After being met at the airport your guide will drive you to Nkwali Camp through colourful local scenes of villages, agriculture as well as bush. Nkwali Camp overlooks a wide bend of the Luangwa River into the South Luangwa National Park and is ideally situated for the start of your safari. All rooms have a view of the river and open air bathrooms. The game in this area is excellent – and includes many family herds of elephants and the endemic Thornicroft Giraffe.

A typical day at Nkwali has you waking with the dawn to enjoy breakfast round a camp fire before heading out on your morning activity. A delicious lunch is enjoyed on the bank of the lagoon, which is frequently visited by our local wildlife. The afternoon is the quiet part of the day – for siesta or swim in the pool. In the mid-afternoon you meet up with your guide before heading out for an evening adventure, finding a beautiful location to watch the sun go down with a well earned drink in hand. The opportunity to discover the nocturnal world by spotlight is a wonderful treat before heading back to Nkwali for dinner.

After an early breakfast, a transfer gamedrive through the park takes you to a crossing point on the Luangwa River. The Nsefu or Tena Tena staff will meet the party, cross the river by boat, and then a 45 minute drive to your camp, gameviewing on route. Nsefu was the first game camp in Zambia and dates back to the early fifties The Nsefu Sector was recognised then as a phenomenal area and it still is. Robin Pope Safaris owns the only two camps in this sector of the Park. The camp is on a sweeping bend of the Luangwa River. There are six round rondavals with luxurious ensuite facilities and each room has a clear view of the river through large windows and from the new wooden verandahs.

Tena Tena is a remote and small camp and enjoys a stunning location on a sweeping bend of the Luangwa River. A grove of mahogany trees shade the large custom-made tents. From the thatched dining room and bar, guests can watch the elephants, hippo and antelope on the riverbank. Tena has 5 tents, each with a dressing room, open air bathroom and private verandah that overlooks a water hole. Most meals are taken under the shade of a huge Mahogany tree in the centre of the camp. On arrival at your camp you will be shown to your accommodation and then lunch will be served followed by a well deserved siesta before the afternoon and evening game drive.

During your stay at Tena Tena or Nsefu you can explore the ebony groves on foot or in an open game viewing vehicle. Depending on the heat and time of year it is possible to do an all day picnic drive to the salt pans covering different habitats and is an exceptional day’s safari. It is very worthwhile to visit the community at Kawaza Cultural Village – experience life in a true Zambian village.

After breakfast you will transfer to Mfuwe Airport (1.5 hours) for your flight to Lilongwe. The flight time to Lilongwe is approximately 50 minutes. On arrival at Lilongwe’s Kamuzu Airport, you will be met by our staff, who will assist with immigration procedures and the payment of airport taxes. Our representative will then assist with check in for your next flight to Monkey Bay, the closest airstrip to Pumulani. The flight from Lilongwe to Monkey Bay is one hour. On arrival at Monkey Bay you will be met and transferred to Pumulani (approx 20 minutes).
Pumulani is situated on the Westside of the Nankumba Peninsula in the South end of Lake Malawi – romantically called “The Lake of Stars”.

The ten villas are scattered around the hillside and are individual in shape and style but all have a spacious bedroom, bathroom and extensive sitting area. The front sliding doors open onto the deck – elevated above the ground giving optimal views. The central dinning and bar area is high above the lake with the most spectacular views and leads onto an expansive deck. The infinity swimming pool is on a lower terraced deck. The lake shore bar offers light snacks as well as refreshments. Meals will be served in the dining area, on the beach or by arrangement on your private deck.

The stunning setting of the lodge and the unique comfort of the rooms means that many guests choose to make relaxation their main activity, but there are more than enough activities available to keep guests busy. Pumulani’s remote beach setting is ideal for those who simply want to soak up the sun and swim in the clear blue waters of the lake. There is an infinity pool with grand views over the lake for those who prefer to take a dive in the swimming pool. For those seeking activity there are many watersports activities on offer like snorkelling, fishing, sailing, kayaking, waterskiing, wake boarding and fun tube rides (all motorized activities are excluded).

Lake Malawi is the world’s most ecologically diverse lake. Its crystal clear waters are home to more than a thousand species of fish, including hundreds of species of colourful cichlids. A special treat is to take a snorkelling tour to the islands, exploring the shores of Lake Malawi National park on your way. This has been a World Heritage site since 1984. On the way you will see many fish eagles and other interesting birds. The water is so clear that you will observe marine life from aboard the boat.
For those who are interested in the real Malawian village life there are guided walks through one of the local villages. Malawians are renowned for being amongst the most friendly people in Africa and during your stay you will have the opportunity to meet them.
At the end of the day climb aboard our dhow and let our experienced local crewmen take you sailing into the sunset.

On the final day of your Africa vacation package you bid farewell to the lodge. You will be transferred back to Monkey Bay where you will take a light aircraft to Lilongwe time for the connecting flight back home.