#Zambia Tourism News from #KafuntaSafaris

(Posted 27th April 2023)

Dear ATCNews Readers!

Greetings! We’re kicking off the 2023 safari season with our first newsletter.

And what a start it has been! The Luangwa Valley has been blessed with abundant rains this year, but rather late… Anke and Ron will tell you that they’ve never seen such high levels so late in the year (see the photos!), and they have been in the valley for 30 years. But some older village folks seem to remember such occurrences back in the 1980s (more than 40 years ago).

The lodge at opening: the main deck is under water

I’ve got to admit, the views and skies out there are just spectacular. But… the roads are a bit of a challenge. Huge thanks to our first guests for being chill and patient with the bumpy, slippery drives to the park. The good news is that the weather is back to normal, so we can finally get to work grading those access roads.

For those of you who have been at the lodge, no matter the time of year, you will agree that this is a very different scenery, unusual and extraordinary.

Our next focus is getting our building team out to Three Rivers Camp and Island Bush Camp. We have less than a month to assemble everything for the grand opening on May 25th. Life in the bush wouldn’t be fun without a few challenges!

Below are two photos TJ, our bush camp manager, brought back from his recent boat trip down the Luangwa River all the way to Three Rivers Camp.

Starting Strong

Nevertheless, the safari season started with fantastic guests and incredible sightings, including wild dogs and mating lions. I’ve also heard that the Big Pride, the lion pride based in the central game viewing area, has been seen with nine cubs in tow!

Here’s a glance at our guestbook, which already has some very sweet comments.

Here are some photos from our guest Katie McGinnis.

And from another guest, Adriana Cullen.

Expanding Horizons: Kafunta is growing

Welcome to the Sunset House!

Ron and Anke, and the entire Maintenance team, have been incredibly busy since last December with the construction of our new private safari house.

Due to open later this year, the Sunset House as it will be called, is located where our “tree deck” used to be. Between the suites and the Directors House.

Designed to cater for family inter-generational vacations or groups of friends seeking private getaways, it perfectly balances relaxation and adventure with spacious living areas, three comfortable en-suite bedrooms, a fireplace, a swimming pool, and a lounging deck.

It’s also got its own chef and butler and exclusive game-viewing activities. Plus, it’s totally affordable!

It all started in early December 2022 when Anke and Ron first marked out the foundation and when excavation began.

Despite the abundant rains and floods, Levy and his team have made immense progress over the past five months.

Sunset House will be composed of two separate units. The main unit will have two large en-suite bedrooms with a comfortable lounge in between. The adjacent unit will house the third en-suite bedroom.

All bedrooms have their own full bathroom as well as a sitting lounge, where a day bed can be converted for an additional person.

The outdoor space will feature a large deck, an outdoor dining space, a pool and a fireplace.

Altogether the house will be able to accommodate up to 9 guests.

We’re really excited about this new project, especially since the demand for family accommodation has grown so much over the past few years. Our plan is to open by the end of 2023, and we are currently accepting reservations for 2024.

Interested in treating your family to a bit of luxury at Sunset House? Contact us for our 2024 rates and additional information.

Email Ritta

It’s time for me to wrap up this season’s first newsletter and prepare for Indaba, the Tourism travel show in Durban. I will then travel to Mfuwe for a couple of weeks and meet up with Anke, Ron, and the team. I can’t wait!

In the meantime, I wish all our upcoming guests a fantastic safari experience. By the way, it’s not too late to join us this year – simply contact Ritta for our latest availability and a quote tailored just for you.

Oh, and if you do travel with us this year, don’t forget to send me your photos so I can share them with the rest of the Kafunta family!

Thanks for reading! See you in the next edition.

Izzy, and the Kafunta Safari team