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Wasa Lodge, Kasanka | Timbuktu Travel
Kasanka

Wasa Lodge

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025
We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!
Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024

About Wasa Lodge

The best lodge from which to watch Zambia's incredible bat migration.
Between late October and December, there's a huge migration of mammals into Zambia's Kasanka National Park. Not the Great Migration mammals you expect. These are straw-coloured fruit bats, 10-plus million of them, that descend to the park's swampy areas to feast on the season's fruits: mangoes, loquats, waterberries. Community-owned Wasa Lodge sits on the edge of a forest-fringed lake, seemingly at the centre of the dizzying profusion. (It's one of the few places you can stay so near the spectacle.) There are other species too – elephant, buffalo, swamp-dwelling sitatunga antelope, puku, sable, and a plethora of birds.
Kasanka , Zambia
From $260 per person/per night
Safari
5 Rooms
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Property details

The property

A shallow slope extends from the main area to the bow-shaped lake, its edges thickly belted by reeds. The lodge is set in a mowed clearing that opens to the forest and the free-roaming wildlife. As with all the structures, the dining area is a vivid terracotta orange, topped with thatch and paved with river stones. The elevated veranda has panoramic views of the lake and plains, so you can keep an eye on the bush as you dine.

The rooms

Tucked into the tree line and facing the lake, the seven rondavels (thatched huts) feel both private and part of the wilderness. Three are relatively small units configured with double or twin beds, an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet and bucket shower (heated on request). The larger chalets are suitable for families, with a double and two single beds, en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and heated showers, and a furnished veranda. Rooms are simple and sparse but tidy and comfortable.

Activities

Although not as well known as the famous Great Migration, the annual arrival of bats in Kasanka is, for many travellers, a wish-list topper (though the other attractions are equally worthy). Its proximity to the central African rainforest means the park is an excellent place to tick some birds off the list. It's also probably the best site in Africa for sitatunga and the regal sable antelope. Besides drives, you can canoe the waters and hike through the forest.
Why we love it

Why we love it

The Fibwe tree-hide, which sits above the canopy, gives you a line-of-sight perspective of the fray. It might be a slightly rickety climb to the top but the view and the immersion into the bat migration is out of this world.
Insiders tip

Insiders Tip

It's worth paying a little extra for the ensuite rooms
Something to think about

Something to think about

Wasa Lodge is an outstanding place to visit between October - December for the bat migration and all the bird activity that goes with it. Outside of these months you might be disappointed.
Plan your stay

How to book Wasa Lodge

How do I book Wasa Lodge?

Wasa Lodge can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made Zambia trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended Zambia trips featuring Wasa Lodge or get advice and suggestions from one of our Zambia specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.

How much does it cost to stay at Wasa Lodge?

Stays at Wasa Lodge start from around $260 per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.

Wasa Lodge

Zambia

Kasanka National Park

Forget chasing big game and visit Kasanka for the beautiful fauna and incredible bat migration.