The Zambia Explorer
- Zambia | Africa
- 2028 Departures
Zambia is home to some of Africa's most pristine and predator-rich wilderness, with a landscape ranging from the meandering Luangwa River to the rugged escarpments of the Zambezi and the vast seasonal floodplains of Busanga. Located in southern Africa, this untamed and spacious country offers game viewing that is both intimate and world-renowned.
700+
Species of birds
1,200+
Lions
237+
Diversity of mammals
Zambia is a landlocked country often called the “Real Africa” for its untouched wilderness. It encompasses a stunning mosaic of habitats: the meandering river valleys of South Luangwa, the rugged waterways of the Lower Zambezi, and the vast floodplains of Busanga Plains in Kafue National Park.
During the dry season (May to October), animals gather around shrinking rivers and waterholes, offering spectacular game viewing. June is especially exceptional for photography, with sparse vegetation, golden morning light, and predators on the move. Guests can expect Africa’s highest density of leopard in South Luangwa, lion prides on termite mounds in Busanga, and wild dog sightings along the Luangwa River, all set against a backdrop of over 700 bird species.
As a result, Zambia remains a premier safari destination, hosting an incredible density and diversity of wildlife found almost nowhere else on Earth.
Home of the Predators
Zambia’s great carnivores, superbly adapted to its river valleys and open floodplains. Guests can expect extraordinary encounters with these apex hunters in South Luangwa and the Busanga Plains, where leopard thrives in densities found almost nowhere else on Earth, lion prides lounge on termite mounds, and painted wolf packs hunt with remarkable speed and cooperation.
For photographers, this means unparalleled opportunities. The elusive leopard offers dramatic subjects against ebony groves and riverine forests. The lion prides provide extended viewing on open floodplains with golden light and clean backgrounds. The wild dog delivers action-packed sequences of coordination and chase. Their intelligence, camouflage, and stamina make for compelling images in a challenging yet rewarding environment, meaning few places on the continent offer a more profound wildlife photography experience.
Plains Game, Mammals & Birds
Africa's Untamed Heart
Your Zambia adventure begins tonight.
Your journey begins in Lusaka, Zambia's capital and your gateway to one of Africa's most pristine and predator-rich wilderness areas. On arrival at Lusaka Airport, you are met and transferred to Latitude 15, one of Lusaka's finest hotels, for your first night. Comfortable, elegant and centrally located, it is the perfect place to settle in and let the anticipation build for what lies ahead.
Tomorrow, Zambia begins.
Overnight: Latitude 15, Lusaka | Bed & Breakfast
The moment the plane touches down at Mfuwe, the bush takes over.
An early transfer back to Lusaka Airport, where you board your light aircraft for the flight east to Mfuwe Airstrip on the edge of South Luangwa National Park. The moment the plane touches down, the bush takes over. A safari vehicle meets you for the transfer to Shawa Luangwa Camp, your home for the next four nights on the banks of the Luangwa River.
Shawa sits in the heart of one of Africa's greatest wildlife areas. The Luangwa River runs broad and alive past the camp, Hippos surface in the shallows and the surrounding woodland holds some of the highest concentrations of Leopard found anywhere on Earth. This afternoon your first game drive heads out into the riverine forest as South Luangwa begins to reveal itself.
Overnight: Shawa Luangwa Camp | Fully Inclusive
Africa's highest density of Leopard. Lion, Wild Dog, and a river that never sleeps.
Three full days in one of Africa's most celebrated safari destinations. South Luangwa is famous above all for its extraordinary Leopard population, and for good reason. Morning and evening game drives take you deep into the park, with your guide reading the riverine forest and floodplain woodland for signs of movement. The ebony groves along the Luangwa River are the finest Leopard habitat in Africa, and encounters here tend to be long, relaxed and extraordinary.
But South Luangwa delivers far more than Leopard. Lion prides are resident throughout the park, Wild Dog packs move through the area during the dry season, and the river itself is a constant source of drama. Hippos, Crocodiles, and an astonishing diversity of water birds line every bend. Each drive is different. Each morning delivers something new.
Overnight: Shawa Luangwa Camp | Fully Inclusive
A completely different Zambia. The river is wider, the escarpments more dramatic.
This morning you say farewell to the Luangwa Valley and take a short flight west to Royal Airstrip on the edge of the Lower Zambezi National Park. The landscape changes immediately and completely. The Zambezi River runs broad and powerful below the escarpment, its banks lined with towering Winterthorn trees and dense riverine forest that holds an extraordinary density of wildlife.
A transfer from the airstrip brings you to Potato Bush Camp, your base for the next four nights on the banks of the Zambezi. The camp is intimate and beautifully positioned, with the river visible from every tent. This afternoon your first Zambezi game drive or boat safari sets the tone for everything that follows.
Overnight: Potato Bush Camp | Fully Inclusive
Game drives on land, safaris on the water. The Zambezi delivers both.
Three full days in one of Zambia's most varied and rewarding safari environments. The Lower Zambezi is unique in offering exceptional wildlife viewing from both land and water. Morning game drives along the base of the escarpment deliver Lion, Elephant, Leopard and Buffalo in an ancient, cathedral-like forest. Afternoon boat safaris on the Zambezi bring you close to Hippopotamus, Crocodile and extraordinary concentrations of water birds from an entirely different perspective.
Elephant are particularly numerous here, moving between the Zimbabwean and Zambian banks with a calm freedom that makes every encounter feel extraordinary. Fishing Owls call from the Winterthorn trees as darkness falls, and the sound of the Zambezi flowing past your tent at night is one of the finest sounds in Africa.
Overnight: Potato Bush Camp | Fully Inclusive
The landscape opens up and nothing prepares you for the scale of what you find.
This morning you leave the Zambezi behind and take a flight north to Busanga Plains Airstrip in the heart of Kafue National Park. Nothing quite prepares you for the change. Vast golden grasslands stretch to the horizon, dotted with fig-tree-crowned termite mounds, crossed by seasonal channels and alive with movement in every direction.
A transfer through the plains brings you to Chisa Busanga Camp, your base for the final four nights of the expedition. The camp sits in prime Busanga territory, and from the moment you arrive the wildlife encounter begins. Lions, Cheetah, Roan Antelope and thousands of Red Lechwe move across the plains around you. This is the third and final act of the expedition, and it is the most dramatic of all.
Overnight: Chisa Busanga Camp | Fully Inclusive
Three days in one of Africa's last truly uncrowded predator landscapes.
Three days in one of Africa's last truly uncrowded predator landscapes. The Busanga Plains are unlike anywhere else on the continent. The Lion population alone is extraordinary, with resident prides using the main game-viewing areas throughout the dry season. Cheetah hunt across the open plains in full daylight. Wild Dog packs move through the woodland edges. And Leopard, rarely seen this openly elsewhere, appear along the fig-tree islands with a frequency that surprises even experienced safari traveler’s.
Red Lechwe scatter across the floodplains in their thousands. Roan and Sable Antelope graze in the open with a calm confidence they show nowhere else on the continent. In the early morning, mist hangs over the grasslands at sunrise, creating one of Africa's most iconic photographic landscapes. Your guide knows this terrain intimately, and each morning and evening drive is shaped by what is happening around you — fresh tracks, alarm calls, the movement of herds that signals a predator somewhere nearby.
Overnight: Chisa Busanga Camp | Fully Inclusive
Zambia has a way of staying with people long after the flight home.
The final morning. One last game drive before breakfast, because in Zambia even the last hour delivers something worth remembering. Then a transfer back to Busanga Plains Airstrip for the light aircraft flight south to Lusaka Airport.
Zambia has a way of staying with people long after the flight home. The Leopards in the ebony groves of South Luangwa, the Elephants crossing the Zambezi at dusk, the Lions moving across the mist-covered Busanga Plains at sunrise. Three ecosystems. Three completely different worlds. One extraordinary expedition.
Inclusions - Group 1
- 1 night at Latitude 15 | Bed & Breakfast
- 4 nights at Shawa Camp | Accommodation, All meals, All non-premium drinks, Selected Activities, Laundry, Park fees, bed levies, angling fees, CLZ conservation fees
- 4 nights at Potato Bush Camp | Accommodation, All meals, All non-premium drinks, Selected Activities, Laundry, Park fees, bed levies, angling fees, CLZ conservation fees
- 4 nights at Chisa Busanga Camp | Accommodation, All meals, All non-premium drinks, Selected Activities, Laundry, Park fees, bed levies, angling fees, CLZ conservation fees
- Meet & Greet on arrival at the airport
- Road Transfer to and from the Airport
- Safari Charter Flights
- 25 kg per person. Please note that the standard allowance is 15 kg, but we have secured an additional 10 kg per person for the group.
- A total of 3 vehicles will be used per tour group. Accordingly, each guest can enjoy their own row of seats for added comfort and privacy.
Exclusions
- Premium Drinks
- Travel insurance (we strongly recommend taking this out)
- Incidentals
- International flights
- Tips, gratuities
- Any additional Victoria Falls based sighting and activities
- International flights, comprehensive insurance, visas and anything not mentioned in the inclusions.
Payment Terms
- 25% Non Refundable deposit to secure the trip.
- 75% Balance to be paid 120 days prior to date of arrival.
- 100% payment due if the start date of the tour is within or less than 120 days of booking
A photo odyssey with Sara Jenner
For as long as Sara could remember she has had a passion for travel and searching for the wildest and most remote places on earth. Back in the UK when she was only 10, she remembers trading in her favourite pink bicycle for the money to start her travel fund. Every birthday and Christmas she added a little more in the kitty and finally, at 18 she realised her dream of diving at the Great Barrier Reef!
Ever since Sara has been travelling the globe in search of wild and remote places and has spent many months volunteering on wildlife conservation projects in a bid to help endangered species. Sara’s love of wildlife and the great outdoors has taken her to all seven continents. Over the past decade she has travelled extensively in the polar regions working as an Expedition Leader on small vessels in the High Arctic, Antarctica, and Sub Antarctic Islands.
Sara’s love for the wild extends beyond icy landscapes. As a photographic guide in the heart of Botswana, the enchanting realms of East Africa, and the mystical landscapes of India, she truly leads a life of two wondrous halves. With each click of her camera, Sara weaves captivating tales of nature and its untamed inhabitants, crafting exquisite snapshots of life’s most precious moments.
Step into Sara’s world and let her lens transport you to the untamed, where the beauty of wildlife dances in every frame.
SARA JENNER,
Trip Leader
Group 1
$13,000 USD
Per Person
5 Jun 2028 - 18 Jun 2028
( 2 SPACES AVAILABLE)
Group 2
$13,000 USD
Per Person
18 Jun 2028 - 1 July 2028
( 4 SPACES AVAILABLE )
Bespoke
Let us curate an unforgettable trip of your lifetime where every aspect of your journey from itinerary to accommodations, is meticulously crafted with unique experiences.
Privately Guided
Indulge in an intimate and personalised exploration with our best in the park, seasoned guides who will lead you with interesting insights, undivided attention and tailored experience to your interest and pace.
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