Kafue National Park And Victoria Falls – 4 nights Kafue National Park | 2 nights Victoria Falls
Overview
The Kafue National Park is an absolute gem located in Zambia and I was so thrilled when Jordan indicated interest in visiting this area as it is truly spectacular. Zambia is wild country at its best, and offers a completely different game viewing experience due to the vastness of its parks and its abundant wildlife. From the Kafue we settled on two nights in Victoria Falls at Shongwe Lookout where Jordan and Brandi enjoyed some much needed rest and relaxation before heading back home to the States. It was an absolute pleasure designing this tour and I cannot wait to welcome them back in the near future.
Itinerary
This morning you are met at your airport hotel by your lodge representative. Once you have enjoyed breakfast, your lodge representative will transfer you by road to your lodge in the Kafue National Park.
Upon arrival in the Kafue National Park, you continue to make your way to your lodge along the banks of the Kafue River.
Once you have checked in and settled into the lodge, you are taken on your first afternoon game activity in the Kafue National Park.
Transfer Time – Lusaka to Ila Safari Lodge: approx. 3 ½ hours
Kafue National Park was established in the 1950s by the legendary Norman Carr but despite its size, diversity and wealth of game, the park remains largely unexplored. Kafue National Park is a 22,400 square kilometres of pristine African bush.
Explore the area in open 4×4 game viewers, by boat on the mighty Kafue River or using your own two feet in the form of walking safaris. 40% of all of Africa’s water flows through Zambia and the Kafue River –the major lifeline of this park – is one of the largest rivers in the country.
This unexplored gem of a park is enticing for its incredible diversity of wildlife and its sheer quantity of big game. From the remote northern seasonal Busanga floodplain formed of open grassland dotted with wild date palm, sausage and fig tree ‘islands’, through central miombo woodland and along the banks of the mighty Kafue River to the more sandy southern plains the Kafue represents an incredible collection of diverse habitats.
The diversity of habitat makes Kafue one of the best locations in Africa for birding. The Kafue riverbanks, wetlands, savannah and woodland boast an impressive 478 of Zambia’s 733-recorded bird species. Among them African Wattled and Crowned Crane, Fish Eagle, Woolly-Necked Stork, Saddle Billed Stork, Goliath Heron, Ground Hornbill, African Fin Foot, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Purple-Crested Lourie and Chaplin’s Barbet.
On the big game front lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo are all prominent. Further to this, Kafue boasts the highest population of cheetah in Zambia and the greatest diversity of antelope in the world including the much revered roan and sable antelopes.
This morning is at leisure, you are met by your lodge ranger and driven by road from the Kafue National Park to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. The road transfer takes approx. 3 hours, enjoy the views of Zambia by road!
Upon arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, you connect with your direct flight to Livingstone International Airport. Once you have arrived at Livingstone International Airport, you are met by our representative and transferred by road to your hotel in the town of Victoria Falls for your 2 night stay.
The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.
Transfer Time – Kafue National Park, Ila Lodge to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: approx. 3 ½ hours
Flight Time – Lusaka to Livingstone: approx. 1 hour 10 minutes
Transfer Time – Livingstone Airport to Shongwe Lookout: approx. 30 minutes
Besides being one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls is the unchallenged adventure capital of Africa with more than 50 activities available.
The Victoria Falls is considered to be the largest waterfall in the world. See the mighty Zambezi River as it thunders over the 1700 metre wide Victoria Falls and plunges 100 metres into a narrow gorge below. The great columns of spray rising from the tumultuous falls can be seen from 80 kilometres away on a clear day. If you are lucky enough to be there at full moon, a “moonbow” can be seen in the spray instead of the usual daylight rainbow.
This morning you enjoy breakfast at your hotel before you are met by our representative and transferred by road to the Victoria Falls International Airport where you connect with your next flight.
Transfer time: The Kingdom Hotel to Victoria Falls International Airport – approx. 30 minutes
Kafue National Park – Zambia: Ila Safari Lodge
Situated on the banks of the Kafue River, Ila Safari Lodge combines a sleek, modern design with an environmentally sustainable approach. The lodge is situated within Kafue National Park, an area of abundant wildlife, with hippos and elephants often seen relaxing along the river banks.
The 10 luxury safari tents are raised on decks overlooking the river and furnished in a modern African style, with each individually designed to blend in with its surrounding environment. The design of each tent is suited to mesh with the flora surrounding it providing shade, privacy and your very own piece of Kafue wilderness.
Our family tents can accommodate 4 people, or in case of families with 3 kids, can have an extra bed added. The spacious tents offer 2 separated sleeping departments, ideal for families or for couples sharing. Both family tents offer a luxurious bath and shower, overlooking the Kafue River.
All tents feature en suite bathrooms and either outside showers or baths. Beds are extra length for the most comfortable night’s sleep. Mosquito nets are spacious and billowing and are turned down for you each evening. The stay in your tent will be a unique and pampering bush experience, something you will remember for a lifetime!
The central boma of the lodge offers a swimming pool, an open air restaurant, bar and lounge with 180 degree views over the river, a boat jetty, and a firepit area for evening gatherings. Trees have been incorporated into the design and structure of the lodge, and it is completely run on solar power.
Dinner is served in the open air restaurant, offering stunning views over the Kafue River, food is of a high quality and the service is excellent.
Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe: Shongwe Lookout
Shongwe Lookout is a new lodge which offers 23 beautifully furnished rooms set in the suburbs of Victoria Falls. The rooms surround the unique Lookout Tower, which offers stunning views of the Zambezi River, and the mist rising above the world-famous Victoria Falls, for which the lodge takes its Shona name.
Shongwe Lookout offers guests stunning African décor, combined with modern comfort. The rooms are set in verdant tropical gardens, built around stunning teak trees teaming with bird life. The rooms are grouped according to these cheerful visitors; Carmine Bee-eater, Paradise Flycatcher, Kingfisher, Heuglin’s Robin, and the Trumpeter Hornbill.
Deluxe and Executive rooms contain a shower and a bath, while studio rooms contain a shower. All rooms provide a private toilet, a desk, free Wi-Fi, a safe, USB and universal plugs, tea and coffee facilities, a fan, a mosquito net, an air conditioner, toiletries and a host of other amenities to ensure your comfort.
Shongwe Lookout is located 1 kilometre from Victoria Falls town centre, and 2 kilometres from the world-renown waterfall for which our town is named.
INCLUDED IN PRICE Kafue National Park: Daily Safari Programme at Ila Lodge
Ila Safari Lodge offers a wide variety of activities, to make sure you’ll get to experience the pristine wilderness of the Kafue National Park at its best and learn about the conservation programmes. Activities include Game drives in Kafue National Park and boat cruises down the river.
The Game Drives and River Cruises are excellent ways to see the abundant local wildlife, and you will have a good chance of seeing lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, and a range of other species.
Ila Lodge takes great pride in their Eco-Lodge. Some of the vehicles at Ila Lodge are Eco friendly and run on electricity! This vehicle allows you to experience all the sights and sounds of the bush in near silence and with a sense of environmental care. The eLandy is kept close to camp and operates in the Game Management Area for short drives or the relatively common ‘dinner table dash’ to investigate what that sound in the night was or how close those lion calls are!
The eLandy aside they have three top of the range game viewers which reside on the park side of the river. It’s a quick float in a boat over to them which is always a nice way to start the morning! The guides are all masters of their craft, spend a morning or afternoon exploring the park with them and see what you can find. Regular sightings include lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, a wide range of antelopes including roan, sable and zebra, hippo, crocodile, warthog, genet, jackal, mongoose, every entertaining baboons and monkeys and a myriad of species of bird. The rarer species are also on the cards including wild dog, cheetah, honey badger, civet, serval, bushpig, porcupine and bushbaby.
Besides the game drives, you can enjoy a boat cruise at either dawn or dusk along the Kafue River or a waling safari with on the specialist walking guides. The walking safari will take you on an exiting walk using footprints and spoor tracks to find the animals. Other activities include fishing, a visit to Ila Community and star gazing.
SUGGESTED Victoria Falls: Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River
The Ra-Ikane is a small luxury cruise boat that is out-fitted to suggest, in exquisite detail, an ambiance of a bygone era. This cruise boat is exclusive (14 guests only) and personalised – period decor, historic memorabilia, fine cuisine and refreshments offer a level of comfort and grace unsurpassed on the Zambezi. As afternoon fades into twilight, animals come down to the river to drink as you go by.
INCLUDED IN PRICE Victoria Falls: Scheduled Tour of The Falls
As you approach the Falls and hear the water pounding and witness the vapour rising, you quickly understand why local tribesman called the Falls “Mosi-oa-Tunya” (the smoke that thunders) and why the explorer David Livingstone exclaimed that a scene “so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. The great columns of spray rising from the tumultuous falls can be seen from 80 kilometres away on a clear day. If you are lucky enough to be there at full moon, a “moonbow” can be seen in the spray instead of the usual daylight rainbow. Because the Victoria Falls fall into a chasm, rather than falling down an escarpment, it is possible to walk along the opposite side of the chasm, at the same height as the top of the Falls. From the unique walking trails the magnificence and glory of the Falls are head on and only about 60 metres (200 feet) away. The spray falls on the trails like soft rain, feeding the lush vegetation.
SUGGESTED Victoria Falls: Adventure Activities
Victoria Falls is the unchallenged adventure capital of Africa with more than 50 activities available. Here is our selection of the best:
Tiger fishing:
Spend a half day on the Zambezi River fishing for one of the great freshwater game fish – The Tigerfish. These powerful, swift predators are truly thrilling to catch.
Canoeing:
Paddle slowly down the Zambezi River in a canoe with some of the best wildlife guides in Africa and enjoy the beauty, peace and wildlife of this unique place. Explore islands and waterways and learn about the birds and animals you come across along the route.
Flight of Angels Helicopter Flip over the Falls:
At ground level you can feel the enormous power of the Victoria Falls as tremendous volumes of water pound into the chasm below. But it is only when you take to the air that you can take in the whole panorama and enormity of this mighty spectacle.
Bungi Jumping:
Bungi jump off the 111 metre high railway bridge into the Zambezi gorge, stopping just metres from the rushing water of the Zambezi River. This is a wild jump! There are two bungi options: A single jump on your own or a tandem jump with a partner.
White Water Rafting:
White Water Rafting on the Zambezi River is acclaimed as the best one day white water rafting trip available in the world. There are different options for rafting depending on the time of year and the level of water in the river.
Jet Boat Extreme:
Speedboats powered by huge jet engines shoot down the rapids below the Victoria Falls at 100 km an hour. Enjoy a thrilling half hour spent “flying” over the water.
Jordan B , USA ,2nd November 2019
Anya was an absolute pleasure to communicate and plan this trip with. We were thrilled with the itinerary we settled on after a few emails and back and forth with Anya patiently making changes and answering our questions. We loved our time in the Kafue and we are so happy we decided to visit this area of Zambia as we had no idea where to begin planning our safari. We had previously been on many game drives but Zambia just blew us away because of how expansive it was and the concentration of animals we saw was incredible. We thoroughly enjoyed Anya’s selection of accommodation in both the Kafue and Victoria Falls was perfectly suited to us and our expectations. Thank you again – we will be back!
