9 Day Zambia Safari in South Luangwa National Park

Day 1: Lusaka to Mfuwe, Luangwa Valley – Zambia

This 9-day Zambia Safari begins with a warm welcome to Africa upon arrival at Lusaka airport. One of our team members is there to greet you and help you check into your light aircraft flight to Mfuwe in Luangwa Valley.

When you arrive at Mfuwe airport your safari guide is there to meet you and drive you to our first Zambian camp. It is a short drive of about 30 minutes to our nearby camp just outside of South Luangwa National Park. If your flight arrives in the morning you'll have some free time to settle into your treehouse accommodation and enjoy lunch at the camp. At about 15h30 your safari guide will collect you from your treehouse and drive you to the main area of the camp. Here tea is served while you get to meet your safari crew and fellow guests.

Then it is time to embark on your first wildlife adventure in South Luangwa National Park. Your guide takes you into the Mfuwe area of the park to see a variety of animals and birds in the diverse habitats found here. Along the way, we pause in a scenic spot to admire our first tranquil African sunset over the water.

When darkness falls we continue with our game drive into the night, using spotlights to locate nocturnal animals and birds. Nocturnal wildlife sightings in this area regularly include lion, leopard, hyena, civet, porcupine, genet, and fishing owl. Our night drive leads us out of South Luangwa National Park which we exit before the gate closes at 20h00. Soon we are back at our nearby camp where you can enjoy dinner in the main camp area or on your private dining deck at your treehouse.

• Includes: Flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe & road transfer to camp
• Activities: Afternoon to night game drive in South Luangwa National Park

About the Treehouse Safari Camp at Luangwa River

The first three nights of our Zambia Safari in South Luangwa National Park are spent at an authentic safari camp on the banks of the Luangwa River. This camp is located on the riverbanks opposite the Mfuwe area of South Luangwa National Park, just outside of the park. The area around the camp hosts a wide variety of animals that are largely habituated to safari vehicles and can thus be viewed at close range. Predators often seen here include leopards and wild dogs among others.

At this camp, we stay in a treehouse-style lodge built on elevated wooden decks amid African ebony trees, known as jackalberry or mchenja trees. This secluded treehouse features three raised viewing decks connected to the spacious lounge area and bedrooms by wooden walkways and stairs. The treehouse offers beautiful views of the lagoon and floodplains regularly visited by elephants and giraffes.

Accommodation is in open-plan bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and private lounge areas. The entire front side of the treehouse is open to provide an authentic bush experience under the stars. You are immersed in the African wilderness here, surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the bush. With luck, you may even wake up to find a family of elephants bathing or giraffes having a lazy drink just outside your open-fronted room.

The treehouse is set apart from the rest of the camp, in fairly dense bushes and indigenous trees. Due to its secluded location guests are provided with a hand-held radio to call in meal orders and arrange vehicle transfers to the main camp area.

Day 2 & 3: Treehouse Camp & South Luangwa Safari – Zambia

Days two and three of our Zambia Safari are spent exploring the Mfuwe region of South Luangwa National Park.

In the mornings, at about 05h30, your safari guide collects you from your treehouse and drives you to the main area of the camp. Here a light breakfast of cereal and toast with preserves is served. Then we head into the national park on your choice of a walking safari or morning game drive. We'll explore new habitats in the southern area of South Luangwa or return to any exciting sightings from the previous night to see what has happened there.

The safari guides in South Luangwa National Park are required to pass in-depth examinations that qualify them as professional guides. Thus the guides here are all exceptionally knowledgeable about the park, its plants, animals, and birds. As you explore the park with these specialized naturalists they can tell you all about animal behavior, ecology, conservation principles, and the history of South Luangwa Park. You learn all kinds of fascinating things about the flora and fauna as you walk or drive through the park, discovering new facts about the wildlife, birds, trees, shrubs, and small creatures found here.

At about 10h00 we make our way back to the camp for your choice of a hearty cooked breakfast or early lunch. The a la carte restaurant at the camp is open throughout the day, however, so you are free to order from the menu as and when you are hungry with all meals and snacks included in the price of your stay here.

After brunch, you are free to relax at the camp. Sit back on one of the viewing decks of your treehouse and watch wildlife and birds at the waterhole, or take a siesta in your private room. Or settle down in the shade along the river at the main camp and take a dip in the swimming pool. If you'd like to see more of the Mfuwe area, the lodge can take you to the local village to explore for a couple of hours. You can visit the local markets, schools the lodge supports, the rural clinic, the anti-poaching base, and some of the local conservation and community projects.

• Includes: Treehouse accommodation, all meals, shared safari activities, national park entry fees, conservation levies, laundry
• Activities: Morning & afternoon-to-night game drives and walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park

Day 4: Treehouse Camp to Bush Camp in South Luangwa National Park – Zambia

Day four of our Zambia Safari kicks off early with breakfast at the main camp before we depart at 06h00. After an early breakfast, your luggage is loaded and we set off north to our next bush camp inside South Luangwa National Park.

This transfer takes the form of a leisurely game drive through the national park, reaching the camp by about 10h30. Arriving at the new camp there is time for you to settle in, freshen up in your spacious room, and enjoy lunch. A variety of animals and birds are regularly spotted at this remote, unfenced camp so keep your eyes open for sightings from the moment you arrive.

Later in the afternoon tea is served (at about 15h30), followed by our first wildlife adventure with the bush camp safari guides.

We usually embark on an afternoon game drive but a bush walk can be arranged. If you opt for the guided walk a safari vehicle meets up with you and your guide for sundowners and a night drive back to the lodge.

After our game-viewing activity, we will return to the lodge (at about 20h00). Freshen up and head to the dining area for a delicious 3-course dinner.

• Includes: Luxury tented lodge accommodation, all meals, local drinks, shared safari activities, national park entry fees, conservation levies, laundry
• Activities: Game drive transfer to bush camp in South Luangwa National Park & afternoon-to-night game drive and or walk and night drive

About the Bush Camp in South Luangwa National Park

Our Zambia Safari includes a five-night stay at a luxury safari lodge inside South Luangwa National Park. This superbly-located lodge lies in the far north of the national park, in a remote area where you'll seldom encounter other safari vehicles and people.

The safari lodge is located in one of the best game viewing areas in the park and is unfenced to allow wildlife to move freely through the bush camp. Elephants, hippos, warthogs, bushbuck, puku, impala, and other antelopes frequently roam through the camp which is set on the banks of a tranquil oxbow lagoon. Throughout the year, guests enjoy exceptional game viewing in and around the camp with healthy populations of lions, leopards, buffalos, elephants, and arguably the highest concentration of hippos in Africa. Other common wildlife sightings in this secluded area of South Luangwa include African wild dogs, Thornicroft’s giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests. The area is also a twitchers paradise hosting an incredible array of birdlife.

The stylish main lodge area is open and spacious with a high thatched roof and various tucked-away lounge areas. The main lodge features an infinity pool on the deck with loungers, an open-air fire pit, an open-plan bar, and comfortable seating areas. The restaurant in the main area serves delicious African-inspired cuisine using locally sourced ingredients paired with fine wines. This airy main building is connected to 10 private suites by wooden walkways, all set on raised platforms. These spacious suites consist of timber frames topped with high thatched rooves and canvas sides that can be rolled up to invite the beautiful African bush surroundings in. Each en-suite chalet features its own private deck and is designed to offer optimal views out over the grasslands where wildlife roams throughout the day and night.

This luxury tented lodge only opens during the dry season in South Luangwa National Park (from about April to late October) which is the ideal time for a Zambia walking safari and game viewing here.

Day 5 to 8: Bush Camp & South Luangwa National Park Safari – Zambia

The next few days of our Zambia Safari are set aside for soaking up the outstanding safari experience on offer at the bush camp inside South Luangwa National Park. We rise early in the mornings for a refreshing coffee and light snack at camp. Then we set off on our morning wildlife adventure at about 06h00, watching the bush come to life around us. As at our previous safari camp, you can choose between guided walking safaris or 4x4 game drives. The safari guides at the bush camp are said to be some of the best in Zambia!

After exploring the northern reaches of this top African national park for about 4 hours we return to the understated luxury of the lodge for brunch and a rest. During the heat of the day, you are free to relax. Take a nap in your elegant suite, swim in the pool, browse the library, enjoy the fitness center, or do some armchair game viewing from one of the shady nooks at camp.

In the late afternoon, we venture back out into South Luangwa Park on another bush walk or game drive in search of more thrilling wildlife encounters. The sunset game drives continue into the night when spotlights are used to find nocturnal creatures. Your late afternoon safari activity typically includes a scenic sundowner stop to raise a toast to another serene African sunset in Zambia.

Evenings at the camp are laid-back affairs with scrumptious dinners and drinks around the crackling campfire. At the end of your adventure-packed days, retire to your private suite to fall asleep to the sounds of the bush, with lions often roaring nearby.

• Includes: Luxury tented lodge accommodation, all meals, local drinks, shared safari activities, national park entry fees, conservation levies, laundry
• Activities: Morning and afternoon/night game drives and walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park

Day 9: South Luangwa National Park & Mfuwe to Lusaka – Zambia

Savor the simple joy of waking up to the sounds and sights of the African bush on your final morning in South Luangwa National Park. Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the bush camp as you keep an eye out for visiting animals and birds.

Then it is time to say goodbye to the wilderness on a final game drive out of the park and back to Mfuwe airport. From here you'll catch your return flight to Lusaka, where this unforgettable Zambia Safari in South Luangwa National Park concludes.

• Includes: Road transfer to Mfuwe and flight from Mfuwe to Lusaka