Departure: Scheduled Departure Dates
Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Safaris Rates:
- Peak Season from US$ 7548.00 pp (July - September)
- Shoulder Season from US$ 7208.00 pp (June - October)
- Emerald Season from US$ N/A (05 January - 21 May & November - 22 December)
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SAFARI ITINERARY 

Day 1: Nkwali Camp - On arrival at Mfuwe International Airport a guide from Robin Pope Safaris will meet you. The drive to Nkwali Camp is 1 hour through colourful local scenes of villages, agriculture as well as bush. Nkwali Camp has a wide view of the Luangwa River. On Robin’s private land, and overlooking the South Luangwa National Park, Nkwali is ideally situated for the start of your safari. The six rooms all look out over the river and have open air bathrooms. Depending on your arrival time in the day you will enjoy a lunch looking out over the lagoon to the back of Nkwali or if in the afternoon for tea and the afternoon and night game drive.

Day 2: Nkwali Camp - At dawn breakfast is served around the campfire. The porridge heated on the fire and toast cooked by the coals. The morning walk or drive will leave soon after, entering the park by boat from the camp or by the nearby pontoon. The game in the area is excellent – and includes many family herds of elephants and the endemic species of giraffe, the Thornicroft Giraffe. A mid morning break of tea, coffee and cake will be taken by a scenic point on a lagoon or the Luangwa River. Return to camp for lunch around mid day. After lunch you can cool off in the swimming pool or siesta. Tea will be served in the afternoon and then off on an afternoon game drive that continues into the early night giving the chance to see the nocturnal world. Usually one returns to camp about 20.00 hrs with dinner generally at 20.30.

Day 3: Nsefu Camp - After an early breakfast, a transfer gamedrive through the park takes you to a crossing point on the Luangwa River. The Nsefu staff will meet the party, cross the river by boat, and then a 45 minute drive to Nsefu camp, gameviewing on route. Nsefu was the first game camp in Zambia and dates back to the early fifties. The Nsefu Sector was recognised then as a phenomenal area and it still is. Robin Pope Safaris owns the only two camps in this sector of the Park. The camp is on a sweeping bend of the Luangwa River. There are six round rondavals with luxurious ensuite facilities and each room has a clear view of the river through large windows and from the new wooden verandahs. On arrival you will be shown to your rondavel and then lunch will be served followed by a well deserved siesta before the afternoon and evening game drive. (Note: option of booking Tena Tena for the 3 nights).

Day 4: Nsefu Camp - Today is a chance to drive or walk through the ebony groves. Or you may decide this is an ideal day depending on the heat and time of year to explore the Nsefu Sector of the National Park possibly with an all day picnic drive to the salt pans that will cover different habitats and is an exceptional days safari.

Day 5: Chiawa Camp - After an early breakfast, transfer to Mfuwe Airport (1.5 hours) for the flight to Lusaka (1.5 hours) and then onto the Lower Zambezi (30 mins). As you fly into the area, you will see the wide Zambezi River, dotted with islands. Buffalo and elephant are always seen feeding along with the pods of hippos that rest on the edge of the sandbanks. The transfer to Chiawa Camp is through the park and there is the chance of game viewing along the way. Resting on the banks of the Zambezi under a lush grove of mahogany and acacia trees, eight spacious tents on elevated wooden platforms with en-suite facilities offer Chiawa's guests ample comfort and stunning views. Gameviewing in the pristine Lower Zambezi National Park is superb and big game, such as elephant, hippo, buffalo and the big cats are even seen regularly in and around the camp! After a late lunch there will be a chance for an afternoon activity – be it on the river or by vehicle.

Day 6: Chiawa Camp - At Chiawa there are various activities to choose from. Not only on offer are exciting day and night drives and bush walks, but Chiawa's guests can choose their own day's itinerary from a selection of canoe trips, river safaris on safe, stable pontoon boats and catch & release angling for the infamous tiger fish.

Day 7: Lunga River lodge - After breakfast and farewells, a drive through the park to the airstrip to meet the plane taking you to the Kafue National Park (1.3 hours). Landing on the private airstrip of Lunga River Lodge you will be met with welcome drinks. The camp is only 5 minutes from the airstrip and so you are soon settling into your spacious chalets. The main area overlooks the Lunga River and the craftsmanship of the bar and decking is exceptional. Lunga also has a swimming pool and steam room. The river is clear and deep, and lined with lush trees in which live many interesting birds. The Kafue area hosts many species of birds and mammals not (or rarely) seen in the Luangwa and Zambezi Valleys including hartebeest and sable antelope and cheetah.

Day 8: Lunga River lodge - The day will be spent exploring the area with the option of boating, canoeing, walking or gamedrives.

Day 9: Basunga Bushcamp - After an early breakfast you will leave on the transfer to Busanga Bushcamp. This is a wonderful drive though exceptional miombo woodland, with a good chance of seeing sable and hartebeest. After an hour or so, leaving the woodland behind, the road breaks through onto the wide open plains of the Busanga Swamps. This vast area is flooded during the rains but dries up annually leaving short and rich grazing for the many herds of different antelope. And where there is game in numbers, so there are predators. The lion population in the area is well known, and there is a good chance of sighting cheetah. You will arrive in time for lunch – at the small and discrete bush camp built on an “island” in the plains. After a siesta and tea, the afternoon game drive will continue into the night when there is a good chance of following lions.

Day 10: Basunga Bushcamp - The bush camp is built of grass and reed – each room with a view of the floodplain and an en suite bathroom (with long drop loo). It is simple and extremely remote and makes a superb base from which to explore the unusual ecosystem of the floodplains. In the morning the chance to drive up the waterway of the floodplain will be an excellent long morning drive. There is also the option of a morning walk.

Day 11: After breakfast, a morning activity, time permitting, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your flight to Lusaka where you will meet your connecting flight.