Zambia Parks
Philip has traveled through Zambia several times and is the author of more than 20 guidebooks to various African destinations.
Lukusuzi National Park is located on the eastern escarpment of the Luangwa Valley, between North and South Luangwa National Parks. There are no facilities in Lukusuzi. There is a game scout camp, with no management, and there is just one, very bad game-drive track. Nobody has done any research here, and not much is known about animal populations. There has been a lot of poaching, so numbers are presumably quite low.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
Not much is known about the wildlife in the park. Spotted hyena might be the main predator but wild dog could be present too. The common antelope species from the Luangwa Valley should be represented in the park. These include puku, waterbuck and impala. Animals will probably be scarce and skittish.
Scenery
Lukusuzi is located a bit higher on the escarpment than the other parks in the valley. The main habitats consist of grassland, mopane trees and miombo woodland. Most of the park is peppered by rugged valleys and rocky ridges.
Weather & Climate
The weather and climate of Lukusuzi is comparable to that of Zambia in general. More info:
Best Time To Visit
Lukusuzi is best visited in the Dry season, from June to October. The road is very bad and might be impassable during the Wet season (November to April).
Getting There
Getting to the park is a major expedition and should only be considered by visitors with a lot of bush-driving experience. It is recommended to drive in convoys of two fully-equipped 4x4s. There are no signposts to the park and visitors should have a good map with GPS readings.
Health & Safety
Please read our ‘Malaria & Vaccinations – Zambia’ page and our general ‘Wildlife Viewing Safety Precautions’ for more info:
