Best of Zambia

Your time in Zambia starts in the South Luangwa, with three nights at Puku Ridge. This property has a thrilling position on a rocky hillside within the park, offering superb vistas of the surrounding floodplains and resident wildlife. The communal spaces feature a comfy lounge, a modern dining area, and a well-stocked bar. Below the lodge there is a shady veranda, complete with ‘love-seat’ for travellers who are feeling romantic! From the love-seat, you can enjoy views of several rock-pools and a couple of waterholes, popular with herbivores and unsurprisingly predators too. Puku Ridge has seven en-suite safari tents. Each is spacious with sumptuous interiors, including a four-poster bed, a picture window, indoor and outdoor showers, and private viewing deck. Activities from Puku Ridge comprise day and night game drives, as well as walking safaris. This part of the park contains a plethora of wildlife, such as lion, leopard, elephant, hyena, an assortment of antelopes, and hundreds of species of bird!

On the fourth day of your trip, you will fly to the Lower Zambezi to stay at Old Mondoro. This camp is one of our favourites across all Safari Africa! Its location, on the banks of the mighty Zambezi river, is perfect – the views are exceptional. Built in the style of a traditional bush camp, Old Mondoro has a classic mess structure, housing a comfy lounge and dining space. This structure is open-sided, so you can relax and tuck into a delicious meal while watching the river and all the wildlife – elephants are particularly prevalent here! The guest accommodation consists of just four reed-and-canvas chalets, all with double or twin beds, and en-suite facilities with flush toilet, washbasin, outdoor shower, and bath overlooking the river. This is not the most luxurious property, but it really does have all the comforts you could desire – and a wonderful back-to-nature feel. It’s the ideal base for exploring the area, with day and night game drives, walks, and river safaris all on offer. Canoeing and fishing are also available. There’s so much to see in the Lower Zambezi – predators such as lion, leopard, spotted hyena, wild dog, and herbivores such as elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and many antelope species. The bird count is impressive too!

From Old Mondoro, it’s a short boat transfer down the Zambezi river to end your safari with some time at Chiawa. Family owned and operated, Chiawa Camp is one of Zambia’s premier luxury safari camps. Everything is of the highest standard here, from the sheer quality of guiding to the conservation ethos, the fine dining, and deluxe cotton bedsheets. The communal area is a fantastic wooden, two-tiered structure that has great views out over the river. The canvas tents are wonderfully spacious, with a super-king-sized bed, private lounge area, and luxurious bathroom complete with roll-top bath and twin washbasins. Each of the tents enjoys views over the Zambezi river and its vast array of resident wildlife, including elephant, lion, leopard, hippo, and crocodiles. An amazing place to end this stunning trip!