The real Africa.
I've been living and working in Zambia for 4 years now. Mainly in the Luangwa Valley, but also in Liuwa Plain National Park.
South Luangwa is one of the premier parks in Southern Africa, with abundant and diverse wildlife and a true remote feeling. North Luangwa is even remoter, about as remote as you can get in Africa those days.
In South Luangwa lions are commonly seen, and the nightdrives offer a good chance of seeing the nocturnal animals, including the ever elusive leopard, which is often seen.
Wild dogs are also regularly seen and the Luangwa Valley host (near) endemice subspecies of Thornicroft's Giraffe, Crawshay's Zebra and Cookson's Wildebeest.
With over 400 bird species recorded the Luangwa Valley is a birders dream. Specialties are the southern carmine bee-eater colonies from late August to November. Pel's fishing owl is also regularly seen, as are numerous other raptors.
South Luangwa is the home of walking safaris, originally started by Norman Carr. While you might not see the likes of lions and elephants as well as from a vehicle, walking between those animals is a truly exhilirating experience!
Liuwa Plain National Park (I visited in October-November 2010) is a park for the advanced Africa traveller. Very remote and offering wide views or a vast, flat plain. It hosts the second biggest wildebeest migration (after the Serengeti-Masaai Mara migration) of about 40,000 wildebeest (the number is growing). Wild dogs and cheetah are home on and around the plain, where hyaenas are numerous. The lion population, which was down to 1 female (lady Liuwa) is slowly being restored and 2 males (in 2009) and 2 subadult females (in 2011) have been reintroduced.
The plains are a birders dreams, with tens of thousand migratory birds (like Caspian Plover, Pratincoles). Pelicans, grey crowned cranes, wattled cranes, fuellerborn's longclaws are numerous. Liuwa Plain NP is a truly unique experience.
Lower Zambezi National Park (August 2008, 2009) is an exclusive park. The actual safari area is quite small, but the game is plentiful and the (luxury) camps don't just offer game drives and walks, but also boating and fishing (releasing of the catch).
US
35-50 years of age
Rugged and Remote!
Travel in Zambia is a quintessential African experience. People are poor, friendly and hard working. Bicycles laden with firewood or produce or water jugs or families or pigs fill the roads. Chaos and confusion reign at border crossings. The scenery is sublime, and the National Parks are remote. It requires an impressive amount of travel endurance just to make the drive into parks such as South Luangwa and Kafue. But go there. Do not miss Zambia!
A stunning introduction to Africa
This was my first trip to southern Africa after years of journeying around South America, North America, Europe and Asia. I was looking for a unique experience that would encompass affordability, adventure, wildlife, scenic beauty and a uniquely African experience . Zambia seemed to fit the bill and fulfilled my expectations. I chose to go during the green season when crowds were lower. Although animals were not as easy to view in parks such as Kafue, the birding made up for it. My itinerary went from Victoria Falls, with a side trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana, to the Lower Zambezi River for 2 days of canoeing and finally to South Luangwa. I was impressed with the professionalism of the guides, especially on the Lower Zambezi River and in South Luangua National Park. I had many highlights on this trip, but I would choose the Microlight flight over Victoria Falls , the canoeing trip on the Zambezi River and my time in South Luangwa National Park. The canoeing offered me close proximity to hippos, elephants and the peaceful tranquility of camping on the Lower Zambezi River. South Luangwa gave me all the cat sightings I was hoping for. The birding was simply incredible, rivaling the animal sightings. As a modest traveler, the lodging was to my liking, mostly in tents. Marula Lodge, outside of South Luangwa National Park, was very welcoming. I loved camping next to the river and the outdoor showers. The restaurant had tasty food and guiding was exceptionally professional. The country is very scenic, especially along the rivers. Big sky unsets were very memorable. I guess that if I were to alter anything on the itinerary during the green season, it would have be increased time on the Zabesi River and at South Luangwa National park at the expense of Kafue National Park. Although I felt like Kafue National Park to myself, the grass was too high for wildlife viewing during green season. Overall the trip was terrific and made for a satisfying 1st experience in Africa. Finally, I would like to thank Denver of Denssafari for organizing a superb itinerary at an affordable price. I look forward to my return to the region in the next year or two.
FR
Email Guillaume d'Autichamp | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
African safari as it should be
We visited Zambia for our Honeymoon in this October.
I decided to travel back here after an incredible first visit 5 years ago. We visited Kafue, both Luangwa Parks and of course livingstone and the falls: What a wonderful and rewarding experience !!
- wildlife viewing was superb : we just missed cheetah and rhino but saw 7 leaopards during our trips, lion, loads of hippos, Elephants, koudous impalas, pukus , zebras and buffaloes and encountered less common species such as sable antelope, hartebeest, a pack of 20 wild dogs (in south luangwa), bushpigs. Except near the Mfue gate we had the animals for ourselves!
Whats really liked in parks such as Kafue is that we had to really search game : find some clues (footprints), track them down and in the end...we were rewarded
- Safaris and guidings were excellent: our guide in North Luangwa was able to find lion footprints, we followed these footprints and we able to discover a lone male Lion that roares and jumped from a busm just 20m ahead of us! Moreover guides are friendly, very accessible and give great explanations. We mixed, game drives, night drives canoe and walking safaris.
- Accomodation was exclusive, rustic (made from natural materials) : we were 100% part of the wilderness
- Food was 100% hand cooked and really delicious
All in all what is so special with Zambia is that you do not feel the commercial aspect of the safari industry : you have excellent and dedicated guides for yourself (no tourist buses here), you feel the bush vibe (no tared roads, no fences), tourists densities are low (in Kafue we were alone in our camp) and some of the industry benefits are dedicated to local communities which is great
We absolutely recommend this marvellous country !!
NL
Email Stephen Eustace | 35-50 years of age
Ye it is the real Africa!
Zambia, Safari Experience 04MAY 2008
I found the Safari park “Track and Trail” from the internet and paid my fees in US dollars in advance. Everything went very smoothly. The safairi park is situated in South-Luangwa, which was recommened to me by relatives.
I was picked up at Mfuwe airport by kirsten, one of the owners, who took me in a jeep to the park, that in itself was quite an experience as we drove into the sunset. Safari parks aside, one of the most spectacular thinbgs about Zambia is her sunsets which alwasy leave me gobsmacked.
By the time we arrived at the campsite it was dark, where I enjoyed a few mosi beers, tot eh sopund of hippos grunting nearby. The rules of the site where “no walking around unsupervised” which meant drinking beer and the usual toilet trips were slightly annoying even if it was for my own safety. Please don’t get me wrong, I was actually terrrified walking around and didnt want to walk around on my own!! I took my beer backc to my beautiful chalet, where I saw a note and a whistle. More house rules, “If you meet an animal please blow this whistle – DO NOT USE FOR SPIDERS”. My first reaction was to go looking for spiders in the bed!! Sleeping for me was very difficult, I was not used to the great African orchestra of baboons, birds, frogs, bats, insects and above all the deep grunts and belches from the many hippos. I have to admit I did not get very much sleep, but I really did not mind the 05:00 call, where I was was met for breakfast. Derek, my guide, was extremely knowledgeable and not only did I see “the usual” elephants, bufalo, zebra, baboons and the like, but also teh very rare african wild dog. The entire safari was completed with stories, anecdotes, legends, science and traditions which I will not go into here.
After a siesta, we had a night safari, includinbg a small pinic in the wilderness. The night safari was astonishing and was “very african” you even got the feeling you were part of a David Attenborough documentary. The evening meal was served with love, wow, I had informed Kirsten I was a vegetarian, and she made the most wonderful meals. She even made her own peanutbutter which was better than any I have had in Holland.
The following day, I had another spectacular safari in the morning, and I was dropped off at Mfuwe airport form y flight.
If I can summarise:
location – excellent
Food – to die for
Wildlife – stunning
Staff – they went beyond the meaning of service
Beer – a little expensive
Would I recommend it? YES!
The "real" Africa experience
Having visited Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Uganda, Namibia and South Africa, my favorite safari country is Zambia. Specially (North) Kafue and North Luangwa.
The scenery of the Busanga plains is exceptional, and for the rest Kafue will always surprise you with better and more thrilling game sighting while you are alone. So much unlike Tanzania and Kenya where every big cat cannot move without 20 safari vehicles on its tail.
North Luangwa is great for day long bushwalks, encountering the big 5 on foot. A vast space with *no* other man around for many, many miles. If you start to think what might happen if you break a bone on a long walk, far, far away from any help and infrastructure, North Luangwa is not for you.
If you like to encounter lions, stand in between 200 buffalos when you stepped out of the tall grass, this is the place to go.
Zambia is fabulous - wonderful scenery, wildlife and, generally the people.
Everything was as good as I expected when I lived there - only better. Saw stacks of wildilfe in the Kafue National Park/Lower Zambezi National Park, with the attendant prolific birdlife. The weather in Zambia is superb in September - warm, sunny, cloudless days and hot - but not the hottest months [October/November] aren't for the faint hearted as it gets VERY hot, particularly in the Zambezi Valley.
We drove around ourselves and found that generally the roads were good and have improved since I left home in 2001.
There has been much investment in the country; the bush camps are 'wild', not like the very 'touristey' operations in Kenya where if something unusual is spotted within 5 minutes suddenly 40 vehicles arrive. The camps are rustic, homely, comfortable and offer good food, ambience and second to none safari guides.
Thoroughly recommended!
