Carmines River Lodge

Fun Facts about Thornicroft’s giraffe
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Here’s what makes them special:

🌿 Thornicroft’s giraffes are a distinctive
endemic sub species of giraffe found ONLY in the Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia.

🌿 They are completely isolated from other giraffe populations by natural barriers like the Luangwa River, which has limited their gene flow over thousands of years.

🌿 Their coats have large, irregular, star-shaped patches with creamy backgrounds. The pattern looks more ragged and scribbled compared to the cleaner shapes of Masai or Rothschild’s giraffes.

🌿 They often appear a bit paler overall, especially in strong Luangwa sunlight.
They were named Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti after British commissioner Harry Scott Thornicroft, who worked in the region in the early 1900s.

🌿 They thrive in the riverine woodlands and mopane forests typical of South Luangwa.

🌿 They are browsers and love feasting on acacia and other trees, using their long tongues to strip leaves from the regions most other animals cannot reach. They don’t even seem to mind the thorns!

🌿 You’ll often see them moving in groups, collectively known as journeys or towers, especially along the riverbanks. Nothing beats that sunset giraffe silhouette!

🌿 Whilst their population is relatively small (a few thousand individuals) they are thankfully considered stable thanks to strong protection within South Luangwa and surrounding reserves.

🌿 Because they exist in such a limited range, they are quite vulnerable to habitat change or disease outbreaks. So we protect them fiercely!

Guests at Carmines River Lodge should see a lot of these beautiful endemic giraffes in the area surrounding the lodge.

Definitely one for the “safari specials” bucket list!

Our sales and marketing representatives Travel Promoters Ltd have had a busy week at the Celebrate Africa Workshops in the Cotswolds and London, updating the trade on our latest developments.

Thank you to Travelindex for featuring our news

https://www.travelindex.com/blog/new-carmines-river-lodge-to-launch-in-zambia/

Zambia Tourism

Each year, during the dry season in Zambia’s South Luangwa, thousands of southern Carmine Bee‑eaters return to the Luangwa River to nest - transforming the skies into a living, swirling cloud of crimson and turquoise.

Their nesting colonies stretch for hundreds of metres along the sandy river banks, a constant blur of wings and activity as they excavate burrows and feed their chicks.

Whilst this region of Zambia is great to visit all year round, if you time your visit for August – November you can watch one of Africa’s most dazzling wildlife events unfold just metres away, as our new lodge is located opposite the world’s largest colony of these Carmines, close to us along the Luangwa Wafwa.

Of course our lodge has been named in honour of these magnificent birds — and inspired our avian theme throughout.

Our new camp construction is coming along beautifully ahead of our soft launch in June and we are eagerly anticipating welcoming our first official guests in July.


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We are being proudly represented at ITB in Berlin this week by Travel Promoters Ltd on the ATTA - African Travel & Tourism Association stand in Africa hall 20.

Please visit Ailsa & Leanne so they can update you on all things Carmines River Lodge.

One of our favourite birds here in the South Luangwa valley is the iconic Lilac-breasted roller 💜

We are lucky to see a lot of them in the area where we are building our new lodge.

They truly are magnificent!

Often spotted on a dry tree stump or branch, both males and females boast a vibrant colour palate including the lilac-purple chests, combined with vivid blues, greens, and turquoise across its wings and tail. Even better - when they take flight you get a flash of electric blue from under their wings! No little brown jobs here!

They are also famous for their acrobatic “rolling” flight displays, which they show off during courtship or to mark their territory.

They feed on insects, reptiles & even scorpions. 🦂

They tend to live in loyal, monogamous pairs during breeding season. Just another reason to love them! 🩷

Seen one on safari? Please share your photos in the comments below?

The South Luangwa National Park is renowned for its abundant elephant population. The Luangwa River, one of Africa’s last remaining undammed major rivers, winds through the park in sweeping curves, forming sandbanks, islands and oxbow lagoons that become vital watering holes.

Our new lodge is being built on one of these islands, perfectly located between the Luangwa River and the Msandile tributary, nearby to the Wafwa Oxbow lagoon.

Some of the local elephants paid us a visit this week to see how its progressing. Isn't this curious calf too beautiful?

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“Spotted” in South Luangwa…

The construction of our three beautiful new villas at Carmines River Lodge is progressing as planned despite the seasonal rains, and the team on the ground is enjoying regular sightings of various leopards in the area - who are also clearly curious about the developments in this incredible spot in Zambia.

Our location is truly living up to its name as the Valley of Leopards!

We are delighted to share that our new Carmines River Lodge is set to debut in June 2026 in Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley.

Read more on:
https://travelpromoters.co.uk/tp-news/travel-promoters-new-lodge-south-luangwa

Please watch this space for updates, and give us a follow?

A new luxury lodge opening in Zambia’s South Luangwa — Travel Promoters - Luxury Hospitality Representation | Properties with Personality Travel Promoters are thrilled to welcome their newest partnership and a new opening for the South Luangwa Valley.