Status | Starts | Group size | Leader | Duration/price Inc. flights from/to UK | Duration/price Exc. international flights | Single supp. | ||
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Limited spaces | Max. 12 | Jonathan Mbao Yotam Sakala | 10 days: £4,595 pp. | 8 days: £3,695 pp. | £495 | |||
Available | Max. 12 | Jonathan Mbao Yotam Sakala | 10 days: £4,595 pp. | 8 days: £3,895 pp. | £540 |
South Luangwa National Park is arguably Zambia’s premier wildlife destination and it has been one of our most popular destinations for many a year. Join us on this classic small group safari where we spend an entire week exploring this iconic park in search of its amazing wildlife, led by some of the finest local guides in the park.
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- We take an overnight flight via Dubai to Lusaka.
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- We arrive in Lusaka after lunch and have a short wait before our domestic connection to Mfuwe. This flight takes only around one hour and – provided the skies are clear – offers spectacular views over the landscape. On arrival in Mfuwe in the late afternoon, we have just a short transfer by road to our lodge.
- Accommodation: Flatdogs Camp, 7-nights on full board basis.
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- Each morning we have an early wake-up call, followed by a light breakfast, before heading out on safari. These morning drives last for at least four hours, giving us plenty of time to search and spend time with the animals we encounter. We usually return to the lodge between 10:00 and 11:00 for brunch and to avoid the heat of the middle of day, before heading out on our afternoon drive into the park in mid-afternoon. Alternatively, we may prefer to enjoy a walking safari to experience the South Luangwa in a different way and to see things that we may not have seen from the vehicles previously.
- Our expert local guides will be able to share their extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna, and will work closely with us make sure that we enjoy the wildlife as much as possible.
- On some days it may be possible to take an all-day drive into the national park, returning before the end of the afternoon. The benefit of this is that we can get further from the lodge and visit different areas of the park increasing our chances of seeing as much wildlife as possible.
- Night drives provide us with a completely different perspective on the South Luangwa as we encounter a whole range of different species.
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Today marks the last day of our safari in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, and after a final early morning wake-up, we head out for our last wildlife drive. We return to the lodge later in the morning, with time to pack before brunch followed by a transfer to Mfuwe airport, followed by a brief stopover before our overnight flight back to the UK.
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Day 10 Arrive UK
All prices are per person and include:
- Services of the naturalist leader
- Flights
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Some drinks
- Transfers
- National park fees
Accommodation
We stay in a single location: an excellent lodge which lies on the banks of the Luangwa River, close to the main gate of South Luangwa National Park. The very comfortable luxury safari tents provide an authentic African safari experience; they are spacious, with full-size beds, and lead into an en suite open air bathroom with hot shower, flushing toilet and sink. Set on the bank of the Luangwa River, each tent has a verandah with great views. A wide array of species can be found within the grounds at any time.
Meals
All meals are included during our stay in the South Luangwa National Park.
Birds
About 400 species have been observed in the Luangwa, including many that are typical of Southern Africa, plus a few that are more commonly associated with East Africa – a result of Zambia’s location between the two.
- African fish eagle
- Yellow-billed stork
- Racket-tailed roller
- Cuckoo shrike
Mammals
South Luangwa National Park is home to more than 60 species of mammal and is particularly famous for its leopard population which is said to have the highest density anywhere in Africa.
- Leopard
- Hippo
- Thornicroft’s giraffe
- Lion
Scenery
South Luangwa is the jewel of Zambia’s national parks. Its eastern boundary is the meandering Luangwa River whose regular changes in course leave characteristic oxbow lagoons which are one of the most scenic aspects of the park. Set amongst beautiful riverine vegetation of evergreen mahogany and ebony trees, these lagoons and the grazing lawns around them are a magnet to the outstanding wildlife of the park.
Photography
There will be excellent opportunities to photograph both mammals and birds during the itinerary. The twilight hours are particularly good as the golden light is excellent for photography.
Walking
Walking is gentle, on flat terrain, and follows animal trails through the bush. We take our time whilst walking and will often take stops to scan for and watch the birds.
Flights
Price includes return scheduled flights London – Lusaka – London, and domestic light aircraft between Lusaka and South Luangwa.
Ground transport
During the itinerary, we use open four-wheel drive vehicles for our excursions into the South Luangwa National Park. The open-sided vehicles are perfect for all-round visibility and with a maximum of six passengers per vehicle (excluding local guides), there will be plenty of space to spread out and watch the wildlife at leisure.
For the airport transfers, we will use a comfortable minibus.
Baggage restrictions
The baggage allowance on Proflight domestic flights is strictly limited to 23 kg of checked luggage and 5 kg of hand baggage.