Zambia walking safari
| country: | Zambia |
| departures: | This trip is operated on a tailor made basis. Because of the way the camps operate, you can tailor make your own itinerary and be part of a group during activities and meal times. |
| price: | From £3640 (11 days) inc UK flights and domestic flights as per itinerary. Price includes accommodation, meals and some activities. Minimum child age is 12 years. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This trip stands apart from other safaris; the location deep in the African outback allows a far closer encounter with nature and you are unlikely to come across any other people during the bushwalking part of the itinerary. The trip is topped off with three nights at the awesome Victoria Falls, Zambia.
The South Luangwa National Park is a true wilderness area packed with superb wildlife and an extremely high quality of guiding. A walking safari provides an intimate and active experience. Whilst you are very likely to see big game, including lion, leopard, elephant and hippo, you will also have time to stop and appreciate the plants, bugs and smaller mammals as well as the sounds and smells of the bush. It’s hard to beat the anticipation and excitement of hearing warning calls from baboons that normally signal the presence of a big cat. Guides will also point out plants that are delicacies for the wildlife and encourage you to taste seeds that are safe for consumption! Walks usually last around four hours and are on flat – though uneven – terrain.
Accommodation during the bushwalk safari is in small camps with en suite chalets. The camps are often visited by wildlife, so simply watching the comings and goings can provide ample entertainment. The trip finishes off at the Victoria Falls, in luxury lodge accommodation with a programme full of activities from which to choose.
The South Luangwa National Park is a true wilderness area packed with superb wildlife and an extremely high quality of guiding. A walking safari provides an intimate and active experience. Whilst you are very likely to see big game, including lion, leopard, elephant and hippo, you will also have time to stop and appreciate the plants, bugs and smaller mammals as well as the sounds and smells of the bush. It’s hard to beat the anticipation and excitement of hearing warning calls from baboons that normally signal the presence of a big cat. Guides will also point out plants that are delicacies for the wildlife and encourage you to taste seeds that are safe for consumption! Walks usually last around four hours and are on flat – though uneven – terrain.
Accommodation during the bushwalk safari is in small camps with en suite chalets. The camps are often visited by wildlife, so simply watching the comings and goings can provide ample entertainment. The trip finishes off at the Victoria Falls, in luxury lodge accommodation with a programme full of activities from which to choose.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | After transferring from the airport, you check into your camp accommodation: a perfect place to relax and watch for game that often roams on the riverfront. |
| Day 2: | Guests can choose from a number of activities, including a guided bush walk, cycling safari, game drive, micro-light flight or a visit to a local village and school. |
| Day 3: | A canoe trip across the Luangwa and guided walk to the first bush camp, following a maze of animal footpaths. Wildlife is prolific and the walking experience provides privileged viewings. |
| Day 4: | Activities are based around walks from the bush camp: normally lasting 3-4 hours. Typical sightings could include buffalo, lion, elephant, zebra, giraffe and baboons. |
| Day 5: | Further walks in the isolated and natural bush, moving on to a second camp. Each walk is different, and you may find yourself looking at large birds nests on one, and herds of buffalo on another. |
| Day 6: | More exploration on foot: wildlife in the area is superb and the expert guides will look for animal tracks and droppings to determine the route. |
| Day 7: | A final walk in the remote bush area before returning to the main lodge. |
| Day 8: | Transfer by road and air to accommodation in Livingstone. There are a number of activities included: this afternoon, perhaps visit the Victoria Falls and take a walk in the gorge below the Falls. |
| Day 9: | In Livingstone: perhaps choose to take a sunrise boat trip, have lunch on a local island with a guided walk, take a guided canoeing excursion or take a mountain bike trail to a local village. |
| Day 10: | In Livingstone: perhaps finish your trip off with a game drive in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National park (Park fees are extra) and a sunset cruise on the Lower Zambezi. |
| Day 11: | End of trip, you will escorted to Livingstone airport after breakfast. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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The lodge owners in the South Luangwa National Park have been highly active in supporting local community projects, including providing books, material, teacher salaries and high school scholarships to the local school, and has provided funds to help in the building of an outpatient clinic in the local village.
The village is in an area of subsistence farmers, where most children cannot afford to complete their education. In addition, the number of orphans is on the increase, creating further burden for relatives who care for them. In recognition of this, the lodge has set up a fund using its profits to provide sponsorship for pupils to enable them to complete their education. The lodge is locally owned and managed, and their training scheme has enabled locally employed staff to work their way through the ranks and become part of the guiding team that the lodge is proud of and renowned for. The operation is the major employer in the area, employing over 90 staff from the local area. Accommodating a maximum of 14 guests, the lodge provides a unique experience for guests to experience the wildlife and culture without being overwhelming. Guests to the lodge are invited to bring items to support the local school, such as deflated footballs/netballs, educational posters and maps for the classroom walls, rain and temperature gauges for recording the weather, skipping ropes/tennis balls/volleyball net, dice and blocks to use in mathematics classes, coloured pens, pencils and crayons and medical supplies such as ointments, eye drops, antibiotics, bandages, plasters etc. In Livingstone, sample projects supported by the lodge include educating local people in wildlife and environmental sustainability and part sponsorship of a school in an area where educational materials and resources are scarce. With a total capacity of 30 guests, the lodge provides an exclusive, non-intrusive experience. We are a wholly online company, and do not produce paper brochures. |
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