Shumba Camp

Picture this: you’re on safari – but instead of scuttling about in a 4x4, you’re floating above the vast plains in a hot air balloon. Well, at Shumba Camp in the Kafue National Park that’s exactly what you can do.

Lions, cheetah, and wild dogs roam here too – while genet, civet, owls, and leopards own the night. Bird-watchers will have a field day, 491 species of birdlife recorded here. Day and night open-vehicle game drives are available, but the hot-air-balloon safaris (offered from August to October) allow you to see the plains in all its splendour.

Sitting on a tree island in the middle of the grassy Busanga Plains, Shumba Camp’s Luxury Tents peer out over the landscape from raised wooden platforms. Red lechwe, puku, buffalo, wildebeest, oribi and even the rare roan antelope graze in the surrounding grasslands. You’re guaranteed comfort after your day of adventure as all the Tents are en-suite and come with indoor and outdoor showers. Meals and drink can be enjoyed on the deck shaded by fig trees, or in the cosy boma.