15 days
This 15-day safari & tour features a spectacular canoe safari on the Lower Zambezi River and a world-class wildlife safari in South Luangwa National Park, which is renowned for its high leopard population and Walking Safari.
Highlights
Places Covered: Lower Zambezi & South Luangwa National Park
Pioneer Lodge in Lusaka:
5N/6D Great Zambezi Canoe – Lower Zambezi National Park
Wildlife Camp – South Luangwa National Park
Zikomo Safari Camp – South Luangwa National Park
Transportation included are:
Pioneer Lodge & Camp – Lusaka
Pioneer Camp is an excellent place to stay if you need to be near Lusaka but don’t want to be in it! Only 14 km 30 minutes from the International Airport, we offer a restful stopover before, after or during your Zambian safari. We have a variety of chalets and a shady campsite, with the bar and restaurant at the heart of Pioneer, a tremendous place to meet fellow travellers and discuss your safari experiences!
Great Zambezi Canoe Safari (Canoeing Safari in Lower Zambezi)
During your 5 nights Canoe Safari experience you will be accommodated in tents, Two-man industrial mosquito netted bow tents are used. These provide for a full view of the night sky and give maximum aeration. Fold-out beds, sleeping bags, sheet liners, and airline pillows are also provided, but guests may bring their sleeping bags if desired. Other material includes cooler boxes, tables, chairs, gas cookers, melamine crockery, and cutlery plus other practical items to guarantee a reasonable level of comfort on safari.
Food - Three meals a day, gracious, soft drinks, and safe, handled water is provided on every safari. Those wishing to take their own bottled water may do so. Cooler crates are provided should customers want to bring their selection of refreshments for the continuation of the safari.
Daily Meal Plan - Except notified, refreshments will follow the program below. Please note that Absolute Zambia Safaris needs a prior warning of at smallest two weeks to provide for specific diets or allergies to appropriate ingredients. The first dinners are in most cases part pre-cooked and deep-frozen before the safari, so it is essential to have sufficient notice of what is required.
Early morning: Start with tea with coffee and biscuits before setting off downstream after packing up canoes and clearing the camp.
Breakfast: Usually, after numerous hours of canoeing, the trip will stop for everyone to relax while the guide fixes an English breakfast of tinned fruit, eggs, bacon, sausages, and many more, then toast with marmalade or jam. Having Tea and coffee are before starting.
Lunch: An assortment of rolls, cold meats, green salads, and cheeses had for lunch, with a range of sauces and pickled herbs to compliment the spread.
Dinner: An assortment of bites is served followed by a full meal made of beef, mutton or chicken as main course options with two green vegetables and carbohydrates of potatoes, rice, or pasta.
Wildlife Camp In -South Luangwa National Park
Wildlife Safari Camp is a safari camp on the banks of the Luangwa River in Zambia. This camp presents guests with an affordable front-row seat to one of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in Africa, South Luangwa National Park, in1992 Wildlife Camp has been one of the numerous successful camps in the Luangwa Valley, giving our visitors spectacular and authentic participation in the African bush. Wildlife Safari Camp has nine en-suite chalets, five of which are situated in a quiet corner of the camp, facing a lagoon area and enclosed by large shady trees while the other four are located in the centre of our field, close to our reception area, main bar, and restaurant. These four chalets each give unique views over the Luangwa River. The Camp has En-suite Safari Tents which are ideal for guests on a budget.
Zikomo Safari Camp – South Luangwa NP (Nsefu Sector)
Your private sanctuary in Zambia - Zikomo Safari is in Zambia, across the river from South Luangwa National Park. It is set amidst an ancient valley filled with diverse African wildlife. This peaceful eco-lodge in the African bush offers spacious accommodations: comfortable handcrafted chalets, or if you are self-driving, an expansive campground on the riverbank.
Our Main Block offers a fine restaurant, bar and gathering place overlooking the swimming pool and the sprawling flood plain of the tranquil hippo filled Luangwa River.
Your tour starts when you arrive at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka (LUN), where you will be welcomed by our representative who will then assist you with luggage and transfer you to Pioneer Lodge where you will spend your night before your fantastic canoeing Safari on the Zambezi River in lower Zambezi. Check-in relax, enjoy your room and later it's dinner and bedtime.
Morning Breakfast at Pioneer Lodge, then our driver will transfer you to Zambezi Breezes in Chirundu where your canoeing Safaris will start. Meet at Zambezi Breezes in Chirundu at approximately 10:00 for a two-hour drive downstream to the lunch place. After a briefing and lunch on the edges of the river, you begin your afternoon canoeing to Mtondo Island for your very first night camp, arriving at around 17:00.
Canoeing on the first day is kept to the mainstream on a natural going strong current. Setting up the lodge accompanied by tea or coffee, snacks, later dinner before retreating at night.
Canoeing begins early after morning tea or coffee and biscuits. About at 06:30, depart Mtondo Island for a downstream breakfast stop at roughly two-hour canoeing. Continuing through the Lower Zambezi National Park for lunch between 12:30 to 14:00 away from the midday sun.
Then canoe through to your next nights camp at or nearby Chikwenya Island if the weather is permitting. This day, you travel a good 25 kilometres of the river into both Mana Pools National Park and Lower Zambezi National Park.
All daily routine, on this day, you will canoe through offshoot river channels where birdlife and game abound. Leaders will stop at points of importance to witness wildlife.
Fascinating parts of the river at this point pass three kilometres in width with a labyrinth of canals to explore. Both sides of the river at this spot are flanked by magnificent national parks where one is likely to see the highest concentration of game on the river.
Exiting Mana Pools National Park and enter the safari area on the south bank while staying within the Lower Zambezi National Park. Starting to narrow down, and the current becomes stronger as the stream proceeds into what is known as the False Mupata Gorge.
From this point, the safari is restricted to the mainstream for about 30 kilometres as you pass through this scenic gorge with sheer rock structures and cliff edges. Campsite on this night is chosen from one of many natural sandy beaches on the land within the confines of the gorge.
The day is spent canoeing through the rest of the Mupata Gorge, watching the 300-million-year-old volcanic rock that forms part of the Great Rift Valley. At approximate midday, the canoes exit the gorge and the guide proceeds through to Red Cliffs for lunch and a break away from the midday heat before continuing to the nights’ island campsite.
Depending on joining flights the next day, the guide may discuss with the team a more proper camping site closer to the finishing point. Absolute Zambia Safaris does suggest that connecting flights are caught the day after the safari ends.
Depending on the choice of campsite, there is an early rise tea or coffee and breakfast before the remaining canoeing through to the end of the canoeing safari. The take-out point arrives at approximately 09:00 for the return transport to Lusaka.
This ride is in an open-roofed Land Cruiser with a shaded canopy. Alternatively, and depending on the group’s wishes, you may continue to paddle on day 5 to the Feira take out point. This means, the transport will be able to leave earlier for the return five-hour trip to Lusaka, but it says there will be no canoeing on the final day. Lunch will be served on the roadside under a tree.
You will spend a night at Pioneer Lodge in Lusaka. Arrival at Pioneer lodge Check-in and relax later it's dinner and bedtime.
Today you will start early and have breakfast at Pioneer Lodge, and then you will leave for South Luangwa National Park on a private road transfer, you will stop on the way to get some snacks and drinks, you also have a chance to learn a lot on the way as you can ask your driver questions and take pictures.
This is a transfer that takes between 8 -9 hours and arriving at Wildlife Camp around 3 PM time for afternoon Tea and you will be offered to join an afternoon/night game drive then later you will return to the camp for dinner and bedtime. It’s entirely up to clients whether to go out or relax.
Morning breakfast and you will leave for the morning activity which will be either a Game drive or a walking safari, and you will return to the camp for a lunch break, relax and afternoon tea then afternoon/night game drive will follow and return to the field for dinner and bed.
During your free time, you have an option of taking an excursion that can be a village tour, local school or a visit to the fabric shop.
Morning breakfast, then a morning game drive will follow and return to the lodge for lunch. After Lunch, the guide from Wildlife Camp will transfer you to Zikomo Safari Camp arriving in time to relax and later it's afternoon tea time then afternoon/night’s game drive leaving in the afternoon and continuing with the spotlight return to the camp in time for dinner.
On these days you will start with morning breakfast and then you will leave for a morning game drive or walking safari and return to the lodge for a lunch break, relax and later it's afternoon tea and afternoon/night game drive and return to the camp for dinner and time.
During your free time, you have an option of taking an excursion that can be a village tour, local school or Visit a Fabric Shop.
You will start your day early with a breakfast in the morning and camp will prepare your packed lunch for you, they will be picked you up and transfer you to pioneer camp where you will spend your last night in Zambia. Arrive at Pioneer Lodge check-in and relax then it's dinner and bedtime.
Today will depend more on your flight time out of Lusaka. You will have breakfast at Pioneer Lodge and then later check out of the lodge, and our driver will transfer you to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in time for your flight out of Zambia.