Shoebill Island Camp stands on the edge of Zambia's Bangweulu Wetlands - an enormous flooded wilderness of low islands, reed-beds and shallow lagoons. Surrounding this is a wide band of short-grass floodplains, and beyond are forests. The wetlands are home to lots of wildlife and a scattering of local fishing communities. Bangweulu is a unique destination; it is fascinating for wildlife enthusiasts and Africa-philes, but travel here is not always easy, so it's not ideal for a first safari.

Bangweulu's main attraction is its prolific birdlife, including numerous ducks and geese, as well as flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills, storks, herons, kingfishers, ibises, wattled cranes and the amazing shoebill stork - a huge, prehistoric-looking bird with a strong likeness to the dodo.

Though many come for the birds, Bangweulu's animals can also be spectacular. Tens of thousands of black lechwe - an attractive dark sub-species, endemic to the area - mass on the open grass plains, where you'll also find sitatunga, tsessebe, reedbuck, common duiker and plenty of oribi. Elephant and buffalo are also frequently seen, while hyena, leopard and jackal are less common.

There's really only one place to stay: Shoebill Island Camp. On an island in the wetlands, Shoebill has five mosquito-proofed, walk-in tents and three huts. Each has an en-suite bucket shower and a flush toilet. At one end of camp is a dining room; at the other is a reed breakfast room with a view over a nearby lagoon. It's a simple bushcamp and not luxurious, but it is the perfect base for exploring by boat or dugout canoe.

From May to December (in the dry season) drives on the surrounding plains are possible, whilst getting close to shoebills often requires quite demanding walks over (and through!) the floating reed-beds.

Shoebill Island Camp is usually best visited in combination with the camps in the naerby Kasanka National Park, Wasa Lodge and Luwombwa Lodge.
<< Click on the menu (above left) for more about Wasa and Luwombwa

Lodge overview

Lodge type: Safari

Season: Seasonal

Geographics

Location: Northern Zambia, Zambia

Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board

Dining style: Group Meals

Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Room service: No

Special interests

Birdwatching: Superb spot for serious bird-watchers who are not afraid of getting their feet wet. There are lots of great birds here, but top of the list are shoebill storks; they are simply the most amazing birds. - See more of our suggestions of the best places for Birdwatching

Wildlife: The Bangweulu area has not only super birdlife, but some excellent plains game - including the beautiful and endemic black lechwe. - See more of our suggestions of the best places for Wildlife

Children

Generally recommended for children: No

Central communications

Power supply: Generator

Health & safety

Malarial area: Yes

Dangerous animals: High Risk

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible

^ Top of page