Chiawa Safaris, a collection of luxury safari camps in the Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa, will debut its Star Drift experience and Star Bed tower when it opens for the 2023 season on May 1.
The Star Drift experience includes a romantic floating private dinner on
the Zambezi River aboard a custom-built pontoon boat followed by an
open-to-the-skies overnight stay under the stars in the new Star Bed tower.
• Related: Africa roams free in Lower Zambezi National Park
The package includes:
• A four-course dinner served while sailing on the Zambezi River.
• A night in the Star Bed tower, where a bath will be drawn and
Champagne will be on ice for guests to enjoy before drifting off to sleep.
• Coffee/tea and continental breakfast delivered at a wake-up time of the guests' choosing.
The Star Bed tower's design is inspired by nature, with an earthy palette and locally made soft furnishings. The 13-foot-high structure features a beautiful four poster queen-size bed with mosquito net. As dusk sets, the tower is lit by candlelight, and next to each side of the bed is a red-filtered flashlight to view any nocturnal creatures (and a two-way radio -- just in case).
• Related: Star bathing and other immersive pleasures with Extraordinary Journeys
Zambia has some of the richest wildlife viewing in Africa. and the new
experience promises to get guests closer to the action, enabling them to
totally immerse themselves in otherworldly surroundings.
The Star Drift experience, with or without the floating dinner, is available at a surcharge of $400 per couple or single per night when staying at the Chiawa Safaris camps and should be reserved well in advance.