The Trade Route is an extraordinary journey through Zambia and Malawi. There is an active day canoeing on the Zambezi River and explore by boat the bays and coves of Lake Malawi. Enjoy outstanding game viewing and bush walks in South Luangwa National Park. We recommend Malaria prophylactics. Border crossings can be slow, so you need to be prepared for the experience. This journey has challenges and is for the adventurous traveller but also has magnificent highlights.

Day 1 - 2 LIVINGSTONE  [camping Bx1 --]
(B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner)
The group will meet in Livingstone, in Zambia, at 14:00 where we have 2 days to explore Victoria Falls, a natural wonder of the world, plunging into the Zambezi Gorge. Adventure activities abound, white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi, or a 111m bungi jump (own expense).

Day 3 KAFUE RIVER  [camping BLD]
A long drive takes us across the rolling Miombo forested hills of southern Zambia to the Kafue River where we camp the night.

Day 4 - 5 LOWER ZAMBEZI CANOEING  [camping BLD]
We paddle down the mighty Zambezi River, home of the tribal mythical god – Nyami Nyami. Canoeing past local riverside villages and magnificent scenery. We camp wild on an island in the heart of untamed Africa. The following morning we continue our canoe safari through an area teaming with elephants, hippos and other wildlife. We will be collected by a motorboat, and are transferred back up river to our starting campsite.

Day 6 LUSAKA - GREAT EAST ROAD  [chalet BLD]
We head to Lusaka where we stock up on supplies in the bustling shops and markets of the Zambian capital. Taking the Great East Road we drive this afternoon until sunset. (This is a very long day of travel, original 2019 itinerary had camping on this day, but that campsite closed down, so now we travel a bit further on the day, but have upgraded the night to lodge. This also allows us to get to South Luangwa sooner on day 7).

Day 7, 8, 9 SOUTH LUANGWA NATIONAL PARK  [camping BLD]
Make our way down into “the valley” of the South Luangwa National Park. This remote region is one of Africa’s finest wildlife sanctuaries where hippo, elephants, lion and leopard abound. We camp on the banks of the Luangwa River and explore the area on 2 game walks and 2 open 4WD game drives, with spotlights, to see nocturnal animals.

(In the green season, Dec – Apr, walks may not be possible in which case we’ll do extra game drives).

Day 10 - 11 LAKE MALAWI  [camping BLD]
Malawi “the warm heart of Africa”. We restock with fresh supplies in the markets of Lilongwe before heading to our camp on the beach at Lake Malawi. We’ll take a boat out to the islands to explore the fantastic bays and coves in the area.

Day 12 LILONGWE – TOUR ENDS  [- B--]
After breakfast you will be transferred by mini-bus from Lake Malawi, to Lilongwe in time to catch your departure flight

Highlights

	Victoria Falls – natural wonder of the world
	Lower Zambezi – canoeing
	South Luangwa NP – game walk & 4WD game drives
	Lake Malawi – snorkelling & beaches

This tour departs at 14h00 from Livingstone, Zambia. Most flights into VFA and LVI arrive in the morning. We recommend that you fly into Livingstone airport (LVI) in Zambia on the day the tour starts, or Victoria Falls airport (VFA) in Zimbabwe - but this will require an additional visa (the Uni-visa applies for most nationals from the EU).

The tour ends in Lilongwe at the airport at approximately 14h00, in time to catch your flight out.

If you would like to book any pre-tour or post-tour accommodation, please indicate your required airport transfers and the number of nights required when you submit your enquiry below.

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REPEAT TRAVELERS SPECIAL DISCOUNT:

If you have travelled with Sunway before and would like to return to Africa and do another safari with us, we can offer you a repeat Sunway travellers discount of 5% on any scheduled tour booked.

This discount is also available if you book through your original travel agent again. When you make your booking please make sure you tell your agent the date of your previous tour. 

Safari Grade: Camping

Overnight: 10 nights on safari designated campsites, in national parks and towns. Campsites have hot showers. Please note there is 1 night of wild camping when canoeing on the lower Zambezi. Chalet - 1 night lodge in Petauke, with twin bedrooms with en suite facilities.

	Meals: 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 9 dinners will be provided by the Sunway crew, prepared at the vehicle and eaten around the camp fire or in the boma.
	Transport:  Due to sometimes poor roads we only use Sunway Safari trucks for this tour. Potholes, damaged gravel roads and livestock on the roads can make travel slow, you’ll pass through villages and witness the local lifestyle all the way. For the game drives in South Luangwa we use open 4WD.

Limited Participation: An essential part of your safari is participation. From putting up your tent to packing the truck in the morning – it’s all part of your adventure. Your tour leaders will do all the meal preparation but we do ask the clients to help (on rotation) with the washing up. There are some long travel days which means early morning starts so we all need to get involved to make the day run efficiently. Team spirit is part of the fun!

Responsible Tourism

In the Luangwa Valley we stay at Wildlife Camp . Wildlife Camp is situated on land owned by Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia (WECSZ), Wildlife camp operate under their authority and proudly donate a 60% of their revenue to the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia. The lodge is dedicated to the protection of the environment, and the sustainable utilisation of this precious resource.

Your visit will also support the conservation of the wildlife and employment opportunities for the people of the Luangwa Valley and Zambia.

 

AGE POLICY

We accept children 12-18 with accompanying adults on scheduled tours (for private groups we can accept younger children). If the clients are older than 65 years, then we require a medical certificate too (stating client is fit and healthy to embark on a multi-day tour covering long distances etc)

 

THE BEST TIME TO VISIT

The Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique Trade Route is a unique trip that travels through four different countries and covers vastly different climate and environmental zones.

The best time to travel in the Trade Route tour is traditionally during the autumn - winter – spring months (April – November). This is typically the dry season when days are clear and warm but can get cold during the evening. If you’re interested in wildlife viewing, then this is the best period to visit. Wildlife congregates at the dwindling water points, the wildlife is generally more active, and the vegetation is sparse allowing for easy game viewing. As you travel towards Malawi & Mozambique, the winter temperatures are actually quite warm during the day and evenings. Shorts & T-shirts are the order of the day (& night) throughout the year in Malawi & Mozambique. As winter is the period of low rainfall, time spent on the shores of Lake Malawi & Mozambique will not be interrupted by any rainfall.

The peak summer months (December - March) are characterised by hot, sunny days and spectacular afternoon thunder showers. During the summer months the countryside is lush, with plentiful wild flowers and new floral growth. For birders, this is prime birding season, all of the migrant species return to take advantage of the abundance of insect and plant life. The summer months provide the avid photographer with amazing colours and spectacular scenery. During the times of increased rainfall, malaria becomes more of a risk, so preventative measures are essential. Please bear in mind that all of our tents have built in mosquito nets, and all accommodation establishments used along the route do provide mosquito nets if required.

 

 

Lislotte Sweden - Oct22

Hey! I want to thank you for a very fine camping trip to Zambia and Malawi, 12 days. I especially appreciated the walks we did in villages both in Zambia and Malawi. Both Wayn and Joseph were fantastic leaders for the trip.

Juliane Gruppe - 20Aug15

I just returned home from an amazing 2 week camping safari through Zambia and Malawi. Starting at the mighty Victoria Falls and ending at Lake Malawi, the tour "Zambia & Malawi Trail" combined so many highlights that it's hard to mention the most outstanding ones. It was for example a wonderful experience to paddle down Zambezi River and to camp wild on an island, to do game walks and game drives in South Luangwa National Park and to swim in Lake Malawi. It was my first trip to Southern Africa and I want to express a huge THANK YOU to Sunway and of course to the guides for having made this trip unforgettable. Patrick and Jefias did an incredibly good job and formed a very good team. Our group of 6 people highly appreciated their ability and experience in guiding such tours. So thanks for this fantastic adventure!

kind regards Juliane

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