South Luangwa & Victoria Falls

Game drive safari

Season boating Safaris.

Walking in the Luangwa wilderness

The traditional game drive allows you to explore further and get closer. Offered morning, afternoon and evening, each drive is typically 3.5 - 4 hours in duration and is led by your expert guide as well as a scout or spotter.

Like everything else at Shenton Safaris, Derek and Jules have worked alongside our guiding team to refine the experience, making each drive as comfortable and rewarding as possible.

Our custom built, open game viewers and extensive 120km of graded roads and viewing loops, offer a smooth drive with less of the bumping around.

We don’t put more than 4 guests on a vehicle to ensure everyone has plenty of space and excellent vantage points. Of course, if there are more of you in a group or family, each vehicle has 3 benches so there is plenty of room should you all want to head out together.

Photographers of all levels will appreciate our camera rests, super-clamp stabilisers, dust covers and our guides expertise in positioning, timing and helping you get the best possible photo opportunities.

Nothing quite beats the thrill and feeling of connection you get from exploring the bush on foot.

Zambia is the birthplace of the walking safari in Africa and that proud heritage is demonstrated in the expertise, knowledge and passion of our professional walking guides

In groups of no more than 6, your guide and an armed scout will safely escort you across a variety of terrains and beautiful walking routes, sharing the secrets of tracking wildlife, Luangwa’s extraordinary flora and the smaller creatures that might be overlooked on a vehicle.

Walks are offered in the morning and usually last 3 – 3.5 hours including a tea and biscuit break. Shorter, afternoon walks can also be arranged and combined with a hide visit or evening drive.

We are extremely proud of our wildlife hides and the unique experiences and special moments they afford us and our guests

With each location carefully chosen after years of observation, the hides offer phenomenal game viewing, photographic opportunities and the chance to simply just sit comfortably and quietly enjoy the moment.

At any one time across the season, we can have up to 6 hides available. Previously used for filming by the BBC, Africa Geographic and the Discovery Channel, these include our hippo hide, carmine bee-eater hide and the ever active, ‘Last Waterhole’ Mwamba Hide.

Situated at the confluence of the Luangwa and Mwamba rivers, Kaingo's Hippo Hide allows you to safely get close to hippo, crocodile, elephant and general game visiting the river.

Throughout the season, hundreds of hippos congregate here in both bachelor and breeding pods. Carved into the actual banks of the river, the Hippo Hide offers its hidden inhabitants a breath-taking, eye-level perspective of the action.

A perfect midday activity, the shaded hide offers comfortable temperatures and is a great place to relax after brunch. Alternatively, guests can choose to visit the hide during their morning activity or even leave camp a little earlier in the afternoon, taking a packed tea to enjoy from the hide before heading off on drive

The Hippo Hide is available for guests staying at Kaingo Camp

Our towering Elephant hide is nestled between the shade of Ebony and Sausage trees overlooking an ancient elephant crossing point on the river.

For hundreds of years elders have led juvenile members of the herd to this beautiful spot where they gather for drinking, mud-bathing, socialising and to cross the river.

Game viewing opportunities from the hide are flexible and spontaneous. Just a 2 minute drive from the camp, guests can be whisked to the hide whenever we see the elephants approaching the crossing. The high platform provides an amazing vantage point to watch and photograph the endearing and playful interactions between these gentle giants.

Guests can also opt to enjoy this breezy and serene spot for general game viewing, calling by for a morning coffee break or in-between the main morning and afternoon activities

The Ele hide is available for guests staying at Kaingo Camp

An absolute must for birders, photographers and anyone who loves nature! The Carmine Bee-Eater Hide is available from early September once the Carmines have established their nesting sites.

Each year huge colonies of these beautiful, vibrant birds flock to the Luangwa bringing colour to the drying bush as they busily burrow, deep into the riverbanks to nest.

Every season the hide is modified and located at the best nesting site to allow you to get close and experience the noisy chatter and magnificent displays of colour as they swoop and soar across the skies.

The birds are usually most active in the mornings and afternoon so a trip to the hide will be incorporated into your game drive. Your guide and scout will escort you from the vehicle and into the hide which is typically anchored to our boat in front of the colony. Depending on the nesting site they’ve chosen, socks and shoes may need to be removed for a short wade through shallow waters!

The Carmine Hide is available to guests staying at both Kaingo and Mwamba

The Wild Dog Lagoon hide is so named on account of the incredible dog sightings we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy here. While the nature and habits of these elusive animals means we can’t guarantee you’ll see dogs, this busy lagoon welcomes a host of different species throughout the day and is particularly productive from May until August after which time the water begins to dry up.

This hide is a great spot to visit as one of your mid-day activities with an array of plains game gathering to quench their thirst. Birders will enjoy the variety of wallowers found here and its also a favoured place for elephant and buffalo to enjoy a good old mud bath.

The Wild Dog Lagoon Hide is available to guests staying at both Kaingo and Mwamba

Our sleepouts have been designed to offer you the ultimate wilderness experience. Head out into the bush and spend the night under a canopy of crystal-clear stars, a full moon so bright its like someone left a light on, or a moody night sky.

With nothing but a mosquito net between you and mother nature, this truly is an awe-inspiring addition to your safari, allowing you to connect with Africa in way few others are lucky enough to experience.

Imagine drifting off to sleep, safely and comfortably tucked away, high in the treetops at our Elephant Hide. To wake to bird song and the river glimmering from the rising sun. Watch and listen as the bush comes to life around you as you sip your morning coffee.

Mike Unwin, acclaimed author of the Bradt guide to Southern African Wildlife, described his night as one of his most memorable and exciting he’d ever spent in Africa.

You are offered the chance to experience your very own night of adventure when staying a Kaingo. After dinner at the camp, you will be driven to the hide which is set with a full size bed, mosquito net and all the amenities needed for the evening and morning ahead.

A magical experience you will cherish forever

Led by your experienced guide and an armed scout, your adventure begins with a trek deep into the heart of the valley, experiencing the remoteness, wildlife and varied landscapes on foot.

Arriving at the site, camp will be set-up and dinner prepared on the open fire as you enjoy a well-deserved sundowner and chance to reflect back on the afternoons events.

There is something spectacularly raw about spending the night under the African sky like this. Going to sleep under just a mosquito net, curling up and listening to the crackling fire and distant whoops of hyena or saw-like grunts of a leopard.

The ultimate wilderness adventure

The legendary Victoria Falls, Mosi-Oa-Tunya or otherwise known as the Smoke that Thunders. Enjoy the splendour and magnitude of one of the Natural Wonders of the World. After the rains, experience Victoria Falls in all her glory and when the Falls are dry, marvel at the rock formation.

Accompanied by your River guide, enjoy a canoe safari. Take a relaxed paddle through the water and experience elephants trekking through from one side to the other and a new vantage point.

Encapsulating the essence of Africa, a cruise down Zambia’s glorious Zambezi River at sunset offers wonderful African wildlife sightings in an incredibly romantic setting.

We have our own boats, for maximum flexibility and freedom to take in the breathtaking sunsets from the river.

The African Bush Camps Foundation works with the local communities with the goal of community upliftment through tourism by creating long-lasting positive impact. In Livingstone, we have partnered with the Maunga Community and together have identified two focus areas; building a much needed clinic building and providing scholarships to children who are in need and show potential in the classroom. Spend half a day visiting this community during your stay at Thorntree River Lodge and see the impact of the Foundations work.

Spend the day cruising the water and taking in the gorgeous views. Try your hand at fishing for tiger, bream (tilapia) or vundu to be caught and then released.

The excellent Livingstone Museum is divided into five sections covering archaeology, history, ethnography, natural history and art, and is highlighted by Tonga ritual artefacts, a life-sized model African village, a collection of David Livingstone memorabilia and historic maps dating back to 1690.

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park is home to the extremely rare and endangered white rhino who are under 24-hour protection by the rangers. At Thorntree River Lodge you’ll get the unique opportunity to see these incredible animals up close on a short walking safari.

Thorntree River Lodge on the Zambezi River is home to a wide array of exotic birds, such as Gannets, Spotted thick-knee and Verreaux’s eagle-owl. Pick up the binoculars, or simply sit back and enjoy their beautiful songs.

Lead by one of our experienced guides, you’ll see magnificent wildlife indigenous to the area. Your guide will show you the hidden spots best for game viewing and give you an insider’s knowledge. With years of experience our African Bush Camps guides are known for being some of the best in the business.

From nature walks around camp and storytelling to cultural arts and crafts and cub club cooking classes, the African Bush Camps’ children focused Ngwana Club creates a fun and educational environment for children on safari.