Safari destinations like Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana have long stood at the center of African travel. Yet conservation pioneers and local communities elsewhere are quietly opening remote regions where wildlife thrives in solitude and timeless landscapes remain untouched by mass tourism.
Russell Gammon, a wilderness guide and wildlife photographer and the co-founder of World Wildlife Journeys, leads an immersive exploration of two of Africa’s most rewarding but least-visited safari destinations: Zambia and Uganda. Gammon shares the wonder of sitting quietly among a family of mountain gorillas, listening to chimpanzees call through the forest at dawn, and moving through landscapes where primates, predators, and scenery converge in a tapestry of biodiversity. Through storytelling, decades of firsthand experience, and vivid ecological insights, Gammon reveals why these countries are emerging as part of the future of conservation-focused travel.
10 a.m.–12 p.m. Zambia: Africa’s Great Undiscovered Safari Giant
Zambia remains one of Africa’s most pristine safari destinations—a country defined by big skies, wide rivers, and wildlife encounters far from the crowds. Gammon introduces participants to some of its premier wilderness regions: South Luangwa National Park, birthplace of the walking safari, known for its numerous leopards and ecological diversity; Lower Zambezi National Park, where canoe safaris glide past elephants and shimmering winterthorn forests; Kafue National Park, refuge of massive herds of buffalos and elephants where the Kafue River winds its way through the wilderness; and Liuwa Plain National Park, a remote grassland home to Africa’s second-largest wildebeest migration and a pioneering example of community-led conservation.
12–1 p.m. Break
1–3 p.m. Uganda: The Pearl of Africa Reimagined
Uganda is a country of extraordinary diversity: a mosaic of mountain forests, volcanic lakes, open savannas, and deep Rift Valley landscapes. Gammon explores wildlife regions that offer encounters found in few other places: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, sanctuary of the mountain gorilla and one of Africa’s richest ecosystems; Kibale Forest National Park, a biodiversity hotspot that is home to 13 species of primates and offers a remarkable chimpanzee trekking experience; Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for its tree-climbing lions, abundant birdlife, and wildlife-packed Kazinga Channel; and Murchison Falls National Park, named after the spectacular waterfall located there and a go-to destination for viewing the huge shoebill stork.
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