Kafue National Park, Zambia’s largest protected area, is easily accessible from Livingstone and Lusaka. It extends over 22 400 square kilometres and is roughly the size of Wales. This enormous and under-developed pristine wilderness area is home to an impressive variety of big game including lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo and hippo. In addition, the Kafue conserves some fascinating species of special interest including Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, sable, roan, puku, the diminutive oribi, and, incredibly, lechwe in their thousands. Boasting almost 500 recorded bird species, Kafue is truly a diverse African National Park and one of its last “wild frontiers”.

Kafue, combined with the cascading waters of the thundering Victoria Falls (one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World) creates a short diverse itinerary that is perfectly suited for tailored extensions to Cape Town, Botswana, Luangwa and Malawi.

Experience a nostalgic, old-style luxury serviced camping / lodge safari that recreates the sense of a game-viewing adventure reminiscent of the times of the great African explorers in the vast Kafue National Park.

Discoverer-styled camps aim to bring the guest closer to nature, by means of a lively campfire and hurricane lanterns. Wide-ranging activities complement the comfort and added luxury of the lodges visited. Discoverer Camps are specifically outfitted to ensure that traditional camping feel with a clear emphasis on necessary and stylish comfortable interiors, creating a peerless wilderness experience.

Guides: This Exploration is led by a highly skilled and qualified professional guide with an incredible passion for the natural regions worked in. Sharing the adventure and guiding you on this journey of discovery combined with vast knowledge of the natural world, history and culture are our guide's profession and personal hobby. Years of experience in the field and a depth of understanding of animal behavior and the environment will leave you with a sense of complete wonder.

Exclusive experience: Lufupa Bush Camp is for the use of Explorations guests only, while Musanza Tented Camp, Busanga Bush Camp and air linkages are open to other Wilderness Safaris guests. All activities are private for the group on this safari.

Routes: To maximize guests' travel time, a variety of travel modes that bring out the best of each area is used: flying in charters and private overland transfers which provide both a bird's-eye view and an in-depth visual experience of the contrasting landscapes of Zambia. Due to guests combining Kafue with various other destinations, our safari begins and ends at Lusaka Airport, allowing the flexibility to tailor further pre- or post-safari arrangements.

Seasonality: To truly enjoy the experience in the Kafue, you will need three nights in the Busanga Plains. Due to the diversity of habitat and associated experiences, from riparian forest, broad-leafed and Miombo woodlands to the open grassy plains of Busanga and the enormous Kafue River, each area allows for different impressions and highlights, creating a continually changing and interesting safari.

Private safari options: Tailored Explorations are available on flexible dates, accommodation and itineraries, for groups of up to eight guests. These are also ideal for families or for small groups from four guests.

Safari Style:  Discoverer

SAFARI COST (2012): $4,222 per person sharing
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT (2012): $552

If a guest is willing to share and we can match with another guest of the same gender, the single supplement will not be charged. However, if there is no suitable match, the single supplement surcharge will apply. No triple rooms are accepted.

Upon arrival at Lusaka airport you are met by a representative of Sefofane Air Charters who will transfer you by light aircraft to Kafue National Park (flight time is approximately 1 hour & 15 minutes). Your guide will meet you at the airstrip in Kafue and nature transfer the group to Lufupa Bush Camp, on the banks of the Kafue River (a large tributary of the Zambezi River) .This transfer is approximately one hour, and en route we may encounter eland, roan and sable to name a few.

Depart Lufupa for an early morning game / transfer drive to Musanza Tented Camp.

Musanza Tented Camp is located deep inside the wildlife haven of the Busanga Plains of Kafue National Park. Accommodation consists of six well-appointed tents with wall-to-wall views of the spectacular Lufupa River.. The main dining and bar area are tented and situated under a majestic canopy of trees. The simple bush style of this camp creates the perfect atmosphere to enjoy dinner under a canopy of stars around a campfire.

Discoverer-styled camps aim to bring the guest closer to nature, by means of a lively campfire and hurricane lanterns. Wide-ranging activities complement the comfort and added luxury of the lodges visited. Musanza Tented Camp is specifically outfitted to ensure that traditional camping feel with a clear emphasis on necessary and stylish comfortable interiors, creating a peerless wilderness experience.

This camp is located in a slightly wooded belt just South of the Busanga Plains, thus allowing us to explore the productive woodland, grassland other than the Busnga Plains AND the southern section of the breath taking Busanga plains. The area’s most dominant antelope species include red lechwe and puku, while buffalo, bushbuck, kudu, oribi, reedbuck, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, sable and roan are also often viewed. There are also hippo and crocodile; with predators such as lion,cheetah and spotted hyaena (with wild dogs less often) being seen. Leopard can also be spotted along the wooded tree lines fringing the plains (and has proven to be a very good location for spotting this elusive species), as well as elephant.

After an early breakfast, we depart for an early morning game drive / transfer to Busanga Bush Camp which is located in the heart of the Busanga Plains.

The Busanga Plains cover an area of approximately 290 sq miles and Busanga Bush Camp is located in the centre of this wildlife paradise. The Plains are home to hundreds of red lechwe, ubiquitous puku, stately roan and the diminutive oribi. Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo make for a full set of antelope. This wealth of game on the plains is also a big attraction for predators, including wild dog, cheetah and prides of lion. For those interested in birding, the park boasts 491 species, including endemics such as Chaplin’s Barbet. Even for non bird fanatics, large flocks of pelicans, circling flocks of the large black Open-billed stork, crowned cranes and wattled crane in the plains at certain times of the year are sure to impress and provide a spectacle well worthy of fond memories…... This itinerary specifically goes to 2 locations within or near the Busanga Plains, allowing for in-depth exploration of this phenomenal ecosystem.

Busanga Bush Camp in the north-western section of the Busanga is about as ‘wild’ as you can get in today's world: an unfenced mosaic of expansive grassy seasonal floodplains and “dambos” (open grassy areas that sometimes will fill up with rainwater). This camp is perfectly situated for some of the best lion viewing in Africa. It caters for 8 guests in 4 well-appointed rooms built of reed and canvas with wall-to-wall views of the spectacular wildlife that frequents the plain in front of the camp. Activities include game drives and night drives, led by qualified guides who are extremely knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife.

After an early breakfast, depart by helicopter from Busanga Bush Camp to Busanga airstrip, from there light aircraft transfer to Lusaka Airport, where the safari ends.