Travel Suggestions for Bird Enthusiasts & Safari Seekers! Read Part 1 first if you haven’t already!

Day 6: Full day inside Kafue National Park. Birding safari and river cruise included in the program. Game drives and walking safaris are also a possibility. Fancy a rejuvenating hot spring dip in a unique sand bottomed Jacuzzi? Anything is possible @ Hippo Lodge! Your wish is our command!!!

Day 7: Game drive until 9 am, breakfast @ Hippo Lodge and departure for Lochinvar National Park. Lochinvar has outstanding birding prospects, with over 420 recorded bird species in a little more than 428 square kilometers! That’s almost one bird species per kilometer square!

Overnight @ The Lechwe Plains Tented Camp. Excursion highlights include a unique mokoro (dugout canoe) outing, questing for Kafue lechwe and sitatungas!

Watch Out Birds: pink backed and white pelicans, African skimmer, Baillon’s crake, osprey, secretary bird, etc.

Day 8: Early departure by charter flight to the Bangweulu Swamps in the northern region of the country! The area is home to the endemic Black lechwe and is one of the last refuges of the amazing Shoebill, a very large stork-like bird. Your stay for the night will be @ Shoebill Island Camp, which offers a panoramic view of the floodplain!

Privileged encounter with a Shoebill!

Days 9, 10 & 11: Last but not least, our final destination sends you to my favorite Zambia safari destination: South Luangwa National Park! By fact, many experts view it as one of the top wildlife game sanctuaries in the world!

Accommodation @ the luxurious Mfuwe Lodge! Each chalet has its own en-suite bathroom, and a splendid deck overlooking one of the lagoons. The lodge also has an open boma for special dinner nights, and a campfire area for late and chilly evening chats under the starlit African skies!

Typical birds of the area: yellow and saddle billed storks, open billed storks, black headed herons, ground hornbills, hammerkops and carmine bee-eaters!

Saddle-Billed Storks: I call them Belgian Storks!

Activities:

- Upon arrival: Light lunch, afternoon nap and night game drive. The Luangwa Valley is well-known for its remarkable and busy animal life after dark. Keep your eyes open for unusual species such as African civets, genets, porcupines and bushbabies! Also of interest are foraging hippos, hyenas and leopards (awesome area for these elusive cats)!

- Day 10: Early game drive, copious breakfast and walking safari around the lodge area. A second night drive is encouraged, although it is up to you really!

- Day 11: Packing up and en route for Lusaka International Airport!

Et voilà! Hope you enjoyed the post, and that it gave you valuable info about the country!

Let me know if you’ve been to any of these regions, and if so, feedback and anecdotes on your overall journey experience would be very much appreciated!

Thanks,

Michael

Tags: African Birds, Bird Watching, Birding, Birds, Zambia

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