River Safari Company
Luangwa Deluxe Itinerary
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 at 9am, as you are collected in Chipata and transferred to our beautiful camp located within the surrounds of Wildlife Camp. The last 20 minutes of the trip takes us through the heart of Lupande Game Management Area, so eyes peeled! After a quick briefing, a short while to settle into camp and a lazy lunch, you’ll head off on the first game drive of the safari. We leave camp well ahead of the 16:00 rush, allowing for both an afternoon and night drive rolled into one. This early departure gives us a head start on the other game drives and means we can enjoy sundowners at one of the beautiful oxbow lagoons in an area that few other vehicles reach. Driving after dark provides excellent opportunities to spot leopard, lion, honey badgers and all the other nocturnal surprises this amazing park is waiting to reveal. You’ll arrive back at camp 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 light breakfast, 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, in time for a welcome brunch. The early afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure; perhaps you fancy a snooze, a swim in the Wildlife Camp pool, or just an opportunity to swap stories and photographs at the bar. After lunch it’s 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 our main 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 camp 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 orphan animals they frequently 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 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 South Luangwa National Park, venturing further than most visitors ever get. After an early start and a light breakfast in camp, you set off on the all-day adventure, heading towards more northerly sections of the park, pausing for a welcome breakfast break in the vicinity of the Tena Crossing. Then you continue your game drive north, with lunchtime finding you at Hippo Lagoon, which is 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 northern section of the park. 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 sunset the night drive begins, with excellent opportunities to spot shy nocturnal animals such as genets, civets, bush babies and maybe even the diminutive Sharpe’s Grysbok. We end back at 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
Our final breakfast is a scrumptious affair, with a big fry up at the Kakumbi Salt Pan. Our route passes through the hauntingly beautiful Cathedral Mopane Forests of the Lupande Game Management Area, so besides the elephant and giraffe, we’ll be on full alert for the specialised 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 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 before heading out.
Costs
This is an all inclusive price of $795 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 from $500 per person Return. We can also provide information on alternative methods of getting to Mfuwe.
Minimum number required to confirm this trip is 2 clients.
This trip starts and finishes in Chipata.
