Takwela Camp

a specialist walking safari operation

Takwela Camp is located in the North Luangwa area of eastern Zambia.

The camp is centred on an open-sided ‘chitenge’, leading out to a campfire area above the river.

A camp as small and simple as this can provide a really natural and intense interaction with the surrounding bush, with animals wandering through camp during the day and the sounds of baboons, elephants and lions resonating through the night.

Clearly in a bushcamp as simple and small as this, the interaction with the crew is intense and enormously pleasurable. These guys may have been waiting in the bush for days or even weeks for guests to turn up and they love to lavish attention on you. Be sure to break the ice early and put them at their ease and, before you know it, you will feel like you have lived out in the bush with them forever. In a good way.

Another really big potential bonus of such a small camp is the chance that you might have the place to yourselves. Feedback is full of tales of people who were lucky enough to hit a period where there were no other guests. An exclusive camp experience of that nature would usually come at a much higher price.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Takwela Camp is in just four reedwork rooms, each with a private outdoor bathroom.

Activities

Activities at Takwela Camp are focused primarily on walking safari, which means that wildlife interactions tend to be less frequent and at greater distances.

Vehicle safari is also possible, but tends to be very much a secondary experience.

North Luangwa is a wonderful backwater, where visitor numbers remain low due to the simplicity of the camps and the focus on walking safari.

The usual stay duration is 3-6 nights.

Seasonality

Like most areas in Zambia, safari in North Luangwa is very seasonal and careful planning is extremely important.

Early dry season : May-Jun

The May-Jun season is a period of transition from the hot wet summer to the cool dry winter.

In dry years the green season should be reaching an end, the long grass should be yellowing and the animals starting to move back towards the permanent water sources along the river, all of which should lead to an increase in sightings.

In wetter years some elements of the green season conditions may endure all the way into June, making wildlife viewing a little more challenging.

In May-Jun, temperatures can drop pretty low during the night, but this has little adverse effect on safari, the days are gorgeous and there are virtually no insects around.

Although this is generally considered to be a decent time to visit, before the harshness of the main dry season kicks in, the camps here only tend to open for the season during June.

Dry season : Jul-Sep

The Jul-Sep dry season is the classic time to visit North Luangwa and is generally considered to be the best time for wildlife viewing, as serious numbers of animals are drawn into the permanent water sources from the vast dry hinterland.

During Jul-Aug the cooler temperatures of the preceding season can continue, but this has little adverse effect on safari, the days are gorgeous and there are virtually no insects around. The weather during Aug-Sep should be perfect.

The camps in the area are all open during this, their main season.

Hot season : Oct-Dec

The Oct-Dec hot season represents the transition period between the peak of the dry season and the start of the rains.

During this period the temperatures and humidities can become uncomfortably high in advance of the rains. This can be a very significant issue, especially since these simple camps do not have air-conditioning.

If considerable rainfall does arrive (usually during December) it usually brings a blessed relief from the high temperatures, but can be heavy and prolonged.

Of course the animals are delighted to see the rain and may start to migrate outwards from the river, potentially causing a marked drop off in sightings.

The camps tend to close for the end of their short season around the end of October.

Green season : Jan-Apr

The period Jan-Apr is the main green season in North Luangwa, when the area experiences the majority of its rainfall.

At this time the landscapes tend to be verdant and beautiful, the animals well fed and there’s lots of babies around, providing a great contrast to the harshness of the dry season.

With the wildlife being more dispersed and the long grasses providing extra cover.

The temperatures and humidities are usually higher than usual, although not usually to the extent of the preceding season. Conditions are usually pleasant enough.

It’s the Dec-Feb period which threatens the greatest chance of more cloud and rain, with safari conditions potentially becoming a good deal more challenging.

The camps in North Luangwa are all closed throughout this season as the ground conditions become too difficult to operate.

Getting there

North Luangwa lies to the east of the country and is almost always accessed by means of a light aircraft hop from South Luangwa.

From the airstrip, it is a drive of around 45 minutes into camp.

It is also possible to include the area in an overland safari, typically starting in South Luangwa, driving up to North Luangwa, then cutting west to Shiwa Ngandu, optionally Bangweulu and down to Lusaka.

almost always combined with South Luangwa