Join this expedition and take part in one of the most spectacular Zambian cultural festivals of the year – The Lozi Ku-Omboka festival. This festival follows the movement of the Lozi King from the wetlands to higher ground as the Zambezi River comes down in flood. We will also visit the Victoria & Sioma Falls, both the Zambezi River, and the largest game reserve in Zambia – the Kafue National Park. Our route takes us off the beaten track to get to the marvellous areas.
 

ZAMBIA LOZI FESTIVAL
EXPEDITION SAFARI (2013)
“Zambia Lozi Festival”
CAMPING EXPEDITION

14 day small group participation camping expedition    
Guaranteed from 4 participants, maximum group size: 8 participants
DEPARTS:  LIVINGSTONE on Sunday 24Mar13 at 14:00pm     
ENDS:   LUSAKA on Saturday 06Apr13 at 08:00am

Expedition Highlights:
* Victoria Falls
* Upper Zambezi – Sioma Falls
* Lozi Festival

EXPEDITION PLAN

Day 1 - 2  LIVINGSTONE – VICTORIA FALLS [camping Bx1 - -]
(B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
The group will meet at the Waterfront campsite in Livingstone Zambia, at 14:00pm. Following an expedition briefing, and settling into our campsite, we have time to explore the 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).
Planned stops:  2 nights in Livingstone
Includes:   Entrance to Victoria Falls on the Zambian side
Overnight:  Campsite – good ablution facilities, hot showers, swimming pool, restaurant & bar
Optional Activities: White water rafting, sunset cruises, elephant back safaris, scenic flights & many more
Distance/time: -

Day 3 - 9  UPPER ZAMBEZI RIVER and LOZI KU-OMBOKA FESTIVAL [camping BLD]
The Zambezi River is Africa’s fourth largest River system, after the Nile, Zaire and Niger Rivers. It runs through six countries on it’s journey from central Africa to the Indian Ocean. Running for a length of 2700kms, it begins it’s journey in the Mwinilunga District of north-west Zambia. This western sector of Zambia is difficult to reach but includes the Barotse floodplain, Sioma National Park and Liuwa National Park.
The upper part of the Zambezi river is thinly populated by farmers and fishermen and although wildlife is sparse it is a beautiful wilderness region. The river passes through the flat sandy country of the Western Province, then traverses the broad, annually flooding Barotse Plains. This is also the scene of the remarkable Ku-omboka Ceremony where thousands of inhabitants move annually to higher ground as the Zambezi floods into the low lying plains.
The upper Zambezi River is well known for it’s excellent fishing, and as we make our way north along the river, we stop of at various points to try our hand at fishing for the extremely aggressive Tiger Fish (own expense). Apart from the fishing, we visit Sioma Falls, which is the second largest waterfall in Zambia, as we make our way up to the town of Mongu and the Ku-Omboka Festival.
The Ku-omboka festival is the focus of this expedition safari. The traditional name means "to get out of the water onto dry ground". Every year towards the end of the rainy season as the flood plain of the upper Zambezi valley rises, the Lozi people make a ceremonial move to higher ground. When the Chief decides that it’s time to leave, the drums signal to all the people. They pack their belongings into canoes and the whole tribe leaves en mass.
The chief in his barge with his family and a troop of traditionally dressed paddlers, in the lead. It takes about six hours to cover the distance between the dry season capital Lealui, and the wet season capital Limulunga. There the successful move is celebrated with traditional singing and dancing. This ceremony dates back more than 300 years when the Lozi people broke away from the great Lunda Empire to come and settle in the upper regions of the Zambezi. The vast plains with abundant fish was ideal for settlement but the annual floods could not be checked, so every year they move to higher ground until the rainy season passes.
Please note: The precise date of the festival will only be known by the Lozi king and is determined by the water levels of the Barotse flood plain. It occurs anytime from February to May, often on a Thursday just before a full moon. Now that the festival attracts more visitors it is usually held at Easter, but the exact date is still only determined by the king.
We have therefore planned the dates for this expedition to coincide with the full moon at the end of March 2013, Wednesday the 27th and the Easter weekend which is March 2013, Sunday 31st.
The expedition itinerary will therefore be quite flexible as we try to be in the right place at the right time!
Planned stops:  1 night at Sioma Falls NP, 2-3 nights on the Zambezi and 3-4 nights in the area of Mongu for the festival.
Includes:  Sioma Falls NP entry fees 1 day, Ku-Omboka festival visit, any fees own expense
Overnight:  Campsite – basic facilities
Optional Activities:  -
Distance/time: Livingstone to Mongu 508km ± 10 hours

Day 10 - 12   KAFUE NATIONAL PARK [camping BLD]
Found in the centre of western Zambia, Kafue National Park is the oldest of Zambia's national parks covering a massive 22500 square kilometres. First established as national park in the 1950s, Kafue is one of the largest national parks in the whole of Africa. Despite its size and prominent location, it remains little known and largely unexplored. It is fed by three rivers, the Lufupa in the north-west and the Lunga and Kafue in the north-east. The Lufupa River floods in the summer (December to April), creating a large floodplain delta system that attracts thousands of waterbirds. The Lunga and Kafue rivers are wide and slow-flowing, banded by riverine forest.
Habitats in the park are diverse, and include floodplains, miombo woodland and dambos (grasslands which become marshy in the rainy season). It has good concentrations of plains game and their predators as well as the largest species diversity in Zambia, including animals that are rare or non-existent in other southern African countries, such as Lichtenstein's hartebeest, roan antelope, Defassa waterbuck and oribi. Birdlife is spectacular, consisting of 491 species.
In the extreme north of the Kafue lies the Busanga Plains - one of Zambia's most significant wetland resources. However, in March and April the roads to the north are probably too muddy (or even closed by park authorities). We will therefore explore the accessible sections of the park, mostly along the Kafue River and the road between Mongu and Lusaka.
Planned stops:  1 night en route Kafue, 2 nights camping on the border of the Kafue NP
Includes:   Entrance fees for 2 full days inside the Kafue NP
Overnight:  Campsite – basic ablutions with hot showers and flush toilets
Optional Activities: Kafue River cruise
Distance/time: 383km ± 9 hours

Day 13 – 14  LUSAKA – TOUR ENDS [camping Bx2 - -]
Leaving the Kafue National Park behind us, we make our way to the capital of Zambia – Lusaka. In the afternoon we have some time to explore the city, before heading to a local restaurant for dinner (own expense) and our final meal together before the tour ends at Pioneer Campsite in Lusaka on the morning of day 14 @08:00am.
Planned stops:  1 night in Lusaka, Pioneer Campsite
Includes:   -
Overnight:  Campsite - good ablution facilities, hot showers, swimming pool, bar & restaurant
Distance/time: 358km ± 8hours

Please note: The distance and travel times quoted above are an estimate only, and subject to local road conditions and photo stops!

RACK Price: (valid for travel in 2013)
If you book as an individual, or as one group booking of 2-5 clients travelling on this scheduled date (subject to a minimum number of 4 clients to guarantee the departure), then the price is: € 2 075 pps + local payment of US$ 500
If you book as one group booking of 6-8 clients travelling (please note this is not a closed group), then the price is: € 1 764 pps + local payment of US$ 500
Single supplement: € 70 pp
Single tent supplement is applicable to the camping nights only.

Includes
* 13 nights camping
* Entrance fees as per itinerary
* Use of camping equipment (except sleeping bags & pillow)
* Transport in 4WD vehicle
* Meals as per itinerary
* Professional guide

DETAILED TOUR INFO

Why travel on a Sunway Safaris Expedition Trip.
Sunway Safaris have been running mobile camping & accommodated safaris throughout Southern Africa for the past 19 years. Our extensive knowledge and experience in African travel means that we are confident that we can safely take you to those remote and wild areas of Africa that many people dream about but who are daunted by the prospect of travelling on their own. You can rely on our knowledgeable and experienced tour leaders to take you to these out of the way places.

•Experienced African Travelers – By offering the Expedition trips to people who have travelled to Africa before, and who are aware of the sometimes very difficult travelling conditions, you will only be travelling with adventure minded travelers. The Expedition trips will be limited to a maximum of 8 people ensuring you experience Africa in a small an intimate group of like minded people.

•Sunway tour guides – group leaders are the key to any safari. On a Sunway Expedition safari you will travel with one of our most experienced guides who are confident of travelling off the beaten track. Your guide has a passion for Africa, her people and her wildlife, and they love nothing more than sharing his/her knowledge with you.

•Participation – An essential part of an Expedition trip is your participation. If the small group all pulls together and when the going gets tough, you are all there to help out. Putting up and taking down your tents is the easy part. Helping get the vehicle out of the thick sand, planning your route through thick mud, being a full participating member of the Expedition will only enhance your enjoyment of your out there African experience.

•Safety – All of our vehicles are custom built to ensure comfortable and safe touring. Each is constructed, by an authorised passenger vehicle builder, to the latest safety requirements, with a safety shell, and every seat has a lap belt. This gives you peace of mind when travelling with Sunway Safaris on the often demanding African roads.

•Responsible travel - Our commitment to sustainable & responsible tourism is reflected in our low impact travel style where all we take is photographs and all we leave is our footprints. Being an African company we have the grassroots contacts to make a real difference in the lives of the people whose lands we visit.
•On each itinerary in the brochure you’ll find this symbol which highlights just one of the sustainable travel initiatives that we support.

•Experience - We have more than 19 years experience planning tours throughout Southern Africa. As such, our itineraries and routes have been perfected over many years ensuring that your tour will run smoothly. We visit the highlights of Southern Africa, but ensure that you do not follow the well trodden tourist track. All of us at Sunway Safaris have extensive travel experience in Africa, and throughout the world.
•Being adventure travellers ourselves, we know how to plan trips that give you a broad experience of the countries that you will visit.

•Based in Africa - probably the most important part of a Sunway safari is that we are an African company. We live in Africa, we travel in Africa and it is our passion for this amazing continent that makes Sunway your best travel option.

Accommodation
•Camping – where possible we will stay at designated campsites in national parks, on private land and in towns. Campsite facilities are generally very good but in places can be basic. There are hot and cold showers, restaurants, washing facilities and telephones available at most of the campsites. Some camps have simple reed enclosures for showers but do have flush toilets! On other nights in expedition trips we may be forced to stay wherever we can find a campsite, this could even be an unscheduled wild camping night.
Sunway supplies all the camping equipment with the exception of your sleeping bag and pillow. The dome tents we use are 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.8 meters and putting them up or down takes only 5 minutes. Tents have built-in insect nets. We supply mattresses, which are about 5 cm thick, warm and comfortable. The camp chairs have a backrest.
•Wild camping - Wild camps have no facilities; we will need to take our own water and all equipment. Wild camping can be very enjoyable but please remember that we leave no trace of our stay and take all rubbish away with us. Toilets will be of the “dig and bury” variety and a simple bucket bush shower will be provided.
•Accommodation – there may on occasion be campsites with rooms / chalets available. Sunway has budgeted for camping night, and therefore should you wish to upgrade on arrival at the campsite, this would be for your own expense, subject to availability of rooms. Sunway would pay the cost of camping, any extra would be for your own expense. This gives you the flexibility to use accommodation as you find it, at your own budget (and depending on the weather on the day).

Transport
•Expedition vehicle – the Sunway Safaris expedition vehicle will be used for all portions of the tour. The vehicle is designed to handle all road conditions expected on the route. Depending on the group size we may tow a trailer for equipment. The vehicle has closed sides with opening glass windows. Individual seats for each client. There are a couple of long days of travelling but the vehicles have a comfortable cruising speed. The emphasis of the trip is “getting out and doing things”.

Local Payment
•A local payment is required on this safari and this will be collected by your tour leader on departure. The local payment forms part of your overall tour cost, and must be taken into consideration when booking your safari. It will be used by your tour leaders to pay for some of the operational costs incurred on safari.
Sunway prepays by bank transfer, as many of the tour costs as possible. However, in many cases, a cash payment is the only option: certain of the destinations that we visit, only accept cash. For example entry fees to most national parks, some of the campsites and also local food markets (and even some shops) are only payable in cash. In addition, each Sunway vehicle has a garage card but these are only accepted in South Africa and parts of Namibia, therefore in all other countries, fuel must be paid for in cash. Due to the remoteness of some departure points, having a local payment system enables us to manage tour funds effectively. The efficiency of this system helps keep the overall tour prices down.
For these reasons, it is necessary for Sunway to charge a local payment. It also ensures that a portion of the tour costs goes directly into the country you are visiting, thereby benefiting local communities and contributing to the conservation of the areas we visit. This is all part of Sunway Safaris’ ongoing effort to operate sustainable safaris that make a real difference.

Participation
•An essential part of your expedition is participation – from putting up your tent or packing away in the morning to helping with meal preparation and cleaning up – it’s all part of your adventure and when everyone puts in a little effort the trip will run smoothly. Your tour leader will do all the meal planning and food shopping however all participants will need to help with food preparation and washing up. At border crossings the expedition leader will need help from the participants in queuing for paperwork etc. In the unlikely event of a vehicle breakdown (such as flat tyre), or the more likely event of vehicle becoming stuck in mud or sand, everyone will need to help solve the problem and get the group out of the situation. Team spirit is part of the fun!

Recommended reading
Before you travel you might want to read any of the following books. While not specific to the Sunway tour you will join, they do provide some background understanding of the countries you will be visiting.
•Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (Autobiography - Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time.)
•Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (Is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. A classic work of love and hope, courage and endurance, born of the dignity of man.)
•The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (Story of one young man's search for the love that binds friends, the passion that binds lovers, and the realization that it takes only one to change the world.)
•The Covenant by James A. Mitchener (The best and worst of two continents carve an empire out of the vast wilderness that is to become South Africa.)
•Jock of the Bushveld by J Percy FitzPatrick (Story of a trader and his dog set in 1880 around Pilgrim’s Rest and Kruger area)
•When The Lion Feeds by Smith Wilbur (Fictional story set in Natal, South Africa in the 1870’s)
•A Time To Die by Wilbur Smith (Fictional adventure through Zimbabwe and Mozambique)
•The Steps of the Sun by Joanna Trollope (Love story set during the Boer War)
•Newman's Birds of Southern Africa by Kenneth Newman
•Sasol Birds of Southern Africa by Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey, and W.R. Tarboton
•The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates by Richard D. Estes and Daniel Otte
•Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Field Guides) by Braam Van Wyk, Keith Coates Palgrav, and Piet Van Wyk

Food
•We pride ourselves on giving very good healthy meals to our clients and will provide three meals per day, except as shown in the itinerary. For those meals we will eat at local restaurants.
•The tour leaders do the shopping and meal planning for each group. He/she will always try to obtain fresh produce wherever possible. A rough idea of what these will consist of is: Breakfast - cereals or coffee and toast or the occasional fried breakfast, Lunch - cheese, cold meats, salads on bread or rolls, Dinner - braais (local barbecue), potjies (stews), stir fries etc. We use regular plates, cups and cutlery. All cooking and eating utensils will also be provided.
•We do cater for special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian or allergies.)
•We will supply fruit squash served with breakfast and tea or coffee served with breakfast and dinner. All other beverages will be for your own expense. We will not supply bottled drinking water although it is available at many shops on tour.