8 Days Zambia walking safari includes excellent hosting and guiding in one of the most spectacular wilderness areas the country has to offer: the South Luangwa National Park.
Known to locals as simply ÔÇÿthe South Park,ÔÇÖ this stunning game-rich park in eastern Zambia was initially gazetted in 1904 before being declared a national park in 1972.
It can cover an impressive area of around 9,050 km2 of the Luangwa valley, and lies at an altitude of 500 meter to 800 meters. The park is also known to be the birthplace of the legendary Africa walking safaris and is probably the finest way to experience the continentÔÇÖs pristine wilderness first-hand. Although animals will generally ignore you in a vehicle, when you are on foot, they recognised you as another type of animal.
Observing them from a safe distance is an exciting experience. Exploring the lush landscapes of the park on foot also means that you have time to stop and appreciate the smaller things in nature, from exotic insects to animal tracks to the smell of things and beautiful flora.
Walking also allows you to explore area not seen by anyone else as you are free to go where safari vehicles simply canÔÇÖt. YouÔÇÖll probably learn more about African continent and her inhabitants on this safari than youÔÇÖll learn in your whole life from books and the internet.
The armed guides that escort you have wide knowledge of not just the flora and fauna of the region, but also know the bushÔÇÖs finer signs intimately.
A safe distance from any big animal watching is always maintained and respect for wildlife is the number one rule. You will need to reasonably fit for this 8 Days Zambia walking safari because the distance covered per day is approximately 10 kilometers, but with frequent stops.
8 Days Zambia Walking Safari Summary
Day 1-3: Arrive at Mfuwe Airport & transfer to South Luangwa (Tafika Lodge)
Day 4 & 5: South Luangwa National Park (Crococodile River Camp)
Day 5 & 7: South Luangwa National Park (Chikoko Tree Camp)
Day 8: Walk back to Tafika Camp and transfer to Mfuwe International Airport
8 Days Zambia Walking Safari Details
Day 1-3: Arrive at Mfuwe Airport & transfer to South Luangwa
On your arrival at Mfuwe International Airport you will be fetched by your guide and transferred to Tafika Lodge. On this drive of about 90 minutes, you are likely to encounter enough wildlife to make your visit worthwhile before you have even set foot into the camp.
TafikaÔÇÖs Lodge is situated on Luangwa River banks. The lodge sits under the shade of giant sausage trees. ItÔÇÖs stylish suites are built from locally sourced thatch and reed. They are well-appointed with outdoor showers and en suite bathrooms.
From the comfort of the lodge, view hippos and elephants as they come for a drink and bath in the winding river while you sip on a cold drink. The Luangwa River crosses park and features ox-bow lagoons, tributaries and riverine woodlands. These host large number of animals, including highest population of leopards in Zambia and more than 450 bird species.
From the moment you arrive at Tafika Lodge, you are welcomed as a member of the family rather than a guest.
Divide your safari time between long morning walking tours and evening game drives; and with each exploration of the habitats of Luangwa more of its ecological wealth is revealed.
Your walking tours will be led by a professional guide, an armed parks reservist and caterer, who will supply you warm beverages and snacks during your mid-morning tea break.
The team of guides here has remained the same for several years and has exceptional reputations in the fields of game ranging and nature conservation.
The local ecological knowledge imparted on you during walks is the kind of information which is gathered through decades of interaction with the wilderness and being tuned into the rhythm of life in the Luangwa valley.
Day 4 & 5: South Luangwa National Park
After three fantastic nights at Tafika Lodge, you will embark on a 4-hour walk to Crocodile River Camp, your luggage portered to your next Luangwa home for you. Crocodile River Camp is the first of two camps you will visit forming part of the Chikoko Trails, which occupy a remote sector of the South Luangwa National Park and are accessible only by foot.
The camp is set underneath a tall grove of ebony trees overlooking a large open pan ÔÇô once the course of the Luangwa River. This rustic camp has reed-and-thatch chalets which are rebuilt every year after the rains and accommodate just six guests.
The standard of guiding here is remarkably high with an exclusive focus on highly engaging walking safaris in the fascinating wilderness of Luangwa valley.
Dramatic seasonal variations, a dynamic river system and lush vegetation ensure prolific wildlife sighting in this area of the national park.
Your morning walk will lasts about 4 hours, leaving just before sunrise and returning about 11am. This will be followed by a shorter afternoon walk of around 2 hours, which starts at 4pm and arrives back at the camp before sunset.
The homely atmosphere at Crocodile River CampÔÇÖs ┬áand dedication to all things wildlife (further enhanced by the friendly knowledgeable staff) allows this laid-back riverside sanctuary to take on the kind of surreal quality that is perhaps unreplicated anywhere else in the world.
Day 5 & 7: South Luangwa National Park
Depart Crocodile River Camp and embark on a 4-hour walk with your guide, armed parks reservist and tea bearer to Chikoko Tree Camp where you will arrive before lunchtime.
Once again your luggage will be portered on your behalf. Located 8km upstream from Tafika Lodge on the Luangwa River banks, this unquestionably charming camp is also just a few hundred metres from the Perekani crossing point where Dr. David Livingstone proclaimed his love for the Luangwa valley.
Chikoko Tree Camp is even more exclusive than Crocodile River Camp. It has 3 romantic mopane wood, reed and thatch chalets. The chalets are built high in the trees, offering impressive views of the seasonal Chikoko River, acacia grove and surrounding wildlife.
Like at Crocodile River Camp, the focus at Chikoko Tree Camp is on complete immersion in the wilderness. There are no vehicles to break the silence and just a handful of other visitors around, if any at all. Your daily activities are much the same as at Crocodile River Camp, comprising a morning and afternoon walking safari in the magnificent Luangwa valley.
Between walks you will relax in your open-fronted chalet overlooking the floodplain and watch as animals ÔÇô sometimes in their hundreds ÔÇô walk directly across the floodplains and through the camp. You can sample culinary delights in the dining area or enjoy a drink in the comfortable lounge area, still captivated by the wilderness.
Day 8: Walk Back To Tafika Camp, Transfer To Mfuwe Airport
Today, you will depart Chikoko Tree Camp and take a 4-hour walk with your guide back to Tafika Camp, all your luggage portered for you. You are then transferred back to Mfuwe International Airport from where you board your connecting flight homewards after a fantastic 8 Days Zambia Walking Safari.
End of 8 Days Zambia walking safari
