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Explore Zambia’s wild wonders, from Victoria Falls to iconic park, and Lake Malawi, with rich culture, vibrant communities, and eco-friendly stays.
Embark on an unforgettable journey that blends luxury, culture, and the raw beauty of nature. Discover Zambia’s thundering Victoria Falls, vast wildlife-rich parks, and welcoming communities rooted in tradition and sustainability. Then, unwind on the serene shores of Lake Malawi, where clear waters and barefoot luxury await. A journey through the wild heart of Zambia and Lake Malawi, creating memories to last a lifetime.
This itinerary departs daily and can be customised to suit you by our Destination Experts.
Transfers, game drives and transfers with an English-speaking driver and/or guide, Livingstone -Kafue National Park-Busanga Plains-Mfuwe National Park-Lilongwe flights.
Sightseeing:
Game drives and safari activities, walking and ebike trails and fishing. Visits to lodge’s community farms, schools, community visits and market visits. Non-motorised activities at Kaya Mawa are available to use for independent sightseeing including kayaking, sailing, stand up paddle board and snorkelling.
Itinerary
Day 1
Livingstone - Tongabezi Lodge
Arrive in Livingstone and feel the warm Zambezi breeze as you transfer through this historic town to Tongabezi Lodge, your riverfront base just upstream of Victoria Falls.
Set along the Zambezi River, Tongabezi blends laid-back luxury with heartfelt hospitality. Unwind in the lounge or bar, cool off in one of the two pools. Dining is a highlight at this lodge, on the river deck, in the elegant dining room, privately in-room, or even on a floating sampan. A selection of experiences such as game drives, bush walks, and boating is included.
Meals:
Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Tongabezi Lodge
Wake to sunrise over the Zambezi and a leisurely breakfast soundtracked by hippos and birdlife. Your Tongabezi host will tailor the day entirely to the pace you would like, do as much or as little as you like.
A guided visit to Victoria Falls is a must for first-time visitors (National Park entrance fee to be paid locally). At dawn or dusk, drift along the Zambezi on a sunrise or sunset cruise to watch river life unfold; prolific birding, crocodiles, monkeys, elephants crossing in shallows, and pods of hippos with dominant bulls keeping order. For a cultural connection, visit the local community school to see education projects in action, then browse Livingstone’s markets filled with colour, energy, and handcrafted wares.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Livingstone - Central Kafue
Depart Livingstone, the gateway to the Falls, and enjoy aerial views of the Zambezi before the wetlands give way to forest and plains. Land in Kafue, one of Africa’s largest national parks, and settle into a rhythm of morning and afternoon activities designed to immerse you in this wild, unspoiled land.
An authentic eco-lodge sleeping up to 24 guests, Ila Safari Lodge sits on a sweeping bend of the Kafue River with 180-degree views. The sculptural central boma pairs sustainable design with contemporary flair. Ten luxury safari tents, each on a private deck over the riverbank, are individually positioned for shade, privacy, and a sense of place in the surrounding bush. Your stay includes activities tailored to your interests and preferred pace and curated by the staff upon arrival at Ila.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
Central Kafue
Wake to the sounds of birdsong and set out on a guided walk, reading the morning’s stories in the tracks and calls of the birds. Embark on a boat safari to explore Kafue’s channels and floodplains from a unique perspective. Try your hand at catch-and-release fishing amid serene river scenery. For a travel with purpose experience, visit a nearby community to learn about local history, culture, and daily life directly from the people of Kafue.
Day 5
Central Kafue - Busanga Plains
Fly north across a mosaic of woodland and water into the open, seasonally inundated grasslands of the Busanga Plains—one of Zambia’s most atmospheric safari regions. Touch down where antelope herds roam and horizons seem endless.
Inspired by the woven nests of local weaver birds, Chisa Busanga Camp’s elevated “Nest” rooms sit among trees on a small island, with the camp running entirely on solar power, including their game-drive vehicles and e-bikes. Thoughtful, low-impact design and warm hosting celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of Busanga. Daytime activities focus on expansive plains game viewing, lion prides, cheetah sightings, and abundant antelope, by vehicle or on foot.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
Busanga Plains
Explore by e-bike with an expert guide who knows Busanga’s hidden viewpoints and best birding spots, an exhilarating, low-impact way to cover ground. Slow the tempo on a guided bush walk with an armed scout to focus on tracks, plants, and the small wonders often missed from a vehicle. After dark, lift your gaze to a star-studded sky, Busanga by night is pure magic.
Note: This experience is with a maximum of six guests, with a required minimum age of 14.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7
Busanga Plains
Rise before dawn for coffee on your private deck as mist lifts off the floodplains, then roll out in a silent, solar-powered e-Cruiser across open grasslands where puku, red lechwe, and roan graze while lions work the tree islands. Enjoy a bush breakfast and return to camp to read, shower, and watch wattled cranes and saddle-billed storks from your perch. After lunch and a siesta, take either a guided walk to decode the micro-stories of the veld or a drive tracking predators in the golden hour. Sundowners at a palm-dotted termite mound segue into a short night drive for civet, serval, and porcupine. Dine under lanterns and fall asleep to Busanga’s nocturnal chorus.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8
Kafue National Park - South Luangwa National Park
Fly east from Busanga’s floodplains to the Luangwa Valley, watching the Luangwa River carve oxbows through woodlands as you descend into one of Africa’s finest wildlife sanctuaries.
About an hour’s drive from Mfuwe Airport, Shawa Luangwa Camp sits on the Luangwa River near the Nsefu sector. Led by renowned guide Jacob Shawa, the team delivers exceptional sightings on game drives, walking safaris, and memorable bush breakfasts. The intimate camp sleeps only 10 across five luxury tents, and two combine into family accommodation. A two-storey boma overlooks the river perfect for armchair wildlife watching. Explore by silent e-Cruisers, on foot with a scout, or by seasonal boat to appreciate South Luangwa’s 400+ bird species and prolific mammals.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9
South Luangwa National Park
Start with coffee and rusks on your deck, then head out in an e-Cruiser or on foot through winter-thorn groves and oxbow lagoons as hippos grunt and carmine bee-eaters flash by. Pause for a bush breakfast and return for lunch, a swim, and quiet time as elephants and giraffe drift along the riverine fringe. After tea, venture into classic leopard country dotted with sandy riverbeds and ebony woodlands before sundowners on a sandbank. A gentle night drive reveals genets, civets, hyenas, and if luck allows a leopard on the move. Return to a lantern-lit dinner and fireside nightcaps.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10
South Luangwa National Park
With the first light on the river, set out on a guided walk tracing fresh spoor while your scout interprets birdsong and subtle bush signs. Picnic beneath towering albida trees, then return for brunch, a dip, and time to watch elephants test the shallows. In the afternoon, choose a seasonal hide (August –October) to witness the carmine bee-eater colonies in full chorus, or follow lion and wild dog tracks in the e-Cruiser. Sundowners on a quiet sandbank precede a night drive back to camp. Dine under the stars and trade stories by the fire.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11
South Luangwa - Likoma Island, Malawi
Fly from the Luangwa wilderness to Lake Malawi, where clear freshwater stretches to the horizon. As Likoma Island appears below, the pace shifts from safari to island-time serenity.
Meaning “maybe tomorrow,” Kaya Mawa embodies relaxed Malawian hospitality with a barefoot luxury polish. Fill your days with included non-motorised water activities, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing, swimming, and snorkelling, or opt for other experiences such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, e-biking, quad-biking, boat fishing, or diving with the on-site PADI centre (additional cost).
As the sun dips, a lakeside spa treatment (additional cost) is the perfect wind-down. Explore the community farm, swim in gin-clear water, or laze on the beach with a cool drink as the sky turns gold.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12
Likoma Island
Wake to water lapping the rocks and ease into the day with a sunrise swim or paddle across the bay. Join a guided snorkel to see kaleidoscopic cichlids in the rocky shallows. After a leisurely lake-to-table breakfast, unwind by the pool or dip into more water sports. Following lunch and perhaps another spa treatment (additional cost) set sail by dhow to a quiet cove for snorkelling and a lakeside sundowner. Enjoy a private candlelit dinner on the beach or your deck, then stargaze as night-fishing boats glow across the lake.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13
Likoma Island
After breakfast, explore Likoma by e-bike (additional cost), stopping at historic St. Peter’s Cathedral before a hands-on visit to Katundu Workshop to meet the artisans behind much of the lodge’s décor. Return for a picnic lunch on the beach, time in the pool or lake, and a final afternoon at leisure either on the water, the sand, or dozing with a book. Celebrate your last evening with dinner shared or private as you reflect on two weeks across Zambia and Malawi.
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14
Likoma Island - Lilongwe
Savour a last breakfast overlooking the lake before your transfer to Likoma Airstrip and flight to Lilongwe International Airport for onward connections.
Meals:
Breakfast
Booking terms and conditions apply.
*
Term and conditions apply: All pricing subject to change and availability. Advertised prices are per person twin share unless stated otherwise. Offers may be withdrawn at any time. Itineraries are subject to change. Booking Conditions and Phil Hoffmann Travel Schedule of Professionalism* applies. Please speak to your Phil Hoffmann Travel Consultant for more information.
