As the birthplace of walking safaris, South Luangwa is a great place to get out there, awaken your senses and really experience Africa. Walking along the banks of Zambia’s Luangwa River, watching the antics of kingfishers and African fish eagles over the water, all while following a guide tracking giraffe prints… this is what a really wild African safari entails. Sometimes, your own two feet are the best way to experience the wild wonders of the African bush.

While animals will generally ignore you in a vehicle, when you’re on foot, they recognise you as another type of animal. Standing there, watching them at a safe distance, is a primal experience and your own instincts and excitement will kick in, heightening the experience emotionally. Although you may be able to travel further in a vehicle, on foot you can reach places that a 4×4 can’t. You will also be closer the tapestry of smells, sounds and signals of the bush, like noting where a porcupine dragged its quills during the night, where frogs have spawned or how dung beetles tackle their crucial task so diligently.