Southern Africa Odyssey

© Kevin Hogan
Discover the Waterways & Wildlife of Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe
For those in search of an unconventional safari, this one delivers. Featuring a diverse mix of activities in widely varied settings, it’s the perfect introduction to the contrasting collage of habitats, landscapes and wildlife Southern Africa offers—or a fresh take for the seasoned safari-goer looking for something different. The centerpiece of our trip—a small-ship safari on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba—harks back to a storied era of exploration by water, when the continent’s major rivers and lakes were tackled and mapped. We travel in decidedly more luxury, though, aboard an elegant vessel built for exploring African waterways. See Victoria Falls, stay on Namibia's Caprivi Strip, and cruise Botswana’s Chobe River by private boat, looking for scores of elephants on the banks. On land, we get you even farther off the conventional safari circuit in Hwange National Park, with 4x4 drives and bush walks that delve deep into this vast expanse of savanna and sandveld renowned for its big game.

Nat Hab guest aboard the Zimbabwean Dream and elephant, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Court Whelan
Nat Hab guest aboard the Zimbabwean Dream and elephant, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab guest and elephants, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab guest and elephants, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Lion cubs on termite mound, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Kendal Bower
Lion cubs on termite mound, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab Expedition Leader and elephant, Zimbabwe.
Court Whelan
Nat Hab Expedition Leader and elephant, Zimbabwe.
Davison
Davison's Camp, Linkwasha Private Concession, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
Elephant, Zambezi River, Zimbabwe.
Elephant, Zambezi River, Zimbabwe.
Saddle-billed stork, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Saddle-billed stork, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Sunset aboard the Zimbabwean Dream, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Sunset aboard the Zimbabwean Dream, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab guests and lionesses, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab guests and lionesses, Zimbabwe.
Hippopotamus, Zambezi River, Zimbabwe.
Hippopotamus, Zambezi River, Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean Dream, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Kevin Hogan
The Zimbabwean Dream, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab Expedition Leader and guest, Zimbabwe.
Kendal Bower
Nat Hab Expedition Leader and guest, Zimbabwe.
African fish eagles, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Court Whelan
African fish eagles, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab guests and elephant, Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe.
Nat Hab guests and elephant, Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe.

Trip Highlights

A Diverse Slate of Adventures in Four National Parks

Explore by small ship, private boat, 4x4 safari truck and on foot, on a comprehensive itinerary spanning three countries and four national parks—including Victoria Falls

Safari Cruise: A Fresh Exploratory Approach

On a private voyage aboard a small luxury ship for just 14 guests, cruise among the islands, inlets and inland wildlife realms of Zimbabwe's vast Lake Kariba

Superb Wildlife Viewing in Private Settings

See scores of elephants along Botswana's Chobe River by private boat, and discover Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s wildlife crown jewel, from our secluded camp

Photo Departure

Sample intro text.
View Photo Itinerary
zvo1gpb6lf
Conservation in Zimbabwe
A Nat Hab Guide Story

A Unique Combination Safari on Land and Water

Whether you’ve been on multiple safaris or this is your first, you won’t find another itinerary offering this much variety in a safari destination that features exceptional wildlife but very few crowds. Check our the distinctive features of this wide-ranging adventure:

  1. Explore One of the World’s Largest Lakes Aboard a Deluxe Riverboat
    The centerpiece of this exclusive safari is a private 3-night exploration on Lake Kariba, the world's largest manmade lake. Aboard the Zimbabwean Dream, an elegant new riverboat built for African waters, we have access to a vast expanse far off the conventional safari circuit—including Matusadona National Park bordering the lake. With eight cabin suites, the ship accommodates a maximum of just 14 guests.
  2. Bookend Your Time on the Water with Top Wildlife Viewing Locations
    Before and after our voyage on Lake Kariba, enjoy land safaris in two outstanding wildlife sanctuaries. Discover Hwange National Park, famed for its huge herds of elephant and buffalo, and its healthy predator populations. And visist Chobe National Park in Botswana—which is home to prolific hippo, crocodile and diverse hoofed game.
  3. Visit Four Different National Parks
    This comprehensive immersion showcases four distinctly different national parks: Hwange, Matusadona, Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls), and Chobe. Together, the parks showcase a tremendous diversity of wildlife, habitats and dramatic landscapes. 
  4. Travel with Just 14 Guests 
    A small group is essential to the best safari experience, allowing us to get closer to wildlife without disturbing it and enhancing a sense of isolation in the wilderness. With no more than 14 guests aboard the riverboat, we further limit our impact by dividing into two smaller groups for most safari activities. 
  5. Chartered Flights Maximize Your Time on Safari
    Traveling between safari locations by chartered light aircraft, rather than long, dusty drives over rough dirt roads, allows us to spend more time watching wildlife on safari, rather than in transit, while enjoying scenic aerial views.
  6. Stay in Seclusion at Deluxe Camps on Private Concessions
    We stay on private concessions within or adjacent to national parks wherever possible, where visitor density is very low. From intimate safari camps in secluded environs, we feel alone in the wilderness amidst an abundance of wildlife. Yet despite such isolation, surprising luxuries await—you'll lack for no comfort. 
  7. Travel with the World's Finest Naturalist Guides
    Our guests enjoy the personalized service of some of the best-trained, most experienced naturalist guides in all of Africa—a Nat Hab hallmark. Your Nat Hab Expedition Leader will accompany your group from start to finish, ensuring a superior safari experience. Our guides average 15 years' experience, with additional training and resources provided by WWF scientists. Our philosophy on this is simple: an African safari is only as good as the guide, so we provide the very best! See Expedition Leader bios with traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders.
  8. Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Superior Safari Experience
    With Natural Habitat Adventures, you receive our exclusive guarantee, which clearly states that we will meet the lofty expectations we set in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise.
  9. Feel Good About Your Carbon-Neutral Journey
    We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you travel with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset—including your round-trip flights from home. Natural Habitat Adventures has been the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company since 2007.
  10. Natural Habitat Adventures is WWF's Travel Partner
    Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our adventures, World Wildlife Fund—the world's leading environmental conservation organization—has named Natural Habitat Adventures as its worldwide travel partner, a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!

Read what travelers are saying about our Southern Africa Odyssey:

Questions?
We've Got Answers!
Talk with an Adventure Specialist
Call Our Boulder Office at 800-543-8917 or contact your travel advisor.
We're Proud of the Reputation We’ve Earned
Outside
Voted "World's Best Travel
Company"
by Outside Magazine
Outside
Natural Habitat Adventures Ranked
“Best Outfitter”
NatGeo
Voted Best Winter Trip: Natural Habitat Adventures' Monarch Butterfly Migration, Mexico
VIEW MORE AWARDS
Physical Requirements
WWF Logo

Learn More

Customize Your African Safari

Let our in-house safari experts create your perfect African adventure. Whether you'd like to travel as a private group on this safari or you'd like to create an itinerary all your own, simply fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 800-543-8917.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Learn More
Thank you for your interest!
We'll be in touch soon to help with your custom African safari!

Learn More

Customize Your Trip

Let our in-house trip experts create your perfect adventure. Whether you'd like to travel as a private group on our ${tripName} or you'd like to create an itinerary all your own, simply fill out the form to the right or give us a call at 800-543-8917.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Southern Africa Odyssey
Learn More
Thank you for your interest!
We'll be in touch soon to help with your private trip!

Download Trip Details

Discover the World's Best

Nature Travel Experiences

Get our downloadable trip details in PDF format, a handy resource for your travel planning. Inside, you'll find all the info from our website—highlights of the trip, itinerary, accommodations, and full details on dates, prices and logistics—plus a few extras!

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Download Trip Details
Your download awaits…

Thank you for your request! Click here to see your trip details PDF now. You’ll also receive it by email momentarily.

Ask a Question

Ask a Question

Fill out our form to receive additional information about our ${tripName}, or give us a call at 800-543-8917.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Southern Africa Odyssey
Ask a Question
Thank you for your note!

We’ll be in touch soon with more details.

Request Your 2023 Catalog

Discover the World's Best

Nature Travel Experiences

Nathab 2024 Catalog

Together, Natural Habitat Adventures and World Wildlife Fund have teamed up to arrange nearly a hundred nature travel experiences around the planet, while helping to protect the magnificent places we visit and their wild inhabitants.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Request Your 2024/2025 Catalog
Continued - Page 2 of 2
To help us customize your catalog request, please tell us more about your travel needs:
Thank you for requesting a catalog
We’ve received your request. If you have any questions about our trips, please feel free to contact an Adventure Specialist today by calling 800-543-8917.

Get Weekly Updatess

Discover the World's Best

Nature Travel Experiences

Our weekly eNewsletter highlights new adventures, exclusive offers, webinars, nature news, travel ideas, photography tips and more. Sign up today!

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Me Travel Emails
Privacy Policy
Thank you for joining our email list!

Look for a special welcome message in your inbox, arriving shortly! Be sure to add naturalhabitat@nathab.com to your email contacts so you don’t miss out on future emails.

Send Us a Message

Send Us a Message

Have a question or comment? Use the form to the right to get in touch with us.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Us a Message
Thank you for your message

We’ll be in touch soon with a response.

Refer a Friend

Refer a Friend,
Get $250 Off
Earn rewards for referring your friends! We'd like to thank our loyal travelers for spreading the word. Share your friend's address so we can send a catalog, and if your friend takes a trip as a first-time Nat Hab traveler, you'll receive a $250 Nat Hab credit you can use toward a future trip or the purchase of Nat Hab gear. To refer a friend, just complete the form below or call us at 800-543-8917. It's that easy! See rules and fine print here.
Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Refer a Friend

Earn rewards for referring your friends! We'd like to thank our loyal travelers for spreading the word. Share your friend's address so we can send a catalog, and if your friend takes a trip as a first-time Nat Hab traveler, you'll receive a $250 Nat Hab credit you can use toward a future trip or the purchase of Nat Hab gear. To refer a friend, just complete the form below or call us at 800-543-8917. It's that easy! See rules and fine print here.

Thank you for the referral!

We've received your friend's information.

View Our 2023 Digital Catalog

View Our 2024/2025

Digital Catalog

Help us save paper! We offer a digital version of The World's Greatest Nature Journeys. If you'd prefer a mailed copy, please provide your contact details here. To view our digital catalog, please enter your info in the form to the right.
Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
View Digital Catalog
Happy browsing!

Thanks for requesting access to our digital catalog. Click here to view it now. You’ll also receive it by email momentarily.

Our Trips

Polar Bear Tours

Polar Bear Tours

African Safaris

African Safaris

Galapagos Tours

Galapagos Tours

Alaska Adventures

Alaska Adventures

U.S. National Parks Tours

U.S. National Parks Tours

Canada & the North

Canada & the North

Europe Adventures

Europe Adventures

Mexico & Central America Tours

Mexico & Central America Tours

South America Adventures

South America Adventures

Asia & Pacific Adventures

Asia & Pacific Adventures

Antarctica & Arctic Journeys

Antarctica & Arctic Journeys

Adventure Cruises

Adventure Cruises

Photography Expeditions

Photography Expeditions

Women's Adventures

Women's Adventures

Family Adventures

Family Adventures

New Adventures

New Adventures

Questions? Call 800-543-8917

Contact Us

Have a question or comment?
Click any of the buttons below to get in touch with us.

Hours
Mountain Time

  • 8 am to 5 pm, Monday - Friday
  • 8 am to 3 pm on Saturday
  • Closed on Sunday
Call 800-543-8917
Questions? Click to Chat
Questions? Click to Chat
/africa/zimbabwe-safari-cruise/