South Africa/Zambia/Botswana
Lions, Hippos & Zebras, Oh My! Africa Safari With Your Grandchild
Program No. 14302RJ
Search for animals in their natural habitat, make friends with rescued elephants and learn to track wildlife as you explore South Africa, Botswana and Zambia with your grandchild.
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
14 days
13 nights
33 meals
11B 11L 11D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Lesedi Cultural Village, African Beading
Johannesburg
4
De Wildt Cheetah Centre, Bush Skills Course
Plumari Africa Game Reserve
5
Game Drives, Introduction to Predators
Plumari Africa Game Reserve
6
Elephant Interaction, Animal Tracking
Plumari Africa Game Reserve
7
Fly to Botswana, Chobe Boat Safari
Chobe National Park
8
Chobe National Park Safari
Chobe National Park
9
Game Drives, Termites
Chobe National Park
10
Transfer To Livingstone, Free Time
Livingstone (Victoria Falls)
11
Local School; Victoria Falls, Zambia; Sunset Boat Ride
Livingstone (Victoria Falls)
12
Art with Elephants; Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Livingstone (Victoria Falls)
14
In Transit From Program
In Flight
At a Glance
Picture it: Giraffes quietly grazing on leaves. Zebras basking in the warm sun. Cape buffalo staring at you with curiosity. And a wildlife expert teaching you about it all! Talk about the most amazing classroom of all time!! Alongside your grandchild, you’ll step right into the “Lion King,” as you search for big cats on safaris through protected reserves. From experts, you’ll even learn what it takes to survive in the African wild as you get up close to the largest animal that calls this place home – an elephant!
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles daily over uneven terrain. Game drives in open safari vehicles require stamina, flexibility and stability for entry and exit. Elevations up to 5,575 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Test your tracking skills both on foot and on game drives as you search for lions, rhinos, leopards and more.
- Grab your binoculars and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife during a sunset boat ride on the Zambezi River.
- Fall in love with Victoria Falls – one of the largest waterfalls on Earth!
General Notes
Program is for grandchildren ages 10-13 or 14-17, depending on the date. Please refer to the “Travel Information” section on the Road Scholar website, the start/end time listed in your first informational packet or contact the provider if you plan on booking your own flights for correct arrival and departure dates. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Helen Malisan
Helen Malisan’s passion for exploration began in high school when she visited Italy, her ancestral country. After completing her final year at school, she immediately joined South African Airways where she worked for 10 years. In 1993, her love for nature and South Africa inspired her to complete the necessary courses to become a wilderness excursion leader, spurring her career as a safari leader in Namibia and Zambia. Helen says her interest in people, nature and animals inspires her work.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Helen Malisan
View biography
Helen Malisan’s passion for exploration began in high school when she visited Italy, her ancestral country. After completing her final year at school, she immediately joined South African Airways where she worked for 10 years. In 1993, her love for nature and South Africa inspired her to complete the necessary courses to become a wilderness excursion leader, spurring her career as a safari leader in Namibia and Zambia. Helen says her interest in people, nature and animals inspires her work.
Keith Chisnall
View biography
A local of northern Zimbabwe, Keith Chisnall relishes in showing the bush culture to travelers from around the world. As a child, Keith learned the medicinal value of bush plants, how to track animals, tribal customs and the indigenous flora and fauna, and his knowledge has only grown since then. He’s worked as an engineer, salesman and detective, but his most meaningful work has been in leading educational adventures. After over 20 years of experience leading groups in “Big Five” territory, you can rely on Keith to explain every aspect and every detail of the wilderness!
Suggested Reading List
(13 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Lions, Hippos & Zebras, Oh My! Africa Safari With Your Grandchild
Program Number: 14302
It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers)
Adapted for ages 10 and up, Trevor Noah gives a harrowing look at life in South Africa under apartheid and country's lurching entry into a post-apartheid reality. Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and is the current host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show on Comedy Central.
The Big Conservation Lie
This book takes the reader through Kenya’s conservation ‘industry’ and the players therein with all their prejudices, weaknesses and commitment to causes. It is a call to indigenous Africans to claim their place at the table where the management of their natural resources is being discussed, and invites well-meaning donors to look beyond the romantic images and detect the possible role of their money in the disenfranchisement of a people.
Cry, the Beloved Country
Considered one of the greatest works in South African literature, Cry, the Beloved Country details the state of racial affairs in South Africa through the story of a Zulu pastor, Stephen Kumalo, and the search for his son in Johannesburg who is accused of murdering the white social reformer Arthur Jarvis. Written before the implementation of the apartheid system, nevertheless, the novel would continue to carry profound resonance as a proxy for lessons concerning apartheid-era South Africa. Cry, the Beloved Country is a cry for South Africa; a cry for its land, people, and the hope for its freedom from hatred, fear, and poverty.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
A harrowing look at life in South Africa under apartheid and country's lurching entry into a post-apartheid reality told through the prism of Trevor Noah and his family. Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and is the current host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show on Comedy Central.
David Livingstone: African Explorer
As one of the greatest explorers who ever lived, Livingstone's exciting exploits in Africa tell a story of unsurpassed courage and determination. Recommended for ages 10 - 14 years.
Lonely Planet Southern Africa
This hefty practical guide to the nine nations of southern Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland (Eswatini), Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho, is ideal for independent travelers on a multi-country tour.
Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales Of A Botswana Safari Guide
These safari stories are entertaining, humorous and educational. Enjoy true tales from top safari guide Peter Allison.
The Last Elephants
African savanna elephants--among the most magnificent and beloved of our fellow mammals--are an extraordinary, social, and intelligent species. The Last Elephants, an homage to these animals and a clarion call for their preservation, is based upon a shocking finding: savanna elephant populations across Africa are being decimated, with two to three murdered every hour for their ivory. Without action, these elephants soon will vanish from our world. They are a species in imminent danger of extinction, and it is up to us to save them.
Southern Africa Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide
A popular, photographic guide to the mammals, birds, reptiles and habitats south of the Zambezi. With 300 color photographs and illuminating text.
Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book
The fantastic, heroic life of Nelson Mandela is brought to life in this graphic work. Nelson Mandela's "Long Road to Freedom" electrified the world in 1994 with the story of a solitary man who, despite unbelievable hardships, brought down one of the most despised regimes in the world. Fifteen years after the publication of the "Long Road to Freedom" comes this fully authorized graphic biography, relaying in picture form the life story of the world's greatest moral and political hero. Recommended for ages 10-14 years old.
Long Walk to Freedom
An unpretentious tale of an extraordinary life. Mandela recounts the circumstances of his imprisonment and ultimately his successful drive to end Apartheid.
Out of Darkness, Shining Light
So begins Petina Gappah's powerful novel of exploration and adventure in nineteenth-century Africa—the captivating story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary Dr. Livingstone's body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there.
The Safari Companion
An encyclopedic guide to the behavior of Africa’s mammals by a noted scientist.