Zambia·June 8 - 16 2024

Zambia: Leopards, Elephants & Waterfalls Oh My!

The place that I've been to where I was just completely awestruck, happy, moved is Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe. -Hill Harper

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Overview

What makes Zambia so special? First-class wildlife sighting is readily available in Zambia's national parks. Fewer visitors at smaller camps means less spectators during wildlife sightings, such as a lion or wild dog hunt. Plus, Zambia has some of the best trained guides on the continent. Daily game activities include an afternoon drive which segues into a night safari. Zambia is the birthplace of walking safaris. There is nothing that beats the feeling of Africa under your feet. The smaller Zambian accommodations which we are using are not only stylish but also models of low impact tourism. Zambia shares the famous Victoria Falls with its neighbor Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls may not be the highest falls on the planet, but they are the widest. Roughly 625 liters (165 gallons) of water flow over its breadth every minute. Victoria Falls deserves its status as one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. On this trip you'll experience the falls from both countries!

Highlights

Join an escorted walk with both guide and armed ranger to experience Africa at ground level

Join an escorted walk with both guide and armed ranger to experience Africa at ground level

Spend a few days at South Luangwa National Park, Eastern Zambia’s signature wildlife destination

Spend a few days at South Luangwa National Park, Eastern Zambia’s signature wildlife destination

Enjoy a sundowner cocktail after your sunset game drive

Enjoy a sundowner cocktail after your sunset game drive

Victoria Falls is the world's greatest sheet of falling water

Victoria Falls is the world's greatest sheet of falling water

Luxury hotel & camp accommodations including daily animal sightings from the comfort of your room

Luxury hotel & camp accommodations including daily animal sightings from the comfort of your room

Savor the finest food in Zambia

Savor the finest food in Zambia

Itinerary

Here's a day-by-day itinerary of the trip.

Previous

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Lusaka

Day 1: Saturday, June 8, 2024

Arrive in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, where you'll be meet by our guide at the airport and transferred to our hotel. After checking in, we'll meet for a welcome dinner and overnight stay at the lovely The Latitude 15 Hotel.

Included

Dinner

Welcome drinks

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South Luangwa National Park

Day 2: Sunday, June 9th, 2024

You take the first scheduled Proflight – Zambia’s
local air carrier to Mfuwe town, the gateway to South Luangwa National Park which is Zambia’s signature wildlife experience. It’s a one-hour flight. 

Upon arrival at Mfuwe, our group will be
met and transferred to Kafunta River Lodge
located just outside the park gates, a 30 minute
drive from the airport. Our lodge is known for its
magnificent view of the Kafunta River floodplain
which it faces. 

Beyond this floodplain, lies the Luangwa River – one of the best game viewing areas in the entire South Luangwa National Park.

Kafunta River Lodge has the only natural hot tub in
the Luangwa Valley, fed from a natural geothermal source on the grounds. With an average temperature of 37 degrees, the water is very
therapeutic. During cooler nights from May to July,
this truly is the perfect ending to an eventful day’s safari.

Settle in, unwind, enjoy a fabulous lunch while taking in the panoramic views. Your first game drive and night safari follows afternoon tea at 3:30pm. 

Dinner on site will be relaxing as we will all be exhausted from our day's activities.


Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

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South Luangwa National Park

Day 3: Monday, June 10th, 2024

This morning we will rise early for coffee, tea, and a light breakfast to fuel us for our stunning sunrise game drive. We will stop for refreshments along the way. You will surely be dazzled by the scenery. 

For lunch we will have a scrumptious buffet lunch. Afterwards we invite you to relax, take a nap or read a book. Later on enjoy tea and cakes before heading back out into the wilderness for more Safari and animal viewing. Along the way we will stop for a sundowner* and reflect on the day as the sun sets. 

*A sundowner is a cocktail or glass of wine in the bush, enjoyed while watching the sunset. There is perhaps nothing more rewarding in this world!

Once the sun sets our night safari will begins as the nocturnal animals awake for a new day. Your first night drive will be a thrilling experience. Once back to camp we'll enjoy a lovely four course meal.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Walkingdrive

South Luangwa National Park

Day 4: Tuesday, June 11th, 2024

Today is free for you to do what you want. Walking safaris with an experienced guide and an armed scout can be arranged or you can participate in the morning game drive with coffee in the bush. 

It is also possible to arrange visits to an Mfuwe school and community project as well as Mulberry Mongoose workshop which creates lovely jewelry from snares collected by anti-poaching teams.

As always breakfast, lunch and dinner will be taken at the lodge.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

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South Luangwa National Park

Day 5: Wednesday, June 12th, 2024

After the morning’s game drive, we will transfer to the remote Lion Camp in the northern part of the park, where, as the name implies, there is typically a healthy population of lions. 

All game viewing is impressive in this area with possible sightings of leopard, wild dog, large herds of elephant and buffalo. Not to be forgotten we may also see the unique Thornicroft’s giraffe, the Cookson’s wildebeest, the Crawshay’s zebra and an incredible diversity of birds. Due to the camp's location, game sightings are more exclusive.

Lion Camp offers guided walking safaris as well as game drives. We'll arrange our walking activities with the lodge upon arrival. 

Lion Camp’s cuisine is among the Luangwa Valley’s best - so we will dine in style.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

gamedrive

Lion Camp

Day 6: Thursday, June 13th, 2024

The daily routine at Lion Camp is very similar to what you have experienced at Kafunta River Lodge. 

Early wake-up call, a light breakfast, and then off to game drive or walk the park until mid to late morning. After lunch there is a rest period followed by afternoon tea, an afternoon game drive, a night safari and then home to enjoy the campfire and dinner.

What will we see today?

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

livingstone

Day 7: Friday, June 14th, 2024

Today we will fly on a scheduled flight back to Lusaka. The flight time will be about one hour with a connection. We will be able to get refreshments at the airport while we wait (excluded from the tour price). 

Upon arrival be meet at the airport in Livingstone and transported to the David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa. After checking in, you'll have time to relax by the pool or enjoy a massage* at the spa.

Tonight we'll relax enjoying dinner under the stars. 

*Not included

Included

Breakfast

Dinner

Not Included

Lunch

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Victoria Falls

Day 8: Saturday, June 15th, 2024

After a filling breakfast at the resort, we'll take the hotel shuttle to the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls

June is an excellent month for water flow over the falls as the rainy season has recently passed. It’s a good idea to bring a light raincoat and plastic bag for cameras and phone to protect them against June’s high-water flow and spray.

Then we'll return to the hotel for a road transfer to the departure point for The Elephant Cafe located upstream of Victoria Falls. The Elephant Cafe is rated the best in Zambia. Although it can be reached by road, the 30 min speedboat ride is the most memorable way to get there. Meet the herd of rescue elephants which the cafe helps support before enjoying lunch overlooking the Zambezi River. 

This afternoon the group can enjoy some personal down time at the lodge. Helicopter flight over the falls or a sundowner cruise are optional activities which can be arranged and paid for privately. 

At tonight's dinner, we'll celebrate our time together and all the fond memories we have made together. Afterwards, enjoy stargazing next to the fire while you hear the unique song....the sounds of Zambia.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

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Livingstone

Day 9: Sunday, June 16th, 2024

After breakfast, we'll say our goodbyes to our new friends with fond memories of our time together. Livingstone hotel will arrange our transfers back to the airport of our flight home.

Included

Breakfast

You'll Be Staying Here

The Latitude 15 Hotel

The Latitude 15 Hotel

The Latitude 15 is Lusaka’s original boutique hotel, a 30-minute drive from the international airport, located in a residential area of the city. Complete with a restaurant, bar, and spa. 

Kafunta River Lodge

Kafunta River Lodge

Situated 30 minutes inside the park, Kafunta River Lodge will knock your socks off. Each of the private chalets, the main lounge and the dining decks overlook the game-rich floodplain. 

Lion Camp

Lion Camp

Lion Camp has ten thatched and canvas rooms joined by an elevated walkway and each with a private deck overlooking an oxbow stream where resident wildlife comes to drink. 

The David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa

The David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spa

This luxurious Zambia hotel with river-facing rooms ensures each guest enjoys the same serene views that once captivated David Livingstone, the intrepid explorer and missionary who was the first European to set eyes on the Falls. 

Hosts

Doni Belau

Doni Belau

Doni Belau is the founder and owner of Girls' Guide to the World. She adores this part of the world - Zambia is one of her favorite countries in Africa not only for the wildlife but for the incredibly kind people. We will be joined at all the camps, hotels and lodges by African guides and spotters. 

gg2theworld

Price

Private Room

Private Room

Everyone has their own fabulous room!

FROM$12,835.00/pp

Shared Room

Shared Room

Share a room with a friend or family member!

FROM$12,187.00/pp

Water runs through them!

Zambia & Zimbabwe

Zambia and Zimbabwe are neighbors sharing Victoria Falls between them. Zambia is a first class destination with fewer tourists enabling a more personalized safari experience. Once there you must head over to Zim to experience the falls from both sides! Safe, secure and other worldly, this region will not disappoint. 

Zambia & Zimbabwe

What's Included

What's Included

All meals excluding lunch on day 7 and 8

The Elephant Cafe by boat excursion

All safari and game drives, entry to Victoria Falls

Flights within Zambia

2 glasses of house beer or wine with dinner

All ground transportation within the country

International Flights to Lusaka

Zambia entry visa

Gratuities

Personal purchases

Additional activities in Livingston such as helicopter flight over the falls or a sundowner cruise

Trip & Health Insurance (required)

FAQs

In winter, which is when we will be visiting, there’s hardly any rain and humidity is low. The skies are cobalt blue, the days are hot, and the nights are cool. Expect high's in the high 70's and low's in the mid 50's. 

Think LAYERS! The mornings will be chilly during the morning game drives and the afternoons will be warm. Light weight clothes in neutral colors to ward off the sun. All of our hotels have pools so don't forget your bathing suits to lounge after lunch. One of our luxurious hotels has put together a packing checklist.  Don't forget a hat and sunscreen.  

All US and Canadian citizens will require an e-visa to enter Zamiba, GG2W will instruct you as to how to apply. Both travel insurance and medical insurance are required. Please see our travel insurance page for more information. Your passport must be valid for 6 months after departure from America. Please remember to bring your COVID-19 vaccine card.

As for other vaccines, the CDC recommends Cholera, Hepatites A&B, Rabies, Typhoid and Malaria pills.

Fly into the capitol city of Lusaka. 

The trip officially starts on June 8th, but if you are traveling across an ocean to get to Zambia, you may want to consider arriving a day early so you have time to relax and get acclimated to the local time zone. If you do decide to arrive early, please let us know and we will take care of booking your room for you and make sure that you are kept in the same room as you will be in when the trip starts. 

The domestic carrier will be using in Zambia requires checked luggage to weigh less the 15 kg and carry-on bags to weigh less than 5 kg. All of your bags will be weighed before boarding the plane. There will be a fee if your bags are overweight. So, pack smartly as you will want to buy souvenirs.

Inquire about this trip

Zambia: Leopards, Elephants & Waterfalls Oh My!

Zambia· June 8 - 16 2024· 8 nights

FROM$12835/pp