Safaris – South Luangwa National Park

South Luangwa National Park is a world-famous safari destination and offers some of the best guides in Africa! The area is known as the birth-place of walking safaris and is one of few parks in Africa that allow night safaris. Wildlife Camp’s professional guides lead a variety of activities, ensuring that you’ll leave Zambia with a true and authentic experience.

Two activities per day are included for our full-board clients and it’s as easy as telling us the day before what you want to do. Self-catering clients and campers are more than welcome to book any activities on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Game Drives

Morning Drive

Wildlife Camp’s morning driving safaris start at 6:00 (just after a light breakfast for our full-board clients) and return to camp at about 10:15. Safaris are conducted in comfortable open vehicles to let you truly appreciate the bush. Morning safaris are usually the perfect way to see and photograph Zambia’s big mammals – elephants, zebra, giraffe and buffalo are common and antelopes such as impala, puku and kudu fill in the gaps. Birding in South Luangwa National Park is spectacular, and the valley floor hosts trees older than 1000 years old.

Wildlife Camp’s safaris are not just about driving around looking for animals – our knowledgeable guides can tell you all you ever wanted to know about a great variety of mammals, birds, insects and trees as well as some local insight and the history of the area. During the morning safari, your guide chooses a scenic spot for you to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and stretch your legs. It’s the perfect way to get to know the African bush on a personal level!

For our full-board clients, lunch is served shortly after returning from the morning safari.

Night Drive

Our night drives leave camp at 16.00hrs and return around 20.15hrs, just in time for a late three course dinner for our full-board clients. After enjoying the late afternoon light, you will stop for sundowners. Once refreshed, you will continue to search by spotlight for nocturnal animals. As soon as the sun goes down, a different set of animals appear. Large spotted genets and African civets are always a highlight, and the birders will be glad to hear that the South Luangwa National Park has an impressive Pel’s Fishing Owl population. The park is famous throughout Africa for its excellent leopard sightings, and even though none of these animals can be guaranteed, it is sometimes enough just knowing that they are around.

Our guides are accompanied by spotters on the night driving safaris. Wildlife Camp has the most experienced spotters in the area, and you’ll be amazed to see how these guys spot even chameleons at night. While morning driving safaris are often about relaxing and just watching the bush go by, night driving safaris are often filled with excitement and is not to be missed!

Walking safaris

Wildlife Camp’s walking safaris operate during the dry season, June through October, and are a completely different way of experiencing Mother Nature. Walking quietly through the veld, you can explore close up the fascinating insect and plant world. You’ll experience that giraffe suddenly seem taller than when you last viewed them from a safari vehicle. What is meant by the ‘little five’? Which animal does that footprint belong to? Why are the monkeys taking apart that big pile of droppings?

All these and other questions our guides can answer. Since our walking safaris are conducted in small groups (maximum of six according to ZAWA regulations), there is enough time to answer all these and any other questions you might have as you enjoy the splendours of the bush.

Our guides are accompanied by an obligatory armed scout assigned by the Zambian Wildlife Authority for any walking safaris conducted in or outside the National Park. The safety regulations of the park dictate that children under the age of 12 cannot take part in walking safaris. In addition to the National Park walking safaris, we offer walks on our private property. This area is the same as the National Park, and wild animals are as common here as in the park since they cross the river from the park to our camp.

Tea and coffee are provided on your walking safaris. The walking safaris sets off at 06.00hrs and return around 10.00hrs. Afternoon walks or revised times can be discussed with management. Or, why not go on an overnight walk to our Bushcamp…

Village Tours

Besides our safaris into the South Luangwa National Park, Wildlife Camp is happy to offer Kawaza village tours for you to get a full understanding of the beauty and dynamics of Zambia.

Our village tours offer you a truly authentic Zambian experience, where you can see how people live in the “real Africa”. Overnight options in the Kawaza Village cannot be arranged through Wildlife Camp.

A truly authentic Zambian experience is only offered by the colourful Zambian people themselves. Four-hour tours take you to the local markets to see the daily business of the community adjacent to the National Park. You will have the possibility of trying some local dishes, pounding some mielie-meal for nshima, or just stroll through the local village and having a chat with the kids who are always happy to try out their English skills; it’s all up to you. Tribal Textiles, a booming local business, is always a popular stop and they conduct tours of their workshop as well as the shop.

Since our guide accompanies you in our car, possibilities are endless and depend on the activities on that day. This tour is subject to vehicle availability and number of clients and are conducted any time of the day.