Overview – North Luangwa NP

Alan Murphy
Expert
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.

North Luangwa is the little-visited sister park of the more popular and accessible South Luangwa National Park. It’s mostly a walking destination with huge wilderness appeal. The habitat and wildlife is similar to South Luangwa, but animals are less habituated. All the Big Five can be found, with black rhino protected in a large protected sanctuary.

 
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Best Time to Go July to October (Animals are easy to find)
High Season July to October (The park is little visited)
Size 4,636km² / 1,790mi²
Altitude 569-1,296m / 1,867-4,252ft
+5 Photos

Pros & Cons

  • Excellent wildlife viewing with all the Big Five present
  • The only black rhino population in the country
  • Remote wilderness area set aside for walking
  • Excellent add-on to a conventional safari in South Luangwa
  • Self-drive visitors are allowed in the northern part of the park but need to be self-sufficient
  • Very limited, expensive, fly-in accommodation options in the southern wilderness area

North Luangwa NP Safari Reviews

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

Wildlife

The wildlife is similar to what you can see in South Luangwa. All the Big Five are present and can be encountered, although black rhino is held in a sanctuary for the time being. The rare, endemic Cookson's wildebeest is more common here than in its sister park, and giraffe is absent. Lion and buffalo are regularly seen, as are big herds of eland and Lichtenstein's hartebeest.

Scenery

North Luangwa is part of the southern extension of Africa’s Great Rift. The Luangwa river acts as the eastern boundary, but the Mwaleshi River is the lifeline of the park. Mopane and miombo woodland, acacia shrub, grassland savannah and riverine forest are some of the habitats that make up this lush valley. The Muchinga escarpment is a prominent landmark.

Weather & Climate

North Luangwa has a tropical climate with fairly consistent temperatures throughout the year. The park is subject to a Dry season (May to October) characterized by hot days, cold nights and no rain. Its Wet season (November to April) gets even hotter.

Best Time to Visit

You can only go on organized safaris in North Luangwa in the Dry season (May to October). The wildlife viewing is particularly good from July, when animals stay close to the remaining pockets of water and are easier to track. Lodges and tours shut down when the rains come and the heat soars.

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North Luangwa NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Northern wilderness
4/5

North Luangwa is South Luangwa’s remote and reclusive big sister. The terrain and wildlife are very similar, but there are only a handful of lodges, few roads and visitor numbers are minimal. Consequently this park offers a real...

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Latest User Review
Guillaume d'Autichamp  –  
France FR
Reviewed: Oct 31, 2018
5/5

North Luangwa is recommended for expert safari aficionados and for walking safaris especially ! We stayed 3 nights at the Mwaleshi camp along the Mwaleshi river This was a great experience : we saw fewer animals than in the South park...

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