Sausage Tree Camp
Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia
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SAUSAGE TREE
CAMP -
LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK, ZAMBIA
Sausage
Tree camp is located on the banks of the Zambezi River, in the
heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia. This exclusive
safari camp specializes in affording its guests the very best game-viewing,
in traditional safari style. As a member of Classic Safari Camps
of Africa, the very highest of international standards in luxury
and service are offered and combined with this truly classic African
wildlife experience.
Sausage Tree Camp offers the largest
range of game-viewing activities including: game-drives, walking
safaris, canoeing, boating
and fishing
for the world-renowned "Tigerfish". Fly-fishing, bait and spinning
are the three most successful methods of fishing here. With personalized
guiding, guests decide exactly what activity they would like to take.
If you are visiting
Zambia, then the Lower Zambezi National Park is a must and Sausage
Tree Camp will show you the very best of what
the park has to offer. For the discerning traveler to Zambia,
Sausage Tree is an excellent option.
Accommodation  For
images of Sausage Tree Camp, click Sausage
Tree
Images
Accommodation at Sausage Tree is in six luxurious, white Bedouin-style
tents, dotted discreetly along the river bank. The camp is designed
in a clean, minimalist style, in which the reddish brown teak furniture
including, sumptuous four poster
beds, contrasts crisply and cleanly with pure white fabrics and flowing
white mosquito nets. Nearly hidden from one another, and shaded by
mature Sausage and Mahogany trees, the tents are cool, private sanctuaries
to return to after an early morning game drive.
Each tent has a private open-air,
ensuite bathroom, a distinct
trademark for which this world-renowned, tented safari camp has become
known. From the loo with a view, to the steaming hot shower, to the
honeymoon tent which offers a bathtub worth marrying for, the camp
is truly a pleasure.
Sleeping only 12 guests, Sausage Tree
Camp offers a personalized safari experience. Each tent has its
own personal butler (Muchinda) to
attend to guests' every whim. Bereft of fences, elephant frequently walk
through camp, allowing guests to enjoy game experiences from the comfort
of the main area.
With a silenced generator for
tent lighting and battery charging and evening escort to and from
the guest tents, Sausage Tree offers a civilized
approach to a true bush environment with lavish attention to detail.
Dining
Imagine fine dining on the banks of the Zambezi,
with the chorus of laughing hippo's. Well it does happen! Sausage
Tree Camp has a huge, white open-style dining and bar tent
where this is a nightly occurrence.
With outstanding views in 360 degrees,
including the camp's resident game directly in front, it usually takes
a lot longer to finish the exquisite
meals than one initially thinks.
Regarded as one of Zambia's finest Chefs,
Mr. Honore Kabongo (from the Congo), was trained in France and later
moved to Zambia. He has been
working at Sausage Tree Camp as the Executive Chef for the past four
years. Never will you meet a chef so passionate about his cuisine.
Breakfast is available from
5am, but your breakfast time will depend on what time you decide to
have your
wake up call. The morning meal is buffet style,
consisting of juice, tea, coffee, toast, muffins, cereal and fresh
fruit salad. It's a very healthy way to start the day. Otherwise, orders
for a cooked breakfast may be given the night before.
Lunch is served at 12 noon unless other
arrangements have been made. The buffet lunch consists of a hot meat
dish, vegetarian
dish, two salads,
and the "hot special bread" of the day. Just in case that doesn't
satisfy, the buffet is followed with a selection of the finest Zambian
and South African cheeses, served on a board with crackers, nuts and
dried
fruits.
Dinner: If you would like a private
and intimate dinner for two, your very own private table will be set,
with a bar and camp fire in front of
your tent. Dining alone perched on the edge of the Zambezi with your
very own personal Muchinda (waiter) attending to your every wish is something
to be experienced! Otherwise, join the other guests under the stars,
around the campfire, or in the dining tent, for the three-course fine
dining candlelit dinner. Wine, dine and socialise with the other guests
and your hosts, who have come to experience and appreciate Africa at
its very best.
Any special dietary requirements can
be accommodated.
Activities
Game viewing is the key reason for most people to visit African wildlife
areas and National Parks. Zambia is in a prime position to fulfill visitor
needs as it offers such a variety of environments to explore including
the Lower Zambezi National Park. Sausage Tree Camp’s location within
the National Park and on the banks of the Zambezi River means guests
may choose to participate in game viewing activities by boat and
canoes, as well as game drives by 4WD
safari vehicles
or on foot (bush walks).
Sausage Tree Camp insists on employing
the best guides. All of its guides are fully trained, licensed and
have many years of experience, ensuring
that the highest quality of guiding and safety standards are delivered
and achieved. They are fully qualified in advanced first-aid.
The camp is equipped with 3 game viewing
vehicles, 3 boats and 6 canoes which allows them to cater to the needs
of all of the camp's maximum of 12
guests. All of the boats and vehicles are fitted with VHF radios, for
direct communications back to camp and also carry a first-aid kit. A
more comprehensive first-aid supply remains within the camp, as does
an HF radio, enabling direct communications back to the head office in
Lusaka (the capital of Zambia).
Canoeing
The Lower Zambezi
is renowned for its spectacular canoeing. As one of the few privileged
operators based
inside the National Park,
Sausage Tree is able to canoe guests down the most stunning section
of the Zambezi River, “The
Chifungulu Channel”.
Led by one of the highly qualified canoe
guides, you'll explore the banks of the river, where game can be seen
from a totally different perspective
- looking UP rather than down! Canoe trips vary in length (from
one to seven hours), however a one hour canoe trip is a great prelude
to an
evening game drive.
No experience or particular strength is required - it is an effortless
drift, as the flow of the Zambezi swishes the canoes along. Rather than
a work out, this is a time to relax, listen to the sound of the huge
variety of bird-life and admire their sheer beauty. A full day canoe
trip, stopping for a picnic lunch on route, down to Old Mondoro Camp
(30km) is an unbeatable safari experience.
Game drives (Day and Night)
Game drives are
the most reliable and successful way to see a good variety of amimals.
A larger area can
be covered in a shorter
time frame, hence, increasing the chance to find good game. Also those ‘up
close and personal’ experiences are made possible this way. The
team of professional guides will ensure though, that it is not too close!
Night drives are the perfect way to experience the nocturnal animals,
including the elusive leopard!
By visiting more areas, and witnessing
the diversity of the Lower Zambezi National Park, the unspoiled wilderness
of Zambia
is able to be appreciated.
The wildlife and beauty in the area around Sausage Tree Camp can only
be described as “God’s own country”.
Walking
Walking is the perfect way to search for the smaller
creatures, learn about the trees and the plants, and examine the different
types of dung.
Led by a professional walking guide and National Parks Wildlife Officer
(the man with the rifle!), walking is preferred by many safari lovers.
Beware - not only do you see the smaller things on foot, it is also common
for guests to see lion on bush walks.
Boat Cruises
Sausage Tree Camp operates scenic boat trips using 7-metre
aluminium river cruisers. Designed for the Okavango Delta, they are the
perfect
boat for the Zambezi River as sandbanks make navigation on the water
very difficult. Scenic boat cruises are a very relaxing way to view the
game that comes down to the river to drink and bathe.
Until the Zambezi River is explored by boat, it is impossible to truly
appreciate the huge hippo and croc populations. To view the most amazing
sunsets in Africa, floating sundowners (Gins and Tonic are de riguer!)
in the middle of the Zambezi are a must! This can also provide a photographic
opportunity for that perfect African sunset.
Lucky guests have experienced the truly memorable sight of elephant
crossing the Zambezi, from Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe to the
Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia.
Fishing
Fishing in the Lower Zambezi National Park is
strictly Catch & Release!
The Zambezi River is host to some of the most spectacular fresh water
sport fishing in the world. There are three types of fish that Sausage
Tree Camp focuses on catching:
Tigerfish - Hydroeynnus
vittatus; which is Latin for "striped
river dog"
Vundu - similar to a "catfish" or barbell
Bream - a type of Tilapia
The most sporting and certainly the most
fun to catch is the famous "Tigerfish".
Renowned for their strength and spectacular "leaping out of the
water" fighting performance, there is little question why both
experts and novices get excited from the moment it strikes to the
time it
is held in hand for that classic photo album shot. A relative of the
infamous piranha, tigers have large carnivorous teeth and can grow
to 15kg (33lb). Though much larger, the "Vundu" is the largest
fish in the Zambezi River and grow well over 50kg (110lb). A little
like catching a crocodile!
Sausage
Tree Camp supplies both regular and fly-fishing equipment, which
is ideal for all three mentioned species, plus the boats, fuel and guide,
all of which is fully supplied at no extra cost. The guides are trained
and know the best places to lure them onto the hook. The camp has two
large and very stable aluminum speed boats, plus one smaller fiberglass
speed boat, which is more like a typical bass fishing boat and perfect
for the real enthusiast.
Wildlife
The Lower Zambezi
National Park has a large variety of faunal species including mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects, distributed in varying
densities and in complex and diverse eco-systems.
During your stay in the Lower Zambezi,
you will have a very good chance of seeing the following large
mammals: elephant, hippo, buffalo,
waterbuck, zebra, impala, bushbuck and kudu. Of the carnivores, there
are solid numbers of leopard, lion and hyena. Other
commonly seen predators are African wild dog, serval and the African
wild cat. Smaller animals include
the side
striped jackal, dwarf, slender & banded
mongooses, large spotted genet, civet, tree squirrel, honey badger,
porcupine and aardvark.
These animals are widely dispersed during the wet season because
there is plenty of water and forage. In the dry season they are largely
concentrated along the valley floor, the banks of the river and islands
in the Zambezi River.
Seasons
Sausage Tree Camp is open during the best
game viewing months - April to November. The season begins at the
end
of the rainy season. The
vegetation is lush at this time but as the season progresses the
bush dries out, the game gathers, and sightings improve.
Early Season - April to May
Visiting the Lower Zambezi after the rains is stunning as the skies
are clear and the mountains seem so near. The migratory birds remain
in plumage and are preparing to move on. The dense vegetation forces
the lions to use the roads and the wild dog are readily seen in the
open plains.
Mid Season - June to August
The season has kicked into gear, the vegetation
starts to die off and thin out, the elephant and buffalo herds start
to gather, and
the guides are predicting the predators' next move. Definitely the
coldest time of the year, please bring cold weather gear for night
drives and early morning activities. The days are a perfect temperature.
The Sausage Tree starts to flower, as does the
flame creeper/burning bush (Chifungulu) which transforms the green
vegetation to a bright red.
Late Season - September to November
Things are really starting
to heat up both in terms of weather and game viewing and fishing. Most
waterholes have dried up by now, so
game is more often seen on the river banks and islands. Bird watching
is also spectacular with summer migrating birds returning - the carmine
bee eaters really put on a show along the riverbanks. October is
the hottest month with a feeling of build up to the rains. When the
first rains come, the impala give birth, as do the warthogs and many
other species.
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