​Overview – Luambe NP

Philip Briggs
Expert
By Philip Briggs

Philip has traveled 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.

The small, little-known Luambe National Park is located in the Luangwa Valley, between North and South Luangwa National Parks. Wildlife is quite skittish, but densities are increasing. Luambe Camp, the only accommodation in the park, consists of just four safari tents. Perched on the east bank of the Luangwa River, this remote hideaway offers the perfect bush retreat for those wanting to get away from it all.

 
View Photos (15)
Best Time To Go July to October (Animals are easier to find)
High Season July to October (The park is little visited)
Size 254km² / 98mi²
Altitude 553-670m / 1,814-2,198ft
+13 Photos

Pros & Cons

  • Reasonable wildlife viewing with four of the Big Five present (rhino is absent)
  • Little visited, off-the-beaten-track destination
  • Remote, luxury camp on the bank of the Luangwa River
  • Game drives, night drives and guided walks offered
  • Less wildlife than in South Luangwa
  • Small game-drive circuit
  • Roads are bad in the Dry season and impassable in the Wet season

Luambe NP Safari Reviews

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

Wildlife

All of the wildlife present in well-known South Luangwa might be encountered in Luambe. Numbers are lower though, and animals are less habituated. There are plenty of antelope around, including puku, impala, bushbuck, greater kudu and waterbuck. Even from your tent’s balcony you won’t miss the grunting hippos bobbing up and down in the river and maybe even elephants splashing the heat of the day away.

Scenery

The beautiful Luangwa River is the park’s lifeline. It floods strongly in the Wet season and it reduces to a trickle in the Dry season. At this time several lagoons holding permanent water attract lots of thirsty animals. Riverine forest flanks the waterways. Away from the river, the landscape is comprised of miombo woodland and open plains dotted with sausage trees.

Weather & Climate

Luambe has a tropical climate, which means there’s not much variation in temperature throughout the year. The main influences on the weather are the park’s two distinctive seasons. Days are warm and nights are cool in the Dry season (May to October). The hot Wet season (November to April) brings daily downpours.

Best Time To Visit

Luambe is very seasonal, and Luambe Camp only operates during the Dry season months of June through to October. This coincides with the prime period for wildlife viewing when animals gather around the Luangwa River and its lagoons. The park becomes inaccessible and waterlogged from November to May.

Want To Visit Luambe NP?

Luambe Safaris

Luambe NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Emma Gregg  –  
United Kingdom UK

Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.

Hidden wilderness on the famous Luangwa
4/5

This scrap of a park on the Luangwa River between South and North Luangwa National Parks is very little known, even compared to North Luangwa. There’s just one small and appealingly simple dry-season lodge and campsite. You and your...

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Latest User Review
Bas van de Kamp Reviewed: Apr 4, 2013
Your own private paradise
4/5

No big five or Serengeti-style mega-herds but lots of other wildlife to enjoy. Never saw so many raptors in one place. You need to work a bit harder than in Luangwa because this park was recently established and animals here are not used...

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