Where
ZAMBIAWhen
June to JulyHow long
7 nights How much
From £5,985ppwhy
EPIC WILDLIFE; OFF THE BEATEN TRACK; SUBLIME WALKING; BRILLIANT GUIDING staying in
AUTHENTIC BUSH CAMPS Two of Africa’s great rivers rise in Zambia – the Congo and Zambezi. Travelling from the Luangwa Valley to the Bangweulu Wetlands gives a sense of them both – and showcases just how different they are.
Rod recently travelled back to his old haunts in Zambia with Travel & Leisure magazine.
The Luangwa is classic big-game country – where lions prowl the savannah, following great herds of buffalo while leopard and wild dog pursue smaller prey. Where elephants and giraffe abound, and the rivers and lagoons are fat with hippo. Also home to many authentic and sometimes raw but comfortable bush camps. All comfortable and authentic, these camps always provide a unique and brilliant bush experience. The camps are simple affairs and revolve around getting out on two feet in sensational remote locations. Simple, they are but you’ll still enjoy a hot shower, a proper bed with crisp sheets and delicious food cooked in earth ovens.
The Bangweulu has an altogether different vibe, more enigmatic but no less impressive with masses of wildfowl and tens of thousands of lechwe living in the place where there the “water meets the sky”. Also the stronghold of the shoebill – one of the most sought-after birds in the world and we found the expedition to see them certainly takes some doing and a fair bit of wading!
Quotations taken directly from Travel & Leisure article from their August edition.
Headline photo: Patrick Njobvu.
IT FELT LIKE I WAS ENTERING A DRAMA IN WHICH HUMANS HAD DECENT PARTS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY LEAD ROLES.”
South Luangwa
Walking in big game country
“We began in Big Five territory, at South Luangwa Natural Park, where the family-run Shenton Safaris operates two long-established camps. One of the oldest national parks in Zambia, South Luangwa is an outstanding model of the traditional relationship between tourism, community, and wildlife.”
South Luangwa
Sleep out on the banks of the Mwamba River
“Our home in South Luangwa was Mwamba Camp, a cluster of thatch-and-bamboo huts on the banks of the Mwamba River, which runs along the park’s eastern edge. Each of the four guest chalets is open to the sky, allowing night breezes to take the place of air-conditioning. From my bed I stared upward, through a mosquito net and a layer of mesh, to branches seemingly hung with stars. The whistling of tree frogs and the whooping of hyenas made up the soundscape until dawn, when doves and coucals took over and I was summoned to breakfast.”
South Luangwa
Walking in the Luangwa
The Luangwa Valley has earnt a well-deserved reputation for brilliant walking safaris – the opportunity to strike out of camp with your expert private guide with a chance to track big game on foot is an experience not to be missed. Leopard are particularly abundant here with other star attractions including lion, wild dog, Thornicroft’s giraffe and thousands upon thousands of hippo. Find out more about walking safaris in Zambia.
Bangweulu Wetlands
A short hop to the swamps
“Bangweulu is a miraculous, 2,300-square-mile expanse of marsh in northern Zambia. It is also one of the last homes of the iconic, elusive shoebill—a prehistoric-looking bird with an eight-foot wingspan found only in the remotest swamps of Africa. Few people have seen one.”
Bangweulu Wetlands
A front row seat
Shoebill Camp is perfectly positioned on the banks of the expansive Bangweulu Wetlands standing on a rare piece of dry land. The camp is alive with birds and the sounds of thousands of lechwe sloshing through the shallow waters makes for a peaceful, relaxing stay in camp.
Bangweulu Wetlands
Time in the swamps
“I did love Bangweulu, utterly, from the first moment. I loved the meditative peace of the place, the state of primordial simplicity it put me in. I loved the volleys of birds that busy the air and the outlines of the fishermen punting their canoes. From across the reedbeds, I caught the cries of waterfowl and the distant voices of fishermen, women, and children (many of whom, I was told, have never seen a motorized vehicle).”
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Our experienced travellers include:
Rod Tether
Andrea Hulme
Catherine Ronan
It takes genuine local knowledge to craft trips that go beyond the ordinary.
All of us at Natural High have over 20 years’ experience in the countries we offer. We’ve lived there, worked there and arranged countless one-off journeys for clients. We live to travel – and love to share our tips on what’s really worth doing. For expert advice (and a traveller’s tale or two), speak to one of our team. They’ll be happy to let you in on their travel secrets, and help you plan a tailor-made trip that’s truly unforgettable.
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"Natural High arranged a trip to remember ...accommodation first class, transportation on very long road trips was excellent. Spotless . air conditioning .. food and water. Rhino and Tiger sightings to die for.. local agents left nothing to chance ... we felt in the safest hands ... then when we off grid the virus struck... Natural High and their local Agent Banyan took total control and got us from the back of beyond to UK in very worrying and uncertain times. All without us being able to do anything at our end ...outstanding attention to detail. Worth every penny."
Personal service and excellent organisation
"This was our first holiday to be organised by Natural High. We made the enquiry on New Year’s Eve for a departure in February and within a few days they had produced a wonderful-sounding itinerary in Costa Rica. There were helpful notes for packing as they seem to have someone there who has been to any chosen destination. We did do some groundwork for flights but left it to Dial-a-Flight who were also most efficient. We visited the office as it is very local to home and everyone there was cheerful and interested in our upcoming trip. We were presented with a leather file which turned out to be the most useful item en-route for all our paperwork ..... and it smelled lovely!
The holiday was one of our best ever. Not just because we saw a plethora of wildlife, but because there was always someone waiting to whisk us to another destination, be it to the airport, from the airport or a boat to a lodge etc. And they did it with great charm and humour and were always very knowledgeable about any queries we had.
For the last 8 days we had a driver/guide who was just outstanding. He was very familiar with the 3 remaining lodges where we stayed and his rapport with the other staff and guides helped to ensure that we were really well looked after. He was a skilled naturalist, had a great sense of humour and was always putting our welfare first - he made a wonderful companion for the trip.
All of the above meant that it was a really relaxing holiday so that we could maximise our time looking at the flora and fauna of Costa Rica.
We would highly recommend Natural High ...... where next?!"
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Everything is so well planned and organised that you can just sit back and really enjoy your holiday. We couldn’t recommend husky sledding in the north of Sweden more. We all agreed it was one of the best family holidays ever."
