FEATURED TOUR: "The best of Malawi and Zambia" Nyika Plateau and Luangwa Valley Wildlife Safari; 3rd - 16th August 2012 Many tours cater for a combination of comfort and exploration; however, too often the emphasis is on comfort, confining you to only certain areas. On this tour we aim to get the balance just right, combining rustic comfort with the chance to uncover areas seldom visited on a typical tour. We’ll explore the high reaches of Nyika National Park with its forest and grassland, hosting large numbers of Roan Antelope and Southern Reedbuck, before leaving Malawi behind and entering Zambia where we’ll spend most of the tour exploring North and South Luangwa National Park, some of the last true wilderness areas in Africa, where one can truly connect with nature. Expected weather conditions: Cold in the evenings at Nyika, warm but pleasant in the Luangwa Valley. Very low likelihood of rain. Tour tempo: medium to medium-plus, optional mid-day breaks (advisable on hot days), a fair amount of walking, especially in North Luangwa, as well as optional excursions in the forest areas of Nyika. Accommodation standards: medium to medium plus; rustic accommodation in certain areas. Birding in brief: good forest and grassland birding in Nyika; excellent Savannah birding in North and South Luangwa. Top Birds: Wattled Crane, Moustached Tinkerbird, Bar-tailed Trogon, Brown Parisoma, Martial Eagle, Arnott’s Chat, Racket-tailed Roller, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Lappet-faced Vulture. Mammal viewing: good game viewing opportunities for most areas we’ll visit. Top Mammals: Serval, Leopard, African Buffalo, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope, Sharpe’s Grysbok, African Elephant, Lion, Four-toed Elephant-Shrew, Black Rhinoceros.