2)

Canoeing begins early after morning tea or coffee and biscuits. About at 06:30, depart Mtondo Island for a downstream breakfast stop at roughly two-hour canoeing.

Continuing through the Lower Zambezi National Park for lunch between 12:30 to 14:00 away from the midday sun. Then canoe through to your next nights camp at or nearby Chikwenya Island if the weather is permitting. This day, you travel a good 25 kilometres of the river into both Mana Pools National Park and Lower Zambezi National Park.

Day 4: Canoeing Safari Day 3

All daily routine, on this day, you will canoe through offshoot river channels where birdlife and game abound. Leaders will stop at points of importance to witness wildlife. Fascinating parts of the river at this point pass three kilometres in width with a labyrinth of canals to explore.

Both sides of the river at this spot are flanked by magnificent national parks where one is likely to see the highest concentration of game on the river.

Day 5: Canoeing Safari Day 4

Exiting Mana Pools National Park and enter the safari area on the south bank while staying within the Lower Zambezi National Park. Starting to narrow down, and the current becomes stronger as the stream proceeds into what is known as the False Mupata Gorge.

From this point, the safari is restricted to the mainstream for about 30 kilometres as you pass through this scenic gorge with sheer rock structures and cliff edges. Campsite on this night is chosen from one of many natural sandy beaches on the land within the confines of the gorge

Day 6: Canoeing Safari Day 5

The day is spent canoeing through the rest of the Mupata Gorge, watching the 300-million-year-old volcanic rock that forms part of the Great Rift Valley. At approximate midday, the canoes exit the gorge and the guide proceeds through to Red Cliffs for lunch and a break away from the midday heat before continuing to the nights’ island campsite.

Depending on joining flights the next day, the guide may discuss with the team a more proper camping site closer to the finishing point. Absolute Zambia Safaris does suggest that connecting flights are caught the day after the safari ends.

Day 7: Last day Canoeing Safari /Lusaka

Depending on the choice of campsite, there is an early rise tea or coffee and breakfast before the remaining canoeing through to the end of the canoeing safari. The take-out point arrives at approximately 09:00 for the return transport to Lusaka.

This ride is in an open-roofed Land Cruiser with a shaded canopy. Alternatively, and depending on the group’s wishes, you may continue to paddle on day 5 to the Feira take out point. This means, the transport will be able to leave earlier for the return five-hour trip to Lusaka, but it says there will be no canoeing on the final day. Lunch will be served on the roadside under a tree.

You will spend a night at Pioneer Lodge in Lusaka. Arrival at Pioneer lodge Check-in and relax later it's dinner and bedtime.

Day 8: Transfer to Kafue National Park

Morning breakfast and transfer to Mukambi Safari Lodge in Kafue National Park. This will be an adventurous road trip, passing through villages and most of it is in the bush, so there is a lot to see along the way, and the fact that it is a private safari means you have the flexibility to stop along the way when you find something interesting.

Upon arrival you will be welcome and checked in then Lunch will be served for you, later you will go out for the Night game drive or Boat Cruise then dinner and bed.

Day 9: Mukambi Safari Lodge in Kafue National Park

Begin your day with breakfast and then go for a morning game drive you can choose to do a walking safari and return to the lodge for the lunch break and relax time. Later afternoon tea and night game drive or a Sunset Boat Cruise and return to the lodge for dinner and bed.

Day 10: Departure

The morning will start with breakfast and depending on your flight time out of Lusaka our driver will pick you up after breakfast or you will do your morning game viewing activity and then depart for Lusaka. You will be transferred to Lusaka International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka for your onward connection.