Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp Newsletter – August 2024

August was quite windy and the temperatures were relatively cold in the mornings at about 8° Celsius, but headed up to 40° later in the day. 

This was a month of game drives since the plains are too dry for boating now.   

Our guests enjoyed relaxing afternoons, reminiscing over the thrills and delights of their morning drives followed by brunch. While they waited to head out on their afternoon drives, most guests spent their siesta time at the main area, as it is truly amazing to be here watching the endless parade of lechwe, the hippos grunting and yawning, and the multitude of buffalos showing off their majestic beauty. 

Sundowners are always magic at Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp, and our guests love to watch the sun slowly sink into the golden sky, welcoming the evening and unpolluted southern-sky stargazing. Our pool area is beautifully serene and we often set up sundowners here. We also delighted our guests with bush brunches and sundowners, and they can’t resist the delicious treats we present in a professional manner. 

Our camp strives to remain on top in terms of service and guiding, and we are always so pleased to host repeat guests. This month we welcomed two guests who had last visited us some 11 years ago, as well as another guest who has worked with Wilderness for the last 30 years. We enjoyed fascinating and informative conversations with him while in camp, especially hearing his opinion that our camp, and Zambia as a whole, are some of Africa’s best tourist destinations. We have a lot of natural wonders that have not been explored by the outside world, especially guests from Europe.

We are still pleased to offer massages in camp.

Lions roamed around the camp and there was a lot of activity from the lion families, especially Yaya, who has four cubs and was seen around about the camp. Princess frequently left her cubs with Yaya who ended up looking after six cubs most of the time. The big males Alex, Mohawk, Scarface and George were constantly battling each other in their efforts to impress the lionesses.

With the lions patronising our area, guests got amazing photos without having to leave camp! Mostly we saw Yaya and the cubs at our pool area and the floodplain in front of camp, stalking the herds of lechwe and impala that are barely a stone’s throw away. They were also often seen roaring, and passing by our camp, leaving our guests with great stories to tell. At some point they made a kill right near Tent 4.

Hippos, warthogs, elephants, puku and wildebeest, to mention just a few, are also regularly seen. Vervet monkeys and baboons are regular fixtures in camp, eating fruit, and at times trying to steal treats from the main area, so we have lock away all temptations once the guests have finished eating.

The hippos are having a tough time due to the lower water levels, as are the elephants who are a bit jittery as they are looking for water. 

 
Evening brings the sounds of the hippos, hyenas, leopards and other nocturnal animals, creating a magical night-time soundtrack. 

It was a good month in terms of our guest reviews – thank you to all the camp staff for delivering exceptional service!

Camp Manager: Richard Mwansabamba
Assistant Manager:  Kennedy Lubinda 
Guides: Pyben Mbewe, Willard Kalyanongo
Housekeeping: Paggy Kilumelume, Phillimon Kalembelembe, Richard Zulu
Maintenance: Clement Mumba
Kitchen: Lemon Lungwa, Mose Njobvu, Deozy Munuma, 
Waiters: Winnerd Sampa, Fickson Jatwa, Chiyambi Kafuti

Newsletter by Kennedy Lubinda – BBC ASSISTANT CAMP MANAGER