Explorations Africa Safari May 2026 – Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Antoinette’s sincere interest in us as individuals led to the development of a highly customized itinerary that we will never forget.

Her attention to detail was impressive, given the mind- boggling logistics of putting this trip together. At no time did we feel unease.

It is clear that Antoinette has first-hand knowledge and an excellent relationship with each camp and the suppliers she has chosen.

We felt that this excellent relationship with Explorations Africa was reciprocated by each camp and every person which made our experience welcoming, memorable and feel appreciated as guests. A minor medical issue was dealt with expertly at no cost or inconvenience to us.

The diversity of the wildlife and the vegetation exceeded our expectations. As we have shared with others, it is impossible to describe an African sunrise, and sunset let alone the proximity to the wildlife and the vast nature of the savannah, the delta, and the incredible Zambezi.

The guides were professional and expert in their craft of guiding, tracking and visitor management. We learned a great deal about patience, animal behavior, and respect for preservation. The jeeps were comfortable and secure with plenty of optimally lit photo opportunities.

The camps were extremely comfortable, the service was superb and the food was excellent.

We were also impressed that the camps ran on solar with diesel generators as backup and we were pleased to see that there was little or no plastic in use.

We were very impressed by the small-scale camps, their commitment to the environment, and their support of the local communities in which they work including supporting clinics, schools, an agricultural college, and employing local people.

We would highly recommend Explorations Africa and Antoinette as this trip opened our eyes to an environment foreign to us and has us considering another safari in the not-too-distant future.

Gordon and Karen, Calgary Alberta, Canada

Excellent service. Excellent food. Amazing experience with the entire family, worked flawlessly even with a big group. Many animals on both walking, driving, and river Safari’s. All the guides were wonderful and very knowledgeable and the customer service was outstanding.

This was our first safari. Explorations Africa were great, from start to finish. Antoinette explained all our safari options, selected great lodges, each with its own uniqueness and everything was seamless while we were away.

Ten days before we left on our trip our travel plans had to change, as the Government of Canada issued a travel advisory for Uganda, which was the first of three countries we were due to visit. Antoinette very quickly and efficiently changed our plans from Uganda to Rwanda, and amazingly we were still able to visit the Mountain Gorillas.

The trip also marked a significant birthday for me and we had birthday cake at most lodges, including dancing and singing from the staff at Davisons. That all felt very special thanks to Antoinette.

We got to see all the animals on our list and more.
Davisons (Hwange) was our favourite place, due to the staff, who were so friendly and upbeat, also our guide, and that we saw lots of game, especially lots of lions and cheetahs.
Luangwa River Camp was great, we saw a wide variety of game at this lodge.
Vic Falls lodge was amazing.
Jozi was disappointing, as had very little game. We understand this was likely due to the heavy/late rains this year. However, the good parts of Jozi were that we saw Wild/Painted Dogs and our guide (Dean) was great.
The road to Amalinda Lodge was dreadful! Eek! But we survived. Loved Amalinda, felt like we were the Flintstones. Great place to see rhinos.

Overall we were very well looked after and had a great time.

I had the privilege of joining three different adventures in Botswana and Zimbabwe with Explorations Africa—cycling, horseback riding, and nature walks—and I truly cannot say enough about the experience.

From start to finish, every detail was handled seamlessly, allowing me to be fully present and immersed in each moment rather than worrying about logistics. That freedom made the entire journey feel effortless and, quite honestly, magical.

Ants and Dan are an absolute pleasure to work with. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and genuine care transformed what was already an incredible adventure into something truly exceptional. Knowing everything was taken care of allowed me to focus on the landscapes, wildlife, and experiences unfolding around me.

And of course, I have to mention Ants—without question one of the best storytellers I've ever met. Her stories had me laughing for hours and added so much personality and joy to the trip.

Thank you, Ants, Dan, and the entire Explorations Africa team, for creating memories that will stay with me forever. I am deeply grateful for the experience and look forward to being in touch about the gorilla adventure!

So where does one start when providing a recommendation for Explorations Africa and wishing for more than 5 stars. Maybe it should be with what amazing people Antoinette and Dan are. What do we mean by ‘amazing’? They are so beyond hospitality focused that they could have written the book. They are also extremely knowledgeable about Africa, and more importantly, what makes Africa, quite frankly, Africa. When you combine extreme hospitality with extreme knowledge, you end up with Safari experiences that knocks the wind right out of you.

I recently watched a video from Simon d’Entremont, a Nova Scotia based Professional Photographer, who commented on his first trip to Africa with these words, “I always thought that going to Africa was to find things, rugged adventure, wild animals, but rather than finding, I got lost in the smells, the sights, the sounds, the hospitality, the people. I wasn’t there to find something but to get lost in [it].”

That says it all. If, like us, you’ll get lost in such a deeply soul-enriching experience and it will likely change you. It is getting back to what is truly important in life. Quiet moments. Quiet moments watching lion cubs play like children. Elephants sauntering along, while you marvel at just how quiet such large creatures can be. Quiet moments watching a large troop of baboons simply going about their daily life, with young ones learning from mom and dad. Watching Zebras and Wildebeest enjoy the grasslands together. The encounters with animals are endless and surreal. Those moments absolutely will take your breath away. While amazing as those encounters are, what is equally wonderful are the encounters with the lodge staff and guides. They are amazing people who set the gold standard for what hospitality should be. The guide’s attentiveness and depth of knowledge about the terrain and animals is beyond impressive. It is the icing on the cake for making game drives such an awe-inspiring experience.

Ants and Dan told us for years that we needed to experience Africa, and we kept saying ‘someday’ and ‘yes, it is on our bucket list’. The only mistake we made was to wait as long as we did. Africa moved us, at a depth we’ve not experienced before and well beyond how any other place on earth has moved us (and we’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world). Africa truly is a place to get lost in. To experience an inner peace that is important and almost lost in the noise of daily 21st century life. To be content and truly in the moment. If you’re hesitating to reach out – STOP hesitating. You absolutely won’t regret it.

(PS. we've not added pictures, as it is hard to pick from 3900 photos. Instead go capture your own photos and memories)

Thank you Antoinette and Dan.
The App was incredibly useful and so well done.

Our travel arrangements by Sheri were perfect - even a last minute birthdate error she was available by phone to correct for me on the day of departure. Thank you for getting us in touch with her.

I was happy to have the one day in Amsterdam to unwind and break up the long travel and also not panic if there was a travel delay ( which there was not).

The hotel in Johannesburg was very good and being right at the airport was excellent. The greet upon arrival and walk through immigration was nice but it is a very straightforward airport and likely we would have been just fine following the signs.

The greeting at Victoria falls and private lounge to wait in for our first bush flight was very helpful as we had a few hours there.

The Bumbusi camp was the perfect first camp to stay at- quiet and all ours except for a mom and daughter on the last night. We loved the hosts and our guide and all of the staff. They were fantastic accommodating our dietary requirements . The bird life was excellent and elephants, baboons and impala. Not a lot of animals on the game drives but the birds and just being out in the wilderness was more than we needed. The elephants came into camp and it was our first close up experience so pretty special.

The walk to the cultural sight was another highlight .

The Linkwasha camp was pretty luxurious- quite a bit more than we are use to but our guide there was the absolute best - Livingstone. The game drives here were outstanding and the birds and mammals we saw were unbelievable- babies and healthy looking animals. We saw the usual but also hyena, and painted dogs so we felt pretty lucky. We really enjoyed the one walking safari.

The internal flights were very smooth and pick ups and drop offs were seamless.

The camps told us when to be ready and took care of the last minute details on the ground without us even asking.

The Towasa Island was a perfect ending as it again was quiet and the water was a nice change of scenery.

The manager and staff were very helpful . We had a good game drive on the last evening seeing owls, a honey badger and another hyena . The crocodiles and hippos were also plentiful.

Our guide was ok here but the rest of the staff were excellent.

We enjoyed the canoeing trip - pretty wild waves and a hippo encounter.

We loved the island walk and a look at the vegetation and Baobab tree.

Victoria falls was ok- 4 hrs is plenty . We saw the falls, walked the bridge and went to the market and had lunch.

Note - wear sandals as shoes get soaked .

The things that were so helpful were the packing list, the tip amounts in envelopes and who to tip **** so helpful.

The people were so kind and helpful and we stayed healthy and had really no hiccups along the way.

It was all about being together as a family and experiencing nature in a different place.

There was always food available ( so much food we felt guilty about it) and again the dietary restrictions were very well met.

The duration was perfect - we were ready to come home feeling that we had met and exceeded all of our expectations.

This time of year was perfect for us- we enjoyed the birds so much and I liked the babies and not seeing stressed animals in search of water…

They were only thing I might have changed was a less fancy camp than Linkwasha but I had upgraded that because of the bunker at the watering hole! We loved our guide there and the close proximity to the plains where all the animals were was good so it was a still a very good choice.

I cannot say enough about the organization, support and planning that you did.

I will be recommending anyone wanting to experience Africa to be in touch with you!
Thank you once again!!

Thank you Antoinette, for curating the experience that has been on my bucket list for over 40 years!!

Our 3rd epic adventure designed and delivered by Explorations Africa has once again exceeded our expectations. Our family of 5 was able to explore and experience the magic of Morocco from Casablanca to Marrakech all leading up to the camel riding & glamping in the desert, then the cross country road trip for spectacular vistas. You suggested traditional 'spa' experiences and fun activities that were unexpected and memorable.

But it didn't end there...on to The Azores for a change in the landscape but not in the level of enjoyment.

From the extraordinary boutique accommodations to thoughtful tours and unique experiences...this trip had it all. In a way that has our kids saying they want "Ants to plan ALL our family vacations"

Thanks again Antoinette.
Love, Stew, Carla, Sianna, Rylee and Shaelyn White.

Antoinette at Explorations Africa was just the expert we needed to put this “Once in a Lifetime” trip together for us. There were many moving pieces and we demanded She is amazing! She kept abreast of our every move and the “very few” last minute changes to our itinerary; because of scheduling issues; were resolved immediately!
Thank you Antoinette for organizing our unforgettable African experience.

Antoinette, thank you for creating a perfect trip for us. You were always available, had helpful advice and gave suggestions that made the trip a stress-free and enjoyable adventure. We had a short time to go a long way, but the itinerary you suggested made the most of the time we had. Your recommendations of how to spend the available time we had were right on. We loved our time in Cape Town and the Peninsula and Hermanus.

As for the safari camps, Linkwasha Camp in Zimbabwe exceeded all expectations. The elegance and sophistication of this camp, exceptional food, and luxurious accommodations were superb. We were prepared for the excellent guides and of course the animals, but the overall quality of the camp was unforgettable. Chobe in Botswana was also very fine - we enjoyed the abundance of animals, and we appreciated that the landscape was completely different from the previous camp. It was good to have two markedly different camp experiences.

The many bush plane flights were well organized; all the flights were enhanced by the meet-and-greet services which made the many transfers easy to navigate. Overall, this was a 10/10 trip for us.

Antoinette from Explorations Africa planned and orchestrated an amazing, unforgettable bucket list vacation in Africa for us! The camps she selected all provided a different experience with a variety of environments, animals and cultures. We travelled to remote camps which were not overpopulated with tourists. They were all very welcoming, safe and very comfortable. The hospitality could not be matched and the staff, friendly and accommodating. The meals offered variety, were delicious and were carefully prepared by professional chefs. From the moment we landed, drivers were waiting for us, delivering us to the next point, often stopping for photo ops when animals were spotted. There had to be a lot of planning and confirming going on behind the scenes. All transfers were executed with precision without us having to worry about a thing. The guides were experienced, knowledgeable, very professional and had great respect for wildlife.
We saw a great variety of animals, taking our breath away at every turn! We were left with jaw-dropping amazement and pinch-me moments. The guides seemed to know how close they could get without scaring the animals away. They often positioned the vehicle with best light in mind for photography. Many of our photos have more than one species in one frame.
We spent a few days in Victoria Falls. The falls did not disappoint and the accommodations were outstanding! We also visited a few villages where we learned more about the local culture. We met with the Headman at one village who showed us around and enlightened us about the social challenges of the area and how some of the safari companies help the locals through tourism and education. These visits were life changing for us!
Thank you Antoinette for delivering an unforgettable trip of a lifetime! This trip certainly exceeded all our expectations!
You can leave Africa, but Africa doesn’t leave you!