Zambezi River, Zambia

Few of the world’s rivers are as wild as the Zambezi, while none other culminates in such dramatic fashion; the Zambezi rolls and crashes through Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique before pouring into the Indian Ocean, along the way spilling over the spectacle that is Victoria Falls, otherwise known as the ‘Smoke that Thunders’. A Zambezi cruise yields close encounters with hippopotamus, crocodiles, and elephants, while a microlight flight over the falls provides bird’s-eye views of the dramatic landscape and the wildlife of the region. A stay at the famed Royal Livingstone Hotel on the banks of the Zambezi is in and of itself something of a safari; giraffe, antelope, zebra, monkey and baboon freely roam the grounds, often happy to join you on a stroll, strike a cheeky pose for photographs, or nip your unattended lunch.