The group will meet in Lusaka, in Zambia, at 16:00 at the lodge. This evening, after the tour briefing, we have a group dinner at the lodge (own expense).
Day 1: Breakfast is not included
Day 1: Lunch is not included
Day 1: Dinner will be an own expense meal at a local restaurant
Day 2: Gwabi River Lodge. A long drive takes us across the rolling Miombo forested hills of southern Zambia and down into the Zambezi Valley lowlands and our lodge on the banks of the Kafue River. Being a major tributary to the Zambezi River it is the largest and longest river lying entirely within Zambia. We overnight on its banks and enjoy the sunset from the elevated deck.
Day 2: Breakfast will be provided by the lodge
Day 2: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 2: Dinner will be an own expense meal at the lodge restaurant
Distance/time: ±175km, 4h30 actual driving time, the road down into the Zambezi Valley can be very slow going, so we expect a travel day of ±5h30.
Days 3 and 4: We paddle down the mighty Zambezi River, home of the tribal mythical god - Nyami Nyami. Canoeing past local riverside villages and magnificent scenery. We overnight at a wild campsite on Elephant Bones Island in the heart of untamed Africa. Wild Camping – we camp wild on an island for 1 night while canoeing on the Zambezi River. Wild camps have no facilities; we will need to take our own water and all equipment.
Wild camping can be very enjoyable but please remember that we leave no trace of our stay and take all rubbish away with us. Toilets will be of the “dig and bury” variety. Sunway supplies all the camping equipment, except for your sleeping bag and pillow, which you need to bring. The dome tents we use are 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.8 metres and putting them up or down takes only 5 minutes. Tents have built-in insect nets. We supply mattresses, which are about 5 cm thick, warm and comfortable. The camp chairs have a backrest. You will need to bring your own towel.
Day 3: Breakfast will be provided by the lodge
Day 3: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 3: Dinner provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 4: Gwabi River Lodge. The following morning we continue our canoe safari through an area teeming with elephants, hippos and other wildlife. We will be collected by a motorboat and transferred back up river to our lodge.
Day 4: Breakfast provide by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 4: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 4: Dinner will be an own expense meal at the lodge restaurant
Full day canoe safari on Lower Zambezi with local river guides
We head north to Lusaka the capital of Zambia where we stock up on supplies in the bustling shops and markets. Taking the Great East Road we drive this afternoon, passing small villages and street side-markets, until sunset reaching the small town of Petauke.
Day 5: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 5: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 5: Dinner provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Distance/time: ±570km, 9h30 actual driving time, today is a very long driving day as we try to get as far as possible today, to maximise our time in South Luangwa tomorrow, expect a long travel day of ±10h00.
We make our way down into “the valley” of the South Luangwa National Park. This remote region is one of Africa’s finest wildlife sanctuaries where elephants, hippo, lion and leopard abound. Our lodge, on the banks of the Luangwa River, overlooks the national park and you can frequently see hippos and elephants from the camp swimming pool!
We explore the game management area and the national park on a game walk and open 4WD game drives, one at night with spotlights, to see nocturnal animals. (In the green season, Dec – Apr, walks may not be possible in which case we’ll do extra game drives).
Day 6, 7, 8: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 6, 7, 8: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 6, 7, 8: Dinner will be an own expense meal at the lodge restaurant
Distance/time: ±330km, 5h00 actual driving time on day 6. There can be potholes and the road down into the "valley" is hilly and slow, we expect a travel day of ±8h30.
Optional Activities: Game walks & game drives.
There is time on the last afternoon either to relax in camp or take another game walk, game drive or village visit activity (own expense.)
Optional Activities: There is time on the last afternoon either to relax in camp or take another game walk, game drive or village visit activity (own expense).
We cross the border at Chipata into Malawi and make our way to the capital Lilongwe where we restock on supplies, before heading to Kuti Wildlife Reserve. This reserve is home to a wide selection of big mammal species including giraffe, wildebeest & zebra. The sable herds are the pride and joy of Kuti, flourishing in this environment and reaching over 100 animals.
Day 9: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 9: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 9: Dinner provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Distance/time: ±390km, 6h00 actual driving time, but the border can be slow and somehow the travel today takes longer than you'd expect, ±9h00.
Entrance fee to Kuti.
We tour one of Malawi’s famous tea plantations in the Thyolo region before making our way to our lodge in Mulanje. Mount Mulanje’s bare rock flanks tower to almost 3002m, dwarfing all that surrounds it, and influencing cloud patterns in the area, making it an important source of rain water at the head of almost every river in this part of southern Malawi. Formed about 130 million years ago, the first European to see the Massif was David Livingstone in 1859, but archaeological investigation reveals evidence of human activity since the Stone Age. We take a day walk on the slopes to see the streams, waterfalls and towering peaks.
Day 10: Breakfast provide by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 11: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 10, 11: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 10, 11: Dinner will be an own expense meal at the lodge restaurant
Distance/time: ±390km, 6h00 actual driving time, there are lots of towns and villages and restricted sections of road + a tea tasting so it's a full travel day of ±9h30.
Guided walk on the slopes of Mount Mulanje.
Ancient baobab trees and lofty palms provide the backdrop for this magnificent southern Malawi reserve. Covering 548 km² of the upper Shire River plains and valley slopes, Liwonde harbours Malawi’s largest remaining elephant population and the critically endangered Black Rhino.
In the morning we’ll jump onto an open game viewing 4WD and with a knowledge local guide and explore the grassland and woodland habitats in search of leopards, elephants, hippos, antelopes and rare Lilian’s lovebirds.
The river Shire flows along Liwonde’s western border and we’ll board a river cruise safari in the hopes of finding hippo, crocodiles, elephants or any other game coming down to quench their thirst in the late afternoon.
Day 12: Breakfast will be provided by the lodge
Day 12: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 12: Dinner provided by the lodge
Day 13: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 13: Lunch provided by the lodge
Day 13: Dinner provided by the lodge
Distance/time: ±190km, 3h00 actual driving time, with lots of villages, a market stop and a game drive to the camp it's a full travel day of up to ±8h00.
Boat cruise and open safari vehicle game drive on day 13.
Lake Malawi is the jewel of Malawi and one the Great Rift Valley lakes. We head to the Lake Malawi National Park where we take a boat to the secluded tropical Mumbo Island, near Cape Maclear. The rustic lodge is an idyllic paradise with kayaks and snorkelling gear available to explore the island and snorkel with the jewelled fish, the endemic Cichlids. The friendly people of Malawi make it the “warm heart of Africa”.
Day 14: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 14: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 14: Dinner provided by the lodge
Distance/time: ±160km, 3h00 actual driving time on tarmac road to Chembe Village, then an afternoon boat cruise to Mumbo Island. We expect a travel day of ±5h30.
National Park fees and taxes, boat transfers.
Kayak hire and snorkelling gear.
Wake up to the sound of the birds on your own paradise island. Roll out of bed and head down to the beach to soak a morning of sun and relaxation or take a kayak for a paddle around the island. Stop to snorkel and be amazed by the sheer variety of colour fish.
Later we catch the ferry back to mainland where we climb back onto our truck and return to Lilongwe, sun-tanned, laid-back and ready to re-join life.
Day 14: Breakfast provided by the lodge
Day 14: Lunch provided by the tour leaders with the help of the group
Day 14: Dinner will be an own expense meal at a local restaurant
Distance/time: ±260km, 4h00 actual driving time on tarmac road. We expect a travel day of ±5h30
