NEW DATES ! Classic Zambia Safari- with Tony McKeith 2026

Day notes

Arrival & Journey to Chula Camp – Lower Zambezi National Park

On the morning of your safari’s first full day, the group will meet at Lusaka Airport, in the domestic terminal, where Tony McKeith will be waiting to greet you and assist with check-in. If you haven’t met the evening before, this is a relaxed moment to connect before heading off together into the wild.

You’ll then board a charter flight to Jeki Airstrip, offering a spectacular introduction to the Zambezi Valley. Shortly after take-off, the flight takes you southeast, soaring over the dramatic Zambezi Escarpment before descending into the valley itself. The route follows the course of the Zambezi River, with sweeping views of its wide channels, sandbanks, and lush islands—a powerful first impression of the landscape you’re about to explore.

Upon landing at Jeki, you’ll be welcomed and begin the game drive transfer to Chula Camp, a remote island retreat set among towering trees and surrounded by seasonal channels. The drive itself is an opportunity to settle into the rhythm of the bush, with excellent chances of seeing elephants, buffalo, plains game, and prolific birdlife along the way. The exact timing depends on what wildlife you encounter.

Chula Camp is a small and intimate fly camp, set up to feel close to nature while offering all the comforts you need. The open-plan lounge and dining area looks out over the river, while the spacious tents provide a peaceful retreat shaded by mature trees.

Exploring the Lower Zambezi Valley

Over the following days, you’ll have the chance to explore some of the richest wildlife habitats in southern Africa. The Lower Zambezi Valley is exceptionally abundant, offering close-up encounters with large herds of elephants, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, and healthy populations of lion, leopard, and wild dog. The Zambezi River itself, flanked by forested islands and floodplains, adds a spectacular layer of biodiversity and beauty.

Activities will be arranged to suit the group’s interests and pace, with Tony McKeith taking the lead in  shaping each day’s plans. to ensure you get the most from your safari.  Mornings often begin with game drives or walking safaris, while afternoons may include a river safari aboard stable, purpose-built boats, ideal for both wildlife viewing and photography. These boat cruises offer remarkable sightings of elephants crossing the channels, hippos in open water, and a huge variety of waterbirds.

Depending on water levels and guest interest, there is also the option to canoe through the quieter channels—a unique and peaceful way to experience the river from water level.

Game drives continue into the evening, giving you the chance to experience the transition from day to night, when nocturnal species become active. All activities are guided by Classic Zambia’s highly experienced professional guides, widely respected for their deep knowledge, tracking skills, and ability to interpret the bush in ways that elevate the whole experience.

Day notes

From the Zambezi to the Busanga Plains – Arrival at Ntemwa Camp

After your unforgettable days in the Lower Zambezi, it’s time to shift landscapes dramatically as you fly from Jeki to the heart of the Busanga Plains, located in the remote north of Kafue National Park.

The flight itself is spectacular—you lift off over the winding Zambezi, and as the plane heads northwest, the terrain slowly transforms. From riverine channels and woodlands, you begin to see the vast, open expanse of the Busanga floodplain come into view—a patchwork of grasslands, dambos, tree islands, and seasonal water channels, teeming with life.

Touching down on the Busanga airstrip, you’ll be met personally by your private safari vehicle and expert Busanga guide—part of a team who have spent years exploring and understanding this unique landscape. From here, your journey begins with a southward game drive toward Ntemwa-Busanga Camp, often with wildlife sightings en route.

Though Ntemwa is a genuine bush camp, it has evolved in recent years. The camp now features well-spaced, elevated safari chalets, thoughtfully positioned on the edge of the tree line, overlooking the open plains. This unique setting provides an unusual and rewarding mix—classic plains wildlife and woodland species, often right in camp. Leopard, lion, hyena, and even wild dogs are frequent visitors to the area around Ntemwa, and there’s often no need to leave the firepit to feel immersed in nature.

Exploring the Busanga Plains

Your time on Busanga is about space, scale, and spectacle. Days here are typically spent on longer game drives, taking advantage of the vast open plains and the need to cover greater distances. These expansive drives offer exceptional opportunities to encounter large prides of lion, cheetah, leopard, roan antelope, and the famed herds of puku and lechwe that define the floodplain’s ecosystem.

This end of the plains, near Ntemwa, is home to several natural waterholes, which draw in wildlife throughout the day. These are fantastic spots for photography, often giving close-up views of animals drinking, wading, or cooling off. The open terrain makes sightings more dynamic, and the light—particularly at first and last light—is often magical.

While game drives are the main focus here, the real highlight is the sense of untouched wilderness and the sheer variety of species in one of Africa’s most underrated and beautiful ecosystems. The guiding team from Classic Zambia brings deep insight and local knowledge, ensuring that each day’s plan is tailored to wildlife movements, guest interest, and the ever-changing conditions of the bush.

Day notes

To the Private Musekese Concession – A New Chapter at Lwenge

After three immersive days on the Busanga Plains, your journey continues as you travel south by game drive out of the floodplain, transitioning through varied habitats until you reach the banks of the Kafue River. From here, you’ll cross the river by boat, a peaceful and scenic transfer that often brings its own wildlife sightings—elephant, hippo, and crocodile are commonly seen en route.

Awaiting you on the far side is something new and truly special: a stay at Lwenge, the private camp recently established in the heart of the now vastly expanded Musekese Concession. This is the first time our safari will use Lwenge—and its inclusion marks a significant deepening of the Classic Zambia offering in the Kafue.

Lwenge gives us exclusive access to a wild stretch of riverbank near the site of the original Musekese Camp, an area rich in wildlife and steeped in the early history of this pioneering project. The establishment of Lwenge has greatly expanded the area under Classic Zambia’s stewardship, enabling guests to explore a broader range of habitats with the same expert guiding and conservation-first ethos that has defined the Musekese experience from the beginning.

Exploring from Lwenge: Private and Immersive

Over four nights, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the Musekese Concession in depth. All activities are private to our group, and Tony McKeith will continue to lead and shape the experience alongside the highly skilled guiding team from Classic Zambia.

• Game drives, both by day and well into the night, allow us to explore a variety of habitats and track wildlife movements with the benefit of local knowledge and exclusive access.

• River safaris on the Kafue and Lufupa Channels offer peaceful and often thrilling encounters with wildlife. Elephants are frequent visitors here—often crossing the river or feeding in the shallows just metres from the boat.

• Walking safaris offer a chance to focus on the details—tracks, sounds, plants, and birds—with insights from guides who know every inch of this terrain.

• A visit to the Musekese Conservation research team adds another layer to your understanding of this ecosystem. Their knowledge of wildlife behaviour and movements—gained through years of dedicated monitoring—enriches the entire experience.

• And for photographers and observers alike, there’s a purpose-built viewing blind at a waterhole, positioned for quiet, extended wildlife watching. We expect this to be a favourite for anyone wanting that perfectly timed moment.

Lwenge: Unique Yet True to Its Roots

Though Lwenge is a completely private camp, it remains deeply rooted in the Classic Zambia ethos—thoughtful, conservation-focused, and designed to bring you closer to the wild. The camp features riverside chalets, tastefully understated and comfortably appointed, offering views across the water and a peaceful retreat between activities.

Unlike many bush camps in Kafue, Lwenge includes a small swimming pool, perfect for a midday cool-down, and—if you wish—a little Wi-Fi to check in with the world. But with so much to see and experience right outside your chalet, many guests find themselves happily off-grid.

Lwenge brings a new dimension to our Kafue safaris—private, immersive, and anchored in one of Zambia’s most ecologically important concessions, yet delivered with the same warmth, guiding excellence, and connection to place that define every Classic Zambia camp.

Day notes

Departure – One Last River Journey

On your final morning at Lwenge, there’s time for a quiet breakfast overlooking the river—fresh coffee, home-baked bread, and the sounds of the bush gently starting its day. Often, elephants can be seen crossing the water in the soft early light, and fish eagles call overhead—a fitting farewell to this remarkable corner of the Kafue.

After breakfast, you’ll board a boat for a final journey across the Kafue River, heading toward Lufupa, where the airstrip lies nestled among the trees. It’s a peaceful way to leave—gliding along the channels that have been central to your experience, taking in the final sights and sounds of the bush.

At the airstrip, a light aircraft awaits to fly you back to Lusaka, where you’ll connect with your international flight—or continue onward to the next chapter of your safari adventure.

As the plane lifts off and the landscape stretches out below, you’ll carry with you the memories of an authentic, in-depth journey through some of Zambia’s most ecologically important and beautiful wilderness.