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Overview – Kasanka NP

By Alan Murphy
Alan is a renowned Africa expert and has authored many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Zambia.
Alan is a renowned Africa expert and has authored many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Zambia.
Alan is a renowned Africa expert and authored the Lonely Planet guidebook to Zambia.
Alan has authored the Lonely Planet guide to Zambia.
Kasanka NP is the only privately managed national park in the country. It is run by a charity, the Kasanka Trust, and all proceeds go back into conservation and the surrounding communities. The park is not a classic wildlife destination, but highly rewarding for people interested in birds.
Pros & Cons
- All park proceeds go back into conservation and the community
- Great birding destination with many Zambian specials
- Wildlife hide overlooking a swamp providing a chance to see sitatunga
- Little-visited, off-the-beaten-track destination
- Walks, game drives, canoe and motorboat trips offered
- Fishing in the Luwombwa River
- A chance to see 10 million fruit bats from October to December
- Low wildlife densities and limited variety of flagship species
- Limited accommodation
- Fishing villages take away some of the wilderness appeal
- Getting to the park is expensive and difficult
Kasanka NP Safari Reviews
Wildlife
Kasanka doesn't have big wildlife densities, but there are some interesting species. Top of the list is the elusive sitatunga. This semi-aquatic antelope can be observed from Fibwe Hide, a platform overlooking a wetland area. Other mammals easily spotted are Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, sable and puku. Less commonly seen is the shy roan antelope. Other small creatures include blue monkey, warthog, mongoose and straw-coloured fruit bats.
Scenery
Although quite small, the park has a good variety of habitats. Of major interest is the big swamp area, home to the sitatunga. The rest of the park is a mosaic of grassland, miombo woodland and evergreen thickets. The rivers are fringed by forest.
Weather & Climate
During its Dry season (May to October), Kasanka has a lovely daytime temperature. But nighttime is chilly and you’ll need lots of warm clothing if you’re going on an early or late game drive. The Wet season (November to April) brings spectacular storms and more warmth.
Best Time to Visit
The latter part of the Dry season (May to October) is ideal for finding animals – they won’t stray far from the remaining sources of water. Roosting fruit bats and newborn animals are some of the attractions of the wetter months, though it’s much harder to get around the park once the rains have started. Either way, you won’t be troubled by crowds as Kasanka never gets many visitors.
Want to Visit Kasanka NP?
Kasanka NP Safari Reviews
- Expert Rating
- Wildlife
- Scenery
- Bush Vibe
- Birding
- User Rating
- Wildlife
- Scenery
- Bush Vibe
- Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review

Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.
Bats galore and a laidback atmosphere
If I could rate this park for uniqueness, I’d give it top marks. Kasanka is not a classic safari destination – you rarely see elephants, lions or other large, charismatic animals here. But every year, in November and December, one small...
Latest User Review

The abundance of wildlife is minimal when compared to heavyweights like the neighboring (relatively speaking, it took me 2 days to get from one to the other) South Luangwa National Park. However this much smaller park has an ace up its...