Zambia's Wild Horizons: The Kafue and Liuwa Plains May 2027

Day notes

Arrive at Lusaka International Airport.

On exiting the airport in Lusaka, your driver will be waiting outside to take you to Wild Dogs Lodge for the night.  Time to relax this evening and get a good night's sleep before the start of our safari tomorrow morning.

Day notes

Charter flight from Lusaka to the central Kafue.

We will spend two nights at Fig Tree Bush Camp in the Kafue, a small and atmospheric camp set on the banks of the Shishamba River in one of Africa’s largest and most rewarding wilderness areas. This part of the Kafue offers a lovely mix of open floodplain, woodland and riverine habitat, creating excellent diversity for wildlife and birdlife alike. The camp itself has a very relaxed and authentic feel, with wildlife often moving through the area and the sounds of the bush all around. Time here is not only about searching for game, but also about settling into the rhythm of safari before we hit the road to Liuwa.

Day notes

Leaving the Kafue behind, the journey continues westwards towards Liuwa Plains. It’s a full day on the road, giving us a sense of Zambia’s vastness as we pass through changing landscapes and small rural communities along the way. The drive is all part of the adventure—an opportunity to take in the rhythm of everyday life in this little-visited part of the country.

By late afternoon, we’ll reach Liseli Lodge, a simple but comfortable overnight stop in the provincial capital. Here we can relax, have a meal, and recharge before setting out again the next morning.

From Mongu it’s just a few more hours to reach the edge of the Liuwa Plains, where our mobile camp will be set up, and the real wilderness experience begins.

Day notes

From Mongu, the journey carries us west into one of Zambia’s most remote wildernesses, Liuwa Plain National Park. In May, this is a particularly interesting drive, crossing the vast Barotse Floodplains when water levels are still high, waterlilies spread across the channels, and local people fish from canoes and the riverbanks. The Barotse Floodplains are one of Africa’s great seasonal wetland systems, shaped by the annual rise and fall of the Zambezi and central to the culture and livelihoods of the Lozi people who have lived here for generations. We also cross the Zambezi River itself, much closer to its source than most people ever experience, before continuing towards the wide-open plains and remote grasslands of Liuwa.

By early afternoon, we'll reach Katoyana campsite where our private mobile camp will be set up for us in a shaded grove of trees.  

Life here quickly falls into a natural rhythm. Mornings begin with coffee before heading out across the open plains. The distances can seem vast, but that is part of Liuwa’s magic—an endless horizon where the unexpected is always possible. We may encounter anything from a few individuals to large herds of hundreds of wildebeest moving across the grasslands, joined by zebra and Red Lechwe. Look out for shy Oribi and the occasional Reedbuck and Tsessebe.

Predators lurk in the long May grasses.  We will try to find lion, cheetah, hyena and perhaps even Wild Dogs.

Afternoons bring another chance to explore, perhaps following flocks of wattled cranes, crowned cranes, and secretary birds striding through the grass. Seasonal waterholes attract both wildlife and birdlife, from elephants and jackals to kingfishers and fish eagles. In between, there is time to rest in camp, enjoy freshly prepared meals, and simply take in the solitude of this vast landscape.

Evenings end with sundowners out on the plains or around the campfire under a sky thick with stars. This is Liuwa at its best—carpets of flowers softening the raw, elemental nature of the plains, and a sense of freedom and space that few other places in Africa can offer.

Day notes

Our last morning in Liuwa.

We head back to Mongu and overnight again at Liseli Lodge.

Day notes

Drive from Mongu to KaingU

We finish the safari with three nights at KaingU Safari Lodge, beautifully positioned along the Kafue River in a particularly scenic and tranquil part of the park. After the adventure of mobile camping and some long but rewarding days exploring western Zambia and Liuwa, KaingU is a wonderful place to slow down, relax and be thoroughly looked after. The setting is superb, with huge granite boulders, river channels and mature riverine woodland creating a very peaceful atmosphere.

This section of the Kafue is also excellent for wildlife, birds and varied activities, with game drives, walks and boat trips all possible depending on water levels. Just as importantly, though, KaingU is somewhere to properly enjoy the experience of being in the bush — good food, comfortable surroundings, attentive hosting and time to absorb everything that we have experienced.

Day notes

After breakfast at Kaingu, it’s time to set off on the final leg of our journey with a charter flight back to Lusaka.