Wild Zambia

Arrive in Zambia’s capital of Lusaka. Gather for a welcome dinner this evening with your Expedition Leader and fellow adventurers.

From Lusaka, take a chartered flight to Mfuwe, then transfer by road to Zungulila Camp on the Kapamba River, our base for exploring the little-visited southern sector of South Luangwa National Park. Our camp, exclusively for Nat Hab guests, is set on a knoll overlooking natural springs and broad plains that are home to prolific game. Four generous Meru-style tents accommodate just eight guests, their wood and thatch construction evoking the classic ambience of a bygone era while belying the luxury of this intimate camp that offers every comfort in this remote bush setting.

In South Luangwa, one of Africa’s last tracts of primal wilderness, we are immersed in an evocative landscape of undulating hills, seasonal floodplains, ebony forests and rushing rivers. The Edenic vistas are a backdrop for tremendous concentrations of game, from massive elephants and Cape buffalo to agile antelope and the lions and leopards that prey upon them. Without even leaving camp, we’re likely to see elephants wandering past and scores of buffalo gathered at the river to drink, not to mention regular camp denizens such as giraffe, monkeys and a wide assortment of birds.

The Luangwa Valley is the birthplace of the traditional walking safari, and to explore it on foot with an expert local guide, in the reassuring company of an armed guard, raises the sensory experience of the African wild to a level unmatched by any other mode. Optional walking safaris are a highlight at Zungulila, offering a rare encounter with raw nature at eye level. Learn to track a leopard by identifying its spoor, scout for tracks of antelope eluding predators, and observe crocodile footprints etched in the damp sand. Camp guides teach you to identify tell-tale animal alarm calls and show how to soothe insect bites with the juice of a sausage tree. Game drives take us farther afield in the comfort of a vehicle to look for hyenas on the hunt, prowling packs of African wild dogs and more. And night drives are a special experience, as we go in search of nocturnal predators including leopards.

Transfer to Bilimungwe Camp for another angle on the vast wilderness of South Luangwa. Tucked within a mahogany grove overlooking three waterholes, Bilimungwe blends seamlessly with its wild setting, lying near both the Luangwa River and an open plain where lions and leopards stalk their prey. Plentiful wildlife is on your doorstep as you observe from the private raised deck of your reed and thatch cottage, entertained by giraffes bending low to drink and hippos splashing about. Large families of elephants are also frequent visitors to the waterholes. Other common sightings include zebra, impala, wildebeest, puku, warthog, baboons, spotted hyenas and wild dogs. Some 400 bird species thrive along the river, including saddle bill stork, marabou stork, great white egret, black headed heron and goliath heron.

Choose to explore the riverine woodland on foot with guides who are deeply familiar with this terrain, and count on plenty of game drives to maximize your wildlife viewing. In the evening, sundowners await on the riverbank, then retreat to a comfortable chair beneath the winterthorn tree and watch “Bush TV”: look to the orange horizon as animals emerge from their shaded hiding spots, once temperatures drop. On night drives, listen to the entrancing sounds of the African bush as we search for nocturnal predators.Once darkness descends, camp takes on a romantic ambience, when the flicker of paraffin lanterns illumines our retreat beneath a canopy of glittering stars.

From Kapamba airstrip, we fly by private chartered aircraft to Lower Zambezi National Park and transfer to Amanzi Camp, elevated on a steep bank above the Zambezi’s Ngwenya Channel with panoramic views. We have exclusive occupancy of the intimate luxury camp, which has four tents on raised wooden decks overlooking the channel and a large island. The camp is perfectly positioned as a launch point for exploration, offering outstanding access to some of Zambia’s—and Africa’s—best wildlife viewing. The habitat around camp is a mix of miombo, mopane and acacia woodland interspersed with open plains and thick riverine forest—a diverse mosaic supporting a wide range of species.

Covering 1,580 square miles, Lower Zambezi National Park is supreme wilderness, its silence broken only by the cry of the fish eagle and the bleats, calls, yips and roars of abundant wildlife. The park’s lifeblood is the Zambezi River, coursing for 90 miles along its eastern edge, drawing spectacular numbers of animals. We go in search of it on varied land- and water-based activities—game drives and walking safaris, and boat cruises on the river and placid channels.

On the opposite bank of the mighty Zambezi is Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe, protecting an uninterrupted stretch of habitat for enormous herds of elephant and buffalo. Along the river, hippos are everywhere, snorting in noisy pods, while crocodiles bask in the shallows awaiting their next meal as animals wander down to quench their thirst. Kudu, eland, waterbuck, bushbuck, impala and zebra browse grasses on islands that lie between the two shores, creating an access corridor to both banks. Lion and leopard—the main predators— lie in wait, and our odds of seeing leopards, which thrive in this region, are especially high. Wild dog also roam the area, while spotted hyena and side-striped jackals are never far from the action. Night drives may reveal nocturnal species such as honey badger, porcupine, genet, civet and aardvark. The birdlife is magnificent, with both waterfowl and woodland species in abundance. During the late dry season (late August onward), both white-fronted and carmine bee-eaters nest in the banks of the rivers, their iridescent plumage creating a colorful spectacle.

After breakfast, fly this morning by chartered aircraft back to Lusaka, where we meet homeward flights.