An exclusive 14-night, fully-escorted Blue Water cruise and safari holiday.
Departing 3 October 2025 – Just £9495pp!
Join us on this exhilarating 14-night holiday in a private group of just 16 Blue Water guests, to experience the best Southern Africa has to offer. Enjoy a 4-night stay in Cape Town with guided tours of Robben Island, Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. Spend a day exploring vibrant Johannesburg, before embarking on a truly exciting private lodge safari in Botswana’s Chobe National Park. Follow this with an amazing 3-night 5-star boat safari on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba, exclusively chartered for Blue Water guests. End this magical holiday with a stay at Victoria Falls, before you fly home with memories to last a lifetime.
Your Exclusive Southern Africa Day by Day Itinerary:
Day 1: UK to Cape Town
Fly from the UK to Cape Town
Day 2: Cape Town Hotel Stay
Transfer to your 4-star Cape Town hotel for a 4-night stay
Day 3: Cape Town
We’ll have a panoramic tour of the city. Cape Town is a meticulously preserved city with an intriguing combination of modern buildings, cobblestone roads and a bounty of historical monuments. We’ll then take the Table Mountain Cableway to soak up the 360-degree views of Table Bay and the nearby peaks of the surrounding mountains.
Day 4: Robben Island and Groot Constantia Winery
During the first part of our day, we’ll visit a place that needs no introduction with regards to its significance in South Africa’s and indeed the world’s history: Robben Island. We’ll have a guided tour of the island and its cells. We’ll return to Cape Town for lunch on the waterfront. Afterwards, we’ll visit the Groot Constantia estate, considered the oldest vineyard in South Africa. We’ll visit the cellar followed by a tasting.
Day 5: Cape of Good Hope
Today, we’ll set out for the legendary Cape of Good Hope. We’ll ride along Chapman’s Peak Drive, located on the Atlantic coast of the southwestern tip of South Africa. The narrow stretch of land, dotted with beautiful valleys, bays and beaches, contains a mix of extraordinarily diverse and unique fauna and flora. We’ll take the famous Flying Dutchman funicular to the summit to see the old lighthouse and relish the panoramic views. We’ll have lunch before discovering the penguin colony near Simon’s Town. Once called Jackass Penguins, they are famous for their hilarious braying call.
Day 6: Cape Town to Johannesburg
You’ll be transferred to the airport and fly to Johannesburg. After lunch, we’ll visit the Apartheid Museum which opened in 2001. It is famous the world over for being the first museum centred on South African history in the 20th century, and more particularly on Apartheid. Afterwards, we’ll set off for a panoramic tour of the city. In addition to being South Africa’s financial capital, Johannesburg is also the city of superlatives. It is indeed the richest town in Africa, with the tallest buildings and widest social discrepancies, but is also infused with one of the best atmospheres you’ll ever come across. Arrive at our five-star hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 7: Johannesburg to Chobe National Park, Botswana
Fly from Johannesburg to Kasane, Botswana. You’ll be transferred from the airport to your exclusive lodge in the awe-inspiring Chobe National Park on board a small private boat. Take advantage of your trip to observe the numerous bird species living among the flooded flatlands. You may even catch a glimpse of a few hippos or crocodiles basking in the sun! You’ll be greeted by our crew upon arrival and settle into your comfortable lodge. We’ll have dinner and spend the night at the lodge in absolute tranquillity at the heart of the wilderness.
Day 8: Chobe National Park – Jeep and Boat Safari
We’ll journey out on a full-day safari in Jeeps to explore the Chobe National Park that is home to more than a quarter of the total elephant population in Africa. Enjoy lunch in a floating restaurant in the middle of the river where the views of the surrounding nature are unparalleled. Afterwards, we’ll board a small private boat and sail off on Chobe River all the way to Sedudu Island and its marshes. We’ll have dinner and spend the night at the lodge.
Day 9: Impalila Island, Namibia
Join us for a trip to authentic villages on Impalila Island, Namibia, to discover the traditional Namibian houses and customs. We’ll return to our lodge for lunch. This afternoon, you can enjoy time at leisure at the lodge, taking advantage of the pool and comfortable surroundings, or join us for a discovery of the Zambezi River on a small private boat.
Day 10: Water Safari and Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
We’ll depart from the lodge for one last water safari in the Chobe National Park. After lunch along the water, we’ll set out for the Kasane airport. On board private planes, you’ll be amazed at the stunning panoramas over Lake Kariba and the changing landscapes of the wilderness during your flight from Kasane to Kariba. You’ll be transferred to board your ship and comfortably settle into your cabins. We’ll start sailing across the lake. Reaching over 140 miles in length and spanning a distance of approximately 25 miles at its widest point, the lake flooded flatlands, hills and forests alike, creating unique and stunning landscapes.
Day 11: Lake Kariba
At sunrise, we’ll set sail through the rare and mysterious landscapes of Lake Kariba where drowned trees reach skywards from the depths of the reflecting water. We’ll set out on a small private boat to discover the small waterways going into the Matusadona National Park and their unique wildlife. Gliding along their meanders, large bends and small, unspoiled inlets, you’ll be amazed by the magical atmosphere all around. We’ll return on board for lunch. This afternoon, we’ll sail towards Palm Bay. When the sun starts to set, we’ll set out on a small private boat to admire the changing colours of the sky.
Day 12: Matusadona National Park
We’ll journey out this morning on a safari to discover the area around Matusadona National Park. Bordered by the Sanyati and Ume Rivers, this untouched area is home to numerous animal species such as elephants, hippos, crocodiles, buffalos as well as thousands of birds, among which the legendary African Sea Eagle, the majestic Yellow-billed Stork, or the Black Heron with its interesting hunting method. We might be lucky enough to cross paths with a big cat or two!
Day 13: Lake Kariba to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
At sunrise, we’ll set sail towards Kariba to disembark and journey out to the airport. We’ll discover the gigantic Kariba Dam which was created in 1955 to form Lake Kariba. Today, the dam serves as a source of electric power for 70% of Zimbabwe. We’ll fly out to Victoria Falls on board private planes. Enjoy an exceptional lunch cruise on the Zambezi River, upstream from the falls. This afternoon, we’ll leave for a tour on foot of the falls where the views are among the most exceptional in the world. We’ll also see where the Zambezi River plunges over the cliff to become the widest waterfall in the world, creating the ‘smoke that thunders.’
Day 14: Victoria Falls to UK
Fly from Victoria Falls to the UK
Day 15: UK
Arrive in the UK
The Perfect Time to Travel!
October is springtime in Cape Town, with warmer weather and longer days. Wildflowers are blooming along the west coast, and it’s also the optimum time to spot whales. The temperature is perfect for sightseeing, around 20-25 degrees. Like Cape Town, Johannesburg is less crowded in spring, before the busy tourist season of summer arrives. The Chobe National Park is a superb safari option all year round travel, but peak game viewing is in the drier months between August and October. Whilst it can be warmer in the afternoon, comfortable temperatures in mornings and evenings are perfect for spotting wildlife.
Your fully-escorted 14-night luxury cruise and safari holiday includes:
- 4-night 4-star hotel stay in Cape Town
- 1-night 5-star hotel stay in Johannesburg
- 3-night 5-star stay at Kaza Safari Lodge (exclusively Blue Water guests)
- 3-night 5-star cruise on Zimbabwean Dream (exclusively Blue Water guests)
- 1-night 4-star hotel stay in Victoria Falls
- Return flights between London Heathrow and Cape Town
- All domestic flights in Africa
- All overseas airport transfers
- All guided excursions in small group of 16
- Fully escorted from London Heathrow
- All meals included from dinner on Day 2
- Complimentary drinks throughout lodge stay and cruise
- Selected drinks with meals at hotel stays
- All airport taxes and port charges
Zimbabwean Dream - Exclusively for Blue Water Guests!
Built in 2020, the RV Zimbabwean Dream is one of the gems of the CroisiEurope fleet with a magnificent setting for a dream safari-cruise in Southern Africa, overflowing with history and wildlife. Combining elegance, comfort and refinement, the RV Zimbabwean Dream is a luxury cruise ship which sails on Lake Kariba. The ship measures 33 m long and 8 m wide, and can accommodate 16 passengers, in 8 cabins with a size of 17 m2. Of all cabins, 6 have a French balcony and 2 have a small private terrace, offering amenities and providing guests with all the comforts they need during their stay. The spacious areas and large windows give the ship a bright appearance. The interior is decorated with noble wood and local fabrics and blends in perfectly with the splendid surrounding landscapes. Situated on the upper deck are a small pool, the restaurant and lounge bar where binoculars are available for wildlife and flora watching. The sun deck remains the ideal place to relax and admire Southern Africa’s magnificent sites, which are among the most beautiful in the world.
Kaza Lodge - Exclusively for Blue Water Guests!
A luxury lodge entirely redesigned by CroisiEurope, and located on an exceptional site, its 8 thatched roof bungalows are arranged to offer an authentic, modern and refined setting in the greatest comfort. They are located within and under the branches of an enormous 700 year old baobab. Legend has it that the adventurer and explorer Livingstone used to camp here. Guests will enjoy wonderful views over the river banks and the savanna from their private terrace and their private swimming pool.
Our latest customer review:
Southern Africa is quite simply breathtaking and the week long safari cruise we took remains a vivid memory. The flora and fauna of the area are world renowned but when mixed with the vibrant cultures of the region you can’t go wrong. With luxury lodges in Namibia, safaris in Chobe National Park in Botswana and a lake cruise on Kariba in Zimbabawe, the trip offered a heady mixture of animal spotting on game drives, superb cuisine, relaxed evenings watching stunning sunsets, cruising on the ethereal Lake Kariba and light aircraft flights over the African savannahs. Not to be missed!
View our Exclusive Africa Safari Cruise