Long-haul
Botswana safari and Victoria Falls: Chobe elephants and the smoke that thunders
Hundreds of elephants come down to the river to drink as the sun sets behind your boat. How to combine a Botswana safari with Victoria Falls, and where to stay.
The boat lies still on the Chobe River. On the bank, elephants come down in herds, the smallest almost hidden behind their mothers. They drink, spray water over their backs and wade across to a grassy island in the middle of the river. Behind them the sun sinks and everything turns orange.
Botswana is regarded as one of Africa’s finest safari countries, with vast wilderness and few visitors. Victoria Falls is a short drive away, and together they make one of the best journeys in Southern Africa.
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Chobe, the Okavango and the falls
Chobe National Park: famous for its huge numbers of elephants. A sunset boat safari on the river is the highlight. Kasane is the gateway.
Okavango Delta: a green inland delta on the UNESCO World Heritage List, where you glide through the reeds in a mokoro, a traditional canoe. Most camps are reached by light aircraft from Maun.
Victoria Falls: the waterfall on the Zambezi between Zambia and Zimbabwe, known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders.
Kasane and Victoria Falls are about an hour and a half apart by road, and many combine two or three nights at Chobe with two nights at the falls.
Book the experience: See boat safaris and tours from Kasane
Where to stay at Chobe
In Kasane you stay on the riverbank, and most lodges have their own boats and vehicles for safaris in the park.
Kasane
Chobe Safari Lodge sits on the Chobe River.
Kasane: Chobe Safari Lodge
The lodge sits on the riverbank with a pool and views over the water. Sunset boat cruises leave right from the property, and game drives into Chobe National Park are only minutes away.
The rooms have private pools, and guests get both river and park without long transfers.
Book your stay: See rooms at Chobe Safari Lodge
Kasane
Cresta Mowana sits on the Chobe River in Kasane.
Kasane: Cresta Mowana Safari Resort and Spa
Cresta Mowana is built around a large baobab tree on the river, with two pools and a spa. It is a more affordable option with plenty of space for families.
From here you can book boat safaris, game drives and a day trip to Victoria Falls.
Book your stay: See rooms at Cresta Mowana
Where to stay at Victoria Falls
You can see the falls from both Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Zimbabwe side gives the longest view across the falls, while the Zambian side has Devil’s Pool when the water is low.
Book the experience: See things to do at Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe
From the terrace you see the bridge over the Zambezi and the spray from the falls.
Zimbabwe: The Victoria Falls Hotel
The Edwardian hotel is more than a century old and within walking distance of the falls. From the terrace you see the bridge over the Zambezi and the spray rising from the gorge.
Afternoon tea on Stanley’s Terrace is a classic, and the path to the falls starts almost in the garden.
Book your stay: See rooms at The Victoria Falls Hotel
Zambia
Royal Livingstone sits on the Zambezi on the Zambian side.
Zambia: Royal Livingstone by Anantara
The hotel sits on the Zambezi just upstream of the falls, with a deck down to the river and its own path to the falls. In the evening you see the spray rise above the trees.
It is an elegant colonial-style hotel, and breakfast is included.
Book your stay: See rooms at Royal Livingstone
Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
The lodge sits on a ridge at the edge of the national park, overlooking a waterhole where animals come to drink. Every day at lunchtime vultures are fed nearby, an unusual sight.
The falls and the town are a few minutes’ drive away.
Book your stay: See rooms at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
When is the best time to go?
For safaris in Chobe and the Okavango, the dry season from roughly June to October is best, when animals gather at the river and waterholes. In the Okavango Delta the water is often highest in the middle of the dry season, because the floodwater comes from rains in Angola months earlier.
Victoria Falls has the most water after the rains, around March to May. The spray is immense and you will get wet. Towards the end of the year there is less water, and parts of the falls on the Zambian side can almost run dry.
When should you book?
July to October: peak season, book Okavango camps a year ahead.
The falls at high water: March to May, book hotels early.
Border crossings: check visa rules for Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe before you travel.
Botswana and Victoria Falls FAQ
Is Victoria Falls better from Zambia or Zimbabwe?
The Zimbabwe side gives the longest and most complete view of the falls. The Zambian side is closer to the water and has Devil’s Pool when levels are low. Many people visit both.
When does Victoria Falls have the most water?
The falls are fullest from roughly March to May, after the rainy season. The spray is heavy and you will get wet. Later in the year there is less water but a clearer view of the rock face.
How far is Kasane from Victoria Falls?
It is about an hour and a half by road, including the border crossing. Many people take a day trip from Kasane to the falls, or the other way round.
What is a mokoro?
A mokoro is a traditional canoe poled through the shallow channels of the Okavango Delta. It is a quiet way to get close to hippos, elephants and birds.
Where should I stay in Botswana and at Victoria Falls?
Stay on the Chobe River in Kasane, for example at Chobe Safari Lodge, and finish at the falls at The Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe or Royal Livingstone in Zambia.