Kasanka Bat Safari

Highlights

• The Kasanka Bat Safari puts you beneath one of the largest gatherings of mammals on Earth, a straw-coloured fruit bat colony historically estimated at up to ten million
• Three nights at Luangwa River Camp, on the riverbank just outside South Luangwa National Park, with day drives, night drives and guided walks inside the park
• Thornicroft's giraffe, found nowhere but the Luangwa Valley, plus lion and leopard in the "Valley of the Leopard"
• Two intimate camps: the five bush suites of Luangwa River Camp and the lakeside chalets of Wasa Lodge
• Sitatunga from the Fibwe tree hide, and Pel's fishing owl, Ross's turaco and wattled crane for keen birders
• A visit to Kawaza village for a genuine glimpse of rural Zambian life
• Superb photography: bat clouds silhouetted against a setting African sun, shot from canopy-height hides
• Kasanka is run by the Kasanka Trust, which reinvests tourism revenue in the park
• Expert Robin Pope Safaris guides throughout
• This Zambia bat safari can be tailor-made with other Zambia Lodges and transfer options

Safari Information

• Departure: Tailor-made. Robin Pope Safaris' scheduled departure runs 8 days / 7 nights, including a night in Lusaka.
• Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights (tailor-made version)
• Lodging: Luangwa River Camp (3 nights) and Wasa Lodge (3 nights)
• Group Size: Minimum 4, maximum 6
• Valid: Mid-to-late November (Luangwa River Camp closes on 30 November)
• Malaria risk: High. South Luangwa and Kasanka are both malaria areas, and the safari runs at the start of the rains. Take prophylaxis on medical advice.
• Note: Travel insurance is compulsory for all safaris

The Kasanka Bat Migration

The Kasanka Bat Safari is a seven-day Zambia itinerary built around one of Africa's great wildlife spectacles: the annual gathering of straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) in a small patch of evergreen swamp forest in Kasanka National Park between late October and December. Historic estimates put the colony at up to ten million. Counts made in November 2019, and published by Max Planck Institute researchers in 2023, recorded between 750,000 and one million, and numbers vary from year to year. At dusk the bats lift off together to feed, darkening the sky for minutes on end, and at dawn they pour back into the forest.

Kasanka covers roughly 390km², which makes it one of Zambia's smallest national parks. Even so, 114 mammal species and more than 470 bird species have been recorded within its borders. The Kasanka Trust was registered in 1987 and took over management of the park in 1990. Here Kasanka is paired with three nights on the edge of South Luangwa National Park, so the safari opens with big-game drives before the bats take centre stage.

Day 1: Luangwa Valley

• On arrival at Lusaka's Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, our representative meets you and sees you onto your connecting flight to Mfuwe Airport in the Luangwa Valley.
• Luangwa River Camp, run by Robin Pope Safaris, is home for the next three nights. It has just five bush suites set beneath an ancient ebony grove on the Luangwa River, directly across from the national park.
• Lunch and a siesta, then out on an afternoon game drive that rolls into a spotlit night drive, prime time for leopard, genet and civet.
• Overnight: Luangwa River Camp

Day 2: Luangwa Valley

• Coffee and breakfast around the campfire at first light, then a morning walk escorted by an armed scout, or a game drive if you prefer.
• The camp sits just outside South Luangwa National Park. You cross into the park by boat or by road, depending on the river level.
• Thornicroft's giraffe tops the wish list, as this subspecies lives nowhere else on Earth but the Luangwa Valley.
• Back to camp for brunch, the pool and a siesta, with the river right in front of you.
• The afternoon and night drive concentrates on the big cats: South Luangwa's lion prides and its famously relaxed leopards.
• Overnight: Luangwa River Camp

Day 3: Luangwa Valley

• Day three follows the same rhythm: two activities in South Luangwa National Park, walking or driving as you choose.
• Alternatively, swap an activity for a visit to Kawaza village and its school. It's a rewarding look at rural Zambian life, and the small fee goes directly to the community.
• A final evening on the deck, with hippos grunting below and the stars out over the Luangwa.
• Overnight: Luangwa River Camp

Day 4: Kasanka

• Today a light-aircraft flight takes you from Mfuwe to Kasanka National Park for your first bat-viewing experience.
• Wasa Lodge is home for the next three nights. Its chalets and rondavels line the shore of Lake Wasa, where puku and hippo graze in front of the verandahs.
• Settle in, then head out for your first dusk at the bat forest, around 30 minutes' drive from the lodge.
• Overnight: Wasa Lodge

Days 5 - 6: Kasanka

• Bat-viewing excursions are planned for dawn and dusk. At dawn the colony streams back into the mushitu swamp forest, and at dusk it lifts into the sky, watched from a hide built high in the forest canopy.
• Between bat sessions, climb the Fibwe tree hide for sitatunga. Kasanka delivers this shy swamp antelope more reliably than almost anywhere in Africa.
• Short game drives and walks turn up Lichtenstein's hartebeest, puku and sable. Birders can look for Pel's fishing owl, Ross's turaco and wattled crane.
• Two full days mean you see the emergence in every light, from golden dusk to the grey half-light of dawn.
• Overnight: Wasa Lodge

Day 7: Kasanka Bat Safari Ends

• A last breakfast overlooking Lake Wasa, then farewells to the Kasanka team.
• A scenic light-aircraft flight takes you over the escarpment and back to Lusaka.
• Connect with your international flight home, or let us add a night in Lusaka before you go.

Kasanka Bat Safari FAQ

When is the best time to do the Kasanka Bat Safari?

Straw-coloured fruit bats reach Kasanka National Park in Zambia from late October and leave by mid-to-late December, with numbers peaking from mid-November to early December. The Kasanka Bat Safari begins with three nights at Luangwa River Camp, which closes for the season on 30 November. All three Luangwa nights must be completed before that date, so departures are best timed for mid-to-late November.

How many bats will I see on the Kasanka Bat Safari?

Numbers vary every year. Historic estimates put the straw-coloured fruit bat colony in Kasanka National Park, Zambia, at up to ten million. Counts made in November 2019, and published by Max Planck Institute researchers in 2023, recorded between 750,000 and one million. Even at that figure, it ranks among the largest mammal gatherings on Earth. The bats roost by day in about one hectare of swamp forest, leave at dusk and return at dawn.

What else can I see on the Kasanka Bat Safari besides bats?

The itinerary opens with three nights at Luangwa River Camp, just outside Zambia's South Luangwa National Park. The park is known for leopard, lion, elephant and Thornicroft's giraffe, a subspecies found only in the Luangwa Valley. In Kasanka National Park, the stand-out sighting is sitatunga from the Fibwe tree hide. You'll also find Lichtenstein's hartebeest, puku and sable, and birds such as Pel's fishing owl, Ross's turaco and wattled crane.

Is malaria a risk on the Kasanka Bat Safari?

Yes. Both South Luangwa National Park and Kasanka National Park lie in malaria areas of Zambia. The November travel window falls at the start of the rainy season, when mosquitoes become more active. Speak to a travel-health clinic about prophylaxis well before departure. Pack long sleeves and trousers for the evenings, and use a good insect repellent, especially during dusk bat viewing.

How do you get to Kasanka on the Kasanka Bat Safari?

On the Kasanka Bat Safari, internal flights from Lusaka and back are included. You fly from Lusaka to Mfuwe for three nights at Luangwa River Camp. A light-aircraft flight then takes you to the airstrip in Kasanka National Park, and at the end you fly over the escarpment back to Lusaka. Kasanka is roughly seven hours by road from Lusaka, so the flights save two very long travel days.

In Conclusion

The Kasanka Bat Safari pairs three nights of big-game viewing on the edge of South Luangwa National Park with three nights in Kasanka for one of Africa's most remarkable wildlife events. Travel in mid-to-late November, when the bat colony is near its peak and Luangwa River Camp is still open. All charter flights and transfers are arranged, and groups are kept small.

Uyaphi.com has been arranging African safaris since 1999, with 27 years of experience planning trips across the continent. Set departures fill early, so contact us to secure your place for the next bat season.