Southern Africa: Cape, Delta & Falls

Travel from the Mother City to the wilds of Botswana and Zimbabwe, visiting a wealth of natural and cultural wonders

Encompassing three countries, two Natural Wonders of the World, and a string of unforgettable experiences, this unique adventure unwraps the very best of southern Africa. It begins on the Western Cape of South Africa, where sophisticated Cape Town sits at the foot of Table Mountain and elite vineyards produce award-winning wines. We then hop to Botswana for an adventure in the wilds, scouring Chobe National Park on multiple game drives and discovering the Okavango Delta in mokoro canoes while staying in a wild camp. We end in Zimbabwe, marvelling at the thunderous rush and roar of Victoria Falls – a magnificent curtain of water that draws our adventure to a close.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• We employ local site guides in Chobe National Park and several other conservation areas.
• In the Okavango Delta, we work with polers from the Poler’s Trust. This is a community-based project formed to create an ecotourism business to benefit everyone in the area. By using these facilities and going on boat tours with the Poler’s Trust, we ensure we are helping the community by providing employment and supporting environmental initiatives.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income used to upkeep and develop these important sites.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices regarding working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We rewild 1,075sqft (100sqm) per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
• Our local partners support the Save Our Sausage Trees initiative in Botswana, which aims to address the issue of depleting forests in the area. The mokoro is a canoe used by the people of the Okavango Delta and it is crafted traditionally from a single mature kigelia Africana tree (or sausage tree). Although increased tourism has had some obvious benefits to the area, it has also brought a higher demand for mokoros and therefore more trees are being cut down. As a wooden mokoro only lasts about five years, there are hundreds of these trees being felled per year and there are not enough trees to sustain this. We have consulted with the Okavango community and have agreed to pay half the price of a fibreglass mokoro if a poler wants to purchase the other half to save the trees.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Visa

Botswana

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Botswana. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/botswana
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/botswana
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/botswana/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Botswana.html

Please note, if you are transiting through South Africa and are a non-UK passport holder you may require a transit visa. Please check before travelling. Please also be aware that children under the age of 18 must provide a full birth certificate (a short one won’t be accepted) as well as a valid passport. If the child is travelling with only one parent or with another adult, the missing parent (or parents) will have to provide an affidavit giving their consent for the child to travel. If flying via South Africa, you may have to pass immigration between flights and the same regulation is needed for entry into South Africa.

South Africa

Travellers from the UK, US and most (though not all) EU states normally do not need a visa to enter South Africa. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/south-africa
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/south-africa
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/SouthAfrica.html

Please note, all travellers to South Africa who require a visa need at least two consecutive blank pages in their passport (ie a left- and right-hand page) to enable an entry visa to be issued.

Additionally, any child under 18 travelling to South Africa needs to be in possession of an unabridged birth certificate with the names of both parents. If a child under 18 is only travelling with one parent, they will also have to have an affidavit, no less than three months old, from the absent parent confirming the child can travel with the other parent; a court order granting full legal guardianship of the child; or a death certificate of the deceased parent.

Zimbabwe

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Zimbabwe. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/zimbabwe
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/zimbabwe
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/zimbabwe/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Zimbabwe.html

The current charge for a single-entry visa issued on arrival in Zimbabwe is US$55, although this is subject to change. You should bring enough cash with you to pay for your visa on arrival. You should ensure you have small notes as immigration officers may not be able to provide change.

Please note, if flying via South Africa you will probably have to pass immigration there. Children under 18 must have an unabridged birth certificate showing the names of both parents. If the child is travelling with only one parent, they will need to have an affidavit from the other parent, no more than three months old, confirming the child can travel with the other parent; a court order granting full legal guardianship of the child; or a death certificate of the deceased parent.

Vaccination

Botswana

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, polio, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you have travelled from (or transited through) a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic. We also suggest you seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic about which malaria tablets to take.

South Africa

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you're arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Malaria prophylaxis is essential if travelling in the greater Kruger area; seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic about which tablets to take. The rest of South Africa, including the Garden Route, has a low risk of malaria.

Dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, is also a known risk in places visited. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we recommend taking the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Zimbabwe

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you're arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Malaria is also a known risk. Please seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic on the best course of action for all the above.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners are included. These are typically:

• Breakfast: Cereals, coffee, tea and toast, and the occasional cooked breakfast
• Lunch: Cheese, cold meats, salads, bread or rolls
• Dinner: Potjies (stew), braais (barbecue), stir fries, pasta

Where meals are not included, the leader will recommend a restaurant for a group meal. Dinners can cost the equivalent of US$20‐US$30 per person and lunches US$8-US$13.

Please be aware, we need at least two weeks’ notice to deal with special dietary requirements (eg vegetarian or allergies).

Weather

Summer in South Africa is from October to April and winter is from May to September. The Western Cape is typically Mediterranean with a mild climate and can be visited any time of year. Over the year, the temperature typically varies from 9C to 25C (48F to 77F). Winter is wetter than summer but still has warm, sunny days. Strong winds can occur year-round.

There is no best time for game viewing or conditions in the Delta, as the Delta flows year-round, despite the flood periods. The wettest season is January and February, when travel on dirt roads becomes difficult. March to September, although dry and bright, can be cold at night (in June and July it can be chilly on occasions so bring appropriate clothing). Water levels in the Delta will be at their highest in July. Chobe National Park can be visited throughout the year; however, the riverfront area is best visited from May to October when the park is typically driest.

From December to June, water levels in the Zambezi are at their highest, and the spray from Victoria Falls can be seen several miles away as it soars sometimes as much as 150m (500ft) in the air. October and November are the hottest months, and midday temperatures can be very uncomfortable. The rains normally start slowly in late November. December can be wet, but it does not rain for long periods and should definitely not put anyone off travelling, as there is always plenty of sunshine.

Is this trip for you?

This 14-day adventure connects some of the best-known destinations in southern Africa, using two flights (Western Cape to the Okavango Delta; Okavango Delta to Chobe National Park) to significantly reduce journey times. The longest drive is approximately three hours (not including stops) but the rest are typically one to two hours unless there is a game drive. The drives between destinations are in a comfortable minibus or open-sided safari vehicles. Game drives are in open-sided safari vehicles.

The longest walk is a four-hour game walk over relatively flat terrain. The ground can be uneven and we have to navigate vegetation so you need to be steady on your feet. Most other walks are around two hours.

Most nights are spent in hotels or lodges, but there are two nights of wild camping within the Okavango Delta – a highlight for many travelers. This is full-service camping, which means the crew set up camp, cook the food and complete camp chores, so you can fully enjoy the wilderness. We stay in large tents with mattress-topped camp beds and the site has a bush shower and toilet. The shower and toilet are in separate tents with capacity for one person at a time. The crew can heat water on the fire to provide warm water for showers.

The journey into the Okavango Delta is by traditional dugout canoes called mokoros, which sit low in the water and can be difficult to board if you have reduced mobility. Our crew can help if necessary.

Legal note: All group members joining this tour will be asked to sign an indemnity form at the start of the trip. This indemnity form is a requirement of the South African Tourism Service Association, of which our local supplier is a member. As a client of Exodus Travels Ltd, your rights under the Package Travel Regulations (1992) are unaffected, and Exodus remains liable for the actions of our sub-contractors.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.