8-Day Lower Zambezi and Mana Pools Wildlife Safari from Lusaka

• Arrive in Lusaka, the capital city and business center of Zambia. Lusaka is one of Africa's most delightful cities, a metropolitan area that offers a traditional and hearty Zambian welcome to all visitors. You will be met at Lusaka (Kenneth Kaunda) International Airport by the greeters and company driver.

• Thereafter, you will be transferred to the Lusaka Central Business District (CBD) area.

• Stay at StayEasy Hotel within the CBD area (sharing), located in a quiet and central part of Lusaka city, a mere 4-minute walk from the upmarket Levy Mwanawasa shopping mall.

• Check in and relax while waiting to be served evening dinner.

Notes: There are no planned activities on the day of arrival in Lusaka. You will check in at the hotel and relax, or visit Lusaka city if you arrive early in the day. Activities start early the following morning, which is the day of travel to the Lower Zambezi valley via Chirundu border post.

• Take the tar road from Lusaka to Chirundu (D152/RD491, about 115 km), an important commercial artery that crosses the Zambian border and continues to Harare, Zimbabwe. As a result, this road is generally kept in good repair.

• After covering about 50 km on the D152 road from Lusaka, you will reach the small roadside town of Kafue, whose name is derived from the Kafue River, one of Zambia's major rivers. This town has no major attractions worth a stopover.

• At about 200-300 m from the Chirundu border, the unsignposted road to the Lower Zambezi branches east from the main road.

• Continue to Mvuu Lodge and Campsite in the game management area, covering a distance of 50 km for an exciting camping excursion.

• Depending on your arrival time, after checking in at Mvuu Lodge and Campsite, situated in a Game Management Area (GMA), stretch your legs by going for a short walk.

• Experience the thrill of walking closer to nature than ever before. If there is not enough time for a walk, you will be free to explore the nearby green surroundings of Mvuu Lodge and Campsite.

• 18:00 - Enjoy some evening relaxation.

• 19:30 - Savour dinner.

• 21:30 - Tuck in for an early sleep.

• 05:10 - Wake up early and take a bath.

• 05:20 - 05:45 - Have breakfast.

• 05:45 - 05:55 - Receive a short briefing by the African Tour Director on pertinent facts such as personal safety, required eco-tour practices, and some insight into the country and its social etiquette.

• 06:00 - Leave for a full-day game cruise through Lower Zambezi National Park with your African safari guides.

• Enjoy the morning and afternoon scheduled game activities by canoe or boat and game drive vehicle. The Zambezi river basins provide much-needed relief from the scorching valley heat for a variety of wild animals, which come frequently to drink and cool off. Therefore, the game cruise offers an exciting opportunity to view a variety of wild animals, notably hippos, buffaloes, and elephants, among many others.

• Make many stops on the river while continuing to enjoy wildlife viewing both on land and on the water. Lunch and refreshments will be provided during this exciting tour.

• 05:10 - Wake up early and take a bath.

• 05:20 to 05:45 - Relish a sumptuous morning breakfast.

• 06:00 - Check out and commence the second phase of this exciting tour to Mana Pools National Park, the Jewel of Zimbabwe (260 km).

• Head to the one-stop Chirundu border centre between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

• Complete all the necessary immigration and customs clearance formalities before crossing the bridge to the Zimbabwean side.

• 08:00 - Drive along the main Chirundu-Harare tarred road. After about 40 km from the Chirundu border, and once you reach the bottom of the Zambezi escarpment, leave the tarred road for a 70-kilometre (43.5-mile) dirt road and travel towards Nyamepi Camp.

• 17:00 - Arrive at Mana Pools camp, situated in the untouched wilderness of Mana Pools National Park. You will be free to explore the surrounding camp bush before sunset.

• 18:00 - Enjoy evening relaxation around a bonfire.

• 19:30 - Savour dinner.

• 21:30 - Tuck in for a good night's sleep.

• Experience a pure African wilderness in solitude on days 5 and 6 in Mana Pools National Park, rated the 5th best park in Africa.

• Enjoy morning and afternoon activities, including game drives, walking safaris, armchair safaris, canoeing, and fishing, interspersed over the two days. The camp's proximity to the water means plenty of wildlife can be viewed at close range. It is here that you can experience an armchair safari, where some of the best wildlife viewing happens while you are simply relaxing in camp.

• Highlights of Activities: The following are some of the main activities that you will undertake in Mana Pools National Park, should conditions and weather patterns permit.

  • Walking Safaris: Mana Pools National Park offers a unique unguided walk in the wilderness, allowing you to experience nature at its best. A walking safari provides an incredible opportunity to walk through the African bush on foot with a guide and view animals only a few metres away.

  • Canoe Safaris: Due to the abundance of water in the area, a canoe safari is one of the best ways to view wildlife.

  • Fishing: If opportunity and time allow, you will fish in the Zambezi River and experience the excitement of hooking large fish for the pot. Half of the joy lies in the quiet, solitude, and beauty of the unspoiled bush around you.

  • Curios Shopping: There are quality souvenirs available at the Nyakasikana entrance gate, and most of them are Mana Pools branded.

  • Wilderness Trails: These walking safaris are offered only on a full moon. This is a rare and exclusive activity in a park with dangerous animals.

  • IBA - Important Bird Area: Mana Pools National Park is also an Important Bird Area (IBA) with more than 350 bird species. Its banks flutter with Goliath herons, Egyptian and Spurwing geese, cormorants, storks, brilliantly coloured bee-eaters, and kingfishers. You will experience the highlights of a world-class birdwatching safari concentrated along the same Zambezi riverine frontage, without the peak-season crowds common in other national parks.

• 18:00 - Evening relaxation around a bonfire.

• 19:30 - Eat dinner.

• 21:30 - Unwind with a good night's sleep.

• Experience a pure African wilderness in solitude on days 5 and 6 in Mana Pools National Park, rated the 5th best park in Africa.

• Enjoy morning and afternoon activities, including game drives, walking safaris, armchair safaris, canoeing, and fishing, interspersed over the two days. The camp's proximity to the water means plenty of wildlife can be viewed at close range. It is here that you can experience an armchair safari, where some of the best wildlife viewing happens while you are simply relaxing in camp.

• Highlights of Activities: The following are some of the main activities that you will undertake in Mana Pools National Park, should conditions and weather patterns permit.

  • Walking Safaris: Mana Pools National Park offers a unique unguided walk in the wilderness, allowing you to experience nature at its best. A walking safari provides an incredible opportunity to walk through the African bush on foot with a guide and view animals only a few metres away.

  • Canoe Safaris: Due to the abundance of water in the area, a canoe safari is one of the best ways to view wildlife.

  • Fishing: If opportunity and time allow, you will fish in the Zambezi River and experience the excitement of hooking large fish for the pot. Half of the joy lies in the quiet, solitude, and beauty of the unspoiled bush around you.

  • Curios Shopping: There are quality souvenirs available at the Nyakasikana entrance gate, and most of them are Mana Pools branded.

  • Wilderness Trails: These walking safaris are offered only on a full moon. This is a rare and exclusive activity in a park with dangerous animals.

  • IBA - Important Bird Area: Mana Pools National Park is also an Important Bird Area (IBA) with more than 350 bird species. Its banks flutter with Goliath herons, Egyptian and Spurwing geese, cormorants, storks, brilliantly coloured bee-eaters, and kingfishers. You will experience the highlights of a world-class birdwatching safari concentrated along the same Zambezi riverine frontage, without the peak-season crowds common in other national parks.

• 18:00 - Evening relaxation around a bonfire.

• 19:30 - Eat dinner.

• 21:30 - Unwind with a good night's sleep.

• 05:30 - Rise and have breakfast.

• 06:30 to 12:30 - Travel to and arrive in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia.

• 12:40 to 13:30 - Check in at a good tourism accommodation facility and have lunch.

• 13:30 to 15:00 - Take some time to rest.

• 15:00 to 17:00 - Visit one or two of the prominent shopping malls in Lusaka.

• 18:00 - Evening relaxation.

• 19:30 - Relish dinner.

• 21:30 - Relax with an early sleep.

• 05:30 - Wake up and have breakfast.

• 06:00 - Transfer to Lusaka International Airport (Kenneth Kaunda) to board your return flight home.