Journey to Dimbangombe 2023
Africa Centre for Holistic Management – Zimbabwe
August 4 – 11, 2023
The priority of the Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) 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, along with the mighty Zambezi river and the Zambezi National Park through locally guided river, vehicle and walking safaris.
Visit the world-famous Victoria Falls, enjoy a dinner cruise on the mighty Zambezi and high tea on the veranda of the Victoria Falls Hotel, 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, 4 August) – 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, 5 August) – Savory Network - the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in Action
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast looking out on the local savannah. Following breakfast, we will connect with the ACHM Training and Consultancy team who will take us on a morning tour of the Dimbangombe Learning Site (https://achmonline.org/) 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, 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 they began. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3 (Sunday, 6 August) – Communal Visit to Jambezi 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. ACHM is collaborating with their 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 livestock are healthier and more productive. Learn directly from this inspiring community 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. Following our time with the community we will enjoy a relaxing evening and dinner back at Dimbangombe. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4 (Monday, 7 August) – Victoria Falls
Following breakfast we will drive to the town of Victoria Falls where we will spend the morning on a guided tour 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, and river boarding. You can also spend your time visiting the Victoria Falls Hotel and enjoy high tea with spectacular views on the hotel veranda. These options can be prearranged through the Dimbangombe office.
In the evening, we will meet again as a group for our sunset dinner cruise on the Zambezi River. Enjoy an excellent dinner on the boat while watching the evening wildlife on the mighty Zambezi including snacks, non-premium drinks and a 4-course dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5 (Tuesday, 8 August) – The Land and Wildlife of ACHM
We will begin our day with an early morning walking safari with ACHM’s able game scouts. There’s no comparison between what you see on foot compared to what is visible from a vehicle. You will learn how to track animals and identify the species you see and hear. ACHM has 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 first-hand 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 and learn about herd management in harmony with natural predators and enjoy a sundowner at the Kraal in the early evening before heading back for a leisurely dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6 (Wednesday, 9 August) – Zambezi National Park Game Viewing and Canoe Safari
Today we will be up with the dawn chorus to drive to the banks of the Upper Zambezi for a 4 hour Zambezi Canoe safari. Before the canoe safari sets off, we will enjoy coffee/tea and a light breakfast in the Zambezi National Park at the canoe launch site as we are briefed and acclimatized as to what to expect. Bottled water and soft drinks will be provided, along with all equipment.
Following the safari, we will meet up for lunch with The Safari Butler who will be already set up in the park, Mozambezi style with a tent and delicious full lunch spread in the bush, as only he can do. Drinks will be available on an extra supplement basis.
After a wonderful lunch in the bush, still in the Zambezi National Park we will take the opportunity for an afternoon game drive to see the land aspect of the park and its wildlife with drinks and snacks for sundowners, before returning to ACHM where a very light easy buffet style supper will be made available for anyone who still has the energy for it! (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7 (Thursday, 10 August) – Herding and Predator Management at ACHM
Today we will have an early coffee and breakfast followed by 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 herding 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. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 8 (Friday, 11 August) – Depart
Enjoy breakfast, say goodbye to our hosts and catch the shuttle to Victoria Falls International airport (VFA) for your flight home. (Breakfast)
Journey Cost
USD $4100.00
Price is per person, double occupancy. If you would like single occupancy accommodations, please immediately make this request via email to journeys@savory.global and expect to spend an additional USD $350.00 if there is space available. 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 August 4th – August 10th 2023, ground transportation, park and conservancy fees, safaris and game walks, canoe safari, Zambezi dinner cruise.
Exclusions: International airfare to/from Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA), optional activities around Victoria Falls, tips, personal travel insurance (highly recommended), premium drinks, additional personal travel expenses.
What to Expect
Accommodation Style
Unique 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, be in good health, and expect to walk short distances in the African bush. Roads will often be unpaved with long, bumpy drives in a 4x4 vehicle.
Global Health & Covid-19
We continue to assess travel operations on an ongoing and destination-by-destination basis. Itineraries and Journeys are subject to change due to global health developments, country specific entry and exit requirements, and other unforeseen developments. Please make sure to check for your personal country’s travel recommendations and requirements. Savory Journeys and Denizen have considered guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local and international health authorities to develop Health and Safety Protocols. We are intentional, careful, and clean and highly recommend travelers are fully vaccinated and boosted both for personal health and the health of those visited on the Journey. For specific questions, guests may reach out to us at journeys@savory.global.
Questions?
Please don’t hesitate to email questions to journeys@savory.global.
By making a reservation you accept our tour participant terms and conditions outlined here.