Zambia
One of Africa's largest parks, twice the size of Belgium, and yet almost empty of visitors
Zambia
Kafue National Park, one of the largest on the African continent, remains paradoxically one of the least known, for want of infrastructure to match its scale. The Busanga floodplains in the north and the wooded banks of the Kafue River at its centre offer two radically different faces of the same park, where lions, cheetahs, and lechwe antelope share a territory of an extent almost unmatched in Africa.
When
June to Oct
Price
From 4 700€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
7 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-2
The first chapter unfolds on the Busanga floodplains, accessible only in the dry season when the waters recede to reveal grassland stretching to the horizon, compared by some to the Serengeti plains for its openness and density of wildlife. The Busanga lions, known for climbing termite mounds to survey their territory, share the plains with one of Africa's largest populations of lechwe antelope.
Day 1
Flight to Busanga and first game drive
A light aircraft flight to the Busanga Plains, settling into the seasonal camp. A first late-afternoon game drive in search of the termite-mound-climbing lions, a local quirk rarely seen elsewhere.
Day 2
Lechwe antelope and the plains' cheetahs
A full day of safari across Busanga's open plains, among herds of lechwe antelope and searching for cheetahs, more at ease here than in the park's more wooded areas.
Days 1-2
A transfer to the park's centre, along the Kafue River, whose miombo-wooded banks shelter wildlife that's more discreet but just as rich: leopards, eland, and one of Africa's greatest antelope diversities, with over twenty species recorded in the park. The Kafue rapids provide a spectacular backdrop for sunset boat safaris.
Day 1
Transfer and boat safari on the Kafue
An overland transfer to the park's centre, along the Kafue River. A sunset boat safari facing the rapids, with a chance to see hippos and abundant birdlife.
Day 2
Tracking rare antelope
A morning safari in search of the park's rarest antelope — eland, roan antelope, and marsh-dwelling sitatunga — through the miombo woodlands lining the river.
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