DESTINATIONS — AFRICA
Royal Zambezi Lodge, Zambia
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Smoke that Thunders – the local name for Victoria Falls – may think that the Zambezi River might not be a good place to mess about in boats. But the meandering Lower Zambezi is perfect, with safari properties in the national park, such as Royal Zambezi Lodge, offering a trio of activities. Fish here, and clients can hook bream, barbel and even the famous tigerfish, with its huge, razor-sharp teeth. They can game-view from a canoe or a motorboat, ending with serene sundowners on the water.
l AIR
A balloon ride over the African plains has become a honeymoon staple, and for good reason. Floating at first light above an epic landscape creates just the sort of magic moment couples are seeking. It’s most common in Kenya
and Tanzania, where vast herds of wildebeest, elephants and giraffes graze among the acacia trees of the Maasai Mara and
the Serengeti. Crowning the experience with a champagne breakfast after landing is an option favoured by many operators, including Kuoni, which offers the experience from £332 in Kenya and £375 in Tanzania. The experience is no less thrilling in Namibia, where balloons glide above the towering sand dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert, bathed a fetching shade of apricot by the dawn light. Guests on Cox & Kings’ 13-day Namibia: Untouched Wilderness group tour can take just such a flight at an extra cost of £345. Namibia’s immense wilderness
areas also make it a popular choice when it comes to clients taking to the air with a little more oomph. An itinerary with connections by light aircraft rather than road not only eats up the miles between lodges but also gives clients the opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view of the country. The surf-battered but
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, Namibia
bleakly beautiful – and extremely remote – Skeleton Coast is best visited on a fly-in safari such as Rainbow Tours’ nine-day Namibia Luxury Wing Safari, from £4,980 including flights. This tour includes a stay at the new Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, a Wilderness Safaris property, and an additional scenic flight over the shoreline, where the skeletons of ships wrecked by the currents line up with those of whales – a legacy of
the former whaling industry. In Botswana, the wetlands of
the Okavango Delta often make overland transfers impossible, so this is another spot where fly-in safaris are recommended. Those flights – where the small planes swoop low over the luscious green and blue channels – do push up the price, but Botswana’s incredibly luxurious lodges make it a spot suited to safaris that are higher in price, as well as elevation. TW
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travelweekly.co.uk — 11 December 2014
PICTURES: WILDERNESS SAFARIS/MIKE MYERS, DANA ALLEN
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