Please find below information about international flights, safari air charters and four-wheel drives during the course of your safari.

 

International flights

The hub for most destinations in the Southern African region is Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, but some connections through Harare may also be convenient. To reach your safari destination, you will then most likely fly to Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Hwange, Kariba, Masvingo in Zimbabwe, or Gaborone, Maun, Kasane or Francistown in Botswana. Unlike in other parts of the world, there is usually no penalty for booking one-way flights in Africa. We will best advise you for international flights arrangements.

 

The cost of international flights is not included in the price of our safaris. Clients pay for their own international travel up to the point when they are met at the airport/hotel by our representatives to start their safari.

 

Please check in early at all airports as flights are occasionally overbooked.

 

Ensure you have sufficient time in transit, as your luggage otherwise is likely to be left behind and that could spoil your safari.

 

Reconfirm all your onward flights at least 72 hours prior to flying. If you are in a safari lodge or in a hotel ask them to confirm your flights for you.

 

Following your requests, we will ensure transfers from the closest international airport to our camps or the departure of your safari.

 

Safari charters

 

Charter fights can be arranged from your international airport of arrival (Johannesburg, Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls or Gaborone) to either your safari destination, or one of safari hubs at Maun or Kasane. Most of our safari itineraries will then require air charters to fly from one remote location to another.

 

• Touch Nature now offers travellers to Zimbabwe Safari Logistics, an initiative to promote general travel around Zimbabwe through cost effective air access to some of the country’s top safari and wildlife areas, which include Victoria Falls, Hwange, Lake Kariba in Matusadona and Mana Pools.

• Touch Nature will make the necessary arrangements with third party operators to ensure your air charter transfers to Botswana.

 

The cost of air transfers during the course of safari itineraries is included in our price.

 

There are a number of things we would like to draw to your attention regarding these flights.

 

• We offer two types of air transfer: either a private charter where you have sole use of the aircraft, or a scheduled air transfer based on a “seat-in-plane” basis where you share the aircraft with other guests and thereby benefit from the lower cost. Unless specifically requested, we will automatically schedule your booking onto a scheduled air transfer.

• All the flight times between camps are arranged a few days before the flights take place so that there are no endless schedule changes. The camp where you are staying will be advised of your departure time the day before and they will have you at the airstrip on time. At certain times of the year it may be necessary, for safety reasons, to transfer you from camp to camp during the cooler times of the day, in early morning or late afternoon. Once the departure times have been set they cannot be changed unless additional costs are paid.

• Please advise us at the time of booking if any one guest travelling alone weighs more than 100kgs, or if two guests travelling together weigh more than 180kgs. All weight limits are due to safety factors involved in the light aircraft transfers. Kindly note that should these limitations be exceeded, it may be necessary to charge for an additional aircraft.

• Weight and size limits on these flights are very strict. Please see our advice on weight limits applicable when you pack for a safari.

Four-wheel drives

 

Game drives and land transfers are conducted in reliable open four-wheel drive Land Cruisers or Land Rovers.

 

For your safety and comfort, these have been custom-built by specialists and each vehicle is canopied, most of the vehicles seat seven passengers and are fitted with padded individual bucket seats.

 

Self-drive

 

Should you choose to drive to one of our camps with your own 4×4 vehicle, please check access information on our camps information pages, or contact us for more details.