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A week by the Zambezi River with Discover Africa
Meet the African-based tour operator providing unique safari experiences
Imagine waking to sunrise over the savannah with the sounds of cackling hyenas and grumbling elephants in earshot. Imagine capturing the perfect shot of a lioness resting in the heat of the day or watching a hippo lounge in the shallows. Intimate encounters like these are only made possible by going on safari.
Safari is a Swahili word meaning journey or expedition but is commonly used to signify the practice of observing animals in their natural habitat, especially in Southern or East Africa.
Discover Africa offers tailor-made safari itineraries that do both – providing incredible wildlife-watching opportunities while also taking guests on a journey to the heart of a place, learning about conservation and community along the way.
Local teams with firsthand experience
Since 2002, Discover Africa has been crafting journeys that move people – with deeply personal, meaningful itineraries across Southern and East Africa. Based in Cape Town, every member of Discover Africa lives and breathes its ethos. The planners and leaders regularly travel to the regions on offer, building firsthand knowledge that shapes every itinerary.
David Kay, Head of Business at Discover Africa, travelled to Zimbabwe for a week-long safari experience on the Zambezi River.
“We spent a week on the Zambezi, with its wide, open stretches of water and riverbanks lined with acacia and Natal mahogany trees,” says David, describing the beauty of the landscape. The Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa and flows through six countries, including Zimbabwe. This region is home to many iconic African animals, including lions, hippos, elephants, giraffes and more.
Led by experts
Expert guides were on hand to help guests (and David) make the most of their surroundings safely and securely. The group explored Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its walking safaris and canoe river trips.
“Each day, led by our guide Pete, we set out from the riverbank and walked deep into the park, roughly three hours at a time. The ground there is dry and bare, shaped by years of elephant trails and low river levels. With so little undergrowth, you can see far into the distance: animals, trees, the shifting light – everything is open and visible.”
On the ground
Walking is one of the best ways to experience a place up-close, especially on safari. There are no noisy vehicles to disturb animals and guests get a real feel of the sights, sounds and smells of the African bush.
“Moving on foot changed how we experienced all of it. Our pace slowed, and with it, our awareness. Every step makes you more conscious of your presence. You listen differently. You look differently.” David remembers seeing a skeleton of a hippo: “something you’d likely pass quickly from a vehicle but on foot, you pause. You take it in.”
Moving on foot also allows for unexpected encounters, as the guide adapts the safari to follow the animal’s movements. David describes tracking a group of lionesses.
“Pete guided us with deliberate calm, shifting how we moved to remain as a single, quiet unit. After checking the surroundings and making sure he understood the lions’ mood, we moved in a wide arc and settled behind a fallen tree about fifty metres away.
We sat in silence, just being in the moment. I edged forward slightly, lying on the ground to take a low-angle photograph. Not far beyond them, a lone elephant walked past, framed by the acacias. The whole moment felt unhurried, honest and deeply special.”
In awe of nature
Safari experiences like David’s offer a renewed sense of wonder for nature lovers. Many of the staff at Discover Africa have experienced this wonder for themselves and are dedicated to giving that same feeling to you.
Whether you want to explore the vast river habitats of Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park or the dramatic red sand dunes of Namibia’s Sossusvlei region, Discover Africa offers a wide variety of tailor-made itineraries across the south and east of the continent.