A Wild 15 Years of Luangwa Bush Camping

For anyone wanting a true bush experience but not quite sure they are willing to commit the whole way, Luangwa Bush Camping is the ideal solution.

This year marks the 15^th anniversary since Robin Pope Safaris took guests on the first Luangwa Bush Camping trip into the Nsefu Sector in one of Zambia’s premier wilderness areas, the South Luangwa National Park.

This small operation, which runs between Nsefu and Tena Tena camps, is a perfect walking option in an area teeming with wildlife for up to four guests, sleeping a maximum of three nights. Whether you are a thrill-seeker or choose to tread a little more cautiously, these trips are tailored according to the adventure levels and interests of guests.

The Nsefu Sector is an area of the South Luangwa National Park that is just packed with game and you can expect to see everything from impalas to leopard all on foot. No two walks are the same as Mother Nature will open up her doors to you in different ways each time you set out on these paths away from the crowds.

Journeying into the bush from either Nsefu or Tena Tena in the morning and arriving at your new home in the bush is an unforgettable experience. The mobile camps are set out in three wildly different locations in a way that when the group leaves, no one would know anyone (of the humankind, at least!) had been there before. After a delicious lunch under the shade of towering trees, the group settles down to a well-earned snooze before once again heading out on the afternoon’s adventure.

The tranquillity of walking through the bush being completely in touch with your senses is often a brand-new experience for most that come from the bustling life of the city. On a Luangwa Bush Camping trip, you will be listening out for the faintest of rustles or even the short sharp alarm call of a puku to alert you to what could be hiding around the corner. Certainly, a far cry from queuing up at traffic lights waiting for them to turn red before crossing the street! The heart can be set racing by the mere anticipation of what you might see or just by the noisy take-off of a clumsy spurfowl.

The afternoon’s walk draws to a close just before sunset so that there is time to organize an ice-cold gin and tonic on the outskirts of camp while watching the sun go down. As the group relaxes with a drink and snack in hand, the landscape is bathed with the golden light of the setting sun before dusk covers the valley and the animals prepare themselves for the night ahead.

Getting into camp, the staff prepare the warm bush showers and, after changing for the evening, everyone sits around the campfire while dinner is cooked and served under the stars of the great African sky. Stories are shared over a delicious meal while the owls hoot gently in the trees above and a pride of lions bellow out on the plains.

If you are interested in going on an adventure in the bush, contact Robin Pope Safaris for more information on availability, rates and bookings for Luangwa Bush Camping.