Mwamba Bushcamp: Information from the owner

Chalet

Mwamba's tranquil chalets are authentically recreated each year, and feature woven bamboo on the exterior and interior, with a layer of matting and a screen in between to keep out insects and other elements. Each chalet is set along the banks of the dry, meandering Mwamba riverbed with comfortable, shaded verandas from which to enjoy the abundant birdlife and feeling of total serenity.
Clean and silent solar power provides each room with lighting and cooling fans for the summer months.

The ensuite, outdoor bathrooms elevate the bush experience further with double basins complemented by stunning copper tapware, beautiful live-edge mirrors, and showers tucked into the trees for a gorgeous back-to-nature feel.

Camp Out

Led by your experienced guide and an armed scout, your adventure begins with a trek deep into the heart of the valley, experiencing the remoteness, wildlife and varied landscapes on foot.

Arriving at the site, camp will be set-up and dinner prepared on the open fire as you enjoy a well-deserved sundowner and chance to reflect back on the afternoons events.

There is something spectacularly raw about spending the night under the African sky like this. Going to sleep under just a mosquito net, curling up and listening to the crackling fire and distant whoops of hyena or saw-like grunts of a leopard.

The ultimate wilderness adventure

Carmine Bee-eater Hide

An absolute must for birders, photographers and anyone who loves nature! The Carmine Bee-Eater Hide is available from early September once the Carmines have established their nesting sites.

Each year huge colonies of these beautiful, vibrant birds flock to the Luangwa bringing colour to the drying bush as they busily burrow, deep into the riverbanks to nest.

Every season the hide is modified and located at the best nesting site to allow you to get close and experience the noisy chatter and magnificent displays of colour as they swoop and soar across the skies.

The birds are usually most active in the mornings and afternoon so a trip to the hide will be incorporated into your game drive. Your guide and scout will escort you from the vehicle and into the hide which is typically anchored to our boat in front of the colony. Depending on the nesting site they’ve chosen, socks and shoes may need to be removed for a short wade through shallow waters!

The Carmine Hide is available to guests staying at both Kaingo and Mwamba

Game Drives

The traditional game drive allows you to explore further and get closer. Offered morning, afternoon and evening, each drive is typically 3.5 - 4 hours in duration and is led by your expert guide as well as a scout or spotter.

Like everything else at Shenton Safaris, Derek and Jules have worked alongside our guiding team to refine the experience, making each drive as comfortable and rewarding as possible.

Our custom built, open game viewers and extensive 120km of graded roads and viewing loops, offer a smooth drive with less of the bumping around.

We don’t put more than 4 guests on a vehicle to ensure everyone has plenty of space and excellent vantage points. Of course, if there are more of you in a group or family, each vehicle has 3 benches so there is plenty of room should you all want to head out together.

Photographers of all levels will appreciate our camera rests, super-clamp stabilisers, dust covers and our guides expertise in positioning, timing and helping you get the best possible photo opportunities.

Mwamba's Last Waterhole Hide

Just a short walk from the main camp, the last waterhole hide is built into the banks surrounding a permanent and active waterhole.

With several viewing levels, the hide offers its hidden inhabitants a breath-taking, eye-level perspective of the array of birds, mammals and reptiles that visit throughout the day.

An established source of water, the hide welcomes visitors across the season and becomes particularly productive as we head into the hotter summer months and other, in-land water spots dry up.

Exclusive to guests staying at Mwamba Bushcamp, the comfortable and shaded hide is a great spot to spend time between activities. The stage remains constant but the players change throughout the day. Amazingly addictive, many guests will forgo a drive or walk to remain at the hide and quietly enjoy the action!

Numbu Star Bed

Set on a towering platform, overlooking a vast, open plain our Numbu star bed offers guests the opportunity to spend the night in the wilderness.

Snuggle into the comfortable bed and thick duvet with only a mosquito net between you and the African sky. Enjoy the distant sounds of the bushes nocturnal world, safe and high above the savannah, feeling like the last people on earth.

The experience is offered either as a sleepout enjoyed after dinner at Mwamba or with dinner prepared by your guide and enjoyed at the platform as the sun sets on the day.

A phenomenal addition to your safari offered exclusively to guests staying at Mwamba

Star Beds

Our sleepouts have been designed to offer you the ultimate wilderness experience. Head out into the bush and spend the night under a canopy of crystal-clear stars, a full moon so bright its like someone left a light on, or a moody night sky.

With nothing but a mosquito net between you and mother nature, this truly is an awe-inspiring addition to your safari, allowing you to connect with Africa in way few others are lucky enough to experience.

The Wild Dog Lagoon Hide

The Wild Dog Lagoon hide is so named on account of the incredible dog sightings we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy here. While the nature and habits of these elusive animals means we can’t guarantee you’ll see dogs, this busy lagoon welcomes a host of different species throughout the day and is particularly productive from May until August after which time the water begins to dry up.

This hide is a great spot to visit as one of your mid-day activities with an array of plains game gathering to quench their thirst. Birders will enjoy the variety of wallowers found here and its also a favoured place for elephant and buffalo to enjoy a good old mud bath.

The Wild Dog Lagoon Hide is available to guests staying at both Kaingo and Mwamba

Walking Safaris

Nothing quite beats the thrill and feeling of connection you get from exploring the bush on foot.

Zambia is the birthplace of the walking safari in Africa and that proud heritage is demonstrated in the expertise, knowledge and passion of our professional walking guides

In groups of no more than 6, your guide and an armed scout will safely escort you across a variety of terrains and beautiful walking routes, sharing the secrets of tracking wildlife, Luangwa’s extraordinary flora and the smaller creatures that might be overlooked on a vehicle.

Walks are offered in the morning and usually last 3 – 3.5 hours including a tea and biscuit break. Shorter, afternoon walks can also be arranged and combined with a hide visit or evening drive.

Wildlife Hides

We are extremely proud of our wildlife hides and the unique experiences and special moments they afford us and our guests

With each location carefully chosen after years of observation, the hides offer phenomenal game viewing, photographic opportunities and the chance to simply just sit comfortably and quietly enjoy the moment.

At any one time across the season, we can have up to 6 hides available. Previously used for filming by the BBC, Africa Geographic and the Discovery Channel, these include our carmine bee-eater hide and the ever active, ‘Last Waterhole’ Mwamba Hide.