Arrive to Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub. This city bursts with art, history, and culture and is a great place to add some extra time to explore. Joburg combines a modern, metropolitan sophistication with historic townships, creating an ambience that has given life to some of South Africa’s greatest icons and creative minds. Your private guide will be waiting to transfer you to your boutique hotel set in the lush, upmarket suburbs of town.

Fly to the mighty Victoria Falls. Known in a local language as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “The Smoke That Thunders,” Victoria Falls straddles the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe and plummets some 354 feet into the gorge below. At over five thousand feet wide, it is the world’s largest falling sheet of water.
Meet your driver and venture up river to your lodge. Here you can observe wildlife along the banks of the river in Zambezi National Park, visit the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls, cruise the river at sunset with a drink in hand, or canoe through the shallows looking for birds and wildlife with an expert local guide. Speak with your Vaya specialist about the endless list of adventurous activities on offer here.

Experience one of nature’s supreme masterpieces. No photograph can truly prepare you for the immensity of Victoria Falls. Walk through the rainforest with your private guide, who will tell you about the history of Victoria Falls and introduce you to the surrounding flora and fauna.

In the afternoon, enjoy some leisure time at your hotel; indulge in a spa treatment or watch the river flow by from your private plunge pool or outdoor bathtub.

Get to know this remarkable area with an activity on offer at your lodge, or let us arrange something a little more adventurous, such as rafting, a helicopter ride, or a microlight flight. You may also choose to spend time visiting a local community project, canoeing with a private guide, trying your hand at some catch-and-release tiger fishing, or visiting a local rhino sanctuary. Other options include game drives in neighboring Zambezi National Park, or a leisurely lunch at the Lookout Café perched high above the rapids of Batoka Gorge.

In the evening, set out for a sunset cruise along the mighty Zambezi River, one of Africa’s largest river systems. Watch the sun sink behind the trees as you keep an eye out for the abundant birdlife along the shore and wildlife coming down for a drink. Enjoy canapes and drinks as you celebrate your time in Africa.

Take a short flight from Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park. Declared a national park in 1929, Hwange today is Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve. Vast stretches of wilderness extend from horizon to horizon and form part of the ancient migration route towards Northern Botswana for many animals.

This diverse landscape of mopane and teak forests, semi-desert scrubland, and granite hills is inhabited by a wide variety of mammals and birds. A year-round destination, Hwange is particularly appealing during the winter months (April to October), when large concentrations of animals flock to pumped waterholes as the seasonal pans dry out. The park’s network of waterholes sustains life when natural resources are unavailable and is a remarkable story of conservation. Massive herds of elephants make their presence felt during the dry period. Buffalo, zebra, sable and roan antelope, as well as lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs are also widely seen.