Many people will have visited Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Kruger national parks, which are perhaps Africa’s most famous places to view wildlife. But to a degree, all these parks are victims of their own success and although the animal conservation is good, nothing fills me with dismay more than seeing a dozen jeeps crowed round a lion. This would never happen in Kafue.
Only the fortunate few visit Zambia and only the most intrepid of those people make it to Kafue National Park, an area more than five times larger than Maasai Mara. Hidden away in the northern half of the park lies Lufupa, one of this continent’s hidden gems.
The Kafue National Park is 22,500 sq km, one of the largest National Parks in Africa. The Kafue River winds through the park entering in the north-eastern corner and is joined by the Lufupa and the Lunga rivers which are the three main veins that bring life into the Kafue National Park. In the extreme north of Kafue lies the Busanga Plains – one of Zambia’s most significant wetland resources and one of the few areas in the world that remain untouched by development and human activity. Lufupa Tented Camp is located just south of the Busanga Plains and is home to hundreds of red lechwe, puku, roan antelope and the diminutive oribi; Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo make for a full set of herbivores. This wealth of game is, inevitably, a big attraction for predators including wild dog, cheetah and prides of lion. The thick riverine vegetation along the Kafue and Lufupa rivers brings fantastic diversity to this area.
The camp is on the confluence of the Lufupa and Kafue rivers. This is as ‘wild’ as you can get in today's world: an unfenced mosaic of seasonal floodplains, “dambos” (open grassy areas that sometimes fill with rainwater) and savannah lands. It caters for 18 guests in nine well-appointed canvas Meru tents and is perfectly situated overlooking the Kafue River. Activities include game drives, boat cruises, fishing, walks and night drives all led by qualified guides. For those interested in birding, the park boasts 491 species, including endemics such as Chaplin’s Barbet. And to put that in context, the entire UK has 280 “regulars” on our birding list!
INCLUDES:
• Accommodation on a shared basis.
• Meals as specified.
• Excursions and transfers as shown above (twice daily game activities at safari lodge).
• Services of the lodge guides and staff.
• Meet & Assist service on arrival.
• Scheduled road transfer from Lusaka to Lufupa Camp. Note that the last 62 km of the drive is in an open top Land Rover customized for game viewing. EXCLUDES:
• Items of a personal nature.
• National Park entrance fees @ 30 USD per person per day
• In camp, alcoholic drinks and porterage are excluded.
• Staff gratuities.