Quirky Zambia Adventure Safari!
Destination
Zambia
Travel Period
May – September
Duration
12 days | 11 nights
This laidback and friendly border town on the edge of the Zambezi River is named after famous Scottish explorer and missionary Sir David Livingstone, the first non-Zambian to encounter the majestic Victoria Falls in 1855.
It serves as a hub for exploring the further reaches of Zambia and offers a multitude of activities for adrenaline junkies, including white water rafting, gorge swinging, jet boating, microlight plane rides, elephant back safaris, and bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge which, at 111 meters (364 ft), is one of the highest bridge jumps in the world.
While fisherman angle for Tigerfish upstream, downstream the Zambezi River rages with up to grade 5 rapids, such as the aptly named ‘overland truck eater.’ During the drier months, a rock pool known as Devil’s Pool forms on the edge of the Falls, creating the ultimate infinity pool. During a full moon, especially from June to August, visitors have the chance to witness a lunar rainbow over the Falls at night.
The ultimate destination for romance and bespoke travel, the real beauty of the Tongabezi experience lies in its ability to set a scene and inspire a truly magical adventure.
The lodge has an extensive variety of cottages and houses catering to all guests and groups. With its combination of exclusivity and warm, friendly service, Tongabezi is a great base from which to discover the thrills of the mighty Zambezi River.
Nut House
A haven from the elements, the Nut House is Tongabezi’s premium couple’s room. This room features the best art, textiles, and textures from around the African continent, with design elements from Morocco, Mali, Zambia, and South Africa.
The palette is easy on the eyes, seamlessly blending the house into Zambia’s natural scenery. Folding doors open onto the elevated private garden and infinity plunge pool, and a fireplace guarantees cozy evenings. Spectacular views over the Zambezi are guaranteed.
There is a huge amount to do at Tongabezi from relaxing by the pool and stretching in the lodge gym. Or get out and about with boat cruises (including electric dhow river cruises), visits to Victoria Falls and Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, fishing, discover Livingstone Museum and shopping in the nearby village markets.
Other activities that can be booked separately whilst staying at Tongabezi Lodge range from microlight and helicopter flights, to white water rafting, swimming in Devil’s and Angel’s Pools to a ride on the Royal Livingstone Express. Several activities are seasonal and all of the activities are subject to availability, but there is always something to keep guests busy.
Kafue was established by the legendary Norman Carr in the 1950s and is Zambia’s oldest and largest national park. Covering a massive 22,400 km2 (8,650 mi2), the park is dominated by Miombo woodlands and interspersed with seasonal floodplains, rivers, and dambos – the dry riverbeds that provide seasonal refuge for the wide variety of wildlife. In fact, Kafue boasts more species than any other park south of the Congo.
Wildlife sightings can be very good with large herds of lechwe and buffalo in the floodplains, alongside all the predators of which lions are very well represented. There is also excellent birdlife.
Chisa Busanga Camp was built to mimic its surrounds through beautiful architecture and environmentally conscious design. Chisa is the Nyanja word for ‘birds nest,’ and the rooms were inspired by the weaver bird nests that decorate the trees. Sitting on a small tree-lined island, the camp uses only solar power as do the game drive vehicle and bicycles used to explore the watery dambos beyond.
The Busanga Plains, secreted away in the northern part of the Kafue National Park in Zambia, is one of the most untouched wilderness areas in Africa. This wetland ecosystem bristles with diverse life that makes for a special safari experience.
Chisa Busanga is passionate about creating safari experiences that are gentle on Busanga’s delicate ecosystem and long-lasting in your mind. The solar-powered Land Cruiser and mountain bikes are sustainable ways to explore the plains; so too is the hot air balloon that carries you high above them. Back at camp, the plunge pool is absolute bliss in the midday heat and the campfire is where great conversation and stargazing happens.
As you disappear quietly into the floodplains and dambos on the e-Cruiser, e-Bike or on foot, the game sightings are more intense, the birdlife interactions closer, and the sounds of the bush uncompromised. Lovely guides are fluent in the language of the bush and they are always ready to teach people how to read it.
South Luangwa is 9,060 km2 (3,500 mi2) in size and has incredibly diverse landscapes ranging from dense forests of mopane, ebony and sausage trees to wide open savanna punctuated only by the occasional lonely baobab – all hugged by the wide and winding Luangwa River. The river is the most intact major river system in Africa and the lifeblood of this park. The now famous “walking safari” originated here and is still one of the finest ways to experience Africa’s pristine wilderness firsthand. The changing seasons add to the park’s richness, from dry bushveld in the winter to lush wonderland in the summer months.
60 different animal species and over 400 different bird species live in South Luangwa National Park. The only notable exception is the rhino, sadly poached to extinction. Aptly named the Valley of the Leopard, it is widely considered one of the best places in Southern Africa to look for these elusive cats. With an estimated 50 hippos per kilometer of the Luangwa River, it’s a very popular destination for them too.
Warm and welcoming, Bilimungwe Bushcamp blends seamlessly with its surroundings and offers unrivalled wildlife viewings. The traditions of the African bushcamp meet elegance and style in this stunning camp that feels like it has grown organically out of the surrounding landscape. Set beneath a huge mahogany tree, the heart of Bilimungwe is the cool, shady lounge area that looks out over one of the camp’s three waterholes.
Settle down in a cozy armchair with a sundowner and relax as you watch an enviable display of spectacular birds and animals that clearly feel as comfortable here as you do. With the open waters of the Luangwa River also on your doorstep and a nearby plain where leopard prowl, it’s clear that this is a nature-lovers paradise, and with Manda Chisanga – Bilimungwe’s award-winning resident guide – to lead you, you could not be in better hands. In the event that Manda is not available, another guide from The Bushcamp Company’s excellent and experienced team will be on hand.
Chalet
The four thatched rooms are raised on stilts. The rich, wood interiors echo the trees and the furniture is hand-carved by local artisans. After an early morning game drive, head back to your room for a refreshing, open-air waterfall shower, or continue the wildlife spectacle from your private deck. Each chalet is equipped with a king bed or twin beds, an indoor and outdoor shower, wash-basin, a toilet, solar-powered hot and cold running water, toiletries, and standing floor fans and mosquito nets.
Take advantage of the exceptional knowledge and charm of resident guide Manda Chisanga, and head out with him on a combination of walking safaris, day and night game drives, and sundowners on the river’s edge. In between outings, find a chair and enjoy the wildlife magnets that are Bilimungwe’s three permanent waterholes. Who needs satellite television when you have your very own “Bush TV” to entertain you?
Chindeni Bushcamp is a sublime tented camp on the edge of a permanent lagoon with the Chindeni Hills providing a truly breathtaking backdrop. In an enviable location where hippo chortle and elephant wallow, this camp is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful tented camps in the South Luangwa.
There’s something about sleeping under canvas that ignites a sense of adventure in everyone. At Chindeni you can combine that thrill with style and comfort in one of its four opulent tents. Gaze out from your private veranda onto the lagoon which attracts birds and animals from miles around. Or settle back with a gin and tonic in the central lounge and dining area – a glorious expanse of varnished decking arranged on several levels around the surrounding ebony trees, boasting, of course, the same spectacular view of the serene lagoon and its inhabitants.
Tent
At Chindeni, combine that thrill with style and comfort in one of the four spacious tents, with their wooden floors, four-poster beds, and impressive views over the lagoon from the private verandas.
Whether you are in the mood for intrepid exploration or perhaps some more sedentary wildlife viewing, Chindeni will deliver. Set out on superb walking safaris, game drives, night drives, and scenic sundowner trips in the surrounding area, or simply settle yourself in a deckchair at camp and watch the abundance of game that is drawn to the lagoon.
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