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Write a User ReviewSouth Luangwa walking safari
There is definitely something unnerving and rather intoxicating about plodding through the bush knowing you're in the sights of many wild animals - but in their domain. That's exactly how I was feeling in South Luangwa, Zambia's best known national park. The wildlife-watching here is unparalleled and this, coupled with the sublime beauty of the bush, puts it in the top echelon of parks in southern Africa. I saw plenty, including giraffe, various antelope including waterbuck and puku, zebra, elephants, buffalo, and - heaving itself out of a small pool of water that we walked past - a hippo.
The walking is sometimes tough, through gouged-out, sun-hardened mud but it's the quintessential nature of the woodland and grassy plains that captures the imagination. And while walking through it, you are that much closer to the sights, smells and sounds.
Valley of Adventure
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brought a deafening chorus of frogs and insects, the bush bloomed with flowers and butterflies, and the lush vegetation and vivid storm skies were tailor-made for photography. With few lodges operating, it felt as though we had the park to ourselves. This, by any standards, was an outstanding experience – putting paid to any preconceptions that the rainy season is no good for safaris.That said, a visit to this park during the more popular dry season is not to be missed. South Luangwa is indisputably the jewel in Zambia’s safari crown, and when the bush dries out from August to November, its mosaic of floodplain, oxbow lake and ebony grove is teeming with wildlife drawn to the few remaining water sources. Hippos cram the seasonal pools and meander loops, while elephant and buffalo are everywhere. Among numerous predators, leopards are unusually abundant and often seen on night drives – along with civet, porcupine and other more elusive nocturnal species. Notable absentees include cheetah and rhino, the latter exterminated by the 1980s, but wild dog populations are growing – now regularly sighted – and the local Thornicroft’s giraffes are a unique subspecies. Among a good selection of antelope are eland, greater kudu and puku, the last of these as numerous here as impala. Specials for serious birders include Pel’s fishing owl, bat hawk and western banded snake-eagle, while breeding colonies of yellow-billed storks and carmine bee-eaters are among the highlights for any visitor.
In general, the visitor experience in South Luangwa is one of seclusion and privacy – with the occasional exception of the main gate area, where big cat sightings sometimes attract a cluster of vehicles. The park has gained a good reputation for its small, owner-run lodges, where wildlife wanders through at will. Perhaps its greatest asset, however, is its top-notch guiding – not just by vehicle but also on foot. It is often said that South Luangwa offers Africa’s best walking safaris, which range from morning walks to three-day trails. And in my experience – having tracked lions, dodged elephants and waited under a baobab as songbirds mobbed a slowly uncoiling python – this claim is hard to contest.
Possibly Africa’s finest walking safari destination
The level of activity and the beauty of the surroundings, graced by groves of mature trees, have attracted many first rate safari companies. It’s particularly good for those who enjoy walking – though at the end of the dry season it’s so hot that you can’t walk for too long.
As well as seasonal camps, there are permanent camps in areas which don’t get flooded during the rains. The staff at the latter are
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just as enthusiastic about the green season as the dry season, bringing as it does an abundance of fresh vegetation, newborn animals and dazzling birds.Boots-on time in big game country
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for small, authentic and owner-run bush camps as exemplified by Kaingo and Tafika. At most camps the usual 4WD game drives are also on offer, including night drives to track down the leopards for which Luangwa is famous.The Valley of the Leopard
It ultimately took me eight years to make it back to the Luangwa Valley again, but when I finally did in the middle of the 2022 Dry season, the best period for big game viewing, I found it no less captivating. For me, this is the African bush exactly as it should be.
The guides here are among the best in Africa and so are the walking safaris. There’s also a growing number of excellent lodges and camps in and around the park, which happily have not taken away from the overall feeling of unadulterated
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wilderness.The birding is also excellent here, particularly in the quieter, wilder Nsefu section of the park. This area is also a good bet for wild dogs.
Jewel in the Crown
South Luangwa is undoubtedly the country’s most celebrated park and for good reason. It’s an attractive wildlife area with the perennial Luangwa River demarcating the eastern boundary as it snakes its way south. Animal densities are high, especially in the popular Mfuwe region, where the well-habituated animals provide guests with plenty of opportunities to enjoy quality sightings of all the main carnivore and herbivore populations (excluding rhino).
In addition to this, the park boasts some of the best leopard viewing in Africa and wild dogs have also made a strong comeback in recent times. With the exception of rhino, South Luangwa has it all! Unfortunately, this impressive wildlife diversity also means it’s an incredibly popular wildlife sanctuary. However, you can escape the crowds and enjoy an enhanced wilderness experience with superlative sightings if you visit during the Emerald Season (during the rains) or spending a little more money to stay at a top-tier lodge deep inside the national park.
Zambia’s Jewel in the Crown
South Luangwa is Zambia’s top safari destination, and rightly so. It is a stunningly scenic park, with the Luangwa River twisting through, its associated flood plains and oxbow lakes as well as beautiful stands of trees. Perhaps more than any other park, the landscape changes dramatically according to the time of year – so visiting in the ‘Emerald season’ is a completely different experience to the Dry season.
South Luangwa has a rich variety of game, including puku antelope and the special Thornicroft’s giraffe. You have a good chance of seeing predators, especially leopard, and wild dog and lion are present too.
Much of the safari development is clustered around the Mfuwe end of the park, with numerous camps and lodges based just outside the Mfuwe Gate. If budget allows, try and stay within the park itself, so you don’t have to queue up and travel in each day, or in the quieter Nsefu section.