Visas | Airport Taxes | Money | Insurance | Money | Tipping | Photography | Voltage | What to Bring | Weather
Current information can be obtained from your travel agent or by clicking here.
There is a departure tax to be paid in US$ or Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) in cash or credit card, if this has not already been included in the cost of your ticket, when departing from Zambian airports such as Lusaka, Mfuwe and Livingstone for domestic flights.
This does not apply at bush airstrips.
We strongly recommend that comprehensive travel insurance (including Trip Cancellation/Curtailment & Medical Evacuation plus Hospitalization and Treatment) be purchased, as we do apply our cancellation policy.
Chiawa Camp, Old Mondoro, Puku Ridge and Chichele Presidential carry Medical Evacuation and Public Liability insurance, however, these may be insufficient for your needs, especially as Hospitalization is not covered in our policy and, again, we request that you insure fully.
Consider Travel Insurance for African Safaris.
This is at your own discretion and is not expected, but a rough guide is $10 per person per day for the guide and $10 per person per day to the staff tip box if you are happy with the effort and service provided.
Malaria does exist in Zambia, therefore, it is recommended that you take malaria prophylaxis. There are many different types of preventatives, so it is important to seek advice from your physician on the best anti malarial pills to take.
For serious injuries or illnesses we would recommend medical attention in Johannesburg, South Africa, more than 1,600 km’s from Lusaka. Although there are MedEvac facilities and paramedics available in Lusaka, attention for serious medical emergencies can never be close at hand whilst in Zambia, and especially not whilst in remote safari camps such as Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro.
It is also a good idea to take your own personal medical kit, although our safari camps have comprehensive medical kits and most medicines.
For more information try Centre for Disease Control & Prevention
Please be sensitive when photographing public buildings and people in Zambia. Be courteous, polite and always ask permission.
You should also know that for night drives at Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro, as a conservation measure, we disallow the use of flash photography, and exclusively use red filtered lights for finding, and photographing wildlife. This has led to some photographic challenges. However, we have recently developed and tested a diffuse, soft white filter on our spotlights for the purpose of photography, and this has resulted in very natural looking photographs with little to no observed disturbance of the wildlife. Unfortunately, these lights only have an effective range of about 15M maximum. Effective 2014, vehicles on night drives will each carry a red filtered light for finding the wildlife, and a soft white filtered light for photography. This is a first in Africa and literally rewrites the book on photography on night drives.
We have day & night 220-240 volt power and charging facilities in all rooms at both camps, with multi-national sockets as illustrated below. If your appliances require 110V power please bring a power converter.
Do not bring hair dryers please!
(Pack in soft duffle bags – maximum total weight 15kg!)
View printable PDF Suggested Packing List here.
MOST IMPORTANT:
CLOTHING (Dark bush colours of natural fabrics work best)
OTHER
OTHER OPTIONAL ITEMS
THINGS TO LEAVE AT HOME
RAINFALL
Virtually no rain during the Zambian safari season, although occasional showers can be expected into May, and from October onwards. Typically less than 400mm (15 inches) of rainfall per annum.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature in the valley varies considerably, between a mean of 19 degrees Celsius in June, to a mean of 30 degrees Celsius in October.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAX º (C) | 38 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 40 | 42 | 43 | 41 |
| MIN º (C) | 28 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 17 |
| RAIN (mm) | 170 | 145 | 70 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 60 | 155 |
View the latest weather forecast.
LOWER ZAMBEZI & SOUTH LUANGWA SAFARI SEASON
Game viewing in the Lower Zambezi & South Luangwa National Parks is excellent throughout the safari season although the viewing and the vegetation of the Parks change throughout the year.
| Mid Nov - Early May | Rainy Season, Chiawa Camp & Old Mondoro are closed until May 1st. Puku Ridge is closed until April 1st. Chichele Presidential remains open Dec 01 and closed Jan 07 and although the weather during this short period is hot with occasional thunderstorms and showers, the wildlife has not yet dispersed and the bush is not yet thick so viewing of wildlife is still excellent, especially for migrant birds. |
| April - May | Occasional storms, clear skies and warm to hot weather. Bush lush and green, water holes are full and covered with wild fowl. Good game viewing for lion though elephant & buffalo still dispersed. Some game viewing loops might still be closed because of high water levels. Great birding. |
| June - July | Can be cold in the mornings and nights, especially on game drives, but warm during the day. Bush drying out and game viewing great. Parks are accessible and skies still clear. Trees start to lose their leaves & buffalo herds start moving in. Wild dogs are denning. Definitely pack warm clothes for this time of year - this is when camp fires and hot water bottles in bed are a must. |
| August | Temperatures comfortable (but still have some warm gear handy as the camp fire and hot water bottles in bed are still necessary) and game viewing excellent. Waterholes drying up and game beginning to concentrate near the rivers. Tigerfish begin to bite but still a bit lethargic. Skies beginning to get hazy from dust and from bushfires in the hills. Flame Creeper in flower - bright red canopies in the acacia trees – stunning! |
| September | Temperatures warming up now and hot in the middle of the day. Game is really concentrating around the rivers and tigerfish are on the bite. Carmine bee- eaters nesting in the riverbanks – game excellent and towards the end of the month wild dogs will be moving with their new pups. |
| October | New leaves and flowers on trees, weather hot, like really hot but at least not too humid. Game very concentrated on banks of the rivers, tigerfishing at its best. Clouds building up, slight possibility of rainstorms. Air begins to clear. Time to see newborn warthogs. |
| November | Old Mondoro & Chiawa Camp close by mid Novermber, Puku Ridge closes at the end of the month. Rain likely, weather hot and humid but cooling down with some cloud cover, newborn impalas appearing. Migrant birds start reappearing (esp. cuckoos & storks). Fishing still excellent if not too much rain. Game viewing excellent, bush looking green but not lush enough to interfere with game viewing. |
