If you have ever traveled to Africa, you’ve been gifted a uniquely special experience that stays with you throughout your life. Although my journey was over twenty years ago, I still re-live my three weeks in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia as though it were a fresh event in my mind, and to this day my safari visit is on the top 3 list of my beyond global excursions. There are several renowned safari destinations that have made their way to just about every glossy magazine- Richard Branson’s luxe hideaway comes to mind immediately- however, there are a new crop of under-the-radar bush camps and river lodges in Zambia to satisfy all purists.
These simple yet stylish adventure tented camps provide a diversity of experiences seldom combined elsewhere and include canoeing, fishing, boat rides, night drives, and walking safari’s- which was pioneered in Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley by the naturalist Norman Carr. And it is in these highly regarded game parks that Zambian Andy Hogg started his Bushcamp Company, a collection of six exclusive camps that offer a tasteful balance between luxurious and rustic. With superb food, a staggering concentration of wild life and top-tier guides, Bushcamp was designed to take advantage of Zambia’s more natural and authentic experience than its better known counterparts- think Kenya 30 years ago. The past trend was about over-designing lodges for luxury yet nowadays the trend is shifting, as people seem to want simple comfort in a smaller, more genuine and wild setting.
The poshest of all six camps, Chindeni, sleeps six to eight guests in sublime tents that are chic and spacious in design- and recently refreshed. Perched over a wildlife-rich lagoon with elegant teakwood decking, this tranquil respite- where the aroma of jasmine awakens you in the early morning hours- also leaves a minimal carbon footprint by running on solar power. So, if you decide to bypass the usual suspects- Kenya, Tanzania or Botswana- and head to Zambia for your long awaited safari, do not leave without a quick jaunt to the mighty and magnificent Victoria Falls- which is where I have yet another side-story to this story that includes crazy monkeys and wild two-seater plane rides. But that’s for another time… www.bushcampcompany.com
