You can expect to hear a plethora of bird species to awaken you early in the morning with their beautiful songs (this always reminds me that I’m far away in a remote and magical place. The bush is filled with massive baobab trees and wildlife all around like elephant, Cape buffalo, hippo, lion, Nile crocodile, warthog, puku, impala, spotted hyena, greater kudu and eland which are all common. And, there’s a healthy population of leopard to be seen. What’s unique to the Luangwa are the Thornicroft's giraffe, Cookson's wildebeest and Crawshay's Zebra. Expect to see the rivers crowded with hippos and herds of elephants bathing.

This part of Zambia is also known for their amazing walking safaris which we incorporated into our daily game drives. To get out on foot is to really become a part of your surroundings, and allows you to experience the bush naturally and walk in the footprints of our favorite animals.

We also had some great night drives and several community visits. It’s simply an awesome safari destination with many unspoiled places to check out.

There’s a lot of great conservation work happening in Zambia. Take the Zambian Carnivore Program, they’re a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to conserving large carnivores and the ecosystems they live in through a combination of conservation science, conservation actions, and education. They work with local, national and international partners, agencies, organizations and institutions that collectively help address the many conservation challenges facing Zambia and the region. Their work is groundbreaking.

I highly recommend visiting Game Rangers International. Located in Lusaka, Zambia. I love all that they stand for, they continue to expand their amazing work. GRI works in close partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife to empower rangers and local communities to conserve nature. Their programs include ‘Resource Protection, Community Outreach, and Wildlife Rescue’; this is where someone gets the opportunity to see the orphaned elephants GRI have rescued at close proximity; one can view them from a specially designed hide. This is to ensure minimal human impact, as the orphans are the tragic victims of wildlife crime and conflict and are in the early stages of rehabilitation towards eventual release back into the wild where they belong. You can see all from up high!