Located on the site of Norman Carr’s original camp, Kakuli was his local nickname and means ‘old buffalo bull’. It has views down to the Luangwa river as well as over the adjoining waterhole.

A rendering of the new rooms at Kakuli

Named ‘River Song’ for its enviable position on the Luangwa river, this new double-storey star bed is set away from the main lodge in riverine woodland, allowing guests to drift off and awaken to the trickle of the water, the night sounds and morning chorus of birds.

The upper deck comprises the open-air bed with a mozzie net and a full private bathroom, including a romantic freestanding tub overlooking the river. The lower deck houses the living and dining space, with wonderful views of the sunset and sunrise.

A nearby armed scout and guide are always on call via a two-way radio.

The race takes place on Saturday 19 September 2026 from the Hook Bridge on the Moshi road. There is also an 11km / 7mi route.

Entries are K675 per person and runners can enter and pay at Ticket Host: https://tickethost.co.zm/events/the-kafuewild-2026

The Game Rangers’ Association of Africa, Tusk, Wildlife Ranger Challenge, the Zambian Department of National Parks & Wildlife, and African Parks are all involved in the 2026 KafueWild. Corporate entries and sponsors are welcome to reach out and get involved.

As part of Wings and Wheels, the GSCF tracks and measures every kilometre travelled by guests using complimentary road or air transfers to move between Green Safaris’ lodges and camps. This figure is then offset by distributing locally built, fuel-efficient cookstoves to families in the Mponda Seniority of the Mulendema Chiefdom, bordering Kafue National Park. According to the GSCF, ‘Each stove reduces wood consumption by two-thirds, improves indoor air quality and cuts household emissions by 2.28 metric tons of CO? per year; that’s enough to offset every ton produced by the Wings and Wheels programme.’

Guests on a game-drive vehicle at Ila in Kafue

According to Lauren Summers, marketing director at Green Safaris, ‘The result is a seamless experience for the guest and a meaningful impact for the communities that live alongside the ecosystems that [we] help protect.

‘Wings and Wheels represents what we believe travel should be: a force for good. [Since founding Green Safaris in 2016], the measure of that belief is what’s been built on the ground: communities more resilient, ecosystems more protected, and a programme that has now been recognised at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards two years running. It’s not just about offsetting emissions; it’s about rethinking the role tourism plays in the places we love.’

To date, Wings and Wheels has:

• Delivered 175 clean cookstoves
• Offset over 400 tons of CO? annually
• Improved air quality for over a thousand people
• Saved 405 tons of wood every year
• Improved health and reduced time spent collecting firewood, particularly for women and children

The stoves are built using materials sourced locally and designed in collaboration with the communities who use them. They are easy to maintain and built to last, ensuring long-term benefits without ongoing dependency.

Wings and Wheels helps protect habitats bordering Kafue

The GSCF’s other carbon-combatting initiatives include:

• ‘Silent Safaris’ using Africa’s first electric game-drive vehicles
• 80% solar-powered lodges
• More than 22 000 indigenous trees planted annually through reforestation efforts

Wings and Wheels has been recognised at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards two years running: in 2025 in the Climate Change category, and in 2026 as One to Watch.

Green Safaris runs the following highly regarded camps in Zambia:

• VICTORIA FALLS Tongabezi Lodge and Sindabezi Island Camp
• KAFUE NATIONAL PARK Ila Safari Lodge and Chisa Busanga Camp
• SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK Shawa Luangwa Camp
• LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK Sausage Tree Camp and Potato Bush Camp

Chisa Busanga is home to Nests, some of the most unusual guest rooms in the country

Highlights in Zambia include:

• Nearly 300 children engaged in Kafue Conservation Education Clubs through on-the-ground learning in national parks
• A new ablution block for pupils at Mukuni Primary School outside Livingstone
• The 12.6-hectare organic community farm was formally handed over to the Mukuni Development Trust
• A 6-hectare Mulendema Organic Community Farm is now fully operational to the west of Lusaka
• 500 trees were planted in the Mukuni Chiefdom
• Over 2300 bamboo trees were planted in the Mulendema Chiefdom
• Five solar-powered, game-drive e-cruisers are now operating in Zambian national parks
• The use of e-bikes for solar-powered cycling across Zambia
• E-boats and e-dhows running on solar power on the Kafue and Zambezi rivers

Mukuni Farm at Livingstone near Victoria Falls

All of this is in addition to ongoing projects that support students with school and university fees, computer literacy classes, provision of stationery and learning materials, and the establishment of community gardens.

The GSCF also supports bee-keeping, small-scale farming, community gardens, dam construction and chili fencing to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Thanks to other efforts, the company now:

• Runs 80% of operations on solar power
• Use zero single-use plastics
• Saves 850 000 litres / 224 600 gallons of water annually
• Has planted around 100 000 trees
• Runs 14 hectares / 35 acres of farm-to-table organic produce
• Saves 29 200 litres / 7 720 gallons of diesel per annum

An electric boat on the Kafue river

Green Safaris runs the following highly regarded camps in Zambia:

• VICTORIA FALLS Tongabezi Lodge and Sindabezi Island Camp
• KAFUE NATIONAL PARK Ila Safari Lodge and Chisa Busanga Camp
• SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK Shawa Luangwa Camp
• LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK Sausage Tree Camp and Potato Bush Camp

Peter Geraerdts of Track and Trail River Camp in South Luangwa National Park offers his top tips:

Observing Is Predicting

The most powerful wildlife photographs are rarely accidents. They are the reward for stillness, awareness, and intent. By observing carefully, you begin to sense what will happen next. A pause becomes a promise. A glance becomes a story about to unfold. In wildlife photography, seeing is not enough—understanding is everything.

Understanding Routine & Patterns

Animals live by patterns written long before we arrive with our cameras. The best safari guides and photographers don’t wait for luck; they study habits, movements, and routines. As you learn when animals feed, rest, or travel, you begin to move in harmony with their world—arriving not too late, not too early, but exactly when the moment is ready.

Lioness sisters.

Interpreting Body Language

Nature speaks softly before it roars. A lion’s flicking tail, a bird’s tightening wings, a subtle shift in posture—these are whispers that something extraordinary is about to happen. Those who learn to read these signs gain a rare gift: the ability to capture the moment just before it becomes history.

Patience and Positioning

Wildlife rewards those who wait. Instead of pursuing animals, let patience guide you. Choose your position thoughtfully, settle into the landscape, and allow the scene to unfold naturally. In stillness, you become part of the environment—and that is when the most authentic images are made.

Fish eagles fighting.

Proactive, Not Reactive

Inspiration favors the prepared. While the wild can be unpredictable, anticipation allows you to meet fleeting moments with confidence. When your camera is ready—settings dialed in, focus set, mind alert—you are free to respond instinctively, capturing motion, emotion, and energy in a single frame.

Master Your Camera Settings

Technical mastery frees creativity. When you understand your camera instinctively, it becomes an extension of your vision. In low light, fast action, or quiet dawn moments, your readiness allows you to focus not on buttons—but on the story unfolding in front of you.

An impala in mid-air.

The Advantage of a Professional Photographic Safari Guide

A professional photographic safari guide does far more than lead the way—they elevate the entire experience. Their expertise transforms a safari into a living classroom, where every game drive becomes an opportunity to grow as a photographer. With a trained eye for light, composition, and timing, a seasoned guide helps you see scenes not just as they are, but as they can be.

Access to prime locations, thoughtful positioning, and real-time guidance on equipment and settings allow you to focus fully on creativity. More than that, a professional photographic guide shares insight, context, and storytelling—helping each image carry meaning beyond the frame. It is a journey where knowledge meets inspiration, and where photographers of all levels leave not only with powerful images, but with a deeper connection to the wild.

Respecting the Environment

True wildlife photography is rooted in respect. While understanding animal behavior is essential, honoring the environment in which these animals live is equally important. The goal is not simply to capture beauty, but to do so responsibly—without intrusion, disruption, or harm.

Maintaining a respectful distance and allowing animals to behave naturally preserves the authenticity of the moment. When wildlife is undisturbed, their stories unfold honestly, and the images created reflect the true spirit of the wild. Ethical photography ensures that these environments remain unchanged, allowing future generations—both human and animal—to thrive.

A family of bee-eaters.

All the rooms are being rebuilt to be more spacious and have an improved indoor-outdoor design. The aim is to have a balance between refined luxury and comfort that also retains Kaingo’s original character and Shenton’s focus on authentic safaris in South Luangwa National Park.

This major revamp follows the upgrades to sister bush camp Mwamba in 2024 – read more here.

There are two long-stay specials at Kaingo for the 2026 season – click here and scroll down to find out more about how you can save.

The current standard rooms will be rebuilt.

R7A and R7 have a new home in Lolelunga.

The 7-year-old pair are first housed in a secure area 10 times the size of their previous space to encourage bonding, which will increase their chances of survival in the wild. The next part of the process involves ‘scavenging trials’ in which carcasses will be left in their territory to stimulate their natural opportunistic scavenging traits (lions routinely steal kills from hyenas and leopards). The aim is to reinforce the notion that food comes from their surroundings, not from human keepers.

Once the team of a wildlife vet, lion-rewilding specialist and on-site management are satisfied with their hunting progress, the lions will be monitored at a distance using GPS tracking collars that will record their movements. Stationery lions are often eating kills so the team will be able to understand if they are hunting suitable prey successfully. The team will also keep their distance to ensure the pair start developing a natural aversion to humans after being surrounded by them for so many years.

The male and female were chosen to ensure they do not share a genetic overlap with the lions in Kafue National Park and the surrounding GMAs (game management areas). If breeding does ever occur, a new genetic bloodline will benefit the offspring.

Lolelunga’s reintroduced cheetahs produced three cubs earlier in 2026 – you can read more here.

African Parks hailed the Zambian government’s commitment to establishing and strengthening national parks, game management areas (GMAs), forest reserves and protected wetlands – such as Bangweulu – across the across to country with the aim of unlocking their ‘ecological, social and economic value’.

An example of this is African Parks working with the government and Barotse Royal Establishment in Liuwa Plain National Park to establish visitor campsites and highlight attractions such as traditional fishing methods.

PHOTOS Mike Dexter and Daan Smit | African Parks

Biodiversity conservation in Liuwa Plain

The main living and dining space opens onto the pool at Chongwe River House.

Activities include game drives in the national park, boating on the river and seasonal nature walks, angling and sleepouts. Chongwe Camp offers down-to-earth but extremely comfortable accommodation while Chongwe River House is a 4-bedroom exclusive-use safari villa with unparalleled privacy. Both are famous for breeding herds of elephant passing through while hippos, crocodiles and fish eagles are found along the waterways.

For the daring and/or romantic, the house has open-air bathtubs for soaking under the stars on a clear or moonlit night… Those who want adventure and are fit enough can opt to hike Chirapila, a nearby mountain that is tougher than it looks – the name literally means, ‘Never again!’.

MORE INFORMATION

• Chongwe River House
• Chongwe Camp

Scientists from The Wilderness Project, which was created in 2018 to study African freshwater systems such as the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Zambezi, have found that more than 70% of the water flowing over the Victoria Falls actually originates in Angola.

To investigate the true source of the river, research teams paddled from the commonly accepted starting point near Kalene Hill in Northwestern province. They also explored the Lungwebungu River in Angola to determine which source was farther from the ocean. Their measurements showed that if the Angolan source is used, the Zambezi is 342km / 213mi longer than previously thought.

The Lungwebungu river begins in the highlands of Angola and flows for about 1 032km / 641mi before joining the Zambezi near Lukulu in Western province.

In 2022 and 2023, researchers from The Wilderness Project, together with the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project and the Wild Bird Trust, paddled the entire length of the Zambezi River.

Based on the new research, the Zambezi is now considered to be 3 421km / 2 126mi long. It remains the fourth-longest river in Africa after the Nile, Congo and Niger rivers.

Cruising the Zambezi with Waterberry Lodge

The Lungwebungu in Angola starts much farther from the ocean than the previously accepted source in Zambia. It begins in an area known as the Angolan Highlands Water Tower, which receives heavy rainfall and feeds several major rivers, providing about 70% of the water that flows into the upper Zambezi.

The Lungwebungu flows through deep sands of the Kalahari, which naturally filter and clean the water. Large wetlands, including those around Cameia National Park, also help purify the water and support the river’s ecosystem.

The Zambezi River Basin covers about 1.37 million square kilometres across eight countries: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

It is the largest river basin in southern Africa and an important biodiversity hotspot. Scientists have recorded more than 200 species of mammals, 700 of birds, 290 of reptiles and amphibians and 190 species of fish there.

PLACES TO STAY NEAR THE ZAMBEZI RIVER

Dulini Anabezi

Jollyboys Backpackers

Kanyemba Lodge

Maramba River Lodge

Nsofu Lodge

Royal Zambezi

Taita Falcon Lodge

Tongabezi

Waterberry Zambezi Lodge

PHOTOS Waterberry Zambezi Lodge

Set on the banks of the Zambezi river, its rooms range from a family unit all the way up to an impressive presidential suite. Even the deep copper bathtubs have views of the floodplain! The Royal Spa is one of the few bush spas in the country to offer more complex treatments like facials, reflexology, eyelash tinting and even mud therapy. All guests are treated to a complimentary hand or foot massage.

In addition to game drives with a highly experienced guiding team, activities include hiking, bush walks, seasonal catch-and-release fishing, boating, canoeing and birding. Food is not forgotten with an enticing plant-based menu available.

This latest award is one of many dating all the way back to 2016, a testimony to Royal Zambezi’s continuous commitment to excellence.

1. From 3 March 2026, Proflight Zambia will start a Lusaka–Livingstone-Windhoek route to Namibia that will fly on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
2. On 1 April 2026, eSwatini Air will start a service between eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lusaka.

For a list of airports in Zambia, please click here. For more information about chartered flights to and from Zambia’s major destinations, please click here.

The highlight is the journey of the Litunga on the royal barge – known as the Nalikwanda – from his household at Lealui across the Barotse floodplain. The barge is accompanied by 80 to 100 rowers wielding oars while his subjects beat regal Maoma drums, sing and dance. The Nalikwanda carries a massive carved elephant with moving ears, the symbol of royalty. It is an honour to be chosen as a paddler or rower, a position marked with a scarlet beret. A second barge, called the Nalwange (or egret), carries the queen. The bird’s wings are also designed to move as she progresses along the Zambezi.

Meanwhile between 200 000 and 250 000 spectators and subjects await the Litunga’s arrival on the bank and his court’s new location at Limulunga. The king returns to Lealui in about August in another festival known as Kufuluhela.

According to Wikipedia, Kuomboka has a rich history:

‘Kuomboka is said to have dated back to the 17th century, when there was a great flood called meyi a lungwangwa.^? People were afraid to escape the flood in their little dugout canoes. So it was that the high god, Nyambe, ordered a man called Nakambela to build the first great canoe, Nalikwanda, which means “for the people,” to escape the flood. Thus the start of what is known today as the Kuomboka ceremony. Held annually, the date of the ceremony was based on the height of the water and the moon’s phase. The Litunga consulted the Royal Graves beforehand, after which the royal Maoma drums were sounded to call the paddlers.

‘The first barge was made of reeds and called Njonjolo, though it soon came to be made by wood (reportedly by the first Litunga Mboo). Barges received praise names from Litunga: Mboo’s was called Sitandamwalye, Inyambo’s Lyamashandi, and Ngalama’s Notila. Yeta II used Notila during Kuombokas, but also built a barge called Nalikwanda. Mulambwa’s was reportedly called Njonjolo, though he is said to have maintained Nalikwanda. Tradition attributes the addition of the elephant to Mulambwa, who is said to have ridden one to become heir to the Litunga, after which it became a royal symbol.’

The royal barge is preceded by two scouts that check water levels, and the presence of animals and – in days gone by – the possibility of enemies. The ceremony mixes Lozi tradition with some colonial history, and takes at least six to eight hours. As the barge moves, the crew keep a fire onboard alight as the smoke is a sign to onlookers that the king is still alive. The three most prestigious drums are huge war drums dating at least 170 years.

The return trip is usually held in August with a journey called the Kufuluhela.

The Kuomboka shows off Lozi culture and tradition. Outsiders can visit provided they are respectful of the people and tradition, adhere to regulations and requests, and do not hinder the ceremony in any way. It is possible to combine the festival with a safari to nearby Liuwa Plain National Park or even Kafue National Park. Here are some accommodation options in Barotse.

PHOTO CREDIT African Parks | Marcus Westberg

In a poignant tribute, the camp is named after Olimba, a successful leopardess who features in Kingdom and died at the old age of 14 in 2025 during an unsuccessful hunt. Her memory will live on at the camp that memorialises her on film in an area rightly known as ‘the Valley of the Leopard’ for its dense leopard population.

Olimba Camp will have a plunge pool, solar power, running water and indoor and outdoor showers. Guests will have access to the seasonal carmine bee-eater hide as well as the Kawere hide. The area is also known for Luangwa giraffe (formerly Thornicroft’s), 470 bird species and sizable numbers of lion, wild dog, elephant and buffalo, ensuring god predator-prey action. Just downstream is a productive lagoon with hippo, crocodile and aquatic birds.

In addition, the menu will be supplemented with fresh produce straight from the Remote Africa vegetable garden (radically cutting food miles) while the Tafika Fund supports the Mkasanga village school.

Access is via light aircraft (15-minute flight from Mfuwe Airport to Lukuzi airstrip) or a 90-minute+ road transfer from Mfuwe (included in the rate). Olimba Camp accepts eight guests or can be taken on an exclusive-use basis for a minimum of six guests in a group. It will be open from 1 May to 10 November annually.

Other Remote Africa Lodges – Olimba’s Sister Camps in South and North Luangwa

• Tafika
• Chikoko and Big Lagoon – Walking Trails Camps
• Mwaleshi
• Takwela

Entry for international day visitors is now as follows until further notice:

• Rainforest main gate: USD58 per person
• VIP gate: USD174pp
• Moonlight viewing: USD116pp

Please note that this is to access the Falls on the Zimbabwean side, not the Zambian side.

More information

Click here for accommodation in Zambia around Vic Falls.

Click here for river lodges on the Zambezi and near Livingstone.

Click here for activities and adventures around Vic Falls.

PHOTO Tongabezi Lodge

Trekkers will spend two nights in an en suite chalet at Nanzhila Lake Camp, three nights sleeping under the stars at a wild campsite in Malala, and a final night back at Nanzhila. The camp has views of the Musa river, a tributary of the great Kafue, and of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi with morning and afternoon game drives to go in search of any game not seen on the walk. The campsite at Malala has an ablution block with a shower, basin and toilet.

The Malala campsite in Kafue National Park

The area is a rich tapestry of miombo and mopane woodland, dambos and rivers that support plenty of puku, lechwe, roan, buffalo and elephant that in turn attract lion, wild dog, leopard and crocodile. The terrain is mostly flat but walkers must be fit enough to carry their own backpack (about 60-70l and 15kg / 33lb), get up steep riverbanks and move about 10km / 6mi a day on their own steam. The trails can accommodate a minimum of four guests and a maximum of eight.

For optimum walking conditions, set departures will run in dry season only at a cost of USD4 600 per person:

• 16-22 July
• 4-10 September
• 10-17 September
• 11-18 October

The rate includes all accommodation, transfers within the park, meals, drinks and activities like game drives. It excludes transport to Kafue and selected spirits.

A reduced self-catering rate is available for Zambian residents who want to do the trail. The park also offers a no-frills yamu loko option – please contact visit.kafue@africanparks.org for more details. For more information on Kafue in general, please click on www.visitkafue.org

This is a rare opportunity to see Zambia’s largest park on foot while beginning and ending with a classic game-drive safari during peak season.

To book, email reservations@lowveldtrails.co.za

PHOTOS African Parks | Emma Badger

The camp had opened two new tents to help cope with the demand for being in such an unspoilt part of the park. Simple but practical, the canvas walls roll up for expansive views of the Luangwa river and treeline. Elevated platforms allow wildlife to pass underneath and for beds to catch cooling breezes. Sunken bathtubs are an idyllic place to watch the sunset before heading for a delicious dinner under the stars.

Shawa Luangwa promises a laidback safari in rustic comfort. The camp has several deals and specials for 2026 – please click here for more information.

Chikunto Safaris will be opening Nthawi House, a 2-bedroom exclusive use villa. ‘Nthawi’ means ‘time’ and that’s exactly what you’ll find: time to relax, unwind, decompress and settle into the rhythms of the bush, especially if you make use of the Pay 4, Stay 5 offer that gives you a 20 percent long-stay discount. In addition, parties of four guests or more (up to six) get complimentary use of a private game-drive vehicle so you can explore South Luangwa in your own time. Nthawi guides will head out away from the busier Mfuwe Gate area to maximise the overall sense of exclusivity and keep you away from the high-season crowds.

Nthawi comprises two bedrooms, one with a super-king bed and another with a king bed that can be converted into twins. The interior space clocks in at 220m² / 720ft² while the total decking measures a massive 340m² / 1 115ft². You will have indoor and outdoor lounging and dining spaces, views of the waterhole and use of a counter-current saltwater pool – ideal for working off high tea treats and sundowner snacks! The team will provide in-room massages, the perfect way to spend your siesta time.

In addition to so much private space, you will also be able to get great photos at the dedicated hide (with camera mounts and beanbags) and then process them in the lodge photo studio. Chikunto also has one of the highest sleepouts in the park, giving you a 360-degree view of the surrounding bush.