Toka Leya Properties
12 Safari-Style Tents
The camp consists of 12 safari-style tents, each en-suite with a view of the magnificent Zambezi River and some of its islands. The camp's dining and bar area is set beneath a shaded canopy of trees overlooking the River and a swimming pool.
The camp consists of 12 safari-style tents, each en-suite with a view of the magnificent Zambezi River and some of its islands. The camp's dining and bar area is set beneath a shaded canopy of trees overlooking the River and a swimming pool.
Zambezi River, Upstream from Victoria Falls
Year Round
Zambia’s distinctive seasons provide visitors with different perspectives depending on the time of year. As Zambia has a tropical climate, it is distinguished by a dry season and a wet season, instead of summer and winter. The dry season is from May to November and is the easiest time to travel, with June to August being the coolest months. October is the hottest month in Zambia, so be prepared for temperatures of over 40 degrees celcius if you travel then. The wet season, from December to March, is has variable weather. In one day, you can have bright sunshine and heavy downpours. The rain does not usually last long, though, and the main downside of travelling to Zambia in the wet season is that many dirt roads become impassable. The Victoria Falls are spectacular in April and May after the rainy season, though the thick spray may obscure your view. At the end of the dry season, October to December, the water levels are low and one can see the magnificent rock formation. River rafting on the Zambezi is not safe when the river is in flood in the rainy season from December to March, so check with your consultant on expected conditions if you are considering this. Game viewing is excellent from June to August, but is best in September and October as game gather around perennial water holes or rivers. Due to an abundance of water after the rainy season, wildlife is scattered. Vegetation is lush, green and beautiful, but obscures game viewing. However, birdwatching is fantastic at this time of year - much better than during the dry season.
Zambia’s distinctive seasons provide visitors with different perspectives depending on the time of year. As Zambia has a tropical climate, it is distinguished by a dry season and a wet season, instead of summer and winter. The dry season is from May to November and is the easiest time to travel, with June to August being the coolest months. October is the hottest month in Zambia, so be prepared for temperatures of over 40 degrees celcius if you travel then. The wet season, from December to March, is has variable weather. In one day, you can have bright sunshine and heavy downpours. The rain does not usually last long, though, and the main downside of travelling to Zambia in the wet season is that many dirt roads become impassable. The Victoria Falls are spectacular in April and May after the rainy season, though the thick spray may obscure your view. At the end of the dry season, October to December, the water levels are low and one can see the magnificent rock formation. River rafting on the Zambezi is not safe when the river is in flood in the rainy season from December to March, so check with your consultant on expected conditions if you are considering this. Game viewing is excellent from June to August, but is best in September and October as game gather around perennial water holes or rivers. Due to an abundance of water after the rainy season, wildlife is scattered. Vegetation is lush, green and beautiful, but obscures game viewing. However, birdwatching is fantastic at this time of year - much better than during the dry season.
Tour of the Victoria Falls, Game Drives, River Cruises, Sunset Cruises, Helicopter Flights, Micro-Lighting, Canoeing, Jet Boating, White Water Rafting & Fishing.
Activities include a tour of the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, game drives within Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and river cruises. Other activities on offer in the area at an additional charge include sunset cruises, helicopter flights, micro-lighting, canoeing, jet boating, white water rafting and fishing. Game drives into the Mosi-oa-Tunya Park are productive with an abundance of general game species like Cape buffalo, southern giraffe, Burchell's zebra, blue wildebeest and impala. There is rich bird diversity here too, including several sought-after species such as African Finfoot, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Skimmer (seasonal), Schalow's Turaco and Rock Pratincole (seasonal). Great birding can be enjoyed within the confines of camp itself and out on river boat cruises. The Zambezi River offers some fishing opportunities and tiger fishing is an unforgettable challenge for keen fishermen, particularly during the warmer months. There are several varieties of bream (Tilapia) that are also a good catch.
Activities include a tour of the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, game drives within Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and river cruises. Other activities on offer in the area at an additional charge include sunset cruises, helicopter flights, micro-lighting, canoeing, jet boating, white water rafting and fishing. Game drives into the Mosi-oa-Tunya Park are productive with an abundance of general game species like Cape buffalo, southern giraffe, Burchell's zebra, blue wildebeest and impala. There is rich bird diversity here too, including several sought-after species such as African Finfoot, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Skimmer (seasonal), Schalow's Turaco and Rock Pratincole (seasonal). Great birding can be enjoyed within the confines of camp itself and out on river boat cruises. The Zambezi River offers some fishing opportunities and tiger fishing is an unforgettable challenge for keen fishermen, particularly during the warmer months. There are several varieties of bream (Tilapia) that are also a good catch.
Local Info
At 1708 metres wide, Victoria Falls is the most expansive curtain of water in the world and drops more than 100 metres into the sheer Zambezi Gorge. Located in the south-west corner of Zambia, these Falls and the Zambezi River are the central points in an area of spectacular scenic beauty: from the Falls themselves to the broad, picturesque course of the Zambezi River upstream, the rainforest adjacent and the stark jagged gorge downstream, the power and timelessness of nature's forces are evident throughout. The Tonga and Makalolo peoples lived here for centuries before the Falls were 'discovered' by David Livingstone in 1855. He gave it the highest honour he could think of: naming it after his Queen. Its local name, Mosi-Oa-Tunya - "the Smoke that Thunders" - more accurately defines the essence of the place: the rising, shining spray that can be seen 30km away. This vapour has the effect of adding moisture in the form of humidity to the air in the "splash zone", so that a unique, small rainforest ecosystem clings to the edge of the Falls, providing a toehold for no less than 70 shrub and 150 herbaceous species, as well as trees such as pod and Natal mahogany, ebony, Cape and strangler fig and Transvaal red milkwood. Further away from the constant spray, the surrounding area comprises mopane and teak woodlands with luxuriant riverine forest along the banks of the Zambezi River. The presence of several protected areas in the vicinity, from the Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe to the Mosi-oa-Tunya Zoological Park in Zambia, means that herds of big game such as elephant and buffalo, as well as smaller species and even predators such as lion persist in the area. As mesmerising as the Falls are, the paths through the rainforest at their edge allow one to catch a glimpse of some of the mammals that live here: bushbuck stare shyly from behind a bush, banded mongoose scurry through the undergrowth, and vervet monkey and baboon flit through the trees; wailing Trumpeter Hornbills sail past in their characteristically undulating flight and the crimson-blazoned wings of the Schalow's Turaco can be seen by patient birders. Interestingly, there is a distinct difference in the fish species above and below the Falls, which clearly form a comprehensive barrier to fish movements upstream: 39 species are recorded from below and 84 above the Falls. Nile crocodile and hippo are common above the Falls. Vic Falls, as it is affectionately known, straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and both countries share its World Heritage Site status.
At 1708 metres wide, Victoria Falls is the most expansive curtain of water in the world and drops more than 100 metres into the sheer Zambezi Gorge. Located in the south-west corner of Zambia, these Falls and the Zambezi River are the central points in an area of spectacular scenic beauty: from the Falls themselves to the broad, picturesque course of the Zambezi River upstream, the rainforest adjacent and the stark jagged gorge downstream, the power and timelessness of nature's forces are evident throughout. The Tonga and Makalolo peoples lived here for centuries before the Falls were 'discovered' by David Livingstone in 1855. He gave it the highest honour he could think of: naming it after his Queen. Its local name, Mosi-Oa-Tunya - "the Smoke that Thunders" - more accurately defines the essence of the place: the rising, shining spray that can be seen 30km away. This vapour has the effect of adding moisture in the form of humidity to the air in the "splash zone", so that a unique, small rainforest ecosystem clings to the edge of the Falls, providing a toehold for no less than 70 shrub and 150 herbaceous species, as well as trees such as pod and Natal mahogany, ebony, Cape and strangler fig and Transvaal red milkwood. Further away from the constant spray, the surrounding area comprises mopane and teak woodlands with luxuriant riverine forest along the banks of the Zambezi River. The presence of several protected areas in the vicinity, from the Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe to the Mosi-oa-Tunya Zoological Park in Zambia, means that herds of big game such as elephant and buffalo, as well as smaller species and even predators such as lion persist in the area. As mesmerising as the Falls are, the paths through the rainforest at their edge allow one to catch a glimpse of some of the mammals that live here: bushbuck stare shyly from behind a bush, banded mongoose scurry through the undergrowth, and vervet monkey and baboon flit through the trees; wailing Trumpeter Hornbills sail past in their characteristically undulating flight and the crimson-blazoned wings of the Schalow's Turaco can be seen by patient birders. Interestingly, there is a distinct difference in the fish species above and below the Falls, which clearly form a comprehensive barrier to fish movements upstream: 39 species are recorded from below and 84 above the Falls. Nile crocodile and hippo are common above the Falls. Vic Falls, as it is affectionately known, straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and both countries share its World Heritage Site status.
Owners & Hosts
As Wilderness Safaris has expanded its presence in Zambia, more opportunities have arisen to partner with the local people in caring for and learning about our environment. Employment opportunities have been the first step in this process; initially in construction casual labourers from remote surrounding villages are employed to help build the new camps, and then later in the open camps where local men and women are permanently employed in ecotourism positions. With permanent employment comes training and skills development. Rural income is such that those employed in a 5-month construction period earn more than 8 times the annual average income for rural Zambians. Wilderness Safaris' Zambia camps, including Tokay Leya Camp, have pioneered the use of innovative energy-saving systems, which are being used as a model to lower the environmental footprint across the entire portfolio of Wilderness Safaris camps in all regions.
As Wilderness Safaris has expanded its presence in Zambia, more opportunities have arisen to partner with the local people in caring for and learning about our environment. Employment opportunities have been the first step in this process; initially in construction casual labourers from remote surrounding villages are employed to help build the new camps, and then later in the open camps where local men and women are permanently employed in ecotourism positions. With permanent employment comes training and skills development. Rural income is such that those employed in a 5-month construction period earn more than 8 times the annual average income for rural Zambians. Wilderness Safaris' Zambia camps, including Tokay Leya Camp, have pioneered the use of innovative energy-saving systems, which are being used as a model to lower the environmental footprint across the entire portfolio of Wilderness Safaris camps in all regions.
