BAOBAB YOGA AND PRANA AFRICA SAFARI – FEBRUARY 2024
5th February:
19h50 – Fly Heathrow to Bulawayo via Addis and Victoria falls
6th February:
14h00 – Arrive Bulawayo
One Hour transfer to Amalinda on a DBB basis
Unpack and rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Yoga session
Dinner
7/8th February:
Yoga sessions to be organised morning and evening.
Guided walks can be organised around the property (1 hour)
On first day we will be trekking Rhino on foot (3 hours)
Second Day we will be making a visit to see original cave a
paintings followed by a visit to Rhodes grave.
The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, an area of granite kopjes and wooded valleys commencing some 35 kilometres south of Bulawayo.
The Hills were formed over 2000 million years ago with molten rock erupting across the landscape, this has eroded to produce smooth ‘whaleback dwalas’ and broken kopjes, strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation. Part of the national park is set aside as a 100 km² game park, which has been stocked with game including black and white rhinoceros.
The area exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe. The large boulders provide abundant natural shelters and have been associated with human occupation from the early Stone Age right through to early historical times, and intermittently since. They also feature an outstanding collection of rock paintings.
The Matobo Hills continue to provide a strong focus for the local community, which still uses shrines and sacred places intricately linked to traditional, social, and economic activities.
The Matobo balancing rocks are the burial place of Cecil John Rhodes. Commanding a vista clear to the horizon, the name ‘Worlds View,’ could not be more appropriate for this enchanting piece of Zimbabwe.
We will be staying at Amalinda. This exclusive, privately owned safari lodge is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Matobo Hills, the oldest National Park in Zimbabwe, tucked away into an ancient Bushman’s shelter. The granite domes and castle kopjes echo the essence of tranquillity and majesty of untamed Africa, where wildlife and birdlife species thrive in prolific numbers. Famous for its healthy population of endangered rhino, the area is one of the most sought after destinations within Zimbabwe.
AMALINDA - https://www.amalindacollection.com/lodges/amalinda-lodge/
9,10,11,12th February
After breakfast we transfer to Hwange National Park for our safari experience. This is approx. a 4-hour transfer.
We are staying here on a fully inclusive basis accommodation wise including six drives during the four days so we can plan the days to suit ourselves.
Drinks will be to your own account.
Hwange National Park is located on the border with Botswana, its 1.4 million hectares are home to a rich variety of different habitats, vegetation, and wildlife. The park's mopane and teak woodlands, grasslands and scrub areas provide a true wilderness experience and some fantastic game viewing opportunities.
Hwange was proclaimed a national park over 75 years ago and is known for its herds of buffalo and elephant and a huge diversity of over 100 different mammal species. Black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, baboon, porcupine, aardwolf, spotted hyena, caracal, leopard, African wildcat, lion, southern giraffe, hippo, warthog and Burchell's zebra are all found in Hwange to name just a few! The large numbers of plains game and antelope in the park provide a rich source of food for the predators.
The Park boasts the largest concentration of elephant in the whole of Africa.
The park boasts superb birdlife. Kalahari birds are found here including red-billed spurfowl, crimson-breasted shrike, Kalahari scrub-robin, cut-throat finch, red-eyed bulbul, and southern pied babbler. The plains are alive with pipits, larks, and wheatears while raptors including the martial eagle are also plentiful. In the summer months the bird list is greatly increased by migratory species like southern carmine bee-eaters, black kites, and broad-billed rollers.
We will be staying at Sable Valley – a sister camp to Amalinda. Sable Valley, located in the forestry area on the outskirts of Hwange National Park, offers family-friendly safari experiences and is famous for its exhilarating up-close sightings of the Presidential Elephant Herd.
Sable Valley is known for its sprawling grassy plains and abundance of wildlife diversity. The Dete Vlei, home to Sable Valley, provides scenic landscapes of exceptional and rare beauty, sustaining an ecosystem of remarkable habitat and species, all whilst maintains its ecological resilience and amazing natural phenomena. The Vlei is home to robust populations of some of the world most endangered large mammals such as Cheetah, Wild Dog & Leopard. The natural habitats of the nominated area are diverse, with 1070 plant species which include about 255 trees and shrubs and over 202 grasses, 470 species of bird and 100 specials of mammal. The Dete Vlei plays a pivotal role of the conservation of wildlife. This pristine concession is co-managed and protected by Forestry Commission and The Amalinda Safari Collection’s Mother Africa Trust anti-poaching unit.
SABLE VALLEY - https://www.amalindacollection.com/lodges/sable-valley/
13th February:
Transfer to Victoria Falls (approximately a 3-hour transfer) – home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. We will arrive around 14h00 giving us plenty of time to unpack and prepare for our last 4 nights.
We have booked Lokuthula Lodges – a combination of 2 and 3 bedroom lodges but everyone will have a room and private toilet facilities to themselves, consisting of a bedroom, lounge, and kitchen with a wonderful patio area where you can sit and admire the Warthog and Bush Buck as they graze on the lawns. (Upgrade to a room in the main hotel can be arranged at an additional cost)
This evening we will transfer to Dusty Roads, an authentic Zimbabwean eatery in the township of Chinotimba - https://dustyroad.africa/restaurant.html
14th February:
Early morning session in the beautiful gardens of the hotel. Breakfast will be taken at the Boma restaurant.
Rest of the day at leisure to explore the town. The hotel runs anho urly shuttle bus from reception into four separate locations in the town (10 minutes for the 4km transfer)
We will meet at 17h15 for our short transfer to the jetty for our sunset dinner cruise on the mighty Zambezi. This must be one
of the magical dinner experiences ever, sharing our experience with Hippos, Elephants and Crocodiles!
15th February:
Early start at 05h30 to arrive at the Falls for our tour and yoga session in the park which boasts this wonderful specimen of nature. This is Mosi-oa-Tunya – the smoke that thunders.
“No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight” (Livingstone 1857).
After this session we will walk to the Lookout Café for breakfast. The views of the Gorge here are stunning and if anyone feels
the urge to do a Gorge swing you have come to the right place!
Rest of the day at leisure.
Meet at 18h30 for our short transfer to Jungle Junction, within the grounds of the iconic Victoria Falls hotel. He we are treated
to a local dance show and a sumptuous buffet.
16th February:
An early start for our journey into the National Park and our yoga session on the banks of the mighty Zambezi. This will be followed by a simple breakfast and for those intrepid explorers a paddle in the river is a must.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Let's meet for final sundowners at the Buffalo Bar followed by dinner at the popular Makuwa Kuwa restaurant at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.
17th February:
Last session of the tour followed by breakfast before we head to the airport for our journey home. All good things do have to
come to an end but we hope you go home uplifted!
And the cost of this safari is $3,236pp on a twin sharing basis, which is currently £2,570 at today’s exchange rate. This includes all meals quoted, activities quoted and transfers.
Flight cost currently with Ethiopian is £770
Visa fee for entry into Zimbabwe is currently $50p. Please ask for a KASA Visa which covers entry into Zambia if you want to do any of the activities based there.
AMALINDA – Full Board and one activity on each of the two full days we are here - drinks are an additional cost. Park and Conservation Fees of $135pp have been budgeted but these might be reviewed locally for 2024.
SABLE VALLEY – fully inclusive of accommodation, all meals, and six game drives over the four days. Drinks, laundry, and any additional activities are an additional cost. Again, Park and Conservation fees have been budgeted at $130pp but these might be reviewed locally for next year.
LOKUTHULA – B&B Basis but all activities itemised, and dinners indicated, are included. There is a National Parks fee of $60 for entry to the Falls and $15 for the Banks of the Zambezi payable locally.
CONTACT DETAILS:
