Our 2027 tented safaris are open for booking: the 8-Day Sable, the 14-Day Zebra and the 19-Day Wildebeest, with departures every three weeks from April to December. If you’ve been looking at them and wondering whether camping in Zambia is for you, this post answers the questions we hear most. It also shows you how to request your date. A request costs nothing and commits you to nothing: you tell us when you’d like to travel, and we send you a full quote.
Under canvas, as we’ve always done it
Mobile tented safaris have been part of Zamsato since we started in Livingstone in 2007. In 2027 we turn 20, and we’re putting them first, because they’re still the real deal for exploring the bush and being in nature. Our tented safaris go where the lodges don’t: deep into Kafue National Park and out to Liuwa Plain in Zambia’s far west. At night there’s only canvas between you and the sounds of the bush.
Three safaris, one way of travelling
8-Day Sable Safari – Livingstone and southern Kafue
Two nights in Livingstone at our own Kalahari Sand Ridge Inn, with white rhino tracking on foot in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Then four nights camping in southern Kafue, at Musungwa and Kasabushi, before the safari ends in Lusaka. Ideal if you have a week and want a first taste of camping in the bush.
14-Day Zebra Safari – Kafue, Liuwa Plain and the west
From Lusaka into Kafue National Park for three nights, then west through Mongu to Liuwa Plain for four nights on the open grasslands. On the way back south you stop at Sioma, close to Ngonye Falls, and finish with two nights in Livingstone near Victoria Falls. Ideal if you want the wide, empty landscapes of western Zambia that few visitors ever see.
19-Day Wildebeest Safari – the full western circuit
Everything on the Zebra Safari, then back into Kafue from Livingstone for four more nights at Musungwa and Kasabushi before ending in Lusaka. Our most complete camping safari. Ideal if you have the time and want to see Zambia’s west properly, without rushing.
2027 departure dates
Pick the date that suits you and mention it in your request. Zebra and Wildebeest start on the same Saturdays; the Zebra Safari ends in Livingstone, the Wildebeest Safari carries on.
| 8-Day Sable Safari | 14-Day Zebra Safari | 19-Day Wildebeest Safari |
|---|---|---|
| 14 – 21 April | 3 – 16 April | 3 – 21 April |
| 5 – 12 May | 24 April – 7 May | 24 April – 12 May |
| 26 May – 2 June | 15 – 28 May | 15 May – 2 June |
| 16 – 23 June | 5 – 18 June | 5 – 23 June |
| 7 – 14 July | 26 June – 9 July | 26 June – 14 July |
| 28 July – 4 August | 17 – 30 July | 17 July – 4 August |
| 18 – 25 August | 7 – 20 August | 7 – 25 August |
| 8 – 15 September | 28 August – 10 September | 28 August – 15 September |
| 29 September – 6 October | 18 September – 1 October | 18 September – 6 October |
| 20 – 27 October | 9 – 22 October | 9 – 27 October |
| 10 – 17 November | 30 October – 12 November | 30 October – 17 November |
| 1 – 8 December | 20 November – 3 December | 20 November – 8 December |
| 22 – 29 December | 11 – 24 December | 11 – 29 December |
A day in camp
Mornings start early, with coffee at the camp table while the bush is still cool, then out on a game drive. Back in camp, the middle of the day belongs to the shade: a book, a nap, the birds in the trees around the tents. In the afternoon we head out again, and the day ends around the fire, with dinner and the sounds of the bush closing in.
Home is a walk-in canvas tent, spacious for two, with mesh windows, chairs and solar lights inside and a handwash basin by the tent. You sleep on a dense foam mattress (or a stretcher, if you’d like an extra level of comfort), in a sleeping bag: bring your own or hire one from us. Every camp has running water: taps, toilets and showers with hot and cold water.
The honest part
Moving between camps can mean long drives on gravel and sand. Some roads are under construction or badly worn, and some are very dusty, so expect bumps, detours and a layer of dust by the end of the day. Inside the national parks, the move is a game drive in itself: we take our time and stop for whatever turns up. To make up for the long days, we stay several nights at each camp, which gives you full days to explore without packing up and time to settle into the rhythm of the bush.
Is it for you?
Camping is for all ages. Children are welcome from 12 years, and a normal level of fitness is all you need; no camping experience required. It suits travellers who want to be close to the bush rather than behind lodge walls, and who don’t mind dust and a long day on the road in exchange for it. If you need lodge comforts every night, or travel with children under 12, one of our bush breaks or lodge safaris will suit you better. Ask us, and we’ll tell you honestly.
Our 20th-anniversary offer
- 10% off the safari price on all 2027 departures (park and conservation fees and levies excluded).
- A free night at our Kalahari Sand Ridge Inn in Livingstone, before or after your safari.
- Valid for bookings made directly with us by 31 January 2027. Mention ZAMSATO20 in your request.
How to request your booking
- Choose your safari and date from the table above.
- Send us a short message with the date, how many of you are travelling, and whether you’d like to hire sleeping bags or add nights in Livingstone. Mention ZAMSATO20.
- We reply with availability and a full quote, with everything that is and isn’t included spelled out. Nothing is binding until you confirm.
Email adventures.await@zamsato.net, message us on Signal (+260 96 9267286 or +49 152 10901080) or Telegram, or use our quote request form.
Questions we often get
Do I need camping experience? No. We set up and run the camp; you need a normal level of fitness and a liking for the outdoors.
What do I need to bring? A sleeping bag, or hire one from us. Everything else in camp, from tents and mattresses to chairs and lights, is provided.
Can we travel with children? Yes, from 12 years.
Can I extend my trip? Yes. Add nights in Livingstone at our Kalahari Sand Ridge Inn, or ask us about extensions to the Lower Zambezi or South Luangwa.
What isn’t included in the safari price? Park and conservation fees and levies are charged on top. Your quote lists them separately, so there are no surprises.
Twenty years on, this is still our favourite way to travel through Zambia. Pick your date, send us a message, and we’ll take it from there.
