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Splendors of South Africa & Victoria Falls with Chobe River Cruise
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Splendors of South Africa & Victoria Falls with Chobe River Cruise Reviews
1 Splendors of South Africa & Victoria Falls with Chobe River Cruise reviews from past travelers that booked with Global Journeys.
Unforgettable travel through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana 0
Darwin, NT, NT, Australia, Mar 2026
Key highlights:
- Cape Town city and surrounding areas - There is so much to do in this fun and vibrant city and nearby towns. Food was exceptionally good, and noticeably cheaper than comparable culinary experiences in Australia, especially around the V&A Waterfront. The full day Cape Winelands private day wine tour (optional excursion available through read more Globus) to select wineries in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl was excellent (non-alcoholic beverages also available).
- Hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg presented as luxurious especially the à la carte and breakfast buffet experience at Sandton Sun & Towers.
- Land game drive (safari) experiences in Kruger National Park were exciting and thrilling. It’s a pity there was a last minute change to accommodation due to Makalali Main Lodge’s sudden closure resulting from extreme weather event damage in March 2026. The Elephant Walk Tented Camp was a nice alternative and was right next to the Crocodile Bridge gate entrance meaning quicker access to the National Park. Loved how each luxurious air conditioned tent had its own ceiling fan over the bed and seperate modern toilet and shower.
- River cruise on the Zambezi River, near Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe side) was a great way to see hippos up slightly closer than normal given the safety of the large cruising vessel.
- 3 night stay on Chobe River Cruise (Namibian and Botswana sides) was the ABSOLUTE highlight. The main boat is modern and gets refurbished each year (usually in January/ February). The service was excellent, plenty to eat and drink and the cruise includes all the water safaris as well as the opportunity to go fishing and visit Ijamwe village in Namibia, where the Subia language is spoken. The water safaris offered a unique experience especially seeing the wild animals living in/ coming down to the river to eat, hunt and play.
- Well arranged transportation between Zimbabwe/ Botswana/ Namibia especially the water border post crossings.
Tips:
1. Consider travelling a few days earlier to Cape Town to go to places not covered in the Globus tour. Google ‘Unlimited Premium Pass’ for itinerary ideas: https://capetown.citypass.co.za/about-the-premium-unlimited-pass/
2. Consider booking a safari in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, available through Illala Lodge’s tours and activities desk. A game drive on a private reserve offers a more personalised, high-end experience.
3. Avoid going on the ‘Victoria Falls cultural tour’ optional excursion available through Globus (terrible experience, pure money grab). On the contrary, the traditional Ijamwe village visit in Namibia (inclusive as part of the Chobe River cruise) was informative and memorable.
4. If going on the Chobe River cruise, you will likely need a visa to enter Namibia. To save time, and not have to wait in the stifling heat outside the customs border shipping container office, suggest coming with a prepaid e-visa (note: hard copy paper visa applications on site at the customs makeshift post can take ages to process).
5. Make sure you have a copy of your yellow fever vaccination certificate handy especially if there are any recent passport stamps from relevant countries or you risk being asked for bribes (e.g. USD, AUD, hiking shoes on your feet) by Zimbabwean airport officials on arrival.
- Cape Town city and surrounding areas - There is so much to do in this fun and vibrant city and nearby towns. Food was exceptionally good, and noticeably cheaper than comparable culinary experiences in Australia, especially around the V&A Waterfront. The full day Cape Winelands private day wine tour (optional excursion available through read more Globus) to select wineries in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl was excellent (non-alcoholic beverages also available).
- Hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg presented as luxurious especially the à la carte and breakfast buffet experience at Sandton Sun & Towers.
- Land game drive (safari) experiences in Kruger National Park were exciting and thrilling. It’s a pity there was a last minute change to accommodation due to Makalali Main Lodge’s sudden closure resulting from extreme weather event damage in March 2026. The Elephant Walk Tented Camp was a nice alternative and was right next to the Crocodile Bridge gate entrance meaning quicker access to the National Park. Loved how each luxurious air conditioned tent had its own ceiling fan over the bed and seperate modern toilet and shower.
- River cruise on the Zambezi River, near Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe side) was a great way to see hippos up slightly closer than normal given the safety of the large cruising vessel.
- 3 night stay on Chobe River Cruise (Namibian and Botswana sides) was the ABSOLUTE highlight. The main boat is modern and gets refurbished each year (usually in January/ February). The service was excellent, plenty to eat and drink and the cruise includes all the water safaris as well as the opportunity to go fishing and visit Ijamwe village in Namibia, where the Subia language is spoken. The water safaris offered a unique experience especially seeing the wild animals living in/ coming down to the river to eat, hunt and play.
- Well arranged transportation between Zimbabwe/ Botswana/ Namibia especially the water border post crossings.
Tips:
1. Consider travelling a few days earlier to Cape Town to go to places not covered in the Globus tour. Google ‘Unlimited Premium Pass’ for itinerary ideas: https://capetown.citypass.co.za/about-the-premium-unlimited-pass/
2. Consider booking a safari in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, available through Illala Lodge’s tours and activities desk. A game drive on a private reserve offers a more personalised, high-end experience.
3. Avoid going on the ‘Victoria Falls cultural tour’ optional excursion available through Globus (terrible experience, pure money grab). On the contrary, the traditional Ijamwe village visit in Namibia (inclusive as part of the Chobe River cruise) was informative and memorable.
4. If going on the Chobe River cruise, you will likely need a visa to enter Namibia. To save time, and not have to wait in the stifling heat outside the customs border shipping container office, suggest coming with a prepaid e-visa (note: hard copy paper visa applications on site at the customs makeshift post can take ages to process).
5. Make sure you have a copy of your yellow fever vaccination certificate handy especially if there are any recent passport stamps from relevant countries or you risk being asked for bribes (e.g. USD, AUD, hiking shoes on your feet) by Zimbabwean airport officials on arrival.
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