We have recently received some outstanding safari deals for high season in Zambia. For the more active traveler these are ideal camps to visit as Zambia has some of the finest walking safaris and canoeing safaris available on the continent.

Incredible canoeing from Kulefu Camp in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

The Wild Source is offering up to 15% off of all Sanctuary Lodge properties in Zambia for the high season of June through October. This includes Kulefu Camp in Lower Zambezi National Park, Chichele Presidential Lodge and Puku Ridge Camp in South Luangwa National Park, and Sussi & Chuma in the Livingtone/Victoria Falls area. A combination of these properties offers a diverse adventure of canoeing, power boating with fishing, walking, and game drives. Beyond The Wild Source exclusive discounts for Sanctuary’s Zambia lodging there is also a special of Stay 10 and Pay 8 if you split time between 5 nights in Zambia and 5 nights in their Botswana safari camps which includes Baines and Stanley’s camps with the highly recommended elephant encounter experience. We will combine both specials for a huge savings.

The Bush Camp Company has tremendous walking safaris with frequent big game encounters.

For the true walking enthusiast a walking safari from camp to camp in South Luangwa National Park with The Bush Camp Company is the way to go and they have just recently released some terrific specials. Through October 31st they are now offering a Stay 8 Pay 6 deal for a generous 25% savings and a Stay 5 Pay 4 for those looking for a little shorter walking circuit. With 6 lovely camps that are each quite different from another there are many different walking circuits that can be designed to meet your needs and the walking guides are simply exceptional, top of the craft. I am leading a group in October that wanted to focus on walking and this is where we are going! For much more detail on this excellent experience see my previous blog entry about this Zambia Safari.

   

I have many people tell me they cannot do a safari because they do not want to spend their entire vacation driving in a vehicle. Of course virtually everyone returns from safari wishing they could have a few more game drives because each one really is different but I do believe diversity in all things is good and to that end I encourage people to include some varied activities to maximize their safari experience. To give a real life example of how a safari can include many activities outside of the vehicle this entry will be a brief recap of an eleven night Botswana safari undertaken by two my clients, Cathie and Jan, in December and they have been kind enough to allow me to use their photos.

Botswana Elephant Experience

Elephant Encounter! An entire morning spent walking in the company of three elephants, learning all things elephant from a touching distance. These three elephants were orphaned by culling operations and now serve as ambassadors for their wild brethren. I am very careful about recommending any type of animal interaction experience but this one is fantastic and ethical, providing the elephants with a good life of wandering the wild Okavango Delta daily and doing critical education work, see Living With Elephants for all the details. Guests of Baines Camp and Stanley’s Camp can arrange this experience.

Power Boating in the Okavango Delta

Power boating provides a unique perspective of the Okavango Delta and allows for its deep exploration. Kwara Camp features double decker boats that are used to achieve birds-eye views into extensive nesting colonies. This is also the best way to visit hippos and crocodiles in their element.

Horseback Safari

Horse Riding Safaris are an amazing way to approach closely to the grazing animals. One of the most thrilling moments for Cathie and Jan was galloping along side zebras and wildebeests on the move at Grassland Bushman Lodge. The horses here are very skilled and rides can be tailored for both novices and experts.

Mapula Game Walk

Game Walks are an essential safari experience taking you into the unfiltered wilderness. The animals can definitely look and feel different when your feet are on the ground and you have more time to learn about the little things that the vehicles zoom past.

Bushmen Prepare to Make a Fire

Bushman Cultural Experience. A morning food gathering walk with a community group of San bushmen people is an amazing window into our past way of life and an eye opener on how separated we have become from our natural world. A surprising amount of food can be found in the Kalahari desert and it also is unexpectedly tasty. This area at Grassland Bushman Lodge has long been known for its food productivity and the name for the area, Ghanzi, derives from a bushman word meaning land of the big bums, a term acknowledging the plentiful nature of food in the area.

Okavango Delta Mokoro Ride

Mokoro safaris are an essential part of a visit to the Okavango Delta. This is the traditional mode of travel in the region and is still in use by many local people. The feeling of sitting on the waters surface is surreal and provides a completely different view point of this unique ecosystem.

A full one third of Cathie and Jan’s activities were out of the vehicle resulting in a well-rounded safari full of surprises and different experiences. Of course they report being thrilled by their time inside the vehicle too, especially when in the company of roaring lions after dark!

Night Drive Lion