Zambia Wildlife Walking Safaris & Bush Camps
Luxury lodging at Mchenja Camp in the Zambia bush with Norman Carr Safaris.
I almost can’t begin to tell you how much I loved our time in Zambia with Norman Carr Safaris. Their four bush camps in South Luanga National Park are each situated in a different wilderness environment with wildlife nearby – and sometimes on the premises.
Each camp offers four grass-and-thatch huts (Luwi Camp), or chalets (Nsolo Camp), or safari tents (Mchenja Camp) that – while appearing to be rustic – actually offer very comfortable accommodations. In addition, the food in all the camps is wonderful.
Zambia bush bathrooms: open-air ones like this at Nsolo Camp are suited to Zambia’s warm weather.
In my opinion, this is authentic Africa luxury travel at its best. In this part of Zambia we saw zebras, giraffes, and warthogs before the safari vehicle carrying us from Mfuwe Airport had even arrived at Nosolo Camp.
Guests – a maximum of eight at each camp – eat dinner al fresco with the guides, camp manager, and host, which provides ample opportunity for asking questions and sharing the days’ adventures.
Adventures in Zambia
The highlight of our time with Norman Carr Safaris in Zambia was the day I walked to Luwi Bush Camp from Nsolo. Our tracker Kephas carried a big gun that, thankfully, he didn’t have to use, and Edward toted all the ingredients for a perfect morning tea, which we enjoyed under a tamarind tree. Bush guide extraordinaire Abraham pointed out leopard claw marks on a mahogany tree, identified various dung piles, and called my attention to a blue-headed agama lizard on a sausage tree covered in dangling blossoms. The most memorable sight, however, was a very fresh lion print in a sandy river bed.
On a Zambia walking safari, I pressed my hand in the sand next to a lion paw print.
Another day, on a pre-dinner game drive from Nsolo Camp, sharp-eyed Kephas spotted an impala that a leopard had hauled up into a tree and two female lions – one of them obviusly pregnant – “deciding” who was going to have it for supper.
In Zambia, safari vehicles allow guests to get very close to wildlife like this lion.
At the end of our stay, my husband and I agreed that the biggest danger in this part of Zambia wasn’t being attacked by a lion, but exploding from eating too much great food. I wrote about our experience in Zambia in Ranch & Coast magazine.
Read about our experiences at Chiawa Camp here. These two places – Norman Carr Safaris in South Luanga National Park and Chiawa Camp in Lower Zambezi National park – are Zambia’s most authentic places to see wildlife, meet locals, and get up-close-and-personal with this wonderful country.
Walking vacations
Walking for exercise and recreation has soared in popularity in the past decade, and it only seems natural that it has also impacted the way travelers see the world.
Our next walk on the wild side will be the Shakti Village Walk in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, where local porters and a guide will accompany us through remote areas. Here, we’ll stay in traditional homes that have been “spruced up” to provide comfort without sacrificing authenticity. This unique concept will provide a rare view of Indian village life.
I can hardly wait.
Cheers,
Category: Safaris, Walking vacations, Zambia
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