Elephant Safari in South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana

Overview

Intimate elephant experiences & Big Five safari in South Africa’s wild heart.

In celebration of Africa’s gentle giants, this 13-day Elephant Safari through South Africa, Victoria Falls, and Botswana offers meaningful encounters across three iconic destinations. Crafted for travelers with a passion for elephants, the itinerary combines immersive wildlife experiences with impactful conservation. Begin in South Africa, where you’ll meet the elephants of Addo Elephant National Park and later connect with the Jabulani Herd in the Greater Kruger. Here, the conservation-led Jabulani Elephant Experience invites you to observe, track, and learn from the herd on foot. Next, travel to Victoria Falls for a one-of-a-kind art class overlooking elephants at a nearby watering hole. Finally, venture to the Okavango Delta for an unforgettable bush walk with elephants, guided by the Living with Elephants Foundation. Along the way, gain rare insight into elephant behavior, their role in the ecosystem, and the importance of protecting their future.

Highlights

Destinations

Botswana | South Africa | Zimbabwe

Duration

13 days

Price

From $18 726 per person

When to go

All Year Round

Day-to-Day Breakdown

Itinerary Overview

Experiences off the beaten track.
Crafted for the bold + discerning.

This 13-day Elephant Safari takes you through South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana to connect with Africa’s iconic gentle giants.

Itinerary Breakdown

Day 1-4

Experiences

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives alongside expert wildlife guides. The rest of your time can be spent at leisure at the lodge with chances of spotting elephants and other big game drinking from the watering hole located 20m from the Manor House. Other experience include walking safaris, afternoon high tea and indoor and outdoor dining.

Day 1-4

Arrive

Port-Elizabeth, South Africa

Check-in

Gorah Elephant Camp

Your Elephant Safari in South Africa starts on arrival at Port-Elizabeth International Airport, located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A Ker & Downey® Africa representative will await your arrival and transfer you to Addo Elephant National Park, a 2-hour drive away. Established in 1931 to save 11 elephants on the brink of extinction, Addo National Park is now home to more than 350 elephants and is the third-largest park in South Africa. Check in to Gorah Elephant Camp for your 3-night stay in a luxurious tented camp amongst Africa’s densest population of African elephants. Located in a private concession within the park, this exclusive lodge offers a 1920’s style safari experience, complete with an old manor house, silverware, crystal glasses and afternoon high teas.

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives alongside expert wildlife guides who will educate you on the park’s elephants and the Big Five. The rest of your time can be spent at leisure at the lodge with chances of spotting elephants and other big game drinking from the watering hole located 20m from the Manor House. Settle into your tented suite at night and listen out for the roar of lions in the distance. Flight prices are excluded in South Africa and South Africa to Zimbabwe. However Zimbabwe to Botswana and in Botswana is included for light aircraft flights.

Accommodation

Gorah Elephant Camp

Gorah Elephant Camp is a luxurious tented camp set amongst Africa’s densest population of African elephants in Addo Elephant National Park. Located in a private concession within the park, this exclusive lodge offers a 1920’s style safari experience, complete with an old manor house, silverware, crystal glasses and afternoon high teas. The property only features 11 tented suites.

Experiences

Day 1-4

Arrive

Port-Elizabeth, South Africa

Check-in

Gorah Elephant Camp

Itinerary Breakdown

Day 4-7

Transfer to

Kapama Game Reserve

Check-in

Jabulani Safari

After an early breakfast at Gorah Elephant Camp, prepare for your onward journey to the Greater Kruger National Park. You will be transferred to Port-Elizabeth International Airport for a scheduled flight to Johannesburg and your connecting flight to Hoedspruit (Eastgate Airport) On arrival, a Ker & Downey® Africa representative will welcome you and transfer you to Camp Jabulani, your home for the next three nights. Located in Kapama Private Game Reserve, Camp Jabulani not only offers top tier luxury but also purposeful safari experiences such as their signature ‘Elephant Experience’. This expert-led program offers you the chance to learn more about the Jabulani herd and their carers by tracking elephants on foot, actively partaking in research and observation tasks as well as witnessing their favorite time of the day – their midday swim!

Time at leisure can be spent relaxing at the swimming pool, getting active at the gym or taking a walk across the suspension bridge overlooking the river below. Daily game drives will also give you the chance to witness the rest of the Big Five in action such as lions, cheetah, rhino, and buffalo.

Accommodation

Jabulani Safari

Located in Kapama Private Game Reserve, Jabulani Safari not only offers top tier luxury but also purposeful safari experiences such as their signature ‘Elephant Experience’. The luxury lodge boasts a main lodge area, luxury suites and the exclusive Zindoga Villa.

Day 4-7

Transfer to

Kapama Game Reserve

Check-in

Jabulani Safari

Itinerary Breakdown

Day 7-10

Transfer to

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Check in

Matetsi River Lodge

After breakfast on your seventh day, you will be transferred to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport for your flight to Livingstone Airport. Your private transfer will be awaiting your arrival for your transfer to Matetsi River Lodge located on the banks of the Zambezi River. This elegant lodge was named one of the Top 10 Safari Lodges in Africa by Travel + Leisure in 2019 and is the perfect base from which to explore the famous Victoria Falls. Other activities offered at the lodge include canoeing, boat safaris, and game drives, as well as in-house spa treatments. The highlight of your stay at Matetsi will be your Elephant Art Safari. This experience will give you the opportunity to paint or sketch while observing elephants drinking from the Masuwe River.

This is an eco-conscious activity which is lead by Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary and Art of Africa, alongside expert guides who will educate you on the history of the elephants and the threats the elephant populations face today.

Accommodation

Matetsi River Lodge

Matetsi River Lodge was named one of the Top 10 Safari Lodges in Africa by Travel + Leisure in 2019 and is the perfect base from which to explore the famous Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The lodge consists of two intimate camps of nine river-facing suites each, (of which two are family suites) and a Private Villa, River House.

Day 7-10

Transfer to

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Check in

Matetsi River Lodge

Itinerary Breakdown

Day 10-12

Transfer to

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Check-in

Baines’ Camp

On day 10 of your elephant safari, you will journey onwards to Botswana’s Okavango Delta. You will be transferred to Kasane Airport from Matetsi River Lodge where you will board a charter flight to Sanctuary Baines Camp. The last three nights of your trip will be spent in the heart of the Okavango Delta staying in the utmost luxury. Baines Camp is an intimate camp built on raised platforms high above the Boro River, in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve. Your trip ends on a high note as you get the opportunity to walk alongside Botswana’s elephants with elephant specialists, Doug and Sandi. This intimate bush walk will bring you closer to Africa’s gentle giants than ever before and give you the opportunity to connect with the elephants and their environment.

Although the highlight of your stay may be walking with elephants, the camp also offers a variety of other exciting activities such as seasonal mokoro safaris, walking safaris, game drives, boat safaris, and scenic helicopter flights. Enjoy the last leg of your trip and soak up the beauty of the Okavango Delta and its wildlife.

Accommodation

Baines’ Camp

Baines Camp is an intimate camp of only six luxurious suites built on raised platforms high above the Boro River, in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve. Each suite features an outdoor bath and a star bed.

Day 10-12

Transfer to

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Check-in

Baines’ Camp

Itinerary Breakdown

Day 13

Departure

Transfer to

Charter flight to Maun

Today marks the end of your elephant safari in Botswana. After breakfast, you will start your journey home. Board your charter flight from Baines Camp to Maun Airport in time for your Johannesburg flight at 14h00. Arrive at Johannesburg International Airport at 15h40 and connect to your international flight for your onward journey home.

YOUR NEXT JOURNEY

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