ZAMBIA
South Luangwa National Park
A land dominated and influenced by the Luangwa River, South Luangwa National Park covers over 5,000 square miles of wilderness containing one of the densest wildlife populations in Africa.
Elephant, hippo, buffalo, impala, puku, zebra, bushbuck, kudu, waterbuck, and giraffe are some of the herbivores commonly seen. Other species found include duiker, eland, grysbok, oribi, sable, roan, and Cookson’s wildebeest.
South Luangwa is a predator paradise. Lion, leopard, and spotted hyena are often seen. South Luangwa has some of the best leopard viewing in Africa due to it being one of the few places that allow night game drives. African wild dog sightings have also greatly increased thanks in large part to conservation efforts inside and outside the park.
Over 400 species of birds can be found here. You do not have to be an avid birder to appreciate the avian residents and migrants you will see.
In addition to incredibly productive game drives, South Luangwa offers an incredible walking safari experience. Zambia has perfected bush walks for both quality and safety. Beginning after first light, expect to explore the obvious and hidden treasures on foot for up to 4 hours with your guide and armed ranger.
North Luangwa National Park
For those wanting to really get away and experience a safari as if you were walking the landscape 200 years ago, North Luangwa is for you. Another vast area covering 1,800 square miles, North Luangwa may be South Luangwa’s “little sister”, but it is bustling with the same wildlife and is also home to a heavily protected population of black rhinoceros. Rhinos were once common in the bush of the Luangwa Valley, but poaching in the 70’s and 80’s wiped them out. Fortunately, rhino have been reintroduced into North Luangwa and their numbers are slowly increasing.
Walking is the main focus in this park, though game drives are available and are just as productive as those in South Luangwa. As mentioned earlier, this is a park that will take you back to a better and more wild time. The camps in North Luangwa are true bush camps with everything you need and everything you don’t. Our preferred provider here is Remote Africa Safaris. This is a great addition to a South Luangwa safari. Spend a week in both parks and you’ll be yearning to return to Africa year after year.
Liuwa Plain National Park
Liuwa Plains is a little known gem located in western Zambia. The park spans 1,300 square miles of plains and grasslands. It is home to the second largest migration of wildebeest in Africa. Where the white-bearded wildebeest make up the Great Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti and the Mara, it is the blue wildebeest that make up the Liuwa migration which consists of tens of thousands of animals.
This area has been protected for quite some time. In the 1880’s it was deemed a protected area by the king of the Lozi people, Lebosi Lewanika. In 1972, it became a national park, but trophy hunting had killed off the lions in Liuwa Plains. It was seldom visited and populations of animals saw significant declines in the 1980’s and 90’s due to poaching.
Fortunately, tourism has helped bring this park back from the brink with healthy populations of many animals, including wildebeest, tsessebe, hyena, cheetah, painted wolves (also known as African Wild Dogs), red lechwe, buffalo, and more.
Lions continue to try and regain their footing inside the park through reintroduction programs. A lioness called the Lady of Liuwa gained international fame as a result of a nature documentary called, “The Last Lioness”.
The hope is increased tourism will help wildlife and the local people thrive for generations to come. The future of wildlife and people is interconnected through protecting the natural world.
Kafue National Park
Zambia’s largest national park, Kafue, is 8,600 square miles (about the size of Massachusetts). It was declared a park in the 1950’s. Despite its size, Kafue does not receive much visitation. This is a good thing if you are trying to find a bit more solitude and a more wild experience.
The lifeblood of the park is the Kafue River which has a large hippo population and attracts large herds of buffalo and elephant as they congregate along the banks of the river in search of water and food. The park primarily consists of miombo woodlands and grassland which provides for a wide diversity of antelope species, especially the beautiful sable and roan antelopes. Many other species of animals call Kafue home including lion, leopard, cheetah, painted wolves, zebra, elephant, and 500 species of birds.
The most visited part of the park is the Busanga Plains located in the north of the park. This is a marshy grassland that is only accessible from July to November due to the water levels. This region attracts a lot of animals and birdlife. Lion and red lechwe are seen frequently in this area as well as cheetah.
Overall, Kafue has the greatest diversity of life in Zambia. As sustainable tourism grows, so does a secure future for wildlife and the people who live in the communities surrounding the park.
Lower Zambezi National Park
Lower Zambezi is 1,580 square miles and is located on the mighty Zambezi River. This park is remote and very pristine. Though the park is quite large, the best wildlife viewing is on the floodplains and along the river. Huge herds of elephant congregate in these areas, especially late in the dry season. Buffalo, hippo, and waterbuck are also found in good numbers. Lion and leopard are commonly seen.
This is a beautiful park. You can imagine the sunsets while on a boat cruise watching elephants frolic in the Zambezi River as the sun casts a golden hue across the landscape. For being a quality safari destination, Lower Zambezi’s tourism remains relatively undeveloped which means few camps and fewer people. The camps and lodges in the park are primarily situated along the Zambezi River.
Right across the river in Zimbabwe is Mana Pools National Park. Hopefully someday Zambia and Zimbabwe will develop a system to allow safari travelers to experience both amazing parks by simply being able to be shuttled across the river. As of right now, due to customs and immigration requirements, this is not possible. It would make for an incredible safari experience.
Bangweulu Wetlands
A landscape reminiscent of the Okavango Delta, this wetland is considered to be one of the most important in the world. The Bangweulu ecosystem covers 3,800 square miles with over 2,000 acres managed by African Parks. The region is vital for both wildlife and people. Up to 100,000 people are scattered throughout this region amongst many villages. With a renewed focus on sustainable tourism and conservation, more people are starting to see the positive effects of protecting an area.
The wetlands is home to two very amazing, unique, and endangered animals. Pictured above is the black lechwe which is found in the Bangweulu Wetlands of Zambia and no other place in Africa. Almost 50,000 of these marsh and aquatic adapted antelope find refuge in this region. The other unique animal if the shoe-billed stork. The wetlands is vital to the future of this large and charismatic bird that has a massive beak that resembles Dutch clogs. Hence the name “shoe-billed”. Recently, cheetah have been reintroduced into the area managed by Africa Parks.
A visit here can easily be added on to a North or South Luangwa safari.