Zambia’s Best-Kept Safari Secret

In Africa you are sometimes looking for a crowd… crowds of zebras, gazelles, baboons or warthogs, but what you don’t want are crowds of other tourists!   Zambia offers high game density, and low human density in their parks, but a very special experience is Sungani Lodge and Kulandila Camp – the most southerly of the lodges in all the South Luangwa National Park.

Although I stayed at Sungani, I still toured the accommodations and met the staff at the more rustic Kulandila camp and would happily stay there in the future.    The camps are not to far apart, and share the same safari territory, so there is no need to stay at both – but Kulandila is a lower cost, the accommodations while lovely, are substantially smaller, so it works well for someone on a lower budget, or if a large family or friends group wanted to do a takeover, but Sungani would be a great choice for many travelers.  If you wanted a longer stay in this part of the Luangwa you might want to try both, but for a 3-5 night stay you could stay at either and be perfectly content.   The lagoon which Sungani overlooks is a fabulous feature, as it means you can see wildlife from your room all day long.   The camp is built on raised platforms to limit the impact on the environment – with raised walkways connecting the rooms and the public area.

In one section they found it was a favorite elephant crossing and one large male kept demolishing the walkway in his nightly visits to the lagoon as it was not quite tall enough for his taste – so they raised that section and guests have to climb a few steps to go up and over his crossing on their way to their rooms.   This raised walkway is less dusty than walking on the ground, and makes entry into the comfortable safari vehicles extremely easy – not to mention that there is always staff to assist, providing filled water bottles and anything else you need as you depart, and welcoming you back with cool clothes to refresh you and an enjoyable beverage the minute you return – and if your trip takes you to a river side picnic lunch or sunset cocktail ‘sundowners’ the same treatment awaits you.  At your ‘picnic’ you find beautifully decorated tables, comfortable chairs, lovely napkins and cutlery presented in a leather sheathe – yes, they know how to impress and make you comfortable!

Lynne and Paul Davy have been hosts and camp managers at a number of top camps in their careers.  Their son, Michael, worked for Robin Pope Safaris and realized that being a safari guide and wildlife photographer was his calling, so was also is devoting his life to these wild places.  The other siblings work in marketing or sourcing, so it’s definitely a family passion project, but a family who has the deep knowledge and experience to do it right.

Over the years, the family had amassed a large African Art collection and needed a place to house it, and after watching for opportunities to have their own place, they were offered this sadly run down portion of the South Luangwa.  The way they’ve built it is extremely commendable – using new theories in tse tse fly abatement, training local villagers to be builders, craftsmen, and employees of the lodges has hugely impacted local communities, there are just so many things they’ve done right and now they, their guests, and the local villages are reaping the benefits of that commitment and labor, as they turn this neglected part of the Park into a top tier safari experience.

The camps are beautifully designed and decorated with that art and craftwork, Michael’s knowledge of photography has created some great camera blinds for photographers, as well as having a cutting edge photography studio and rental cameras and lenses for guests to enjoy.  I’ve stayed at some of Africa’s top camps and lodges over the years, and the Davys don’t miss a trick.

They employ a professional South African chef, camp manager, pilot, as well as top Zambian guides, their inclusive attitude and training of staff shows in the friendliness and skill of the workers, so it’s just a little gem in the midst of the wilderness.   Excellent food, great service levels and while it takes a little extra effort to get there, it will be so worth it!

Spending 4 days here and never seeing another person who was not employed by the lodge, or a fellow guest, was truly delightful.  Other than the Sungani Cessna which flies guests in, I saw only 2 other airplanes while there, and they were very far away.  I wanted to go as it was so remote, but the level of hospitality, the quality of game viewing, and other experiences  are the reason I will be returning!