The priority of the Africa Centre for Holistic Management is to train, equip, and empower communities to restore their land and wildlife. If you are concerned about poverty, disappearing wildlife, droughts and floods, drying rivers, food aid programs that never end and the ongoing battle for disappearing resources, we invite you to join us and learn more about what we do and how to become a part of the solution. Additionally, if you are interested in connecting with the land, wildlife, communities and hospitality of this beautiful part of Africa, we welcome you for an incredible, tangible experience.
Journey Highlights
- Experience how the Africa Centre for Holistic Management and its partner communities enhance food and water security and human livelihoods through training that utilizes livestock to restore degraded watersheds, wildlife habitat and croplands to health.
- See the elephant, lion, buffalo, sable, giraffe, kudu, leopard, and other incredible wildlife of Dimbangombe and Chobe National Park through locally guided river, vehicle and walking safaris.
- Meet the friendly elephant Dojiwe, visit the world famous Victoria Falls, enjoy a cruise on the mighty Zambezi, high tea on the veranda of the Victoria Falls Hotel and stay at the beautiful Dimbangombe Safari Lodge in bungalows and chalets unique to the African bush.
Itinerary – 8 Days (subject to change)
Day 1 (Friday, 26 May) – Welcome to Zimbabwe!
Arrive at Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) where the group will be met by members of the ACHM team who will drive you to our accommodations at the Dimbangombe Safari Lodge. The uniquely decorated dining hall, lounge and bar area provide a great place to relax during your visit. At Dimbangombe you will enjoy excellent lodging, delicious home-cooked meals prepared by our experienced chefs and a daily tea and coffee station. Stunning views stretch across luminous expanses of lush bush where some of the most exciting landscape transformations are going on with the help of our cattle, sheep and goats, our herds of sable, kudu, and buffalo, and the lions that follow them. After arrival, settle into your room and enjoy dinner and sundowners looking out on the tall grass of the Africa Centre. (Dinner)
Day 2 (Saturday, 27 May) – Savory Network – the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in Action
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and meet Dojiwe, our very personable orphaned elephant who has been with us for the past 12 years. Dojiwe means FOUND. She
was discovered wandering our ranch and she is now a part of the Dimbangombe family. Following breakfast, we will connect with the ACHM Training and Consultancy Team who will take us on a tour of the Dimbangombe Learning Site and provide insight on the successful restoration and management of this incredible place. This 3,200-hectare learning site lies 32 km south of Victoria Falls and at the heart of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area – the largest such conservation area in the world. Dimbangombe is home to a sizeable wildlife population (elephant, lion, buffalo, sable, giraffe, kudu, leopard, and more), a land management herd of cattle, sheep and goats, an impressive team of herders, and an ever-improving landscape. On Dimbangombe, perennial river flow is improving and forage is abundant and feeding a growing wildlife population and 400% more livestock than when we began. We will visit restored sites and impacted crop lands, observe the combined land management herd comprising of cattle, sheep and goats, connect with experienced herders and get a close-up experience of ecological processes at work. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3 (Sunday, 28 May) – Communal Visit to Sizinda Village
After breakfast we will join the Training and Consultancy Team visiting local communities working with and benefiting from the Holistic Land and Livestock Management Initiative. We are collaborating with our neighbors in the 40,000-hectare Hwange Communal Lands to develop effective methods and materials for introducing Holistic Management to agro-pastoral communities. Today those methods and materials are used throughout Africa and a growing number of communities within the Hwange Communal Lands to serve as extended learning sites where visitors and trainees benefit from first-hand exposure to the challenges and rewards real communities face in using livestock to restore their land. At these community learning sites, forage production has increased four-fold or more, rivers are flowing again and wildlife and livestock are healthier and more productive. Learn directly from the community how they collaborate with ACHM and experience the practical application of Holistic Management in a communal context. The community will showcase their activities and share success stories and challenges met through the implementation of Holistic Management. For lunch we will enjoy a traditional, community prepared meal with the locals. If you have used clothes, shoes or other goods you would like to donate to the community this is a good place to give. Following our time with the community we will enjoy a relaxing evening and dinner back at Dimbangombe. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4 (Monday, 29 May) – Victoria Falls
Following breakfast we will drive to the town of Victoria Falls where we will spend the morning exploring the various overlooks and feel the incredible power of Victoria Falls – the Smoke that Thunders. Lunch is on your own today. We recommend one of the excellent restaurants in town. During the afternoon you are free to explore the many activities available including cultural visits to the local village, Flight of Angels – a fixed wing or helicopter flight over the falls, and for the more adventurous there is bungee jumping, an ultra-light flight over the falls, canoeing, river boarding and elephant riding. You can also spend some of your time visiting the Victoria Falls Hotel and enjoy high tea with spectacular views on the hotel veranda. Many of these options can be prearranged through the Dimbangombe office. In the evening we will meet again as a group for our sunset cruise on the Zambezi River followed by dinner at the Boma restaurant. Enjoy a delicious meal with traditional drumming, music and dancing. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5 (Tuesday, 30 May) – The Wildlife of the Africa Centre for Holistic Management
We will begin our day with an early morning walking safari. There’s no comparison between what you see on foot compared to what is visible from a vehicle. One of our experienced game scouts will show you how to track animals and identify the species you see and hear. We have a rich variety of bird life, numerous antelope, an array of riparian vegetation, including enormous trees home to many small and large wildlife species, and dangerous game, which our scouts know how to deal with. After lunch we will head out onto the ranch to see firsthand the direct effects of regenerative management on the local wildlife and land. We will finish our exploration of the ranch at the lion-proof kraals where the herders keep animals at night. We will help move the animals into the kraal, learn about herd management in harmony with natural predators and enjoy preparing and eating dinner with the herders. During dinner you will have the chance to interact and hear their stories and experiences working in the bush. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6 (Wednesday, 31 May) – Chobe National Park, Botswana
Today is dedicated to a full day experience in Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. Chobe is Botswana’s first national park and has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. By size, it is the third largest park in Botswana and is the most biologically diverse. After an early breakfast at Dimbangombe we will drive across the Zimbabwe/Botswana border to the Chobe River within the park. Our experience will start with a three-hour cruise on the river spotting many species famous to this area including hippos, crocodiles and many other animals who visit the river. Following the cruise, we will enjoy an excellent buffet lunch at the Chobe Safari Lodge and an open vehicle game drive. This is a wonderful opportunity to see what has made this beautiful national park so famous. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7 (Thursday, 1 June) – Herding and Predator Management at ACHM
After a great breakfast we will spend another day with the Dimbangombe Training and Consultancy team learning about the key principles used in low-stress livestock handling techniques and predator management in this diverse place. Experience a practical, hands on hearding session and learn from experienced herders about movable livestock enclosures and their role in predator management. We will also visit the experiential crop field surrounded by various types of walls to see which is most effective at preventing elephant charges allowing farmers to safely defend their fields. Take the later afternoon and evening to relax and enjoy a farewell dinner with the group. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 8 (Friday, 2 June) – Depart
Enjoy breakfast, say goodbye to Dojiwe and catch the shuttle to Victoria Falls International airport (VFA) for your flight home. (Breakfast)
Journey Cost
USD $3300.00
Price is per person, double occupancy. If you would like a single occupancy room, please immediately make this request via email to [email protected] and expect to spend an additional USD $245.00. International airfare to/from Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) is not included.
GROUP SIZE: 6-12 Guests
Inclusions: All meals as stated in the itinerary (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), lodging on the nights of May 26 – June 1, 2017, ground transportation, park and conservancy fees, safaris and game walks, Zambezi cruise on 29 May.
Exclusions: International airfare to/from Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA), optional activities around Victoria Falls, tips, personal travel insurance (highly recommended), additional personal travel expenses.
What to Expect
Accommodation Style
Beautiful bungalows and chalets at Dimbangombe Safari Lodge.
Travel Logistics
This itinerary is a journey in the truest sense; travelers should be flexible, keep an open mind, and be in good health. Roads will often be unpaved with long drives in a 4×4 vehicle.
Questions?
Please don’t hesitate to email questions to [email protected].
By making a reservation you accept our tour participant terms and conditions outlined here.
