The two week Book Bus safari is an exciting overland journey to visit schools in the remote African bush. Not only does our volunteer crew bring the Book Bus experience to some of the most deserving schools in Malawi and Zambia, they also have the opportunity to explore one of Africa's best game reserves.
The Book Bus Safari operates from April to June and in September and October. Each safari starts and finishes in Malawi's capital Lilongwe and visits schools on the shore of Lake Malawi before crossing the border to Zambia to visit schools near the South Luangwa National Park. Our specialised overland Book Bus is a rugged truck built to cope with the rough conditions one has to expect in some of the more outlying areas. Our October safari links with the famous Lake of Stars Festival.
Week 1 – Lilongwe and Lake Malawi
Lilongwe and Lake Malawi
We meet in Lilongwe on Saturday for a project brief and introduction to the Book Bus and the Safari lifestyle. On Sunday morning we depart Lilongwe for the drive to Lake Malawi where we pitch camp on the lakeshore at the Sunbird Nkopola Lodge campsite.
The schools are located in villages near the lake shore and for most of these communities the Book Bus project has proved to be an entirely new concept. Literacy rates here are only 63% so the opportunity to improve the children’s reading skills is warmly received. We work with primary school grades 7 and 8 pupils, known locally as “learners”, who are aged between 10 and 12 years old. With class sizes of up to 180 pupils, both learners and teachers are delighted to receive the Book Bus volunteers who, by working with small groups, can provide individual attention and valuable reading and English language practice.
Lake Malawi occupies over a fifth of Malawi and is home to over 600 species of fish. This great lake's tropical waters are reportedly the habitat of more species of fish than that of any other body of water on the Earth. The lake is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famed for its beaches and lakeshore culture with activities on offer from snorkelling to kayaking.
Week 2 – The Luangwa Valley
Lilongwe to Chipata and Mfuwe
We return to Lilongwe on Saturday morning to re-supply the Bus and head for the Zambian border in the afternoon. We overnight across the border in Chipata and complete the journey to the Luangwa Valley
early on Sunday. We set up camp at the Croc Valley campsite close to South Luangwa National Park.
The Book Bus school visits in Luangwa are organised in partnership with the Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre which offers a fun, interactive and contemporary learning facility for Zambian children. It focuses its programmes on wildlife, the environment and conservation issues. The Book Bus will compliment the work of the Chipembele Centre in 5 local schools. See www.chipembele.org for more information about the Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre
There will be down time in the afternoons and evenings during this week to visit the South Luangwa National Park. South Luangwa is a contender for the title of Africa’s best game park and few others can rival its high quality of guiding and remarkable wildlife spectacles in the isolation of true wilderness. Croc Valley Camp can organise visits to the park on a walking safari or by Land Rover on game drives by day and by night.
Game you are likely to see include: Lions, elephants, hippos, leopard, giraffe and hyena. (Park visits are optional and example prices are: Game drive US$ 35; Walking Safari US$ 40 . Daily park entry fee is US$20)
At the end of the second week we leave Croc Valley Camp on Saturday morning and retrace our route to Chipata from where we cross the border back to Malawi to arrive in Lilongwe by early evening.
Life in the camp
There’s no doubt that life on Safari brings many rewards: endless horizons, huge skies and the call of the wild are just some of the impressions you can expect from life in the African bush. The actual lifestyle on the road however, is very different from home. Our base camps do provide the basic home comforts of toilets, showers and even a bar and life tends to revolve around the Book Bus which acts also as our home, it carries tents, a full field kitchen and storage for water and all of our personal equipment. The local environment can present its own challenges with temperatures often soaring to the mid 30’s (centigrade) in the middle of the day. The insect life is prolific and whilst the majority cause no harm, some are annoying and we must guard ourselves against malaria throughout the Safari. Now that you are prepared for the outdoor life why not join us for this unique and rewarding Book Bus safari!
How to join...
The Book Bus Safari starts and finishes in Lilongwe, Malawi. Each Safari follows a 2 week itinerary which is repeated three times so enabling repeat visits to the schools en route. If you would like to volunteer for more than 2 weeks you can join us for 4 or even 6 weeks. Repeat visits to our destination schools is what makes the Book Bus a really valuable resource and by joining us for more than two weeks you will get to truly appreciate the region and become a regular feature at the schools!
Getting there: Lilongwe has good flight connections from the UK and the rest of Europe. We are experienced in travel to Malawi and organise the flight plan that suits you best. Please contact us for advice and further information. VentureCo Worldwide is an ATOL bonded tour operator.
Accommodation: We will be camping throughout the Safari which is made easy using our fully equipped expedition-ready Book Bus. On Lake Malawi we are based at the Sunbird Nkopola Lodge campsite which is conveniently situated for visiting the schools in the area. This lakeside camp has full facilities, games courts, a pool and a bar. Our base in Luangwa is Croc Valley Camp located near South Luangwa National Park which makes for convenient game viewing during your down time. The camp itself has BBQ’s, hot showers and flush toilets with a swimming pool for staying cool and a bar for the evening sundowner.
Food: We self-cater on the Safari and all help out our onboard kitchen on a rota system. Here’s your opportunity to show off your culinary expertise or to pick up some new cooking skills.
Additional activities are available throughout the Safari. Depending on your interests there are game viewing options in the renowned South Luangwa National Park and water activities on Lake Malawi. These optional activities are arranged and paid for locally.
Contact us now to reserve a place on this unique project. volunteer@thebookbus.org
Volunteer Contribution
The contribution is £950 for the initial 2 weeks with a local payment of $400. Once in Malawi,
each additional week is £195.00 plus a $200 local payment. Join for as long as you wish.
Included: Airport transfers (If arriving and departing on Saturday), 7 nights accommodation per week, 3 meals a day, an experienced leader with back-up communications, 24 hour support, full pre-departure support and advice including the Book Bus Field Manual.
Not Included: Optional activities – safaris, water-sports, travel insurance, vaccinations and immunizations, personal expenditure.