Zambia’s top five wildlife wonders in 2015

February and March: burst of life in the South Luangwa

Zambia’s ‘Emerald Season’ is a remarkable time to enjoy a safari – and more affordable than any other time, too, with the River Journeys trip half the price of any other. The rains arrive, the bush explodes into colour and new life abounds. The Luangwa River overflows, filling numerous lagoons and enabling game viewing by boat as well as on foot. Baby hippos bask in the water, birdlife is prolific (including cuckoos, kingfishers, rollers and bee-eaters), and zebra foals and young impala stagger to their feet. Costs from £1,700 pp (two sharing) including seven nights’ accommodation, full board, all activities and airport transfers. Excludes flights. Valid from now until 31 March.

May: extraordinary birds in the Bangweulu Swamps

Imagine an enormous primeval-like creature, standing 1.5 metres tall with a two-metre wingspan, with legs like a stork and a beak like a pelican. The elusive shoebill is a remarkable bird and, in May, the week-long specialist birding Shoebill Safari includes tracking this leviathan being by boat and on foot in the Bangweulu Swamps in Northern Zambia. You’ll also likely encounter elephant, lion, giraffe and other amazing bird life in the South Luangwa Valley and in Kasanka National Park. Costs from £2,929 pp (two sharing) for seven nights’ accommodation (full board), domestic transfers, game drives and birdwatching. Flights extra. Begins 10th May.

June to October: tracking the big boys on foot in the South Luangwa

At the start of peak perambulation season in Zambia, some of the most remote bush camps open in June. Days are clear and warm and, with the land beginning to dry out, animals are seeking out water and game is easily sighted. Robin Pope Safaris celebrates the 25th anniversary in 2015 of its legendary mobile walking trips, giving expertly guided and guarded visitors the chance to track big game including lion, giraffe, elephant and buffalo without a vehicle in the way. It’s a real wilderness experience – utterly exhilarating. On a Mobile Walking Safari you’ll experience bush life in an authentic but comfortable fashion. Costs from £2,842 pp (two sharing) for seven nights’ accommodation (full board), domestic transfers, all guided game drives and park fees. Flights extra. Available June to October.

November: finding and keeping carnivores in the South Luangwa

During Carnivore Week you’ll spend time with the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) team in Zambia’s South Luangwa. Not only will you track wild dogs and other large carnivore species but you’ll learn about anti-poaching activities, habitat maintenance, and lion identification and prey surveys. There are game drives and walking safaris, too, plus a visit to a wildlife orphanage. Costs from £2,686 pp (two sharing) including seven nights’ accommodation (FB), all safari costs, domestic transfers and a ZCP donation. Flights extra. Begins 15th November.

November: bat migration in Kasanka National Park

Every November something unique and utterly mind-blowing occurs in Zambia’s Kasanka National Park. Around ten million straw-coloured fruit bats congregate from all across central Africa to feast on forest fruits. Join the Kasanka Bat Safari and see them swooping in from The Congo rainforest, roosting in woodland and, at sunset, blackening the sky as they collectively take off to begin their foraging mission. Costs from £3,043 pp (two sharing) including three nights in the South Luangwa National Park, three nights in Kasanka and one night in Lusaka, full board, internal flights/transfers and all guided safari costs. Flights extra. Begins 22nd November.

For further information, see www.robinpopesafaris.net

Press: For more information, high-resolution photography or to discuss a commissioned press trip with Robin Pope Safaris, contact Mischa Mack at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 (m.mack@travelpr.co.uk).