Full Itinerary

Day 1 – Livingstone

On arrival at Livingstone International Airport you will be met by Charles who will drive you to Maramba River Lodge, a short 15-minute drive. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. At around 15h00 we will be collected by our transport for the short ride to the Zambezi Waterfront where we will board Lady Livingstone for a 2-hour sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. Bring your binoculars and a warm jacket.(D)

We meet at 08H00 to pack the vehicles and depart Livingstone at 09h00. Our first destination is Kalomo (+-180 km’s from Livingstone). This road was recently upgraded and the scenery changes from dense bush to the occasional roadside village, tobacco and maize farms.

At Kalomo we will have a brief stop to stretch our legs and take on fuel. We drive through the town and make our way to the road that leads to the Ndumdumwezi Gate of Kafue National Park. You will experience the true culture of this beautiful country as we wind our way through the foothills passing rural villages and schools along the way. We will be driving through the Bilili Springs Game Management Area, and there is always the possibility of seeing wildlife in these areas’. After entering the gate, we will begin a leisurely game drive, here there will be plenty of time for game viewing and birding. We will stop at around 15h00 once the team has found a suitable bush camp. This is a truly “African” experience of camping in the bush and enjoying the many night sounds while we sit around the fire after a delicious dinner. (BLD)

A hearty breakfast is prepared for you before we begin breaking camp and making our way slowly Northwards, there are many “loops” to be discovered here & game viewing in this this section of Kafue is good. Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest, Oribi, Elephant, Wild Dog, Sable and Roan antelope and Lion are all possible sightings. Birds are plentiful and include Palm Nut Vulture, Black Cheeked Lovebirds, Herons, Kingfisher, Hornbills, Pygmy Geese, Wattled Crane and many more. There are over 500 bird species in this park including the endemic Black Cheeked Lovebirds, a “lifer” for ornithologists.

We will stretch our legs & have a mid-morning cup of coffee. Continuing North through some very dense Miombo Woodlands we will explore the Katinti Track for a distance before returning to the Western Boundary Track. For the next 3 days we will be exploring the areas of Katoka, Mufunta, Katobo and Kamano. Depending on the game viewing in this area the tour will be flexible to ensure you as our guest derives the maximum benefit from your safari. If game is scarce we will cut a days bush camping for an additional day at another location. (BLD)

We will arrive at Mayukuyuku in the late afternoon to piping hot showers and a delicious meal prepared by the chef at the lodge. If you would like to stay in one of the chalets here please remember to book this with us in advance to avoid disappointment.

Set on the banks of a tranquil river, elephant visit the lodge often.

Tomorrow will be a day of rest, a chance to get some much-needed washing done and the opportunity to sit by the banks of the river and take in the serenity of this magnificent park. Our chef will need to restock the food supplies and we will need to refuel the vehicles. Take a book and a lazy chair, park yourself on the bank in the shade & enjoy the views!

A night drive has been booked for you tonight after dinner so take a warm jacket, hop on the vehicle with your guide and head out in search of the elusive night creatures. A walk has also been arranged here with one of the local guides and a ZAWA scout for the early morning. (BLD)

Heading North we will be following the course of the Kafue River towards the Busanga floodplains and the game rich area of the far North of Kafue. This area is well known for Lion, Leopard & Cheetah not to mention the possibility of Wild Dog packs. We may well head North out of the park into the Kasonso Busanga Game Management Area tracing the path of the swamps as they flow Southwards. We will take coffee, tea & snacks along for the day and stop for a chance to look around, explore & simply enjoy this incredible experience of the swamp area. The idea is to spend as much time game viewing, exploring & discovering as much as we can about this stunning wetland area.

We will make camp in the late afternoon with enough time to enjoy a shower, relax and share some stories of the day while your chef cooks your evening meal.

If our game viewing in the South of the park was not good, then we will spend an additional day up here in the Busanga area to ensure we capitalize on game viewing. (BLD)

We will take a slow drive back in the direction of Mayukuyuku where we will once again be spending the night to break our journey. It is not possible to traverse certain distances due to road conditions as well as the fact that we are “game viewing” all the time so slow speeds mean less ground covered but better opportunities to spot wildlife. (BLD)

Day 11 – Kasabushi

Departing Mayukuyuku early we are in for a treat today! We will cross the Kafue River once again at Hook Bridge and explore the loops in this area. There will be invaluable information from Mayukuyuku camp on the recent game sightings. We will explore the Shishamba Loop along the Shishamba River and then slowly head South towards Kasabushi to spend the evening with Andy & Libby at their amazing campsite. Once again set on the banks of the river the views of the river islands, pods of hippo and elephant coming down to drink make this a very memorable overnight stop. There will be time to visit the Kalungu waterfalls. A night drive has been booked for tonight. (BLD)

With a leisurely start to the day we bid Kasabushi farewell and continue South along the Spinal Road. We will be crossing several rivers as well as intersecting with the Kantinti – Mufuta Track. Rounding the Southern part of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi we will arrive at Hippo Bay around midday, here we will have the opportunity to exit the park & visit the local town where we can purchase fresh produce, re-fuel the vehicles and return to the camp in time for a magical sunset on the waters of the lake. A walk and a drive has been booked here with a local guide and the area is well visited by animals. If you would like to do some fishing this can be arranged. Once again chalets are available for you. Please remember this is a surcharge and advance booking is essential. (BLD)

Departing Hippo Bay we have an adventurous day ahead – we will spend time in the loops of the Ngoma Teak Forest looking for the very rare antelope of this area as well as visiting the David Shepherd Elephant Orphanage where we will have a tour by Rachel. She will explain how baby elephants are reintegrated into the wild as well as other work that Game Rangers International are conducting.

There are several interesting loops in the Nanzhila area which have dambo’s (seasonally flooded water holes) that support a myriad of wildlife. We will camp along the Cordon Road. (BLD)

Our final breakfast in the bush!

We will break camp & exit the park mid-morning. Passing once again through Kalomo we will arrive back in Livingstone in the late afternoon. Arriving at the lodge will be bliss! A swim in the pool or a pool-side massage – your choice! Sundowners on the deck followed by a final tour dinner together will round this experience off to a tee. (BL)