Spectacular 5-Star Safari: South Africa and Zimbabwe

South Africa’s city of gold, Johannesburg, is a cosmopolitan destination bursting with charm and character, and you will appreciate its sophisticated allure from the comfort of an award-winning boutique hotel and spa. You will arrive at your accommodation after a short transfer from the airport in a private limousine, and you may choose to spend your afternoon in the lap of luxury at your home away from home or exploring the city’s lavish modern suburb of Sandton. Tonight, you may tuck into South African haute cuisine prepared by a Michelin-starred chef at a resplendent restaurant in the suburb.

Marakele National Park is a wildlife sanctuary stationed below the Waterberg Mountains in the Limpopo province of South Africa. As you transfer from the Marataba airstrip, across the sprawling bushveld, and towards your luxury tented suite isolated in the middle of the wilderness, you will come to cherish quiet moments admiring your spectacularly desolate surroundings in one of the country’s treasured reserves. You will not sacrifice lavishness as you spend your evenings in the thick of the bush, indulging in gorgeous backdrops as you fine dine under the crystal clear African night sky.

Marakele National Park is an impressive conservation area boasting an abundance of wildlife scattered across its diverse environments. Today, a knowledgeable game ranger will show you around the park privately within a kitted-out 4x4 vehicle. You will make use of world-class photography equipment during your adventures across the African bush, stopping at waterholes and viewpoints to capture your findings. From striped zebras galloping across the grasslands to horned rhinos sauntering to the water’s edge, game of all shapes and sizes await your discovery in Marakele.

As you wake up and wander outside from your executive glamping tent, the sounds of birds singing from the trees and the gentle bracing breeze will greet you. Today, you will enjoy several spectacular safari drives beneath the towering summit of the Waterberg mountain range. You will head down to the banks of the Matlabas River, where an experienced field guide will welcome you aboard a small boat on the picturesque strip of shimmering water. You will sip gin and tonics as you unhurriedly cruise along the blue ribbon, taking in the scenes and watching the wildlife as you pass.

Your second safari destination, Lion Sands Game Reserve, is a private park that lies in the momentous untouched wilderness of the Greater Kruger National Park. Your accommodation for the following few nights is a 5-star lodge offering a peaceful and serene escape on the banks of the Sabie River. Today, you may wallow in the remote pleasures of this exquisite hideaway and treat yourself to the first-class amenities such as your romantic canopy bed and private plunge pool before you relish a gourmet South African meal alongside panoramas of the pristine Kruger wilderness.

Among Africa’s iconic Big Five, this private Kruger reserve boasts a cast of 137 animal species as well as over 450 families of birds. Today, you will discover as much of the park’s indigenous wildlife as possible on extensive morning and afternoon safaris to panoramic viewpoints, tranquil waterholes, and concealed hides. You will be thrilled to witness the wilderness, from the lounging lions sitting beneath the shade to the lurking leopards hanging in the acacia trees, at its purest while wandering through the premier park.

Today, you will explore more of the Kruger’s untamed wilderness and discover the remaining animals and creatures you have yet to encounter during your journeys through the greenery. A guided bush walk alongside an armed ranger will allow you to spot the curious critters of the reserve, such as the celebrated Little Five, a collection of creatures including the antlion, eastern rock elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, red-billed buffalo weaver, and rhinoceros beetle. You will also spot an array of vibrant feathered creatures, including massive birds of prey and the rare Pel’s fishing owl, to name a few.

The last luxe safari stop on your tour through South Africa is the Sabi Sands’ private Big Five game reserve, MalaMala. Spreading across untouched Mpumalanga, this spellbinding getaway will prove a dreamy final retreat in the South African wilderness set to backdrops of sprawling bushveld. This natural oasis is both a wonderful place to soak up the peaceful ambiance of the reserve and watch the animals come and go from the comfort of its stylish restaurant terrace. Today, you may slip off your shoes and lay back on lounges around the pool before enjoying dinner prepared over the open flames.

MalaMala allows visitors to discover the wilderness in vehicles equipped with the latest camera technology. Today, you will join your ranger within one of these vehicles and partake in a photography safari like no other across breathtaking parts of the park. You will return to your suite having captured remarkable wildlife scenes, such as the iconic blazing sunrise over the African bushveld that silhouettes animals grazing the sparse landscape. This afternoon, you may revel in the calm atmosphere shrouding your far-flung retreat as you gaze upon the crystal clear night sky.

On your final day in MalaMala, and in South Africa, you will adore a few more moments gallivanting across the green pastures sweeping the reserve. Your safaris will yield many marvelous encounters with the indigenous wildlife, and you will return to your suite with memories to last a lifetime. In the afternoon, you may treat yourself to a massage under the shady trees and wallow in views of the flanking wilderness while you feel all of your worries wash away.

Leaving South Africa this morning, you will soon find yourself admiring the remarkably beautiful riverside views from your gorgeous lodge pinned to the perimeter of the Zambezi River. Standing on the jetty this afternoon, you will be blown away by the sheer majesty of the untouched wilderness stretching over the landscape as emerald green grasslands and across the river as a glimmering stretch of azure water. You will board one of your accommodation’s lavish boats for an evening river cruise and sip on decadent cocktails while the burning sunset illuminates the sky.

Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River is an impressive natural spectacle, but it is where the river plummets into its gorge that makes Victoria Falls a must-visit destination. Today, you will head to the massive waterfall and ogle its awe-inspiring sheet of falling water from viewpoints so close to the edge that you will feel its refreshing spray. The Natural World Wonder’s mighty mist of spray and thundering echo have given it the name ‘The Smoke that Thunders,’ and it is the rainbows arching over its canyon that steals the show.

You may let the scenes of the colossal falls seduce you once more as you hover over the enormous torrent within a private VIP helicopter. Returning to the ground afterward, you may toast your sky-high adventures with a glass of champagne before you enjoy a safari drive through Zambezi National Park. Your skilled spotter will guide you through the bushveld in search of big mammals, dazzling birdlife, and colorful fish. You may even partake in a riveting tigerfish fight, where the powerful fish will aggressively pull the line of your fishing rod as you attempt to reel it in.

Few morning views are quite as bracing as those of Victoria Falls, images you will catch a glimpse of as you step outside for breakfast on the patio surrounded by lush lawn. While biting into your hearty breakfast and reminiscing about your vacation, you will feel completely at ease in this natural paradise and savor every last drop of scenic splendor. After breakfast, you will return to your suite to collect your things before you meet your chaperone in the lobby and transfer to Victoria Falls Airport.