Kafue & Busanga Plains: Zambia's Vast Wilderness

This morning you transfer to the airport and board a scenic light-aircraft flight deep into the far north of Kafue National Park, to the fabled Busanga Plains, one of the most beautiful and productive wildlife areas in Zambia, the vast wilderness unfolding beneath you. On arrival at a remote airstrip you are met by your guide and driven to your intimate camp on the edge of the shimmering plains, with game likely on the way in. After settling in and enjoying lunch, you rest through the heat, then head out on an afternoon game drive across the plains as the light softens, meeting great herds of red lechwe, puku and buffalo and searching for the predators for which Busanga is famous, perhaps rolling into a night drive as darkness falls. As the day ends, you dine beneath a vast canopy of stars. Rest well deep in the wilderness.

Today you immerse yourself in the magnificent Busanga Plains, one of the finest wildlife areas in Zambia. You rise early for a morning game drive across the shimmering grasslands, dotted with palm islands and teeming with game, encountering great herds of red lechwe, puku, zebra and buffalo, and searching for the celebrated tree-climbing lions lazing in the fig trees, cheetah hunting across the open grass, and packs of wild dog on the move. Where available, an optional hot-air balloon safari at dawn offers a breathtaking view over the plains and their wildlife. You return to camp for brunch and rest through the heat, then head out again in the late afternoon for sundowners and a thrilling night drive. As the day ends, you dine beneath the vast starlit sky. Rest well deep in the wilderness of the Busanga Plains tonight.

Today you enjoy a final full day exploring the fabled Busanga Plains, savouring their beauty, space and abundant wildlife. You might set out on a longer morning game drive across the grasslands in search of lions, cheetah and wild dog, or take a guided walking safari, experiencing the pristine plains on foot with an expert professional guide, reading tracks and signs and meeting the smaller wonders of the wild, far from any crowds. You watch the great herds grazing across the shimmering plains, the sitatunga hiding in the reeds, and superb birdlife, from crowned cranes to wattled cranes and raptors, and soak up the profound peace and space of true wilderness. In the late afternoon you head out again for sundowners as the sun sinks over the plains. As the day ends, you dine beneath the stars. Rest well, cherishing your last night on the Busanga Plains.

Today you journey south through the vast wilderness of Kafue to the beautiful Kafue River, the winding artery at the heart of the park. You travel by light aircraft or by scenic road transfer, the untouched country unfolding around you, with game likely along the way, to reach your camp on the banks of the great river. After settling in and enjoying lunch, you rest through the heat, watching hippos and elephants along the river from your deck. In the late afternoon you glide out on a boat cruise along the Kafue, drawing close to pods of hippo, basking crocodiles and elephants at the banks, and enjoying some of the finest birding in Africa, with sundowners on the water as the sun sinks. As the day ends, you dine beside the great river to the sound of hippos and frogs. Rest well in the pristine wilderness of Kafue.

Today you explore the Kafue River area by land and water. You rise early for a morning game drive through the miombo woodland and along the river, encountering herds of elephant and buffalo, antelope such as kudu, roan and sable, and searching for leopard in the riverine thickets and lion in the woodland, with almost no other vehicles in sight. You return to camp for brunch and rest through the heat, watching the river. In the late afternoon you glide out on another boat cruise along the Kafue, drawing close to hippos, crocodiles and elephants and enjoying prolific birdlife, or take a game drive with sundowners and a night drive as darkness falls. As the day ends, you dine beside the great river beneath the stars. Rest well in the pristine, uncrowded wilderness of Kafue, lulled by the sounds of the wild.

Today you enjoy a final full day in the vast, pristine wilderness of Kafue, savouring the wildlife and beauty of the great river. You might set out on a morning game drive or a guided walking safari, experiencing the untouched bush on foot with your expert guide, or explore more of the river by boat, drifting past hippos, crocodiles and elephants amid superb birdlife. You soak up the profound peace, space and solitude of one of Africa's wildest parks, encountering game with the wild almost entirely to yourself. In the late afternoon you head out again, enjoying sundowners in a beautiful spot as the sun sinks over the river and woodland. As the day ends, you savour a farewell dinner beneath the vast starlit sky, reflecting on your remarkable journey through Zambia's greatest wilderness. Rest well, cherishing your last night in wild Kafue.

After a final morning in the wilderness of Kafue, perhaps a last game drive or a quiet coffee watching the river as the bush wakes, you bid farewell to your guides and camp and transfer to the airstrip for your light-aircraft flight out of the park, connecting to your onward journey via Lusaka. You leave having experienced one of the largest and wildest national parks in Africa at its finest, the fabled Busanga Plains, with their tree-climbing lions, cheetah and teeming herds, and the beautiful Kafue River, with its boating, game drives and walks, all in vast, pristine wilderness with a rare sense of having the wild to yourself. The images stay vivid long after you go, the shimmering plains at dawn, a lion lazing in a fig tree, and hippos in the golden river. Zambia offers pristine wilderness in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this wild and beautiful land.