Sausage Tree Camp

Sausage Tree Camp is an intimate and exclusive safari camp in the heart of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, on the banks of the Zambezi River.

It is a beautiful camp in a wonderful spot overlooking hippo-inhabited islands and channels, with excellent guides and great hosting.

Accommodation

Sausage Tree’s seven “Bedouin-style” tented rooms stand on the banks of the Zambezi River, shaded by mahogany and sausage trees.

There is nothing like them in the Lower Zambezi. The construction of the walls is traditional enough – they are made of reed, like many Zambian bush camps – but the signature conical roofs are of white canvas, making the room bright and airy. Carina loved the pattern of the trees on the sunlit canvas.

The five signature tents have lovely teak furniture, a wonderful four-poster bed draped in netting and a standing fan and an open-air bathroom with an excellent shower. Each has its own verandah, with chairs and prime views over the Zambezi. With the two enormous honeymoon suites, you have a king-size bed, a private pool set into the broad teak deck and a bath – large enough for two - for soaking under the stars. The new two-bedroom Kigelia Suite has two en suite rooms joined by a living area leading onto the deck and private pool – and the most sensational position.

All the rooms at Sausage Tree Camp have 24-hour electricity, abundant hot water and a dedicated muchinda (butler).

Food

The cooking is inspired at Sausage Tree Camp, but the tastes can be overshadowed by the beauty and imagination of the meal’s setting. This is not a complaint. Breakfast is an elaborate buffet, with cooked items done to order. The buffet lunch may be served in the dining tent, in the bush or on a sandbank and includes a choice of hot dishes, salads, cheeses and dessert. High tea is served before the afternoon game activity, from which you return to a fine, 3-course dinner by candlelight, campfire light, starlight, lantern light or even by moonlight on an island in the Zambezi River. You can dine in company with your hosts and other guests, in the privacy of your tent or at another private location.

Safari

Sausage Tree Camp offers you a personal safari experience. Each day, you can decide what you would like to do and when. Your guide will focus on your individual interests, from big cats to the constellations of the southern hemisphere.

Sausage Tree Camp has excellent guides and a fleet of open-top Toyota Landcruiser safari vehicles for day and night game drives. Once you have got a sense of the diverse habitats of the Lower Zambezi National Park, we recommend you take advantage of the opportunity to walk in the bush. Bush walks take place in the cool of the morning and allow you to spot smaller creatures, breath in the scents of the bush and enjoy only the natural sounds, learn the basics of tracking and bushcraft – and, perhaps, the excitement of encountering larger, wild creatures. Walking is always led by a qualified walking guide as well as a national parks officer.

A boat trip on the Zambezi enables you to appreciate the incredible number of hippos and enormous crocodile population to watch wildlife drinking at or crossing the river. It’s one of the highlights of a stay at Sausage Tree.

You can silently canoe down the beautiful Chifungulu Channel with a qualified canoe guide and watch the animals and birds from a different viewpoint. Canoe trips are not arduous – the current draws you along – and you can choose the length of your canoe safari.

Sports fishermen will be very happy at Sausage Tree Camp, which offers spinning and fly-fishing – and encourages city folk to have a go. The guiding is of an exceptionally high standard and is one of the many reasons people return to Sausage Tree Camp.

Facilities

Another “Bedouin” tent accommodates the open-side lounge, with comfortable sofas and a small library, a well-stocked bar and the dining area. From here, wooden decks, with cane seating, stretch out towards the river.

The sizeable swimming pool overlooks the river and is a delightful spot to relax and be refreshed without interrupting your game viewing.

If you would like to talk with someone who has been to Sausage Tree Camp or discuss staying at the camp as part of the Tsika Canoe Trail or a larger holiday in Zambia, please get in touch.