Lilayi & South Luangwa Safari in Zambia - 7 Days

Day 1: Transfer - Lusaka to Lilayi Elephant Sanctuary

Welcome to Lusaka! Transfer an hour to Lilayi Lodge, your home for the next two nights. Everything is taken care of during your stay, from your meals to your lodging. During the day, choose from a selection of activities, including a game drive, a guided safari walk, a horseback ride, or a visit to the elephant orphanage. 

Human conflict is an increasing threat to local wildlife, and elephants are often the target of poaching and habitat loss. Baby elephants often find themselves without a family and need a lot of help to survive and successfully return to the wild. Lilayi Elephant Nursery, in partnership with Game Rangers International (a non-profit dedicated to animal conservation), cares for the youngsters with the ultimate goal of returning them to their habitat.

The project is supported by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and all fees charged for visitor participation are directly applied to the care of the elephants. The babies are fed a milk formula every 3 hours, and visitors can view the lunchtime feeding between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM. 

As an in-house guest of Lilayi Lodge, you'll have the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and get a firsthand look a the project, as well as contribute to conservation efforts by assisting the elephant keepers in caring for the young elephants. Please note that in order to successfully rehabilitate the elephants, touching is not permitted and all visitors must maintain a safe distance at all times. 

Day 2: Explore Lilayi Elephant Sanctuary

On your second day, head out for your choice of activities. Choose between a game drive, a guided bush walk, a horseback safari, or elephant viewing at the nursery. 

Day 3: Flight - Lusaka to Mfuwe for South Luangwa

You have an option of flights this morning. Choose from a 7:15 AM flight, which would require a transfer to Lusaka the night before, or head to Lusaka in the morning for the 4:30 PM flight to Mfuwe.

Arrive a Mfuwe, then transfer to the Kafunta camp for the next four nights. The camp is situated in a stunning location, overlooking a game rich flood plain and the Luangwa River beyond. The main area has plenty of places to relax with a dining and lounge area, a swimming pool, and a natural spring hot tub. 

Get a close look at the animals from the blind in front of the lodge and relax with a spa treatment after a long day. The accommodation is in comfortable chalets on raised wooden platforms with thatched roofs and private verandas to make the most of the incredible view. 

Days 4-6: Explore South Luangwa from Kafunta

Spend your time at Kafunta River Lodge on game drives and walks, as the area is famous for its incredible richness of wildlife species. Get close to the animals at the photography hide and viewing deck, and unwind at the spa, hot spring, and swimming pool. 

You can also visit a local Kuanda community village to learn more about the local people and their customs. Your guide will accompany you during these visits to advise you on correct behavior and courtesy. You'll spend three hours visiting the village and learning about the daily life, traditions, and culture of the Kuanda people. The locals host many international visitors and are happy to share their culture and ways of life. 

Day 7: Flight - Kafunta South Luangwa to Lusaka

Transfer to Mfuwe Airport and then fly to Lusaka for your connecting flight home.