Victoria Falls seen from the Zambian side, spray rising from the gorge along its full width

Kosher Safari: Victoria Falls and the Lower Zambezi

Livingstone and the Lower Zambezi, ZambiaWhere

Arranged for your travel datesDates

$6,000 per personFrom

Zambia · a private safari

Eight days: Victoria Falls, then the Lower Zambezi bush

Our kosher safari at Victoria Falls is a private tour, not a fixed group departure: eight days arranged around your own dates, from an exclusive lodge on the Zambezi at Victoria Falls to a tented safari camp deep in Lower Zambezi National Park. Every meal is self-catered and Glatt Mehadrin, and Shabbat is kept privately at the first lodge, with the fish eagles and the game on the river below your table.

8 days, private tour: The published day plan runs Thursday to Thursday; travel dates are arranged with Kosher Travelers when you inquire.
Two stays: Mukwa River Lodge on the Zambezi at Victoria Falls (Days 1–3), then Anabezi in Lower Zambezi National Park (Days 4–8).
Meals: Self-catered kosher meals, dairy or parve, meat available on request, under the supervision of the Johannesburg Beit Din, prepared in new equipment in a separate kitchen at each lodge.
Optional extra: Lunch on Livingstone Island, at the edge of the Falls, an optional extra of $195 per person.

The Batoka Gorge below Victoria Falls, spray rising from the falls in the distance — The Batoka Gorge, below the Falls

A hippo surfacing in the calm water of the Zambezi River — The Zambezi River, above the Falls

What the safari includes

All local and regional flights, on scheduled and charter airlines, in economy class
Self-catered kosher meals, made in new equipment in separated kitchens, not the lodges' own kitchens, plus local soft drinks and house standard beverages
Experienced English-speaking guides and safari rangers
Accommodation on a double bed basis, sharing, in top quality rooms; room categories as in the itinerary
All tourism and government taxes

International flights to and from Johannesburg, the Livingstone Island lunch, and travel insurance are not included. The recommended tip for the tour is $100 per person.

Kashrut

Kosher in the bush, self-catered at both lodges

Every meal on this safari is Glatt Mehadrin and self-catered: prepared in new sets of equipment, in a kitchen separate from the lodge's own, not in the lodges' regular kitchens. Meals are dairy or parve, with meat available on request, under the supervision of the Johannesburg Beit Din. Packing and planning advice is in kosher safari essentials.

Tell us about any allergy or dietary need when you reserve.

The Zambezi River at sunset, the water still and the sky glowing orange — The Zambezi River at sunset

The lodges

Two lodges: Mukwa River Lodge, then Anabezi

Mukwa River Lodge: Days 1–3, on the banks of the Zambezi at Victoria Falls. A boutique, family-owned lodge, with a private deck or plunge pool at each room, looking over Zambezi and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Parks.
Anabezi: Days 4–8, Lower Zambezi National Park. Twelve tented suites with king or twin beds, overlooking the Zambezi River, its floodplain or the Kulefu Channel, each with an indoor en-suite bathroom and an outdoor shower.

Victoria Falls plunging into the gorge, a rainbow in the spray — Victoria Falls

An elephant and her calf coming out of the woodland in Lower Zambezi National Park — Riverine woodland, Lower Zambezi

Day by day

The Victoria Falls and Lower Zambezi itinerary, day by day

This is the published day plan, written by day of week rather than by calendar date, and arranged around the travel dates you choose.

Day 1 · ThursdayLand in Johannesburg in the morning, connect to Livingstone Airport, Zambia, and transfer to the lodge. Watch elephants and other wildlife along the Zambezi from your own deck, then a sundowner cruise on a private boat.Overnight: Mukwa River Lodge
Day 2 · FridayA morning tour of Victoria Falls, the world's largest sheet of falling water. An optional lunch on Livingstone Island, at the edge of the Falls, is $195 per person extra. Return to the lodge in the afternoon to prepare for Shabbat.Overnight: Mukwa River Lodge
Day 3 · ShabbatA full day at leisure for Shabbat, with private Shabbat meals on the lodge's viewing deck over the Zambezi, fish eagles calling and elephants and hippos often at the water below.Overnight: Mukwa River Lodge
Day 4 · SundayTransfer by air, via Livingstone and Lusaka, to an airstrip in the Lower Zambezi and on to Anabezi. An afternoon safari activity, on land or the river, then dinner at the lodge.Overnight: Anabezi

The Batoka Gorge below Victoria Falls — The Batoka Gorge

Victoria Falls Bridge spanning the gorge below the Falls, forest either side — Victoria Falls Bridge

Day 5 · MondayMorning and afternoon safari activities: game drives, bush walks, motorized boat trips and canoe excursions. Cool off in your own plunge pool, and watch buffalo and elephants from your viewing deck.Overnight: Anabezi
Day 6 · TuesdayMore morning and afternoon safari activities. An optional night drive is available, for the chance to see the Lower Zambezi's nocturnal wildlife under the stars.Overnight: Anabezi
Day 7 · WednesdayA final day tracking leopard, for which the Lower Zambezi is known, with the option to see the conservation and community projects Kosher Travelers supports in the valley.Overnight: Anabezi
Day 8 · ThursdayA morning safari activity and brunch, then transfer to the airstrip for the flight back to Lusaka and on to Johannesburg, connecting to international flights from the evening.Departure

An elephant herd with a calf crossing golden grass under a blue sky, Zambia — Elephants, Lower Zambezi National Park

A Cape buffalo standing in golden grass, Zambia — Buffalo, Lower Zambezi

An African fish eagle in flight low over the water — An African fish eagle

A hippo grazing at the edge of the water in the Lower Zambezi — A hippo, Lower Zambezi

An elephant walking through open woodland in the Lower Zambezi — An elephant, Lower Zambezi

Guides and Shabbat

Experienced guides and safari rangers, and a private Shabbat

English-speaking guides and experienced safari rangers lead every activity, at the lodge and in the Lower Zambezi.

Shabbat falls at Mukwa River Lodge, on Day 3: a full day at leisure, with private Shabbat meals on the lodge's viewing deck over the Zambezi. There is no local Jewish community on this route, so Shabbat is kept privately at the lodge rather than with a community, unlike our escorted tours.

Elephants on the bank of the Lower Zambezi at golden hour, the sun low over the hills — The Zambezi River, at golden hour

Victoria Falls seen from the Zambian side — Victoria Falls

The pace

Who the safari suits

This is an active, private safari: early starts for game drives and bush walks, with a plunge pool and a viewing deck at each lodge for the quieter hours in between.

Game drives, bush walks, boat trips and canoe excursions are offered morning and afternoon at Anabezi; take as many or as few as you like
Day 3 is a full rest day for Shabbat, at Mukwa River Lodge
Leopard tracking on Day 7 is on foot and by vehicle
Because it is a private tour, the pace can be arranged around who is traveling
The reservation form asks for a short health declaration, because safari activities are more active than others

A leopard in the undergrowth of Lower Zambezi National Park — A leopard, Lower Zambezi

Price

What the Victoria Falls safari costs

This private safari is priced at $6,000 per person, sharing a double room. The Livingstone Island lunch on Day 2 is an optional extra of $195 per person.

The price covers the local and regional flights within the itinerary, the self-catered kosher meals, the guides and safari rangers, the accommodation and all tourism and government taxes. International flights to and from Johannesburg and travel insurance are extra, as is the Livingstone Island lunch.

Deposit and terms

What you pay, and when

Payment

On booking$1,000 per person
Balance120 days before your departure

All prices and payments are in US dollars.

If you need to cancel

120 days or more before$500 per person
45 to 120 days before50% of the invoice
Within 45 daysNo refund

We strongly recommend travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage.

What happens after you inquire

You send a short inquiry
A few questions, with this safari already filled in.
We reply within one working day
The person for your region will be in touch to arrange your dates and send the reservation form.
We answer every question
Kashrut, the lodges, flights, dates, deposit and balance. We are happy to answer all of your questions so you can make an informed decision.
Your dates are confirmed in order of booking
Because this is a private safari, your reservation form and deposit fix your dates.

Your hosts

Who is looking after you

David Walles
Tours
David runs our tours with Chana. They made Aliyah from Melbourne in 2008 and took over Eddie's Kosher Travel.
Chana Walles
Tours
Chana manages our tours with David.

Before you travel, send us your flight times into and out of Johannesburg, so the connections to Livingstone and back can be timed for you. For anything else, the simplest route is an email or a call to the line for your region; every missed call and message is returned.

What our guests have to say

What guests said

“Organizing and running Kosher tours is not an easy task and your company achieved a degree of professionalism and excellence which will be hard to meet.”

Monty and Eileen · Canada · Tour

“As independent travelers, it was with some trepidation we joined a group. Immediately, we felt in good hands by the updated information and availability of organizers.”

Stuart and Gloria Shocket · Netanya · Batumi, Georgia, July 2021

Questions

Asked before booking the Victoria Falls safari

When can we go on the Victoria Falls safari?

This is a private safari, not a fixed group departure: eight days, arranged around the travel dates you choose. The published day plan runs Thursday to Thursday.

Where does the safari go?

Victoria Falls first, from Mukwa River Lodge on the Zambezi at Livingstone, Zambia (Days 1–3), including a private Shabbat at the lodge. Then Lower Zambezi National Park, from Anabezi tented camp (Days 4–8), for game drives, bush walks, boat trips, canoe excursions and leopard tracking.

Is every meal kosher?

Yes. Every meal is Glatt Mehadrin and self-catered, prepared in new equipment in a kitchen separate from each lodge's own, under the supervision of the Johannesburg Beit Din. Meals are dairy or parve, with meat available on request.

How is Shabbat kept?

Privately, at Mukwa River Lodge on Day 3: a full day at leisure, with Shabbat meals on the lodge's viewing deck over the Zambezi. There is no local Jewish community on this route, unlike our escorted tours.

What safari activities are included?

Game drives, bush walks, motorized boat trips and canoe excursions at Anabezi, and leopard tracking on the final day. A sundowner cruise on the Zambezi is included at Victoria Falls. Lunch on Livingstone Island is an optional extra of $195 per person.

Are flights included?

The local and regional flights within the itinerary are included, on scheduled and charter airlines in economy class. You book your own international flights to and from Johannesburg; send us your flight times.

Can this be arranged for our own group?

Yes. This is a private safari: your reservation form and deposit fix your own dates, rather than joining a scheduled departure.

Do I need travel insurance?

We strongly recommend insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage, bought soon after you pay your deposit so the cover is complete.

Also on the tour calendar

Our other kosher tours

Every escorted tour we run, with its dates, is on the kosher tours page.

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Inquire

Speak to someone about your trip

Call the line for your region, or send an inquiry and we will come back to you.

info@koshertravelers.com

Speak to Shelley in reservations. Every missed call and message is returned.

Since 1991 · Glatt Mehadrin