The Best of South Luangwa Bushcamp and Lower Zambezi

Day 1: South Luangwa National Park

Arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport where you will be met and assisted through immigration and customs by our airport representatives. You will then transfer to the domestic terminal for your flight to South Luangwa, is takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. On arrival at Mfuwe Airport you will be met by a representative from Mfuwe Lodge and driven to the lodge – which is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will drive through Mfuwe Town which is a fascinating drive – giving you an insight into local life. You will then entre the National Park and have the chance of seeing some game before arriving at the lodge.
Ease yourself into Luangwa life with a stay at Mfuwe Lodge. Set inside the park, just five minutes’ drive from the main gate, the lodge’s allure is instantly obvious. Beneath a canopy of ebony and mahogany, its thatched buildings are arranged around the banks of two lagoons where an endless stream of wildlife will keep you enthralled as you lounge on the open deck or take a dip in the swimming pool. Thanks to a thorough refurbishment in 2010 the airy interior of the lodge is an exquisite complement to its natural surroundings. This region of the park is renowned for its prolific game – giraffe, buffalo, antelope, crocodile are constant visitors to Mfuwe Lodge’s lagoon, whilst in November the local elephants regularly wander right through the lobby, lured by a nearby wild mango tree. Over the next two days you can enjoy day and night game drives and walking safaris exploring the area. The hotter hours of the day will be back at the camp, relaxing by the pool watching the game in the lagoon or enjoying a spa treatment in the Lodge’s Bush Spa. You can also visit a local school supported by the Bush Camp company during your stay in this area and experience authentic village life, having the chance to meet some of the local residents and look in on one of the classes in the school.

Accommodation at Mfuwe Lodge
Full board – Activities Included

Day 2-3: South Luangwa National Park

After a morning activity, brunch and some relaxation time, you will set out after afternoon tea for your trip to the Southern Part of the National Park and the first of the two bush camp’s where you will stay. This journey will take between 2 – 3 hours but is a very scenic drive with the Chindeni Hills as your back drop and the chance of seeing many different animals and birds en route.
The bush camps all offer a very exclusive experience where you will likely not see any game drive vehicles or clients from other camps. You will spend the next three days exploring this beautiful area on walking safaris, game drives and night drives. All walks are accompanied by an armed National Parks Scout and give the opportunity to learn more about nature and its fauna, flora and many inhabitants that are often missed whilst on a vehicle. There are some beautiful places to explore around the channels of the Kapamba and South Luangwa Rivers and birdlife is prolific.
Hailed by some as one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, South Luangwa is one of Zambia’s most important destinations. This park, which spans just over 9.000 square kilometres, is centred around the Luangwa River and is home to one of Africa’s largest concentrations of wildlife. Here, visitors can spot lion, buffalo, zebra, giraffe and thornicroft. The park also hosts the biggest population of elephants in the whole country, and numerous cheetah roam the park. The Luangwa River is populated by hippos and crocodiles. South Luangwa is mostly dryland and woodland, watered by the meandering Luangwa River and its many oxbow lakes. The dominant tree is the mopane, but stately baobabs also dot the landscape here and there. The founder of the park was Normann Carr, a British conservationist that worked in central and southern Africa, he was also the first person to organise walking safaris. He worked on the conservation of few key areas of the country and built Nsefu Camp, creating the first area dedicated to tourists, which was later followed by Kapani Lodge. The biggest companies that manage the camps are Norman Carr Safaris, Robin Pope Safaris and Bushcamp Company, with luxurious, comfortable tented camps in stunning locations. The camps organize walking safaris, where tourists trek over a few days covering approximately 10km a day and sleeping in mobile tented camps every night. This is quite a unique experience and highly recommended for the adventurous traveller.

Accommodation at Bush Camp Company Camps (Chindeni, Chamilandu, Kuyenda, Kapamba, Bilimungwe or Zungulila)
Full Board – Activities Included

Day 4-5: South Luangwa National Park

Today you will drive to the second of your bushcamps where you will stay for 2 nights – exploring a different part of the Southern Part of South Luangwa on walking safaris and game drives.

Accommodation at Bush Camp Company Camps (Chindeni, Chamilandu, Kuyenda, Kapamba, Bilimungwe or Zungulila)
Full Board – Activities Included

Day 6-8: Lower Zambezi National Park

After Breakfast you will depart the camp and drive back to Mfuwe for your flight back to Lusaka and connecting flight to Lower Zambezi which takes approximately 35 minutes. On arrival at Jeki Airstrip you will be met by a lodge representative and driven through to Potato Bush Camp. It is a small and intimate camp with just 4 Luxury Safari Tents located in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park on the Lower Zambezi River. The Luxury Tents are extremely spacious and have en-suite bathrooms with twin showers, twin basins and a full size four-claw bath tub. Large Rosewood folding doors lead onto the balcony which hosts a 2-person hammock and a private plunge pool, with well-appointed furniture to compliment the ambience and architecture of the tents. Each Tent is shaded by huge Acacia Tortilis and Mahogany Trees; The entire camp is linked by raised timber board walks, enabling the camp to extend the safari season into early January. Over the next days your activities will range from river based activities such as canoeing, boat cruises and fishing to land based game drives and walking safaris. Combination activities work very well in this area.
In 1989 the Cummings family established Chiawa Camp bringing tourism to the Lower Zambezi by opening the first safari lodge inside the national park. The park covers an area of 4.092 square metres, 120 km of which are along the Zambezi River. The riverbanks are overhung with thick riverine growth, including ebony and fig trees. Further inland there is a large floodplain interspersed with winter thorn trees, huge acacias and baobabs and fringed by weeping forests. Over 400 species of bird live in this park as well as many large mammals, including lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos and hippos. Most of the lodges are situated outside the park in a protected area called Chiawa GMA, but there are still a few camps inside. The camps offer many interesting and fun activities, and visitors can choose from an exceptional range. On the water, there are boat trips to explore the Zambezi, keeping an eye out for hippos, crocodiles and big birds; the more active may prefer to take to the waters in a canoe, or seek out the mighty tigerfish (though all fishing here is on catch-and-release basis). On land, visitors can go on game drives in open-topped 4WD vehicles or opt for a walking safari with a qualified guide and ranger

Accommodation at Potato Bush Camp
Full Board – Activities Included

Day 9: Departure

Today you will depart from Livingstone Airport.