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A week stay at Chikunto Safari Lodge with two safaris each day. Excellent guides to drive us around the South Luangwa National Park always with a morning coffee stop and an early evening stop for a sundowner. Very good views from the safari vehicles and countless animals with close up sightings of Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Hippos, Buffalos and several types of antelope etc. Birds were not left out although they were not the prime targets so Fish eagle, Bateleur and White-backed Vulture were among the larger birds we did see. The guides knowledge of the animals and the trees, bushes and general environment couldn't be faulted. We managed to find a lot of the more elusive animals and many of the nocturnal ones. The lodge accommodation and the food was top grade and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. We followed with a three day extension at Waterberry Lodge on the Zambezi near Livingstone. This allowed us to visit the Victoria Falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park to see the White Rhinos, birdwatching around the lodge and evening boat trips on the Zambezi with sundowners provided. Naturetrek run an extensive range of wildlife holidays to most parts of the world. Their organization is excellent and their choice of accommodation and nature guides are among the best. The trips vary from slow paced to intense and even 'in Style' so there is something for everyone.
T.T West Sussex, Oct 24
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Zambia in Style
Tour Code: ZMB10A 10-day wildlife safari to Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, based for seven nights at Chikunto Safari Lodge, a small and exclusive bush camp which overlooks the Luangwa River in the heart of the one of Africa's finest game reserves.
£6,995
£6,195
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Summary
Zambia's South Luangwa National Park lies in the south-eastern corner of the country and is one of Africa's finest wildlife havens. The park is home to a wonderful variety of classic large African mammals, including Thornicroft's Giraffe, Crawshay's Zebra, African Buffalo, Impala and large herds of Elephants. The permanent waters of the Luangwa River define the reserve's eastern fringes, attracting abundant game and their attendant predators including prides of Lion, one of the largest populations of Leopard on the continent and several packs of rare African Wild Dogs. The birdlife is equally exciting and includes dazzling colonies of Southern Carmine Bee-eaters which return each year between late August and November to nest along the Luangwa's sandy banks. This single-centre safari is based for seven nights at Chikunto Safari Lodge, a small and exclusive bush camp offering a unique mix of luxury lodging and rustic bush camping, set deep within the national park. The lodge accommodates a maximum of just 12 guests and is located an hour from the park's main gate on the banks of the Luangwa River.
- Seven nights in a small luxury bush camp deep within the South Luangwa National Park.
- Maximum of only 12 guests.
- Daily game drives in open vehicles or walking safaris.
- Night drives in search of nocturnal wildlife.
- Opportunity to sleep under the African night sky on a unique stargazing platform.
- Abundant mammals including Elephant, Thornicroft's Giraffe, Greater Kudu & Lion.
- One of the best places in Africa to view Leopards!
- Abundant birdlife.
- Southern Carmine Bee-eater colonies between August and November.
- Expertly guided by local naturalists.
Chikunto Safari Lodge sits in the heart of Zambia's wonderful South Luangwa National Park and could well have hit upon the perfect combination of remoteness and luxury. Situated on the edge of the Luangwa River — a tributary of the mighty Zambezi — the lodge offers a high level of comfort and hospitality without being 'over the top' or pretentious, and at all times keeps to its ethos of offering an authentic wilderness safari experience.
Although Chikunto is more of a 'camp' than a lodge, its six tents are luxurious and spacious and pitched on raised wooden decking. Each tent has a private bathroom and its own seating area. The complex has a swimming pool — from which Elephants, Giraffes and other wildlife can be admired — and is perched near the banks of the Luangwa River, surrounded by pristine mopane woodland, grassy plains and seasonal waterholes. One of the tents is also attached to a special stargazing platform on which guests can sleep out overnight if they wish. For more information on this feature, please refer to the detailed tour itinerary.
Chikunto Safari Lodge is a permanent lodge, not a temporary seasonal bush camp. It is located deep within the national park, an hour's drive from the entrance gate at Mfuwe. As such, it is in one of the quieter regions of the reserve and we are likely to see few other visitors during our stay. The lodge takes a maximum of 12 people at a time, and on most of our safaris here, we take exclusive use of the property and fill all six tents with Naturetrek guests. Chikunto is totally immersed in the wildlife. In the dry season (August to November), numerous game animals wander down to drink in the river, whilst after dark we can listen to the nocturnal sounds of the bush from our beds and may well hear the roar of a distant Lion or a noisy Hippo wandering past.
All of our holidays to the South Luangwa National Park begin with a flight to Lusaka (usually via Dubai) and a short internal flight of less than an hour to Mfuwe, on the edge of the reserve. We will then transfer to Chikunto Safari Lodge in their open safari vehicles for seven nights. Each of our days in the Luangwa Valley will start with a pre-dawn wake-up call and a morning safari in search of the park's abundant wildlife. Returning late morning for lunch and a siesta, we will head out again later in the afternoon in the cooler latter hours of the day and then return to the lodge after dark, spotlighting for nocturnal mammals and birds as we go. Morning drives can be replaced with a walking safari or two for those who wish (subject to how dense the vegetation is at the time of our stay).
The diversity and sheer abundance of wildlife in the South Luangwa National Park defies belief. Elephants are common, as are Hippo, Warthog, Impala, Puku and African Buffalo. The valley even has its own subspecies of giraffe, zebra and wildebeest (Thornicroft's, Crawshay's and Cookson's respectively), and we should have little difficulty in finding prides of Lions and clans of Spotted Hyenas. Leopard and African Wild Dog are likely too, sightings of the latter in particular have become more frequent in recent years (especially as the rains approach). Heading out after dark will greatly increase our chances of seeing a Leopard and most afternoon drives end with a spotlighting session after sunset. These night drives also offer the chance of seeing Southern Lesser Galago, Scrub Hare, African Civet, Honey Badger, White-tailed, Bushy-tailed and Slender Mongooses, Large-spotted Genet and even Four-toed Sengi (Elephant Shrew) — as well as hunting Lions and other predators.
Those with an interest in birds as well as the mammals will not be disappointed, and during our week-long safari it is typical to notch up over 200 species. Among the favourites are Saddle-billed Stork, Black Heron, Steppe, Wahlberg's and Martial Eagles, Lilian's Lovebird, Lilac-breasted Roller, Malachite Kingfisher and White-fronted Bee-eater, together with a raft of weavers, glossy starlings, rollers, hornbills and many others. Thousands of colourful Southern Carmine Bee-eaters descend on the valley between late August and late November to breed (there is a colony near the lodge), whilst after dark we might see the amazing Pennant-winged Nightjar, and if very fortunate, perhaps the rare Pel's Fishing Owl.
Following an exciting week amongst the mammals, birds and other wildlife of Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, we must return to Mfuwe Airport for our flight to Lusaka and ultimately home.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
We will be based for seven nights at Chikunto Safari Lodge, a stylish hybrid lodge/bush camp that holds a maximum of 12 guests in six very comfortable and spacious tents situated on raised wooden platforms.
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Dates & Prices
2026
2027
Tour Reports
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At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
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