Zambia Safari for Couples: Private Activities & Romantic Accommodations

The roaring Zambezi River separates Sindabezi Island Lodge from the world. There are just five decadent, open-air thatched cottages on the island, each hidden away from one another, enveloped by the roar of the river and the playful antics of nearby hippos. In one sense, the lodge is the classic waterfront escape with endless views from the verandah, a gentle breeze fluttering the curtains, comfy chairs for lazing the day away. But this is Zambia, and the excitement of wildlife is never far away. Sometimes you will spot elephants and giraffe on the distant bank, and sometimes you will hear the bellowing yelps of a baboon troop.

After landing at Livingstone International Airport, it will be a one-hour transfer by road and boat to Sindabezi Island Lodge. Check in, settle in, and appreciate the remoteness of the lodge. In the dry season, it is not unusual for elephants to swim across the river and feed on the island’s vegetated sandbanks, inspiring images that prove that you are not alone, even if there are no other people in sight. You will have both indoor and outdoor en-suite bathrooms, with an outdoor shower that is beautiful when the moon is glowing. The spacious room opens out onto the river, keeping you intrigued as the animals come and go. There is also the main camp area with roaring evening fire and raised dining area. After your arrival, the rest of the day is at your leisure, and there is always a boat available for your first romantic cruise on the river.

It would be easy to spend your first couple of days just lounging at the lodge, immersed in each other’s company. Languid breakfasts spent while Nile crocodiles slope past, afternoon cocktails as elephants use their trunks as snorkels, canapés, and champagne as the sun paints the river a kaleidoscope of reds. There are few more tranquil settings in Africa and nothing artificial breaks the atmosphere: the Zambezi keeps roaring past, exotic birds continue to grace the trees, and you grow accustomed to the antics of elephants. Throughout these two days, there is always a boat to take you up and down the river to look for wildlife or seek out the idyllic space to uncork a vintage imported wine bottle.

However, there is one astonishing sight that will ensure that you leave the lodge properly at least once: Victoria Falls. Take a boat to the precipice and listen to the rising decibel levels as the water thunders past before dropping into the misty charm below. A guide will bring you on the Victoria Falls walking trail and over the narrow bridges that seem to come from an old-world explorers movie. Then will come the real romantic highlight, a private helicopter flight over this natural wonder of Africa. Beneath the propellers, you will see elephants on the move, floodplains waiting expectantly for water, cataracts, and islands dotted around the falls, and a mile-wide sheet of relentless water crashing into a chasm that’s almost impossibly narrow.

Safari encourages all your senses. The sights are magical, but so is the soundtrack and the exotic smells. Built high above a floodplain in a private concession, your lodge epitomizes the feast for the senses. There is something delightfully rustic and old-world about the camp, as it blends into its surroundings and always seems to be surrounded by wildlife. Intimate and exclusive, the camp provides an iconic safari under canvas experience with the oversized safari tents open to all of nature’s sounds.

Watch the sun rise from your bed, take an outdoor shower in a shaded forest, and admire the endless procession of wildlife seen from your private viewing deck. On a romantic safari, you may not want to leave the room as your elevated location means you enjoy fabulous game viewing straight from your bed. Fly from Livingstone to South Luangwa National Park before a short game drive transfer to the camp. You will have a private guide and vehicle for the next three days, and the safari program will be tailored to your interests and mood. Daytime drives are the start of the fun, complemented by walking safaris and nighttime drives that slowly reveal the charms of Zambia’s flagship park.

Your sunrise game drive on the savannah will weave along the rugged trails towards a menacing pride of lions. Four lionesses prowl and blend silently and secretively into the shriveled grass. Heads appear and then disappear. Your driver will take you 500 meters away to a small zebra herd away from the pride. At first, you will wonder why, but then ten minutes later, you will notice that tension seems to hang in the air. The zebra are skittish, no longer grazing, but also unable to detect the threat. The lions remain invisible, but everyone knows that they are close. All of the sudden, there will be a spurt of dust as two lionesses run, covering the 20 meters to the herd in just a few seconds. Black and white stripes collide, and the herd gallops, shoulder muscles rippling impressively. In seconds, it will appear to be over, the zebra escaping the two lionesses. But in the next few seconds, the drama will really unfold, the other two lionesses expertly delivering the final stages of an ambush.

Watch teeth rip into flesh as the drama of the hunt continue, zebra voicing protests of sorrow and a big male lion roaring his approval. These big game scenes are what South Luangwa is all about, and it is not just lions. The park’s leopard population is legendary, and the opportunity for nighttime drives makes it easy to spot them. You are also likely to encounter wild dogs, a rare predator that lives on the floodplain beneath the camp. Hyenas are heard or seen every hour or so, along with jackals and vultures that follow the decaying carcasses. During your time here, early-morning and nighttime game drives are when you are most likely to see the predators in this evocative prowling mode.

South Luangwa is not just drama. After the lions have killed, you can make your way to a secluded spot for a champagne brunch, with views over endemic Thornicroft’s giraffe. You can stay out for a private lunch in the bush, or return to the charm of the camp. Choose to walk hand in hand through the afternoon, with expert guides bringing intimate moments with the park’s other endemic species: Crawshay’s zebra and Cookson’s wildebeest. Photography hides are idyllic places to escape the world while gazing straight up at an elephant’s four-ton frame. Move into the night, and you can dine beneath the moonlight to enjoy the silhouetted giants on the horizon. Or you can sit back at the camp to trace the herds that gracefully wander through the camp. South Luangwa is an immersion in Africa’s wildlife charm, and your flexible program will help you to experience the side to the continent you would most like to see.

You will shift from a rustic, remote location to unquestionable opulence. Access is via a private four-wheel drive track which keeps the suite away from the rest of the camp and its guests. Large verandah areas provide expansive views over the river, where everything from puku to buffalos to hippos are seen throughout the day. Gaze down on the river, and you may even see hyenas and lions coming to drink. There is a lounge area with a fireplace, an outdoor dining patio, and a private swimming pool, all with commanding views over the river.

Fly direct from South Luangwa to Lower Zambezi and settle into the exclusivity. It is not called a honeymoon suite, but it more than fulfills this role in offering seclusion and space in a very remote part of the park. Throughout your three days here, you will not need to venture to the main part of the camp at all as you can feast from your own minibar, dine on your deck, and benefit from privately-guided game drives and walks throughout. You will have a butler, a driver and a guide that will tailor your program to your mood and energy levels. Just as in South Luangwa, it will be easy to lounge on the verandah and not miss out on the wildlife.

A Zambia safari is filled with intimate extras. Take a flask of coffee onto the canals, where a guide will paddle you to a pod of hippos setting up their wading spaces for the day. Take a picnic to a shaded sausage tree and watch the interaction between puku and reedbuck. Uncork your wine bottle as an epic battle between two male elephants unfolds, and then dine in the bush and listen to the surreal sounds that float across the plains. Watch klipspringer jump across rocks, walk towards a herd of wildebeest and marvel at their enthusiasm, and then trace the clues to find the glowing red skin of a hartebeest herd.

Lower Zambezi has the same big four as South Luangwa – leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo – along with a series of water specialists. Boat safaris are integral to the program, both motorboat safaris and unique canoe safaris into a maze of canals. Game drives seek out the drama and the giants, while walks give you a new perspective on the lesser known of Africa’s species. Best of all, this park is relatively small and compact. You will not need a long full-day game drive in order to see it all. Drives can be two hours long, and you can take drinks and food to beautiful lakeside locations, where the behavior of unusual species can be closely observed.

Move into the evenings, and the romance will take over. Relax on the verandah and listen to the unique soundtrack. Bellowing baboons and growling lions provide the bass, hyenas yelp and elephants blow their trumpets to create the melody, and then strange birds and rustling antelopes add treble. There will be nobody near. It will just be the two of you and the wildlife world that makes Zambia such an authentic safari destination. There is something mysterious about it all, as this is not the classic romantic escape. Rather than gazing out over a beach and turquoise waters, you are taking in the unpredictable magic of the African wilderness.

After your final private breakfast on the verandah, you must return to the modern world, but not before a last game drive and adventure through the bush to pass lions and other mammals on their morning journeys. Fly to Livingstone from the Lower Zambezi airstrip, where a representative will assist in transferring you to your international departure.