Robin Pope Walking Mobile Safaris

This is a walking safari, not a vehicle safari. For five days you follow the Mupamadzi River through the remote north of South Luangwa National Park, covering roughly ten kilometres each day on foot with a guide. The Mupamadzi is a clear tributary of the Luangwa, and the country around it — varied in terrain and habitat — holds wildlife that has little contact with people, so animal behaviour here is different from what you see at a busy road crossing.

The safari begins with a night at Nkwali camp and a drive north into the park. Each night the mobile camp moves to the next position: three walk-in Meru tents, twin-bedded, sleeping a maximum of six guests in total. Bedding is provided. The shower is outdoors under a tree; the toilet is a bush setup with a wooden seat. Meals are cooked and served under open sky, and the kitchen maintains a standard that the camp's fully serviced description warrants. A ranger is with the group throughout, and the pace on foot means you read the ground — tracks, birds, insects, grass — rather than cover distance.

The safari closes with a final night at either Tena Tena or Nsefu camp before the group returns to Nkwali.