​Overview – Kasanka NP

Philip Briggs
Expert
By Philip Briggs

Philip has travelled through Zambia several times and is the author of more than 20 guidebooks to various African destinations.

Philip is the Zambia expert for SafariBookings and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

Philip is our Zambia expert and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

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.

 
Open Map
Best Time to Go July to October (Animals are easy to find)
High Season Never (The park is never busy)
Size 390km² / 151mi²
Altitude 1,173-1,267m / 3,848-4,157ft

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
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

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. Of particular interest is the annual Kasanka bat migration; millions of straw-coloured fruit bats fill the sky around November when they descend en masse on a small forest within the park.

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

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Ariadne van Zandbergen  –  
South Africa ZA

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

Millions of bats in Kasanka National Park
4/5

It was late October and it was raining hard when we made our way to Kasanka National Park. This was good news. We were worried we would have been too early. My aim was to witness the world’s biggest mammal migration and timing was of the...

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Latest User Review
West Tribe  –  
Canada CA
Reviewed: Apr 29, 2017
4/5

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...

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