Zambia Safari Company
South Luangwa 5 day 4 night Safari
Nesting at the tail end of the Great Rift Valley, in the Luangwa Valley, the South Luangwa National Park is wild and remote. It has an abundance of wildlife that is rarely seen in other game reserves and is one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. This huge area of pristine wilderness is home to a large variety of game and birds, as well as the bigger predators.
Day 1
Your South Luangwa Safari starts mid-morning, as you are collected from Mfuwe by your tour leader and
transported to our beautiful campsite, located within the surrounds of Wildlife Camp. Game viewing begins
immediately as we drive through the heart of Lupande Game Management Area, so eyes peeled! After settling
into the campsite, you’ll have a lazy lunch before heading off on the first game drive. You leave camp as
soon as everybody is ready, allowing for both an afternoon and night drive rolled into one. The early
departure gives a head start on all the other lodges and means you can enjoy sundowners at one of the beautiful
oxbow lagoons in an area where very few other vehicles reach on their drives. Driving through the Park after
dark gives an excellent chance of seeing leopard, lion, honey badgers and all the other nocturnal surprises
this amazing Park is waiting to reveal. You’ll arrive back at
our campsite between 20:00 and 20:30 for a
delicious home cooked dinner.
Day 2
It is an early wake up call in preparation for the morning drive. Enjoy a hearty breakfast of porridge and
cereal, served with coffee or tea before setting off for the second foray into the National Park. During the
drive there are excellent chances of sighting elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and Zebra. You return to camp
at around 11:00, shortly before an early lunch. The early afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure; perhaps
you fancy a snooze, a swim in the Wildlife Camp pool, or just swapping stories and photographs at the bar. Once
it starts to cool down, it is time to leave camp on foot with an experienced walking guide and armed escort scout,
heading for the beautiful bush camp set on the edge of the Luangwa River. On the way the guide will explain the
art of tracking and all about the varied fauna and flora of the Valley, all the while keeping eyes and ears open
for the big game that frequent the area. You arrive at the bush camp in time for sundowners followed by a
delicious dinner cooked over an open fire. The evening is spent around the campfire, telling stories and
stargazing, before being lulled to sleep by the sounds of the African bush.
Day 3
After breakfast at the bush camp, the second walking safari begins, this time back to
the camp. En route you will
learn more about the local significance of the unique Luangwa flora, including the many spiritual and medicinal
uses for the plants and trees found in the valley. Following lunch you visit the Chipembele Education Centre
(Chipembele means ‘rhino’ in the local Nyanja language). The centre is situated 45 minutes drive from campsite in the Lupande Game Management Area and is run by Steve and Anna Tolan, a British couple dedicated to the education of
local communities about the importance of Wildlife Conservation. The Tolans have received international acclaim
for their work, and you will spend a fascinating couple of hours touring the centre – possibly even getting to
know one or more of the endless stream of orphan animals they always take in and raise to be returned to the wild.
Sundowners are enjoyed in a beautiful spot overlooking the Luangwa River, before another night drive back to
the camp and a tasty dinner at 20:00.
Day 4
The fourth day is really the highlight of the safari, as the drive heads deep into the Park, venturing further
than most visitors ever get. After an early start and breakfast at the campsite, you set off on the all-day adventure,
heading for the Northern Sector of the park, interrupted by a welcome tea break in the vicinity of the Tena Crossing.
Eventually after crossing the evocatively named Lion Plain, lunch time finds you at Big Lagoon, home to several
pods of (very vocal) hippo. The heat of midday is spent relaxing in the shade of a grove of Sausage trees, perhaps
catching 40 winks in the process. In the afternoon the journey continues through the ebony groves and lagoons of
the Kaingo (leopard) and Kakuli (lone buffalo) regions. This is wild area and always carries the anticipation of
sighting rare game such as wild dog or eland, en route to the sundowner spot. After the sunset the night drive
begins with excellent opportunities to spot shy nocturnal animals such as genets, civets, bushbabies and maybe
even the diminutive Sharpe’s Grysbok, ending back at our camp in time for a welcome BBQ dinner, drinks and a
warming campfire. This is a long but hugely rewarding day, and you might fancy an early night on your return!
Day 5
The final breakfast is a scrumptious affair, with a big fry up at the Kakumbi Salt Pan. Keep a sharp lookout for
all the usual game, but this is a special day for the birders. The route passes through the hauntingly beautiful
Cathedral Mopani Forests, so besides the elephant and giraffe, eyes will be on full alert for the specialized
woodland birds, such as racket-tailed rollers and white-helmet shrikes. The salt pan itself attracts a host of
water birds, and large flocks of the majestic crowned cranes are a virtual certainty. Finally it is back to camp
to get ready for the trip back to Chipata, but there will be some time to catch up on your safari journal or
simply relax by the pool.
Costs
This is an all inclusive price of $595 per person.
Departure Dates
This trip can depart on any day of the week, subject to availability.
Other Information
Accommodation is in fully equipped walk in ‘safari tents’, all these tents have come with all bedding
provided and are within walking distance of a dedicated shower and toilet block.
Included are
All park fees, food and camping equipment. We will supply mineral water, filtered
drinking water and limited house wine with dinner
Not included
Soft drinks and beers, items of a personal nature, like towels and toiletries.
Transfers to and from the point of departure for the trip, unless pre arranged by your agent
We can arrange flights from you to and from Lusaka these are currently priced at $440 per person Return. We can also provide information on alternative methods of getting to Mfuwe.
Minimum number required to confirm this trip is 3 clients.
This trip starts and finishes in MFUWE.
