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Getting Here

If you are flying through South Africa with kids be sure to check requirements to carry birth certificates of the kids.

Internal Flights

There are daily flights from Lusaka and Livingstone to Mfuwe with Proflight Zambia. Please contact Jess for up-to-date information on schedules, availability, last-minute specials and to make your flight bookings as she is a booking agent for the airline. Once you get to Mfuwe, we can arrange airport transfers from the airport to Flatdogs (about 35 minutes by road).

Full fares are as follows but cheaper fares are also sometimes to be found!:

Connecting from the Victoria Falls - Zambia

During the “green season” (before May and from mid November) there are fewer flights but these aim to connect with incoming Emirates, South African Airways and Kenya Airways flights from London, Jo’burg and Nairobi respectively.

Ulendo Airlink runs seat in charter schedules from Lilongwe to Mfuwe and vice versa with onward internal connections within Malawi. Ulendo Airlink seats now cost:

There are discounted fares for children under 12 years of age.

Travelling from Lusaka by road

Take the Great East Road to Chipata. You can get fuel in Petauke and Chipata on the way and also at the Oasis filling station here in Mfuwe. As you arrive in Chipata:

  • Turn left to Lundazi/Mfuwe just after the Protea Hotel on your right and before Fast Wheels motor parts (on your right). The sign pointing to the left actually only says LUNDAZI, but this is the road to Mfuwe too.
  • If you go into the town of Chipata, then you’ll need to turn back along the Great East Road heading west (back towards Lusaka), then turn right 200m after Fast Wheels. If you reach the Protea Hotel, you have gone too far. The sign again directs you to LUNDAZI at this turn, rather than Mfuwe or the South Luangwa.
  • Continue on the tarmac road for around 112 km. After around 112kms, you will reach a T- junction. Turn right onto the tar road opposite the Zesco (electricity) sub-station. If you turn left here you will reach Mfuwe airport where there are banks and a post office.
  • Please drive slowly past schools and bicycles. If you see some green branches lying in the road, this either means that there is a vehicle with a breakdown or that there is a funeral in progress. If it is the latter, please go dead slow in first gear (you will notice that even cyclists dismount) until you come to more branches. Proceed on tarmac for approx 25 km and you will pass the Oasis fuel station on your left and a sign for the South Luangwa Conservation Society on your right. Continue straight on, then after a further kilometre or so, you will see our entrance ramp and sign on your LEFT. Please engage a low gear and drive down the ramp very slowly, then follow the road for another 750 m and you will arrive at reception. Be aware that you might meet wildlife on any of the roads, so please drive slowly. Elephant have right of way!

Travelling from Lilongwe by road

Take the Mchinji Border road out of Lilongwe. After just over an hour you will reach the border where you can complete exit formalities. You can walk across to the Zambian side of the border, called Mwami, where you will need to complete Zambian entry formalities, including Carbon tax payments and vehicle insurance.

If you are driving yourselves, there is a new requirement that you get police clearance for your vehicle to prove it is not stolen. To do this, you will need to take your vehicle and vehicle papers to the police headquarters, opposite Ufulu Road, and go to Interpol to get the clearance. It will cost you MK5000.00. It can take at least half an hour for them to give you the clearance, so do leave yourselves plenty of time to do this.

At the border, you will also need to purchase 3rd party insurance for Zambia and also Carbon Tax on arrival in Zambia. The Carbon Tax along with all other payments in Zambia now have to be made in Zambian Kwacha, but there is a Bureau de Change at most border posts now so you do not have to deal with the moneychangers who are often fraudsters.

Visa to enter Zambia

Most nationalities can buy visas at the border of entry into Zambia. The cost for most foreign nationals (including UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most European countries) for a single entry tourist visa is US$50 per person. If you will be heading to other countries during your safari and then will need to re-enter Zambia to fly home, you will need to purchase a double or multiple entry visa. It is also possible (usually) to purchase a UNIVISA for entry to both Zambia and Zimbabwe on the same visa which also costs US$50 per person. Sometimes they do run out of these visas however, while they are being reprinted.