Kasanka Bat Safari
8 days—Kasanka Bat Safari
$4602-5019 USD
pp
Safari summary
There are a few wildlife phenomena that really stand out as extraordinary events. The wildebeest migration in East Africa, the monarch butterflies arriving in Mexico come to mind. Well this is amongst those top events in the wildlife calendar. Up to ten million “straw-coloured fruit bats” converge upon Kasanka National Park as the fruits of a local tree ripen. These bats roost in a specific woodland and literally cover the trunks of the trees like thick icing. Then at sunset they all take off and fly out to forage. The sky is thick with bats. You can view all this from the 60 ft high hide, in a tree top, next to the woodland. And from this hide, during the day you will see many sitatunga in the swamp below.
Tips on activities on offer:
South Luangwa: walking, game drives (day and night), Kawaza Village Tour, Tribal Textiles tour (for souvenirs), Chipembele Wildlife Orphanage visit.
Kasanka National Park: walking, game drives and bird watching.
About this tour
| Tour type | Set-date, set-itinerary, group | |
| Main focus | Game drives | |
| Activity level | Easy activity | |
| Best months | November, December | |
| Countries | ||
| Parks |
Fine details
Safari highlights
- Boat, canoe, dhow, kayak, mokoro safari
- Night game drives
Itinerary
Day 1
South Luangwa
Day 1 : Nkwali Camp On arrival at Lusaka International Airport, you will be met by a representative from Tours Africa, who will assist you with your luggage and check-in for your flight to Mfuwe. Upon arrival at Mfuwe Airport you will be met by a Robin Pope Safaris representative and transferred to Nkwali Camp. The drive takes about one hour through colourful village scenes, agriculture, and bush. Nkwali Camp has a wide view of the Luangwa River - on Robin Pope Safaris’s private land, and overlooking the South Luangwa National Park. The six rooms all look out over the river and have open air bathrooms. Depending on your arrival time in the day you will enjoy a lunch looking out over the lagoon to the back of Nkwali or if in the afternoon for tea and the afternoon and night game drive.
Day 2
Day 2 : Nkwali Camp At dawn breakfast is served around the campfire. The porridge heated on the fire and toast cooked by the coals. The morning walk or drive will leave soon after, entering the park by boat from the camp or by road via the main gate. The game in the area is excellent – and includes many family herds of elephants and the endemic species of giraffe, the Thornicroft Giraffe. A mid-morning break of tea, coffee and cake will be taken at a scenic point on a lagoon or the Luangwa River. Return to camp for lunch around mid-day. After lunch you can cool off in the swimming pool or siesta. Following tea you will go out on an afternoon game drive that continues into the early night giving the chance to see the nocturnal world, returning to camp about 20.00 hrs with dinner generally at 20.30.
Day 3
Day 3 : Nkwali Camp Another relaxing day with morning and evening game activities. Being the last whole day you resume game activities in the morning and evening with the possibility of visiting Kawaza village as an option to meet local people and experience life in a real Zambian village. If you wish to visit then it is best to mention this when booking your holiday or with Robin Pope Safaris on arrival.
Day 4
Kasanka
Day 4 : Wasa Camp Kasanka National Park. Your Robin Pope Safaris guide will accompany you for your flight to Kasanka. Upon arrival you will be transferred to Wasa Camp where you will spend the next three days amongst the glory of the bat migration.
Day 5
Day 5 - 6 : Wasa Camp These days will be quite relaxed with a chance to bird-watch, spend time in the Fibwe hide to catch a glimpse of the shy sitatunga, and view all of the other fantastic species in this area such as Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, Pel’s fishing owl, etc. And of course, you can’t forget the bats!
Day 7
Day 7 : Eight Reedbuck Hotel After a relaxing breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip where you will meet your plane for the flight to Mfuwe and onward connection to Lusaka. A beautiful flight over the escarpment and down into the Luangwa River Valley. Tours Africa will meet and assist you to Eight Reedbuck Hotel once you land in Lusaka. You may enjoy a relaxed evening ahead of your trip back home.
Day 8
Day 8 : Transit Depending on your onward flight, you may do an activity or go straight to the airport after breakfast.
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