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Day 1 – Arrive Lusaka, Zambia
Arrive in Lusaka this evening, where we are met and assisted through
formalities before a private transfer to Latitude 15º. Tucked away in a quiet residential pocket of the city, this design-led boutique hotel offers a calm and considered introduction to Zambia. Given our late arrival, the evening is intentionally gentle — time for a light supper, a quiet drink or simply a cup of tea before bed, allowing us to settle in and prepare for the journey ahead.
Overnight: Latitude 15º
Day 2 – Lusaka – Chikumbuso Women’s Project Visit
Today offers a meaningful and grounding start to our journey with a visit to the Chikumbuso Project, set within Lusaka’s Ng’ombe community. This grassroots initiative supports women and children through education, skills training and small-scale enterprise, creating genuine pathways to long-term resilience. Our time here is personal and unfiltered — an opportunity to connect, listen and gain insight into daily life. Returning to Latitude 15º in the early afternoon, the remainder of the day is at leisure: time to adjust to our new timezone before heading into Zambia’s wild spaces.
Overnight: Latitude 15º (B)
Day 3 – Lusaka to Lower Zambezi National Park
This morning we transfer to the airport for our scheduled charter flight into the Lower Zambezi — one of Africa’s most scenic and least-visited safari regions. On arrival, we travel to Royal Zambezi Lodge, set along the banks of the Zambezi River with sweeping views across to Zimbabwe. The afternoon is ours to settle in and begin to absorb the setting before venturing out for a first look at the area, easing into the rhythm of safari life where the river plays a central roleb.
Overnight: Royal Zambezi Lodge (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & safari activities)
Days 4 to 6 – Lower Zambezi National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives take us across floodplains and through the mopane woodland, where elephant, buffalo, lion and occasional leopard move through the landscape with an ease that speaks to the park’s relatively undisturbed nature. Walking safaris offer a more immersive perspective — a focus on tracks, birdlife and the smaller details often missed from a vehicle. Out on the river, we explore by boat or canoe, drifting quietly past hippo and crocodile as birdlife moves overhead.
The combination of land and water creates a dynamic and constantly shifting safari experience. Elephant frequently gather at the water’s edge, and the interplay between river and bush ensures there is always something to watch, however long we sit. We can tailor the pace of each day to the mood of the group — early mornings for peak wildlife activity, quiet afternoons for rest, the river always there to draw us back out before the light fades.
Overnight: Royal Zambezi Lodge (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & safari activities)
Day 7 – Lower Zambezi to South Luangwa National Park
Today we travel by charter via Lusaka to Mfuwe, the gateway to South Luangwa National Park. On arrival, we transfer to Flatdogs Camp, set along the Luangwa River in a location where wildlife is often visible from camp itself. The afternoon is relaxed — time to settle into our tents and watch the riverfront come to life. There is an optional afternoon safari for those who are keen. Otherwise we will relax as the soft evening light begins to fade as we let the sounds of the bush build around us.
Overnight: Flatdogs Camp (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & activities)
Day 8 – South Luangwa — Community & Craft Day
This is an opportunity to take a deliberate step away from wildlife to focus on the people and creative enterprises that shape this valley. We visit Mulberry Mongoose, Mwezi Blu and Tribal Textiles — locally driven businesses that blend conservation, craftsmanship and design in thoughtful and distinctive ways. From jewellery crafted using reclaimed snare wire to hand-painted textiles and contemporary homewares rooted in local tradition, each stop tells a different story. It is an engaging and layered day that brings real depth to our time in the Luangwa Valley.
Overnight: Flatdogs Camp (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & activities)
Day 9 – South Luangwa — Lion Camp
A short transfer takes us deeper into the park to Lion Camp, located in a remote and wildlife-rich corner of South Luangwa. The setting is more traditional in feel — a bush camp in the truest sense, with the wilderness pressing in on all sides. This afternoon we head out for our first drive in this secluded and wildlife-abundant region, beginning to explore an area known for its strong predator presence and varied habitats.
Overnight: Lion Camp (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & safari activities)
Days 10 to 12 – South Luangwa Natioal Park
South Luangwa is widely regarded as one of Africa’s finest wildlife destinations, known as much for the quality of its guiding as for the density of its game. Over the course of our days here, we explore its varied habitats in detail — oxbow lagoons, mopane woodland, floodplain grassland and dense riverine forest each holding different species and different stories. Lion, leopard and wild dog are all present and regularly encountered, while large elephant herds move through the valley with a quiet authority. The endemic Thornicroft’s giraffe, found nowhere else on earth, is a particular highlight. We may choose to join a walking safari, guided by experienced trackers who read the land with a familiarity that transforms even a short walk into something revelatory. Time in camp between activities invites rest and reflection — the kind of stillness that only comes when you are truly in the wild. Our final full day offers flexibility: a chance to revisit an area that has delivered memorable sightings, or simply to sit with the landscape and take it all in.
Overnight: Lion Camp (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & safari activities)
Day 13 – South Luangwa to Likoma Island, Lake Malawi
Today marks a clear shift in both landscape and pace as we fly to Likoma Island in Lake Malawi. On arrival, we are transferred to Kaya Mawa, a beautifully positioned lodge on the lake’s edge. The transition from safari to water is immediate — open horizons, clear water and a slower, more reflective rhythm replace the intensity of the bush. This tiny island feels a world away – where fishing villages, giant baobabs and one of Africa’s most unexpected lake settings create a completely different kind of safari experience. We settle into this barefoot paradise before dinner on the beach.
Overnight: Kaya Mawa (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & selected activities)
Day 14 – Likoma Island
The day is entirely at leisure, shaped by mood and inclination. We may swim in the lake, explore by kayak, wander the island’s quiet paths or simply settle into a chair and watch the light move across the water. Likoma Island carries a gentle, unhurried atmosphere — a natural and welcome contrast to the structure and energy of safari life.
Overnight: Kaya Mawa (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & selected activities)
Day 15 – Likoma Island — Katundu Workshop Visit
During our stay, we visit the Katundu Workshop, a women-led initiative supported by the Green Safaris Conservation Foundation. Here, locally sourced and recycled materials are transformed into handcrafted textiles and homewares, providing sustainable income and skills development for the local community. The visit is informal and genuinely moving — a direct and personal connection to the people behind the work, and a fitting conclusion to a journey that has placed community at its heart.
Overnight: Kaya Mawa (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & selected activities)
Day 16 – Likoma Island
Our final full day on the island is left entirely open. Kaya Mawa takes its name from the Chichewa word for ‘maybe tomorrow’ — a philosophy that pervades the place completely. The morning might begin with a slow walk along the beach as the light comes up over the water, or a snorkel from the lodge’s shore among the extraordinary diversity of cichlid fish that animate the shallows.
Those with more energy can take to kayaks or paddleboards, explore the island’s bays and coves by sailing boat, or head out on electric mountain bikes along the dusty island tracks, winding past fishing villages and enormous baobab trees that have stood here for centuries. The island’s vast Anglican Cathedral of St Peter is well worth a visit and one of the most unexpected sites, with its scale entirely at odds with the island’s modest size, yet somehow perfectly at home in the surrounding landscape.
As the afternoon softens, we make our way to one of the lodge’s hidden lookout spots for a final sundowner to celebrate our time in the bush and our final night in Malawi.
Overnight: Kaya Mawa (All Inclusive: all meals, local drinks & selected activities)
Day 17 – Likoma Island to Lilongwe – Homeward Bound
We depart Likoma Island by charter flight to Lilongwe, connecting onward to Johannesburg and our overnight flight home. The day is largely in transit, carrying with it the accumulated warmth of two remarkable countries — the wildlife, the rivers, the people and the stillness of the lake. (B)
