Zambia Wildlife Holiday

You’ll be met on arrival by a Wayfairer representative at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN). They will escort you through the airport to board your next domestic flight to Mfuwe Airport (MFU).

On arrival in Mfuwe Airport, you’ll be met by your private driver and transferred to Time + Tide Luwi, your camp for the next two nights in the South Luangwa National Park. The drive to the camp will take around two hours and you’ll have the chance to spot wildlife on the journey.

Time + Tide Luwi is an incredibly remote camp, set on the banks of the Luwi River with no other camps for miles around. This is the perfect place to come for a tranquil retreat into nature and the luxury tents allow you to fully immerse in the African bush.

Relax on your open air lounge and spot wildlife wandering through the grassy plains. Your senses will be ignited as you hear the bellows of hippos in the nearby lagoon, breathe in the scent of African jasmine and feel the cool breeze in the warm afternoons.

Rise early for your first incredible safari experience in South Luangwa National Park. Take an early morning game drive with the camp’s award-winning guiding team.

You’ll roam through the most game rich areas of the park, venturing across the woodland savannahs and the vast rivers. You can take game drives throughout the day, however the best times are generally in the early morning and evening.

You’ll have the chance to spot prides of lions, endemic populations of wildebeest and zebra, rare Thornicroft’s giraffes, large herds of elephants and Cape buffaloes, a huge array of birdlife, and rivers brimming with hippos and crocodiles. The national park is particularly renowned for its strong chance of spotting the elusive leopard.

After breakfast, it’s time to check out of Time + Tide Luwi. You’ll be met by a driver and transferred through the beautiful landscapes of South Luangwa to Time + Tide Kakuli, your camp for the next two nights.

Settle into this luxurious camp perched above the Luangwa River. The gorgeous suites each have a private deck and you’ll adore the spellbinding views over the river. You can spot elephants and giraffes stopping at the river for a drink and hear the bellows of the hippos below. You can even observe brilliant green bee-eater birds flitting through the air in their hunt for insects.

Continue your search for Africa’s most iconic animals. With over 60 mammal species and around 450 bird species and incredibly high concentrations of wildlife, South Luangwa is Zambia’s premier wildlife destination.

It’s prime location between the Luangwa River and the Mchinga escarpment mean that large numbers of animals flock to these water sources, making for fantastic sighting opportunities.

You can spot plenty of wildlife during the day, but a night game drive gives you the opportunity to spot the park’s nocturnal creatures. You’ll feel the bush come alive with the calls and yowls of the wild and it’s a thrilling experience.

You’ll have an excellent chance of spotting leopards as they are particularly active under the cover of darkness. You’ll have spotlights to help sight these elusive creatures, found in exceptionally high concentrations in the national park.

This morning after breakfast, you’ll check out of Time + Tide Kakuli and be met by your driver. You’ll be transferred to the far north of the South Luangwa National Park to Mapazi Camp, your lodge for the next three nights.

Mapazi Camp is a new walking camp set in one of the best areas in Africa for walking safaris. A small, exclusive property, Mapazi has only three walk-in tents, providing a tranquil atmosphere for guests. You’ll receive a personal touch here as all activities are privately guided by Deb Tittle, a revered safari guide with over 20 years guiding experience in South Luangwa.

Today you can venture out on a thrilling walking safari. The immersive and intimate nature of these safaris make this the best way to spot elusive wildlife and learn about the fascinating flora of the African bush. South Luangwa is the original home of the walking safari and the park’s spectacular landscapes provide a stunning backdrop for a down-to-earth trek through the outback.

You’ll be in expert hands with Deb as you roam through this unspoiled corner of the park with few roads. You’ll track big game on foot, observe a symphony of birdlife and discover Zambia’s untamed wilderness.

This is your last full day in South Luangwa National Park. Head out on another game drive to soak up the serenity of the African bush and spot any wildlife you may have missed. Take a birding safari to hone in on the hundreds of bird species found in the park, or take a boating safari along the Luangwa River to get a closer look at the hippos and crocodiles found here.

You can visit the Kunda tribe of the local Kawaza Village, situated just outside the national park. This is a special opportunity to meet local Zambians in a working rural village and learn about the Kunda culture and customs.

You may also like to learn about the dedicated conservation initiatives of the park. The Luangwa Valley used to have the largest elephant population in Africa, although that is no longer the case due to poachers. Conservation South Luangwa works tirelessly to protect these elephants and thanks to their efforts, the populations are on the rise.

After breakfast, check out of Mapazi Camp and meet your driver for a game drive back to Mfuwe Airport. Board a flight for Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, where you’ll be met on arrival by your driver. You’ll be transferred to Musekese Camp in Kafue National Park, where you’ll spend the next four nights.

You can spend the evening relaxing in your charming chalet, constructed with canvas walls, wide mesh windows and thatched roofs. You’ll be immersed in this wonderfully secluded corner of the national park and can even begin your search for Kafue’s abundance of wildlife from your private deck overlooking the water.

Venture out into the remote wilderness on your first full day in Kafue National Park. Musekese Camp’s passionate owners are Kafue experts and they have created some amazing opportunities for wildlife spotting in this previously unused area of the national park.

This intimate camp is centred around authentic bushwalking experiences with high level guides, and one of the best things to do is a guided walking safari through the park. You’ll begin by walking along the lagoon where you can spot roan antelope, herds of elephants and bush pigs.

There are shelters along the way to sit and watch the animals crossing the river or having a mud bath. With a walking safari, you’ll get to cross the river and walk on the other side in an area that’s inaccessible by car. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy this remote, unspoiled slice of Zambia.

If you’d like to venture further afield into Kafue National Park, you can take a game drive through the area. As Zambia’s biggest and oldest national park with a larger variety of species than anywhere else, Kafue is also the only place in Zambia where you can spot the elusive cheetah.

Take a jeep across the Busanga Plains to spot famous animals such as lions, zebras, large herds of elephants and antelopes, hippos wallowing in Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, and abundant birdlife flitting around the sycamore fig trees of the Busanga swamp.

You can also spot rarer species which are uncommon in other national parks including red lechwe, sable, roan antelope and the endangered Cape wild dog.

Today you may wish to explore the river on the camp’s boat. The river is a great vantage point to spot Kafue’s abundance of birdlife and you can spot a variety of species including the Africa finfoot, half-collard kingfisher and African skimmers nesting on sandbanks near Musekese Camp.

Keen anglers can take out a second boat with removable seats, to try some bait or spinner fishing. The fishing is best during the dry months of August to October and you can catch pike, bream and barbel. Musekese Camp also provides fly-fishing kits for guests.

Musekese provides a truly immersive wildlife experience, with many wildlife spotting facilities around the camp. There are some wildlife watching hides and a treehouse hide raised high to observe elephants walking beneath.

Enjoy breakfast this morning before checking out of Musekese Camp. You will be transferred to Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport for your return flight home.

Sadly your spectacular foray into Zambia’s thriving wildlife has come to an end. We hope you’ve gained a fantastic insight into the country’s diverse species and will be leaving with many special memories of intimate wildlife encounters.

Zambia and the rest of Africa have plenty more incredible national parks and untamed corners of wilderness left to explore, and we’re sure you’ll be back to continue the adventure.