11 Days
Zambia
5 Guests
Easy-Medium
Easy
Classic Safari Photo Tour
Experience Zambia's incredible wildlife
This classic safari photo tour is designed to provide you an incredible safari experience without the masses of crowds found across much of the continent. We will take you to the infrequently visited Kafue National Park in Zambia. To create the most intimate, and connected experience with the land, we will stay in two beautiful bush camps that often have elephant, lion, and leopard visitors. This safari is perfect for the first time safari goer, as well as a seasoned pro who wants more intimate experiences with wildlife.
FANTASTIC SAFARI TO SEE LIONS AND LEOPARDS
GREAT CHANCE OF SEEING AFRICAN PAINTED DOG
EXPERIENCE THE STUNNING LANDSCAPE OF THE BUSANGA PLAINS
MEET THE DIVERSE AND FASCINATING BIRDS OF ZAMBIA
BE ONE OF VERY FEW, OR THE ONLY VEHICLE ON A SIGHTING
LEARN ABOUT THE ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS IN KAFUE NATIONAL PARK
Why we love this classic safari tour
This classic safari photo tour is designed for first time safari goers, or experienced safari goers who want to get away from the crowds. Wether you want to just want to look at the animals, or learn about photography from your professional photographer guides, this tour is a unique African safari experience. We will always have an eye out for predators, but will just as easily stop for a beautiful bird or enjoy a prolonged elephant encounter during this tour.
We have selected two beautiful bush camps in two different parts of Kafue National Park in Zambia. Musekese Camp in Kafue National Park overlooks Eden Lagoon, where birds, and antelope congregate daily, always keeping an eye out for lions and leopards. A few hours north, Ntemwa-Busanga Camp offers sweeping views and excellent opportunities to encounter lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, and vast herds of plains game. Its elevated, newly rebuilt chalets provide an intimate and wonderfully uncrowded base from which to experience one of Africa’s most spectacular wilderness landscapes.
We have picked the time of year, and camps to create intimate, unique experiences. When we see a predator, we won't be competing with a ton of other cars for a good look, instead having plenty of time to enjoy the experience. Walking safaris and boat rides are also options, allowing you to enjoy the African bush in a truly unique way.
To complete the safari, and to fully understand the whole story in this part of Africa, we will be visiting Musekese Conservation to learn about the threats to the wildlife and how local people are actively working to combat poaching, protecting the wildlife that is their natural heritage.
Classic Safari Photo Tour Testimonials
"I can't say enough about our trip! Every detail was perfect - from the accommodations, to the guides, to the sightings we were fortunate enough to see. Everything was organized wonderfully. I can't wait to go on another adventure with this company."
- Erin Savial
"This was a classic example of a tour that cautiously underpriced, but overdelivered! Sebastian was very reserved being realistic about chances to see elusive predators such as leopards and African painted dogs. We had several different friends that had been to safari in Africa, and had seen a single leopard on their last day. They had not been fortunate enough to encounter painted dogs. Not only were we able to encounter painted dogs, Sebastian and the amazing guide but us in perfect position to encounter the largest recorded pack currently in Africa. On top of this, we lost count of the number of leopard and lion sightings we had. The best part was as the safari progressed I learned as much as I could ever hope to about my camera, allowing me to take amazing pictures of the wildlife. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. The small number of fellow tour members allowed for lots of individual coaching from both Sebastian and Rachel, the camps were incredible, and the guides were amazing!"
- Ric Berlinski
"Sebastian runs ethical and well organized photo tours. His guides were very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and the accommodations added to the sense of being in wild Africa."
- Janice Rosner
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African Lion male with pride at sunset, Kafue... -
African Lion mother and cubs in floodplain, Busanga... -
African Lion male in burned savanna, Kafue National... -
African Lion, six year old male, Busanga Plains,... -
African Leopard male in burned savanna at sunset,... -
African Leopard female at sunrise, Kafue National Park,... -
African Leopard female, Kafue National Park, Zambia
Other wildlife you can see on this tour
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Lechwe herd in floodplain at sunrise, Busanga Plains,... -
Lichtenstein's Hartebeest in miombo woodland, Kafue National Park,... -
Common Warthog family, Kafue National Park, Zambia -
Hippopotamus in floodplain during dry season, Busanga Plains,... -
African Elephant bull browsing, Kafue National Park, Zambia -
African Elephant bull browsing, Kafue National Park, Zambia -
Chacma baboon young playing in Lower Zambezi National... -
White-backed Vultures feeding on carcass in Kafue National...
Target wild cats during our classic safari photo tour
LION (Panthera leo)
Africa's largest cat, the lion, is found in healthy numbers in both of our camp locations, Musekese and Busanga in Kafue National Park. At Musekese, lions will often be near camp, at Eden lagoon, during our visit as water is low and game animals have to come to drink at the lagoon. In Busanga, the cats are found in the beautiful open floodplain of northern Kafue, where lions often go after bigger prey like Sable or Roan antelope. If we are lucky, we will see lion cubs as well!
Difficulty: Easy
LEOPARD (Panthera pardus)
Leopards are elegant and elusive. The African saying goes: "A leopard is only seen when it wants to be seen". Despite this proverb, we have always seen leopards on this tour as Musekese specifically is a fantastic area to see these majestic cats. Leopards are famous for dragging their kills into trees to keep them away from lions, but are really generalists in their diet, even eating insects. In Kafue National Park, we have seen leopards with impala and baboon kills, both remarkable sightings.
Difficulty: Medium
Other possible wild cats during our safari
CHEETAH (Acinonyx jubatus)
Though cheetah are present in Kafue National Park it is an extremely rare cat to see in the park as they stay in the thickets, away from water where the lions are. Busanga will be our better chance, but if we see this cat, we will consider ourselves very very lucky. If you want to see this cat, we recommend you join us on our Big Cats of Africa or Cheetah and Serval tour. In Kafue, cheetah will predate puku, impala, and smaller antelope like duiker and reedbuck.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
CARACAL (Caracal caracal)
The caracal is a majestic cat that is extremely elusive, in our opinion the second toughest cat to find in Africa. Though they are present in both areas of Kafue, we have never seen them on this tour and would recommend our Caracals of the Cape photo tour, where we have always had multiple sightings of this cat, if you are particularly keen on seeing this feline. Caracal have distinctive ear tufts they use for communication and camouflage. They predate on rodents and birds.
Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
SERVAL (Leptailurus serval)
The serval is a unique looking small cat. With their long legs, and radial ears they are perfectly adapted at finding and jumping on rodent prey. Our best chance for these cats is in Busanga plains, where they stalk rodent prey along the wetland edges. We have seen this cat on every classic safari tour we have run, despite their elusiveness. Let's hope our luck continues!
Difficulty: Difficult
The African wild cat, a very close relative of our domestic cats, is found in Kafue National Park, but is extremely elusive and hard to find. Their nocturnal nature also makes it harder to find them. They prefer to hunt rodents and birds, but are capable of taking down bigger prey. We have never seen this cat during our tour, but will keep out eyes open!
Easy: for the duration of the trip we will have multiple encounters with this wild cat species with good photo opportunities
Medium: we expect to see the wild cat and have at least one, but probably multiple encounters, with good photo opportunities
Difficult: for the duration of the trip, our goal will be to have one encounter with good photographic opportunities Very Difficult: for the duration of the trip we hope to have one encounter with the cat, whether a good photo opportunity or not
Extremely Difficult: it is extremely unlikely to see this cat, so having even a glimpse of this cat is considered successYou are in good hands, we are safari experts
Our classic safari photo tour is unique in that it takes you to one of the least visited parks in the continent, providing you with intimate encounters with predator and prey animals alike. We have traveled though the continent extensively and have decided on Kafue aNational Park as providing the best sightings with the fewest other tourists around. We can't wait to share this remarkable place and its wildlife with you.
Your two tour leaders, Sebastian Kennerknecht and Rachel Tobias, have traveled within the park extensively, having spent over 6000 hours in the protected area. They know the park intimately, and also know many of the predators as individuals. This allows them to predict behaviors, ensuring we are in the best position for photographs.
Sebastian and Rachel will both be available for photography instruction throughout the tour. Wether you are a total beginner or just need a little bit of advice about your photography, they are both there to help. This occurs while we are out on gamedrives looking for animals, or back at camp. They are even happy to help you with post processing your wonderful shots while on the classic safari photo tour.
Day 1
Fly into Lusaka airport in central Zambia. You will be picked up by a Cat Expeditions representative there and be driven to your hotel where you can relax. Dinner is at the hotel.
Day 2
With a to-go breakfast in hand, we will be driven to the airport, from where we take a chartered bush-plane flight to Kafue National Park. Our drive to Musekese Camp will act as our first game drive to enjoy the beautiful wildlife of southern Africa. We will arrive to lunch, after which we will settle into our tents. Our afternoon game drive will have us looking for predators like leopards and lions looking for their next meal. Dinner will be back at camp.
Day 3-5
We will look for wildlife at sunrise and sunset with breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the camp. The wildlife outings will mostly be game drives, though we will do one boat safari, and those who would like to can do a walking safari. We will most likely see lions, leopards, elephant, zebra, and lots of antelope species, hippos, and hopefully wild dogs.
Day 6
After morning breakfast, we will do a prolonged game drive from Musekese Camp to Ntemwa-Busanga Camp, transitioning from a mixed woodland ecosystem to the open plains of northern Kafue National Park. During the drive we will keep our eyes open for Roan and Sable antelope, two stunning species found in few other places in Africa. After settling into our new camp, we will go out for our afternoon game drive to start exploring the open plains of Busanga. Dinner will be back at camp.
Day 7-9
We will look for wildlife at sunrise and sunset with breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the camp. The wildlife outings will all be game drives. We will be keeping our eyes out for lions and leopards, and in this area of Kafue, we even have a chance for cheetah. Servals are also sometimes seen here. The predators will be our main target, but we will also enjoy elephants, and lots of different antelope species. Kafue has more antelope species than any other park on the continent!
Day 10
After an early breakfast, we will do our last game drive as part of our way back to the airstrip, from where we will take a chartered flight back to Lusaka. We will settle back into Wild Dog Lodge and celebrate new friendships and our fantastic sightings over a last dinner.
Day 11
After a restful night where you get to sleep in, you will be transferred to Lusaka international airport for your outbound flights.
Itinerary at a glance
10 NIGHTS
11 DAYS
1 Lodge
2 Bush Camps
15 GAME DRIVES
1 BOAT RIDe
2 BUSH FLIGHTS
acacia woodland
miombo woodland
grasslands
2 BIG CATS
Game Drives
boat rides
safari walks
African classic safari itinerary
This classic safari photo tour itinerary was designed to allow you to have intimate experiences with some of the most iconic animals in Africa, including lions, leopards, elephants, and wild dogs. We have chosen two very secluded camps in Kafue National Park to provide you privacy, closeness to nature, while still allowing you for the comforts of a high end safari experience.
We will have plenty of opportunity to find animals from our safari vehicles, as we will do fifteen different game drives. In addition to the gameviewer we will be utilizing, we will do one boat drive at Musekese camp. For the guests interested in experiencing the African bush on foot, walking safaris are available at Musekese.
Besides providing you the opportunity to see and photograph the wildlife of Zambia, we at Cat Expeditions make your travel experience hassle free. Upon booking, you will be sent a full itinerary that includes what to bring and how to prepare. Once you land in Zambia, you can focus on enjoying yourself as all the travel logistics are not only taken care off, but optimized to give you the most time to enjoy the incredible wildlife that the Kafue National Park has to offer.
Musekese Camp
In the eastern part of Kafue National Park, right along Eden Lagoon is beautiful Musekese Camp. With just five guest rooms you are getting a very exclusive experience. Rooms at Musekese Camp are spacious and comfortable with all the necessities. This includes en-suite flushing toilets and on-demand hot water showers.
All their power requirements are drawn from a well configured solar set up. The main area has plenty of surplus power 24/7 to keep all your devices fully charged and drinks ice cold.
Laundry service is available, but there is no internet at the camp, allowing you to fully immerse yourself.
Ntemwa-Busanga Camp
Ntemwa-Busanga Camp is an intimate seasonal bush camp set on the southern edge of the Busanga Plains in northern Kafue National Park. Its remote location provides front-row access to a spectacular floodplain landscape known for large herds of red lechwe, roan and sable antelope, as well as excellent opportunities to encounter lions, leopards, cheetahs and African wild dogs.
The camp accommodates just ten guests in five well-spaced thatched chalets, creating a relaxed and highly personal atmosphere. Each chalet includes mosquito netting, a fan, reading lights, charging facilities, a private veranda and an open-air en-suite bathroom with a flushing toilet, plumbed hand basin and warm bucket shower. The rooms are deliberately simple and rustic, offering plenty of comfort while preserving the feeling of staying deep within the wilderness.
Between activities, guests can relax on the raised main deck overlooking the plains, gather around the campfire or spend time in the shaded bird hide and sitting area, which also houses the camp’s limited Wi-Fi connection.
Additional amenities include a lounge, communal dining area, tea and coffee facilities, laundry service and charging points in both the chalets and main area.
Wild Dog Lodge
Serving as our jumping off lodging, Wild Dog Lodge is a quick fifteen minutes away from Lusaka airport. The rooms are comfortable with mosquito net covered beds. The en-suite bathrooms are large and spacious.
The grounds provide solitude from the rest of the city while small birds visit the trees in the gardens. An onsite restaurant provides us the opportunity to eat comfortably near the pool.
Laundry service and high speed internet is available.
Conservation impact of our classic safari photo tour
Like all Cat Expeditions tours, our classic safari photo tour has conservation impact built into it. The wildlife of Kafue National Park is heavily impacted by poaching. In Kafue, an estimated 4000 poachers set 300,000 snares in the park annually. This has significant impact on both the predator and prey animals in the park.
We have partnered with Musekese Conservation, who train, house, and financially pay hard working scouts to patrol fifteen percent of Kafue, to protect the wildlife in the area. They have confiscated hundreds of snares and guns, and have made many poacher arrests. Part of the tour costs helps fund their continued efforts, both from an anti-poaching point, as well as feline research in the area.
Conservation at a glance
Classic Safari Tour Dates
August 14th-24th, 2028 (5 spots left) - Led by Sebastian and Rachel
Classic Safari Photo Tour Pricing
Price per person: $12,750
Single room supplement: $1,500
The price includes:
- all transportation starting in Zambia
- lodging
- meals (not including alcohol)
- game drives, boat rides, walking safaris
- guide services of Cat Expeditions trip leader
- English speaking local guide
- conservation donation to Musekese Conservation
The price does not include:
- flights to Zambia
- tips
- laundry
- insurance
