On foot
A walking safari is a guided walk through wild country with a qualified, armed guide. You cover less ground than on a game drive and notice far more. We plan walking safaris in two places: the private reserves of the Greater Kruger, and South Luangwa in Zambia, the valley most associated with walking.
Where we walk
The Greater Kruger is the easy way in. We walk in two of its private reserves, Balule and Selati, with specialist trails guides and small groups. You walk in the cool of the morning and again later in the day, slowly, stopping for tracks, birds and plants. Nights are spent in comfortable lodges, and in Balule there is the option of a night sleeping out in the bush.
South Luangwa is the deeper end. This is where Norman Carr pioneered the walking safari, and the tradition runs through the valley. Small seasonal bush camps sit far apart, and on some routes you walk from one camp to the next while your bags go ahead by vehicle. For more comfort, the luxury lodges of South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi mix walks with drives and boat trips.
Why this kind of trip
A morning walk from a lodge is gentle. A full walking safari, out on foot morning and afternoon, or a camp-to-camp route in Zambia asks more of you, with longer walks over uneven ground and in the heat. We match the walking to how fit and confident you feel.
Every walk is led by a qualified trails guide who carries a rifle, and in Zambia's national parks an armed scout walks with you too. They read the wind, the tracks and the alarm calls, and decide how close is close enough.
Zambia's walking bush camps open for the dry season, roughly May to November. The Greater Kruger walks all year, with the most comfortable mornings in the cooler winter months.
Most people are happiest with both. Walk in the morning for the detail, then drive in the afternoon to cover ground and stay longer with the animals you find. It is how we build most walking itineraries.
Sample journeys
Each one is a starting point. The amount of walking, the camps and the season are all part of the planning conversation.
01
Start among the sandy plains and granite hills of southern Balule, then move north to the Olifants River for riverside walks, a boat trip and, if you like, a night sleeping out. A private trails guide stays with you throughout. Easy to pair with Cape Town or a beach.
02
Walk between small bush camps deep in the park, with your bags moved ahead and the option of a night sleeping out under the stars. Finish at a riverside lodge with more comfort before the flight home. Dry season only.
03
Five nights in South Luangwa for the walking, then three on the Lower Zambezi, where walks sit alongside boat trips and, in season, canoeing. A good balance for couples who want variety.
From a recent trip
★★★★★
When you make your exclusive customised travel booking with Marula Hill you can expect friendly, swift and professional service. Also expect honest, clear and continuous communication with regards to the arrangements.
EC RW, on their second booking with Marula Hill
The process
There is no algorithm picking your lodges. From the first message to the day you fly home, you deal with real people who care about this as deeply as you do.
We start with a call or a long message. No commitment, no quote forms. We want to understand the trip you are imagining, your travel history, your budget, and what you have always quietly wanted Africa to give you.
We do not just suggest the obvious. We bring options you would not have found on your own: the newly reopened concession, the off-peak rate at the lodge that is usually full, the combination of regions that works for your dates.
We iterate together. There is no pressure. Some clients take three conversations to land a trip, others take two weeks. We only confirm the booking when you are completely certain.
Pre-trip prep, packing notes, what to expect on the ground. A direct line to us while you are travelling. If anything changes on the trip, we handle it before you have to think about it.
Ready to start?
No commitment. No quote forms. Just a conversation with people who know the continent and know how to get you there in style.
Send a quick WhatsAppCommon questions
They are run under strict rules by qualified trails guides who carry a rifle, brief you before every walk and know when to back away. In Zambia's national parks an armed scout walks with you as well. Listen to the safety briefing, and follow your guide's instructions at all times.
If you can manage a countryside hike in warm weather, you will manage a Greater Kruger walk. The pace is slow, with plenty of stops. Camp-to-camp walking in Zambia mean longer walks in the heat on uneven ground, so you should be comfortable on your feet for several hours. Tell us honestly and we will match the walking to you.
It is usually 12, though it varies by lodge and park and is often at the guide's discretion. We check the rule for every camp when we plan a family trip.
In Zambia, the dry season, when the walking bush camps are open, roughly May to November. In the Greater Kruger you can walk all year, and the cooler winter months are the most comfortable.
Possibly, but that is not really the point. On foot you learn to read tracks, birds and plants, and notice the small things a vehicle drives past. Bigger sightings do happen, and your guide manages them carefully. Most guests pair walks with game drives.
From the journal
Stories
You cover less ground on foot, and somehow you see much more.
Read the story
Guides
One country is water. The other is silence under your boots
Read the guide
Stories
A field journal on birding in South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi. Carmine bee-eater season, African skimmers, Pel's fishing owl, and what birds do to a safari when you let them.
Read the storyPlan it properly
Tell us roughly what you are thinking. Vikki or Sian will reply personally.
Plan it properly
Three ways to begin. Pick whichever feels easiest.
By note
Tell us roughly what you are thinking. Vikki or Sian will reply personally.
Send a noteBy email
Write to Sian directly, with Vikki copied. No forms in between.
Email usBy WhatsApp
Quickest if you have a short question. We answer between game drives and meetings.
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