Dream Vacations: A Conservation and Walking Safari in Southern Africa

That can be fun for a first-time game drive experience, but it’s not always the most active or authentic feeling trip. That’s why I’ve been dreaming about doing a more adventurous wildlife-focused trip, like a walking safari. One such dream trip is through Zambia, where luxurious but remote camps like Big Lagoon Camp and the lofted Chikoko Tree Camp are hike-in only, inviting guests to spend days hiking through the bush and sleeping in the great outdoors.

Photo: Stanley Safaris

Walking safaris aren’t available everywhere in Africa and are far more active than game drives, making them perfect for someone who wants a more physical safari experience and appreciates the treasure hunt-type feeling of looking for truly wild animals. Moving slower through the bush means you’ll notice more details and learn more about your surroundings, especially as you’ll be accompanied by a guide with expert knowledge of everything from plants to footprints to using droppings to gauge how recently certain animals were in the area.

I got a taste of walking safaris in Kenya while staying at Soroi Luxury Migration Camp in the Mara. I was lucky enough to spend a few hours walking with a Maasai tracker — who was, by the way, one of the most fascinating and knowledgeable people I met in my line of work last year — and he inspired me to want to learn more. In fact, it quickly became a running joke that perhaps moving to the Mara to become a tracker should be my backup career. While I haven’t been lucky enough to make that happen (yet?), I do hope that one day I can at least make an extended walking safari happen.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention another major draw of walking safaris: the conservation angle. Depending on what country and what park you visit, your walking safari can actually be a volunteer experience. In South Africa, when arranged through Stanley Safaris, you can spend multiple days at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. There, you’ll spend your days assisting a rhino veterinarian in the bush with everything from tracking to tagging to data entry and monitoring. Fortunately, you won’t sacrifice comfort, as the reserve is home to the stunning Great Fish River Lodge.

Many companies operating in Zambia can arrange walking safaris, but in a place where locals in nearby communities are tied closely to the land, it’s important to travel with a company that prioritizes sustainability. This is one of the reasons I’d feel comfortable traveling with Stanley, as the company works only with privately owned camps (rather than corporate-owned hotels) to help keep the tourism funds in the country; those camps also have to employ locals and have established ongoing community projects. Stanley Safaris also donates money for each guest who travels with the company to one local cause at the end of each year. Its most recent donation was to an anti-poaching program via Kenya- and Tanzania-based Serian Camps.

• Day 1: Arrive Lusaka, Zambia
• Day 2: Arrive Tafika Camp, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Day 3: Walking safaris, night drives, photo classes in park
• Day 4: Walking safaris, night drives, photo classes in park
• Day 5: Hike to Chikoko Tree Camp, South Luangwa National Park
• Day 6: Walking safari/camping
• Day 7: Hike out of Chikoko Tree Camp, hike into Big Lagoon Camp
• Day 8: Walking safari/camping
• Day 9: Fly to Jeki Airstrip, check into Zambezi National Park’s Kutali Camp
• Day 10: Canoe/walking/boat safari Zambezi National Park
• Day 11: Canoe/walking/boat safari Zambezi National Park
• Day 12: Leave Kutali Camp, fly to Lusaka, then Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania*
• Day 13: Arrive Manta Resort, stay in underwater room
• Day 14: Underwater safari or diving at Manta Resort
• Day 15: Underwater safari or diving at Manta Resort
• Day 16: Free day at Manta Resort
• Day 17: Depart for home

*In lieu of heading to Zanzibar, I could instead head to Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. Or, I could do both — it’s a dream vacation, after all.