Zambia info please

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Leigh Stafford

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Aug 11, 2025, 3:21:00 PMAug 11
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Hi there,

I am hoping that someone may be able to help and give some guidance on my trip to Zambia in October 2026.

We will be starting in Kasane to pick up the cars and then head for Kafue.  Could we do this in one day? We were thinking for 6 days. Is this too long? 

From Kafue we want to head for South Luangwa for 4 days. Again, could we make the trip in one day? 

From South Luangwa we will then be heading for Kasanka for 3 days to see the bats. Is this doable in one day?

From Kasanka we head off to Lower Zambezi for 4 days. Can we do this in 1 day?

From Lower Zambezi we then head back to Kasane to drop the cars off.

I've been looking at the T4A map and book And I think that I have confused myself. Any help, advice, anything will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much.

Leigh 

A.M. Butzelaar

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Aug 11, 2025, 5:37:22 PMAug 11
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I think you are a bit to optimistic in distances you can travel in a day!
Kasane - Kafue has a border crossing. Always unpredictable!
Make sure you got the right car papers, clearances etc
I like Kafue, so I think 5-6 days is fine.
Maybe 2 different spots.

Kafue - South Luangwa?
It would be a very long drive if you would start in Lusaka, so no.
Take 2 days and stock up in Lusaka. Even then, they will be long days

South Luangwa - Kasanka?
What route do you intend to take?
Again, I don't think you will make it.

Kasanka - Lower Zam? 
Might be doable, depending on where you want to stay, but again, a very very  long drive

I'm not a fast driver, so others may have different experiences

Try to avoid driving at night. 
You will loose a lot of time at road blocks, check points etc.



Anne-Marie

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Lizette Swart

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Aug 12, 2025, 12:44:26 AMAug 12
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Good morning Leigh,

I agree with Anne-Marie, your "one day" drives are too long and not feasible. There are many trucks, animals, people etc. on Zambia's roads and the roads are not always in the best of condition. Use the T4A Trip Planner to calculate a more accurate travel time between your destinations, and rather choose an overnight stop or two along the way: https://map.tracks4africa.co.za/

You could spend the day in Kasane and get vehicles ready, do some shopping, end with an afternoon boat cruise on the Chobe river. Then cross into Zambia very early the next morning - I'm not sure of your route but if you travel via Choma in the direction of Itezhi-Thezi there is a ferry crossing too at Namwala, and this may involve some waiting! I did this route (Itezhi-Tezhi - Namwala - Choma - Livingstone) in one full day a few years ago, and I was not inside the park, neither did I have to deal with a border crossing.

Kafue to Lusaka can be done in a day but Lusaka to Mfuwe is 10 hours or more. There is a camp at Luangwa Bridge than can break this day into two. If you're not up to shopping in Lusaka, the Spar in Chipata is well-stocked too and less busy!

Presuming you are camping at Mfuwe, and travelling through the park on the "05 road", it is again 10 hours to Kasanka, not feasible. There are two new camps just outside South Luangwa, in the Munyamadzi Game management area, that a friend of mine thoroughly enjoyed last year - and this will be a convenient stop en route to Kasanka.

Kasanka to Lower Zambezi is again 10 hours - I would rather stop over north of Lusaka at Fringilla Farm (stock up on local Zambian beef and other farm produce) and the next morning hit the shops in Lusaka for what you still need before travelling on to Lower Zambezi.

I hope that helps - I just might see you (and Anne-Marie!) on the road as I also want to see the bats this year!


Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart



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Nikki Kenyon

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Aug 14, 2025, 2:19:16 AMAug 14
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We drove from Luskaka to South Luangwa in 9 hours this year.  South Luangwa to Kasanka takes two days because most likely you will have to go back to Lusaka.  I drove from Lower Zambezi to Vic Falls in one day.  We did 7 border crossings in Southern and Eatern Africa and they all took about 3 hours.  Always leave time for the borders and be flexible if you don't make it in time. You don't want to drive at night.  I would also spend more time in South Luangwa and less in Kafue.  Have a great trip.  The bats are amazing!

Nikki
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Johann Groenewald

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Aug 14, 2025, 2:52:21 AMAug 14
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Hi Leigh,

If you have our book then read the section on transit routes. It describes most of what you are looking for.

In Zambia main transit routes are congested and downright dangerous. You will want to take it easy and our max avg speed of 80kmh on these roads is optimistic, best case scenario.

From Kasane you have a border crosding, there you will already spend 2hrs.  Aim for Livingstone that day. Then ftom there to Itezhi Tezhi is quite doable.

From Kafue to South Luangwa is not doable in one day. You have to get through Lusaka which may also take quite a long time.

I would aim to sleep on the eastern side of Lusaka then take off early the next day and then you will still need the full day to reach South Luangwa.

I assume you will follow Route05 from South Luangwa. There is a river crossing that should be OK in October and then uou climb the escarpment - slow rocky 4wd work for an hour or so.  See photo on back cover of book.

I would actually not try to reach Kasanka on that day, try Mutinondo as a sleep over, very nice pvt reserve with hiking opportunities.

Kasanka to Lusaka in one day can be done, but its a long day. Great North toad is terrible with trucks.  Maybe aim for Frangilla and then be well rested for the traffic jam that awaits you in Lusaka. Doing this on a Sunday will be much better...

From Lusaka to Lower Zambezi is one day.

Ftom Lower Zambezi take the southern route, not going via the Turnpike. You will avoid a lot of traffic and should be sble to reach Livingstone.

Your tril has a lot of dtoving, so factor in plenty of rest time.

Kind Regards

Johann Groenewald

Leigh Stafford

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Aug 18, 2025, 3:28:36 AMAug 18
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Thank you so much for the advice Nikki, will have another look. 

Thanks again. 

Leigh

Leigh Stafford

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Aug 18, 2025, 3:28:36 AMAug 18
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Hi Johann,

Thanks so much for the great advice, will study the book more closely. 

Is there any way of avoiding Lusaka?

Thank you again. 

Leigh

pmcc...@meddesign.fr

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Aug 18, 2025, 3:28:36 AMAug 18
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Hello Johann,

Excuse me for jumping in with another question -  I am looking at similar route planning for next May/June.  

When you say (below) the Southern Route from LZNP to Livingstone and not the Turn Pike;  are you referring to the route to Chirundu then the T2 and T1 to Livingstone ? Or to Chirundu,  then the  D501 via Changa / Munyumbwe D397 and join the T1 at Chisekesi ?

Thanks 

Peter McCarthy

From: tracks...@googlegroups.com <tracks...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Johann Groenewald <joh...@tracks4africa.co.za>
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 23:52
To: Tracks4Africa <tracks...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [T4A] Zambia info please

A.M. Butzelaar

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Aug 18, 2025, 3:34:27 AMAug 18
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I don't know road numbers, so apologies.
It's the route via Gwembe.
Starting from the Chirundu-Siavonga road, ending at Chisekesi (r vice versa).
It's years since I've done the route, but it's very scenic. 



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A.M. Butzelaar

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Aug 18, 2025, 3:37:52 AMAug 18
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You can semi get around Lusaka, but you can't totally avoid it.
But it's a good place to stock up and it is not as bad as it sounds. It's congested, but nothing like Dar or Kampala.
Just take your time.
It used to be easy to say what time rush hour was, but no longer. Driving on a Sunday is a breeze though, compared to the other days

Michael Isakov

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Aug 29, 2025, 7:46:19 AMAug 29
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Morning Leigh,

We just came back from Zambia and here are my recommendations:

We had been 4 nights in Kafue (1X Roy's, 2X Kasabushi, 1X Chibila)
We drove from Chibila to Livingstone (make sure you do not pay Kafue for this day and mention that you are on transit only). This is a long driving day, and the speed on the gravel is very slow due to its bad condition. You can drive through the park as well. 
Chibila - a point to stop on the route - amazing and great hospitality. Kick off early as you will arrive to Livingstone late afternoon.
Kasabushi was also amazing and rewarding. The showers are the best part :-)
In general, not much game in Kafue.We found only a single north/south main road, and the rest is unmarked and not used. At the gate they could not help us with any additional details. T4A maps are not accurate. It was a bit disappointing. The North part is even worse. The nature is beautiful but no game.
I would recommend spending more time on the plans in the southern part. again, unmarked or mapped at all. There is a new camp over there yet no signes. 

I hope this is helpful.

Michael Isakov

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Lizette Swart

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Aug 29, 2025, 8:00:03 AMAug 29
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Hallo Michael,

Please can you explain where the T4A maps were inaccurate, so we could look into that? Are you sure you had the T4A maps activated and not other maps as well? I will be in Kafue in 10 days time so will double check our information here.

With regards to the game sightings - one takes your chances! Game is not fenced into a camp for tourists to come and view. Last year everybody complained they saw no "cats" at all in Khwai/Savute/Chobe. I was there in August for 10 days and got so tired of seeing lions and leopards that I was begging for a springbok please! The animals are not contained by fences, they move to where there is food and water, and they hide from the sun. If the grass is long (like it is after a good rainy season) they are harder to spot, and if there is lots of water around, they no longer focus on waterholes only and you have to work harder to find them. 

I've often find if I just relax and enjoy what nature offers, the cats will usually find me! 

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart


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Mike Slater

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Aug 29, 2025, 8:38:59 AMAug 29
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Ah, Lizette.

Wise words. 

Want guaranteed wildlife sightings?  
Go to a zoo (lord forbid!) 

Some folk also condemn southern Kruger for being like a glorified zoo due to the frequently and reliable big game sightings.  And in the same breathe, complain of gawking crowds gathering around the kill.

I recall the days when, brandishing paper maps last accurate during colonial times,  we headed off in a vaguely bush direction in our lumbering land rovers, and broke down somewhere remote for few days.

And of course, the game got accustomed to our presence and came over for a look.
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Lizette Swart

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Aug 29, 2025, 9:05:46 AMAug 29
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A few weeks ago I was in the Kgalagadi, and ended up at Kaa Gate - I was at the time travelling with an Aussie couple that had two more months left in Africa before heading home. They were keen to see as many cats as they could and was surprised that I did not want to drive around looking for lion and leopard.

After they left, I spent another relaxed night at Kaa Gate - just me and a leopard under the tree next to the Troopcarrier for the night! I was privileged to have her (I'm convinced it was a girl)  use the front bumper of the Troopy as a scratching post before she went on her merry way - needless to say the Troopy is never getting washed again. At one stage I could've scratched her head, if only I was so brave to open the window!

Two nights later I was back at the same campsite, fleetingly wondering if she would return - but I firmly decided no one could get that lucky twice in a lifetime. I woke up at about 2am and peered at the tree - clearly the full moon was playing tricks on my eyes and making rocks look like a leopard, so I went back to sleep. At 6am, as the sun started to brighten my surroundings, I looked again - and there she was, snoozing away! Her stay this time was brief - snooze another while, a yawn, a quick groom, a roll in the sand and she was gone. I'm still trembling with excitement! 

That afternoon I met up in Kang with another Overlanding vehicle, that camped on the same spot for 2 nights before me - either they did not see the leopard, or she did not want to come that close with more people (and more activity) around. 

The camping was really affordable at Kaa, there is a small waterhole about 100m from the campsite, and another large waterhole at Kaa Pans, 4.5km away. Lots of game and birds frequent the area, and the previous week they had sightings of both lion and leopard at the waterhole. I will most definitely be back!

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart


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Leigh Stafford

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Sep 1, 2025, 3:32:57 PMSep 1
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Hi everyone,

I'm back again with my revised itinerary, very interest to hear what you all think.

Day 1 Kasane - pick up vehicle 
Day 2 Kasane to Livingstone 
Day 3 Livingstone to Lake Itezhi-Tezhi (Chibila camp)
Day 4 Kafue - Kasabushi
Day 5 Kafue - Kasabushi
Day 6 Kafue - Mayukuyuku
Day 7 Lukasa BnB
Day 8 Chimwemwe
Day 9 South Luangwa - Wildlife Camp
Day 10 South Luangwa - Track & Trail
Day 11 South Luangwa - Track & Trail
Day 12 Mutinondo Wilderness
Day 13 Kasanka - Pontoon
Day 14 Kasanka - Pontoon
Day 15 Fringilla Lodge
Day 16 Lower Zambeizi - Mvuu
Day 17 Lower Zambeizi - Mvuu
Day 18 Chona Oasis Evergreen
Day 19 Kasane

Thank you again for all your advice and suggestions.

Cheers,

Leigh







Emile Wessels

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Sep 2, 2025, 6:19:51 AMSep 2
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Hi

 

During our previous trip we stayed at  Kasabushi, Wildlife, Track & Trail and Kasanka Pontoon which are on your list and they are all very good choices. Just be aware that Wildlife camp (which is excellent value for money) is somewhat further from  the park gate than Track & Trail.

 

Regards

 

Emile

 

From: 'Leigh Stafford' via Tracks4Africa <tracks...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, 1 September 2025 21:33
To: tracks...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [T4A] Zambia info please

 

Hi everyone,

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