Toka Leya Camp

The standard tents at Toka Leya Camp are large, spacious and open plan. They can be configured as a twin room or double room. The beds sit in the centre of the room, covered in crisp white bed linens, with soft patterned cushions and draped in mosquito netting. The tent has wooden framed windows and doors which fill the room with bright natural light. Wood is a running theme throughout the tents, with polished wooden floors and an ensuite bathroom behind a wooden feature room divider. All tents come with their own private veranda area outside the front of the tents, which offer guests the perfect space to unwind after a long day and gaze over the endless horizon.

The family tents can each accommodate up to four people, perfect for small families. The interior of the tents are the same as the standard tents. They are open plan, and very spacious, filled with bright light through wide windows and large doors. The beds are large and comfortable, with crisp white bedding and swathed in mosquito netting for a comfortable nights sleep. All tents come with an ensuite bathroom with an enclosed toilet and shower for privacy. A spacious private verandah area sits at the front of the tent and afford stunning views of the stretching luscious grasslands.

Guests can make their way to the main lounge and dining area at mealtimes. This area has a canvas roof but open sides – so guests can marvel at their surroundings whilst eating delicious and inventive meals. Breakfast, lunch, and a 3-course dinner is served at Toka Leya Camp, with tasty snacks available before the afternoon activities. Meals can be enjoyed privately or communally, sharing stories from your adventures whilst you eat.

Just a short journey away is the spectacular Victoria Falls which guests can spend the day at. There are multiple hiking paths around the falls, which offer unparalleled views of the waterfalls magnificence. Spend time adventuring around and finding hidden secrets of the falls and really deepen your understanding of why this is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Spend a day with a local wildlife scout and track the rhinos through the wild Zambian bush. Place yourself in the heart of the nature and see rhinos up close and personal; appreciate their beauty and learn why it is so important to protect this endangered species.

For a traditional safari experience guests can go on a game drive. In an open sided 4×4 vehicle, guests can travel through the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in comfort, whilst keeping an eye out for elephants, hippos, impalas or buffalo, as well as many bird species such as the martial eagle and African finfoot.

Glide along the calm waters of the Zambezi River and view the wildlife of the area for a unique perspective. You may see elephants on the riverbanks having a drink, or lazy pods of hippos as well as the occasional sly crocodile lurking around. If guests wish to spend more time near the river then catch-and-release fishing can be arranged.

Guests can see the eco initiatives that Toka Leya Camp in place in practise on a tour of the camp. At the end of the tour guests can even help the sustainability efforts by planting their own tree.

There is a local museum in Livingstone which guests can visit to find out more about the rich history of the area. Guests can also spend time in a local village or at a local market, finding out more about the traditions and cultures of the people who live here. This will leave guests with a much deeper and enriched understanding of this area of Zambia.

For the adrenaline seekers, there are a range of activities on offer around Victoria Falls and Toka Leya Camp. Guests can go white water rafting on the rapids of the Zambezi River, or jet boating down the river and through gorges. Helicopter rides can be arranged for guests who wish to view the falls from above, to truly appreciate their magnificence or for the very brave adrenaline seekers a bungee jump can be arranged.

For guests who wish to spend a relaxing time at the camp then there are spa treatments available for guests to arrange. Enjoy a stress reliving massage before a quick dip in the swimming pool or after a good workout session in the gym.

Wilderness Safaris serves to protect and conserve the land in which they operate. The continent of Africa is unique, with over 1000 different mammal species, fauna and humans living side by side. With a commitment to ecotourism, they are helping to conserve biodiversity. Currently, Wilderness Safaris helps to protect over 2.5million hectares of African wilderness and in 2015 they were awarded a medal by the government of Botswana for Meritorious Service to the country.

Wilderness Safaris works with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife in Zambia, and through anti-poaching initiatives and surveys, they help to protect and conserve the great Kafue National Park. One of the ways they try to protect the environment is by making sure their camps have a light footprint. Trying to achieve “purposeful luxury” their camps are all built with environmentally-sensitive architecture. Understanding the fragility of the wilderness they operate in, they make sure they minimise any negative impact they might have on the environment and the camps are thoughtfully placed in locations where they don’t take away from the wilderness of the area.

Wilderness Safaris have a commitment to community engagement in the areas surrounding their camps. Through community employment, Wilderness Safaris currently have more than 100 staff members from local communities throughout their camps, and with the average staff member supporting 7 other people each, 700 further people benefit. Community partnerships can also help to protect and conserve the land. For example, Wilderness Safaris Damaraland Camp is located in the Torra Conservancy, and through community work and ecotourism they protect around 350 hectares of land within the conservancy. As a result of this protected land the wildlife is prospering and “‘problem animals’ are now seen as a resource that can bring money into the community via ecotourism.”

Wilderness Safaris created their own Trust in 2003, this is an independent entity that fund-raises for money to be put into various conservation projects. This engages with projects which can be beyond the scope of the areas in which Wilderness Safaris operate, ensuring that “conservation is a driving force in reaching more people, wildlife and places.” A total of 25 different projects are funded by the Trust annually, the past 10 years has seen the Trust finance more than 100 different projects throughout 8 different countries in Africa. Whilst Wilderness Safaris contributes to these projects logistically, the Trust “is involved financially in the projects, supporting research, habitat management and community upliftment.”

This is an educational programme created by Wilderness Safaris which aims to educate and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders by teaching them life skills and environmental issues. This programme aims to “create a network of learning sanctuaries that uplifts and cares for our children and conserves the planet.” Great numbers of children are involved in these programmes – 2,500 children attend rural, school-based clubs per year; more than 300 children per year are granted a scholarship which pays for their education and Wilderness Safaris and their partner destination host annual camps, which more than 500 children attend.

Wilderness Safaris partner properties all work under the sustainability ethos of conservation, culture, commerce and community. Pack for a Purpose is one of the community projects that Wilderness Safaris has partnered with, it is “a non-profit organisation that provides travellers with up-to-date information about required supplies for community-based projects.” With no one inhabiting these rural areas of Africa accurate recordings of species could not be undertaken.

Wilderness Safaris are present throughout the whole year which allows them to provide not just financial support but also logistical support to anti-poaching initiatives. Due to their presence wildlife numbers have increased dramatically with elephant, lechwe and puku growing markedly. The emphasis on ecotourism is changing lives “camps and lodges bring employment and training, opportunities for growth and travel, and exposure to another world.”

Wilderness Safaris has partnered with Pack for a Purpose – a non-profit organisation that provides travellers with up-to-date information about required supplies for community-based projects. All guests travelling to Shumba Camp who wish to contribute are invited to view the needs list for Shumba Camps community projects on the Pack for a Purpose website. For instance, items may range from stationary, relevant books and texts, children’s clothing and toys, or inflatable balls and pumps.

Wilderness Safaris aim is that if the camps ever needed to be moved they could do so without leaving an imprint on the land. All Wilderness Safari camps are built in the most eco-friendly way possible. To reduce their carbon footprint and to help them become carbon neutral in their operations, they invest in new technologies to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Also provided by Wilderness Safaris is “logistical and financial support for local anti-poaching activities” making sure their impact on the environment is as positive as possible.

Wilderness Safaris works in partnership with Save the Rhino Trust and three separate Namibian conservancies to help conserve and protect the rare species of the desert-adapted black rhino. These rhinos play a vital role in shaping the landscape of Africa, by grazing lawns and vegetation they help protect plant biodiversity and keep the plains hospitable to other herbivore species. Without them, whole ecosystems would begin to die out.

Wilderness Safaris Desert Rhino Camp works specifically in partnership with Save the Rhino Trust and acts as rhino monitoring post, as well as a camp, to help increase rhino security in an otherwise unmonitored area. Due to an increase in recruitment, Wilderness Safaris and their partners have “dramatically and sustainably increased the range of desert-adapted black rhino in the north-west.”

Wilderness Safaris take the welfare of elephant herds and those who care for them with the utmost seriousness and resolve. It is considered a great honour to care for these majestic creatures and to work in the presence of them. All safari activities and elephant related experiences are meticulously planned with a heightened consciousness of the needs, requirements and boundaries inherent of such an undertaking. Elephant herd members hold extensive knowledge with regards to elephant welfare and wellbeing, routinely observing the herds for signs of stress and illness, in which case the appropriate measures are put into place with immediate effect to rectify whatever issue may arise.

Wilderness Safaris has partnered with the Lion Recovery Fund along with other ecotourism operators to launch the Lionscape Coalition. Established in 2017 by the Wildlife Conservation Network, The Lion Recovery Fund works alongside the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in order to help re-establish lion populations. Due to habitat loss/fragmentation, poaching and human and wildlife conflict, lion populations have halved in numbers within the last 25 years. The Lionscape Coalition is an initiative that encourages ecotourism competitors to collaborate to show their dedication to conservation and restoring lion habitats.

With animals and humans living side by side there is a risk of human-wildlife conflict, and Wilderness Safaris seek to address this issue. The Skeleton Coast has seen its desert-adapted lion population grow considerably in the past 15 years. Lion mortalities are declining as attitudes in the community are changing due in part to Wilderness Safaris’ help. A research centre was built at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp for their Desert Lion Project, and the attention gained from an acclaimed documentary have helped local communities and guests understand the importance of the desert-adapted lions and a greater understanding has allowed rural communities to live peacefully with the lions.

Eco-friendly and sustainable management systems are a key part of Wilderness Safaris operations. Leading the way in converting from fossil fuels to renewable energy, Shumba Camp runs on a hybrid system. A generator charges a battery bank which is what provides parts of the camp’s electricity, due to this arrangement the generator only needs to be on for eight hours a day. All the tents have their own solar panels and inverter to provide hot water.

The camp has many water-efficient devices to help conserve water, the wastewater of the camp “is treated in an Above Ground Sewage Plant, ensuring that the water is clean before being allowed to enter the natural environment.” To help reduce their energy needs, all appliances are energy-efficient and only eco-friendly approved cleaners are used by the camp, to minimise their impact on the environment.