Wilderness Safaris Safari camps

Wilderness Safaris guides its guests' safari experience by offering three types of safari camp in Zambia — Premier, Classic and Wilderness Exploration. Premier and Classic are exclusively reserved for guests who book a complete personalised tour but Wilderness Exploration camps are also open to individual travellers. This variety of safari accommodation, activities and product in Zambia means that all kinds of visitors are catered for — from those who want unadulterated luxury to those who want a real taste of bush life, and everything in between. Wilderness Safaris places great emphasis on the "guided" experience. Guests are led by qualified, enthusiastic people with in-depth knowledge of the area and its wildlife. Guests also have the option of game drives in and around the Plains, and night drives which provide the added excitement of the area's nocturnal wonders.

Premier safari camps
These are the most luxurious of the camps in Wilderness Safaris’ portfolio and comprise the company’s most elegant and stylised accommodation. These camps combine luxury and superbly designed architecture with the warm comforts of home and personal service. Each Premier Camp has its own individual style, as well as wonderful additional features. Each tent or bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, often with an outdoor shower 'under the stars.'

Classic safari camps
The Wilderness Safaris Classic camps are generally tented camps, although a few are lodges built from permanent structures. All these camps offer superb facilities and accommodation, with the bedrooms only slightly smaller than those of Premier camps. Many of the tents at Wilderness Safaris Classic camps are raised off the ground with interconnecting walkways. All tents have en-suite bathrooms.

Wilderness Exploration camps
Exploration style safari camps are exclusive locations, mostly in private concessions, offering guests a select, spectacular journey through pristine areas with the most outstanding wildlife viewing in Zambia and Africa. Explorations are for small groups of up to eight guests, or tailor-made for private groups. Alternatively individuals may book accommodation in these camps.

Individual Wilderness Safaris camps include:

Shumba Bush Camp (Premier)
Shumba is named after a favourite species in the area — prides of lion sometimes up to 20 strong. Shumba is conveniently situated in the centre of the Busanga Plains, close to permanent water and within easy access of the teeming floodplains. The camps location is perfectly suited to take advantage of the concentration of game and predators of the Busanga Plains. During the dry season, the Busanga Plains dry up, attracting herds of lechwe, puku, wildebeest — and their predators: lion, cheetah and wild dog. Shumba Camp stands in the centre of this wildlife paradise, with its view stretching 360 degrees across the plains to the miombo woodland in the hazy distance.

The camp comprises six spacious luxury safari tents on raised platforms with spectacular views of the surrounding plains. The rooms are large, with en-suite bathrooms and both indoor and outdoor showers. The dining and bar area is elevated to take in the landscape and each morning's sunrise. Viewing of game species is possible from the comfort of the tent or main deck, while the camp’s fig trees ensure both shade and constant bird activity. Most meals are prepared and cooked on a fire in front of the guests, enhancing the safari experience. Shumba Bush Camp can accommodate up to 12 guests at any one time.

Kapinga Bush Camp (Premier)
Situated in the north-west corner of the vast Busanga Plains of Kafue National Park, one of the largest national parks in Africa, Kapinga Camp lies on the edge of a tree island overlooking the Plains. The Busanga Plains make up an area which is one of Zambia's most significant wetland resources, and one of the few areas in the world that remain unspoilt by human development.

Kapinga Camp offers a unique, isolated wilderness experience. The camp is surrounded by open floodplains dotted with palm and fig tree-filled islands. Wildlife and bird life is abundant and diverse.The camp is shaded by a canopy of majestic trees and is set on raised wooden platforms to enhance the panoramic view across the Plains. Kapinga Camp is designed to be in harmony with the environment, with natural materials being used as much as possible in its construction. This is an exclusive getaway, with spacious interiors and just four luxury safari tents accommodating a maximum of eight guests, assuring each guest exceptional personal attention. Lively colours and stripes characterise the main area, comprising a lounge, dining area, camp fire and small pool under a shady tree.

Day and night game drives and walking safaris take place on and around the Plains, where the wealth of antelope is a big attraction for predators, including wild dog, cheetah and prides of lion. A birder’s special, the Böhm’s Bee-eater, can be seen in the parking area of the camp. The camp is perfectly situated to view the antelope that make the Plains their home, including lechwe, puku, roan antelope and oribi. Herds of wildebeest, zebra and buffalo are all commonly seen as well as smaller groups of Lichtenstein's hartebeest.

Busanga Bush Camp (Classic)
Busanga Bush Camp lies in the heart of the Busanga Plains, a vast mosaic of expansive, grassy seasonal floodplains that extends to the horizon. The Busanga Plains provide some of the best lion viewing in Africa. The camp, nestled in a vegetated island of fig trees, can accommodate eight guests in four well-appointed tents. The lounge area is under canvas looking out over the plains; breakfast is often served here to take in the view of herds of lechwe and puku. The dining area lies under the shady canopy of a majestic tree from which an unusual lantern chandelier hangs, romantically lighting up dinner. Most meals are served in the open air.

Dawn at Busanga Bush Camp in Kafue National Park looks out across mist rising off the Busanga Plains, herds of puku and lechwe grazing, Crowned Cranes picking their way through the long grass and the sun rising behind them. Located in the epicentre of a pristine wilderness mosaic this small tented camp epitomises the concept of 'wild', delivering exciting wildlife encounters and incredible birding.

As the Plains dry out, Busanga Camp is perfectly situated for viewing large numbers of game such as puku, red lechwe, buffalo and wildebeest, followed by their predators, most notably lion. Cheetah and wild dog are also readily seen, while a special treat is the resident herd of roan antelope. For those interested in birding, the park boasts 491 species, including endemics such as Chaplin's Barbet. Thanks to the rising mist off the floodplains as they dry up in winter, guests can experience incredible sunrises and sunsets, with the sun a spectacular pink colour, while the floodplains and dambos teem with wildlife and birds.

Activities at Busanga Bush Camp include game drives, walking safaris and night drives, led by qualified guides who are extremely knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife.

Kalamu Lagoon Camp (Classic)
Kalamu Lagoon Camp lies on a beautiful permanent lagoon just off the Luangwa River in the remote Luamfwa area in the southern section of South Luangwa National Park. Abounding with wildlife, South Luangwa is one of the most spectacular conservation areas in all Africa. The remote Luamfwa Concession is a wildlife paradise that offers unique bird watching and exciting game viewing.

Accommodation at Kalamu Lagoon Camp consists of eight safari-style reed and canvas tents, each en-suite with both an indoor and outdoor shower. The camps dining and bar area under a canopy of giant ebony trees, together with a pool and viewing deck area located to the side of the camp, all offer spectacular views of the lagoon that was once part of the South Luangwa River.

South Luangwa is renowned as the best walking destination in Africa and guests have the choice to explore the Luangwa riverine vegetation and adjacent dambos on guided walks. Other activities include day and night wildlife-viewing drives. The Luangwa River and its rich vegetation allow for a high concentration of wildlife in the area. The park is home to herds of buffalo, and several antelope species such as impala, puku, waterbuck, bushbuck, eland, kudu, grysbok, oribi, reedbuck, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, sable and roan. The area also boasts of species such as Thornicroft's giraffe and Cookson's wildebeest which occur nowhere else in the world. Its leopard viewing is legendary. The main predators include lion, leopard, spotted hyena and wild dogs.

Game viewing is best during the dry season when all game is forced to congregate along the Luangwa River’s banks as water resources dwindle elsewhere — an experience every wildlife lover should indulge in. High-density hippo populations lie on the riverbanks and yellow baboons can also be spotted nearby.

Lufupa Bush Camp (Wilderness Exploration)
Lufupa Bush Camp is situated in the centre of the northern sector of Kafue National Park, not far downstream from the confluence of the Lufupa and Kafue rivers. The Lufupa area is recognised as a focal point of prolific animal and bird life. Accommodation is in four traditional thatch and brick chalets with en-suite facilities and verandas out front overlooking the Kafue River and the Kafwala Rapids. The area around Lufupa Bush Camp is private and other vehicles will seldom be encountered.

Situated at the confluence of the Lufupa and Kafue Rivers, this site offers access to productive game viewing areas in the dambos (open grassy clearings) and woodlands of the northern Kafue. Puku, impala, and Defassa waterbuck are common while more unusual species include Lichtenstein's hartebeest. The area is renowned for its leopard viewing, and elephant and lion sightings are common.

Activities (at a small extra cost) at Lufupa  Camp include day and night nature drives exploring prime game viewing areas adjoining the Kafue River and Lufupa Channel. Boat trips reveal the incredible hippo population of the area complemented by a constant array of colourful water birds, reptiles and other life amongst the riverine vegetation. Guided nature walks and fishing excursions are also on offer.

Musanza Tented Camp (Wilderness Exploration)
Musanza Tented Camp is located deep inside the wildlife haven of the Busanga Plains. It is a semi-permanent bush camp hidden under thick shady trees on a wooded 'island' and overlooking permanent pools along the Lufupa River. The camp is only open during the dry or safari season (June-November), and is taken down during the rainy season. As the dry season progresses the pools become an important water source for the wildlife of northern Kafue National Park and there's usually plenty of animal action observed from the camp.

Accommodation consists of six well-appointed tents with wall-to-wall views of the spectacular Lufupa River. The simple bush style of this camp creates the perfect atmosphere to enjoy dinner under a canopy of stars around a campfire.

As well as the usual myriad of antelope species found in Zambia, this area is home to the diminutive oribi, Lichtenstein's hartebeest and the usually shy roan. Guests also have the chance to spot elephant, buffalo, hippo, lion, cheetah and even wild dog if they are very lucky.