Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp
Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp is an intimate tented bush camp nestled into a fig tree island in the heart of the Busanga Plains in northern Kafue National Park.
Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp is a camp for Africa enthusiasts, offering a little wilderness and adventure in addition to spectacular scenery, specialist game viewing and a peaceful and exclusive natural environment. The camp itself is very comfortable, but the emphasis is not on luxury or style, but rather on location and experience. The management team and camp staff offer a warm welcome and the camp has a relaxed communal atmosphere. The Busanga Plains are stunning and arguably Kafue’s finest game viewing area, being home to cheetah, a myriad of wonderful birdlife and some rarer mammal species such as Roan antelope. A visit to the Busanga Plains is a welcome addition to any Zambia safari and we think Busanga Bush Camp balances comfort and adventure perfectly.
Rooms
Accommodation is provided for just eight guests in four comfortable tented chalets, each raised off the ground on a low wooden deck and furnished with proper beds and linen. En suite facilities include a flush toilet and shower. Each chalet has a furnished verandah with lovely views overlooking the plains.
Central Areas
Most meals are taken in the central ‘alfresco’ dining area set under one of the huge sycamores, and an open-sided ‘tented’ lounge area overlooking the plains. To the side of the main area is a sundeck with a small swimming pool (occasionally lions can be found using the shade of the sundeck!).
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for charging – Yes
Swimming pool – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
The Kafue National Park is one of the largest parks in Africa, covering an area of nearly 22500 sq.kms. The north-eastern and southern sectors of the park are essentially covered by miombo woodland, whereas the north-western sector contains the Busanga floodplains which become accessible from late June to November. There are three major rivers, the Kafue River itself and its perennial tributaries, the Lunga and Lufupa. Although the terrain is generally flat, the beauty of the park is evident in its diverse habitats with floodplains, miombo woodland, thick riverine vegetation and open grassy areas called dambos.
The wildlife is impressive – in the miombo woodland areas, lion, leopard, wild dog, zebra, elephant, buffalo, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, roan, sable, kudu and impala are found, whilst on the Busanga the most dominant antelope species are red lechwe, puku and the diminutive oribi, and aside from lion, cheetah and hyaena are the major predators. Hippo frequent the permanent water channels.
The birdlife is fantastic, with over 490 species recorded including the endemic Chaplin’s barbet and large flocks of pelican, crowned crane and wattled crane. Tsetse fly are common.
The Busanga Plains are one of the best places to see cheetah in Zambia, and are one of the best places in Africa to see the rare Roan antelope. The birdlife is excellent too.
Activities
Busanga Bush Camp is open for just five months of the year (June to October). At the start of the season, when the floods are still high enough, boat cruises are the main activity (until around mid-August when water levels recede), along with short game drives by open four-wheel-drive vehicle (accessed by boat). Later in the season, game drives become the main activity and guided walks are also offered.
Seasons
Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp is open from June to October, though the best game viewing conditions will be from August to October.
Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp is good for families with older children who can have their own room and are keen on the game viewing, but it is not an area or camp that stands out as a specific destination for families with younger children.
Wilderness Safaris, owners of Busanga Bush Camp, established the Children in the Wilderness programme (CITW) focusing on children from villages close to the remote areas in which they operate, educating them in environmental awareness and training them in the life skills needed to care for and nurture their natural environment. CITW operate annual camps for up to 30 children at a time in their lodges and run regular Eco-Clubs in rural schools, which Jifumpa and Kamakechi primary schools close to Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp are involved in. Youth Environmental Stewardship (YES) mentors particular children who have shown a strong interest in their environment and scholarship programmes are given for primary, secondary and tertiary education. 10,000 rural children across seven African countries have benefited from CITW.
The Wilderness Wildlife Trust is involved in conservation, anti-poaching, community empowerment and education. The Trust has many projects throughout Zambia (Game Rangers International and Zambian Carnivore Program), Botswana (Wildlife Research Increasing Capacity), Namibia (Desert Dwelling Giraffe Study), Zimbabwe (Hwange Elephant Movement Study, Painted Dog Conservation), Malawi (Mobile Response Unit) and Rwanda (Shoebill Aerial Survey).
Through their support of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) Wilderness Safaris has assisted in the revival of the Busanga plains through anti-poaching techniques and aerial surveys.
