Seasonal Bat Migration Camp Opens Inside Kasanka National Park

Kasanka National Park, Zambia — Everwild has confirmed operations for a semi-permanent bush camp inside Kasanka National Park during Zambia’s 2026 bat migration season. The company’s current programme runs from 24 October to 5 December 2026, with accommodation limited to a maximum of eight guests at any one time.

The seasonal operation has received approval from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, with Everwild also confirming support from the Kasanka National Park Warden. The camp will operate inside the park during the migration period and, according to Everwild, will be the only accommodation camp operating in Kasanka during this period.

The development follows changes to accommodation availability inside Kasanka for the 2026 season. Zambia Tourism reported that Wasa Lodge will not operate during the migration period, with Everwild’s mobile operation proceeding independently and on a self-sufficient basis. Preparations for the season also include work on bat-viewing hides and maintenance of access infrastructure.

Kasanka National Park is best known internationally for the annual arrival of millions of straw-coloured fruit bats between October and December. The bats gather in a relatively small area of evergreen forest before leaving their roost around sunset to forage across the surrounding landscape. Zambia Tourism estimates that numbers can reach around 10 million during the migration.

For guests staying at the Everwild camp, the migration will form part of a broader guided Kasanka experience rather than a single viewing excursion. Two guided activities are included each day, with guides adjusting the programme according to conditions and the movement of the bats. Viewing can take place from several locations around the park, including the Bat Forest.

The programme can also include time exploring other parts of Kasanka, including wildlife viewing around the park, the Luwombwa River and birding. Kasanka is particularly associated with sitatunga, while the concentration of bats during the migration season also attracts birds of prey.

Accommodation is provided in a semi-permanent canvas bush camp with walk-in tents, stretcher beds and linen. A communal lounge and dining area forms the central camp space. All meals, camping equipment and fuel are included, together with two activities per day, while park fees and levies, drinks, gratuities and transport to and from Kasanka are excluded. A minimum stay of two nights applies.

The camp’s eight-guest limit makes this a deliberately small seasonal operation. Rather than establishing permanent accommodation around the wildlife event, Everwild’s mobile safari model allows the camp to be set up specifically for the migration period and removed again afterwards.

Everwild is also positioning the 2026 Kasanka season towards people living in Zambia through its local travel offering, encouraging residents to experience the country’s national parks and the bat migration. International travellers can also incorporate Kasanka into a broader Zambia safari itinerary.

Guests can travel to Kasanka independently, while Everwild says road transfers and charter flights can be arranged separately. Transport is not included in the camp rate.

For travellers visiting Zambia between late October and early December, the seasonal camp provides accommodation inside Kasanka National Park during one of the country’s most distinctive wildlife events, while also giving guests time to experience the wider park beyond the evening bat spectacle.