This semi-participation safari visits the many remote waterfalls of northern Zambia together with Lake Bengweulu and Kasanka National Park, in search of the elusive shoebill stork and shy sitatunga.
Overall operator rating 9.9/10 from 9 trip reviews
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The overall safari was excellent. The guide was pleasant and personable and had abundant knowledge of Botswana's bird and wildlife. Our game viewing was superb and the route chosen through Botswana was ideal.
Our cook was the king of four wheel drive cooking and able to create culinary marvels over an open fire.
We spent 1 week in botswana + 1 week in zambia, sleeping in a tent litterally in the middle of the game! During the night elephant scratching and crashing trees, hippos eating grass, buffalos walking, just beside beside us!
And in the day so much game + beautiful landscapes, even more beautiful than we had expacted (rivers are a surprise!)
Our guide was an excellet guide, trust him and for sure you'll see the most beautiful places to experience Africa
A very exciting holiday, unique. We're thinking about going back for new trips.
I would highly recommend a trip with this operator.
The itinerary was far better planned than we could possibly have managed ourselves, even if we had done thousands of hours of research and internet searching.
We loved the trip, the company, and for us especially, the flexibility to change plans at a moment’s notice when our circumstances changed. Nothing was too much trouble. . Every detail was wonderfully organized. We will be back!
We took a one-week safari in Zambia in May of 2008. We had an excellent experience.
The tour operator worked with me before the trip - by phone and email - to design a safari that met our needs. The safari was private for me and my two daughters. We visited Lower Zambezi and Kafue game parks. I had an excellent host, guide, and raconteur. We discussed everything from the excretory habits of hippos to the current political situation in South Africa.
We stayed in the camping sections of excellent lodges in each park. We had three excellent meals each day, prepared on a remarkably sophisticed kitchen powered off the Toyota Land Cruiser. We were not looking for luxury, but were looking for comfort. We found just the right mix of both on this trip.
I'd highly recommend the operator to anyone looking for a private (or small group), custom-designed, safari without frills but with plenty of comforts.
With high expectations we started the safari from Maun in Botswana and ended it 15 nights later in Lusaka Zambia.
Thoose nights and days went far to fast with excellent game drives with very knowledgeable guides and with chefs that made some magic things to all our meals. On top of all that we fell into sleep to the sound of lions and had hippos around the tents at night.
A very well organized safari with all the ingredients you can only hope for.
Our experience was excellent. The safari met and, in some aspects surpassed our expectations. The trip was well thought out and was done as it was planned. We had a great service from travel professional, by our guide. The knowledge about routes and the driving skills were excellent too, and he did his best to let us enjoy the trip.
Throughout the trip the food was really fine in quality, quantity and variety.
It was amazing to bush camp amongst the game, but with enough comfort, and with the confidence of being with someone whose knowledge about wildlife is so good. Doing a walking game viewing we did in a private game concession was also exciting.
We really enjoyed the game viewing, as we had several excellent spots - four leopards - three days -, a herd of 18 lions, a lioness with cubs, and lions mating – three days - , lions almost hunting sable antelope, a herd of 16 giraffes, a big herd of buffalo, a huge herd of Zebra – may be 40, too. We will never forget Chobe’s, Okavango, or the Kwai river landscapes, or the astonishing night sights of the Kudiakam pan.
My friends and family and I spent eight of the most memorable days of our lives with this company on safari in Botswana.
As people who grew up on National Geographic nature documentaries and camping in North America's national parks, I was worried that we might find Botswana nice, but not quite up to all the hype. Not the case!
Our experience in Botwana, in every way, simply blew the doors off all of our expectations! No matter you've seen or done before, there is no preparation for the thrill of lions - huge and hungry-looking - walking past your open vehicle so close you could pet them and roaring so loudly you feel it in the pit of your stomach.
Clearly you do not want to entrust your safety to amateurs during such an encounter. Beforehand, the operator patiently but thoroughly coached us on how to handle ourselves with lions and other potentially dangerous wildlife. In fact, the wilderness expertise of the s staff was truly impressive. They seemed familiar with the names and behaviors of every animal and plant we encountered. By the end of the trip, under their tutelage, all of us learned to read animal tracks and spoor like a Bushman.
Although the operator offered us a tempting "semi-luxury" option, we chose the "semi-participatory" version for our safari. We wanted the feel of a camping trip more than a catered excursion, although our actual "participation" in the camp chores was limited to putting up and taking down the tents. As someone who is used to sleeping on the ground, I found the stand-up height tents, cots and thick sleeping pads a comfortable surprise. Showers were available at each campsite. Throughout the trip the food was delicious, and the battery-powered refrigerators guaranteed an endless supply of cold drinks.
It is a cliche to call a safari like this a "trip of a lifetime" but our case it is simply not true. As I told them, we will be back, I hope, for many such "trips of a lifetime."
Best safari we have ever been on in Southern Africa. The operators vehicle, trailer and camping equipment was superior to most of the other safari operators.
With a deep freeze, fridge, plenty of water and camp lights and GPS they can travel to isolated destinations because they carry all the water and supplies needed without having to replace them every few days.
The food was plentiful and well prepared and made cooking easy. We enjoyed healthy and tasty meals. The variety of meals was impressive.
The tents, camp beds, lights and table are of high quality and make camping more comfortable especially if you are not young.
We visited some of the best game viewing areas and were impressed with the number of animals and beautiful scenery. We were able to take great still and video pictures and are delighted with the results.
Our guide's knowledge of animals, birds, trees, african tribes and routes was impressive and made the safari more interesting.
We had a very enjoyable and safe safari and would recommend this tour operator to other people of thinking of going on safari in Southern Africa.
PS: Just so you know - we are ex South Africans and have been on many safaris.
It is terrific to be on a trip with a person who so delights in every detail, planning and running our trip as if it were for his own best friends and while he worked very hard to make everything go smoothly he also seemed to enjoy himself. I don't know how he manages to make each trip feel so fresh and each client feel so valued.
We are very lucky to have travelled with them and recommend the tour operator enthusiastically.
Itinerary
This very special safari itinerary will appeal to the experienced africa hand who is looking for something different, something off the beaten track, something very African.
Day by day activity
Day 1 arr Lusaka. This semi-participation safari starts and ends in Lusaka - Zambia Head north out of the city to a formal or bushcamp over night camp.
Day 2. Continue north to Shiwa Ngandu, Lake of the Royal Crocodiles and family home of legendary Stewart Gore Browne. Overnight camp at a campsite at Kapishya hot springs.
Day 3. Leaving Kapishya hot springs, drive north to Kasama, overnight camp at Chisimba Falls.
Days 4+5. Driving north to Lake Tanganyika, relax for two days at Mpulungu. Optionally take a boat across the lake to view Kalambo Falls, the highest falls in Africa. Relax on the beach.
Day 6. Turning west, camp at remote and not often visited Nsumbu National Park. game sighting should include roan, sable, eland and hartebeest as well the rare blue duiker.
Days 7+8. Spend two days in the Lake Mweru/Mweru Wantipa National Park area, site seeing the many Falls here, including Ntumbachushi and Kundabwika Falls, as well as picturesque fishing villages, such as Nchelenge and Kashikishi.
Day 9. Turning south towards Lusenga Plains National Park, overnight bush camp, with time to visit the “mini- Victoria Falls” – Lumangwe Falls, a 120 meter lip with a drop of 30 meters into crystal clear water. A great spot for a dip.
Days 10+11+12. Samfya Town and Lake Bengweulu. Spend 3 nights on the edge of the plains south of the lake. Unique to this area is the black lechwe as well as the shoebill stork. Other birdlife includes many varieties of pelicans, cranes, storks, spoonbills and ibises.
Days 13+14 Returning south, visit Kasanka National Park home of the shy sitatunga. Making sure not to miss the 18 meter high look out hide in a mululu tree overlooking Kapabi Swamp. If time allows, visit nearby Memorial marking the spot where David Livingstone died.
Day 15. returning to Lusaka, spend last night in a campsite outside of the city.
Day 16. Safari ends.
Note that this safari can be split into two seven day safaris including either the waterfalls section or the shoebill and sitatunga sections only. Please enquire.
A word about this safari. This safari is run on a semi-participation basis. That is to say a driver/guide will accompany you, who will also do the cooking and serve meals. It is expected that clients will erect and take down their own tents
Price The price of the above itinerary is Euro 3,225 per person for 15 nights for a minimum of four people.
The price includes -ground transport as indicated above, in special bush vehicles. -use of all camping equipment, tents etc. -food and beverages with three meals per day -camping and entry fees to National Parks. -selected game drives in Operators vehicle.
The price excludes -airfares and transportation to and from start and end points -visas and other governmental levies -medical health, loss and evacuation insurances. -towels -extra and optional activities not specifically included -alcohol and other drinks -gratuities and tips
