Wilderness Toka Leya Camp

Nestled within a tree island in the game-rich and utterly beautiful Busunga Plains, Shumba Camp fuses its wild and remote location with stylish design for a superior safari experience. Soak up these fabulous sweeping views of a wide array of animals including wild dog, antelope and prides of lion, from your elegant tent or the camp’s wide deck. The spacious tents here are perched on raised wooden platforms and enjoy both indoor and outdoor showers. After a day of wildlife spotting, whether it’s been from a hot air balloon, 4×4 or boat, return to Shumba for some relaxing moments. Take a dip in the pool, dine on delicious food, indulge in a massage and spend a cultural evening around the boma.

In a small copse of sycamore fig trees, Busanga Bush Camp looks out across the vast grassy floodplains, at the heart of which it sits, and herds of passing game. Made up of just four comfortable en suite tents, Busanga is an intimate and thoroughly authentic safari experience. Each has a veranda that soaks up the sweeping plains, a fine spot to watch the mist rise off the drying plains, a real spectacle when the sun is low in the sky. There is also a lounge and bar area is under canvas at the tree line, and dining area is situated a little further back shaded by the canopy and lit by lanterns. Activities at Busanga Bush Camp include day and night game drives, as well as boating during the early part of the season while unforgettable hot air balloon safaris fly from August to October. The Busanga Plains are famed for lion while wild dog and cheetah are also drawn to the prolific plains game, including puku, red lechwe, buffalo, wildebeest and the rare roan antelope. Hippo are also abundant, found in large pods in the channels. For birders, Kafue boasts around 500 species, including the endemic Chaplin’s barbet.

This camp sits in a stunning location, on the confluence of the main Zambezi and Chongwe Rivers, offering a rustic but comfortable option for those that want to experience Africa in a similar pioneering style as the courageous explorer Dr David Livingstone, 150 years ago. We recommend Chongwe Camp for travelers wanting to encounter one of Africa’s remotest areas, and the animals of the relatively undiscovered wilderness that is the Lower Zambezi. Chongwe River Camp is the sister to the Chongwe River House, and offers a more informal and adventurous experience that allows guests to get closer to Zambia’s wild and pristine tranquility. Each of the eight river facing tents is secluded in the shade of a large grove of old Winterthorn trees, ensuring the tents stay cool in the heat of the midday sun. The camp also gives you uninterrupted views of the river and the wildlife that comes there to drink or cool down. A range of guided activities can be tailored to meet specific interests to ensure your time here is truly memorable. Also part of the camp are the Chongwe suites which offer sublime luxury and service against a beautifully wild setting. Nestled under ancient winterthorn trees at the confluence of the Chongwe and Zambezi Rivers are the Cassia suite (one bedroom) and the Albida suite (two bedrooms). The suites are perfect for honeymooners or families and friends travelling together. Both have butler service, plunge pools overlooking the river and private dining options. Also included are private game viewing activities.

Largely untouched by crowds and paved roads, Liuwa Plain National Park boasts one of the oldest conservation histories in Africa; it was proclaimed a protected area by the lodge’s namesake, King Lewanika of the Lozi tribe in the early 1880s. The camp is a beautifully modern take on the traditional safari camp, retaining features and simple materials such as canvas drops, leather and wooden decks overlooking the wilderness with local thatch and grass in the main area in a refreshingly simple, sustainable, and meaningful way. There are just six spacious tents here sat on platforms which open up dramatically to the surrounding plains and feature both indoor and outdoor showers. One is a family suite which features one double and one triple room. The communal thatch building has lounge, dining and bar areas, with stairs leading down to a fire pit. King Lewanika Lodge has experienced guides for intimate safari excursions with unrivalled access and absolute exclusivity to this unspoiled region. Unique wildlife experiences include witnessing hyenas hunt in packs of up to 50, the second biggest wildebeest migration in Africa, rare birds, a growing cheetah population and its famed lion pride. Explore on guided walks as well as day and night game drives, with boating and canoeing possible between December and March, depending on water levels.