South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
South Luangwa National Park
The South Luangwa National Park is Zambia’s top safari destination and rightly so. With some of the best privately owned and often owner run bush camps in Africa, matched by some of the best safari guides in Zambia, a safari to the South Luangwa will not disappoint. Game viewing in the South Luangwa is also some of the best in Africa with elephant, buffalo, lion, giraffe, zebra, impala, puku, wild dog and so much more. The South Luangwa is also known as the “Valley of leopards” due to its high density of leopards. Leopards are regarded as one of the most elusive animals to see on an African safari, yet in the South Luangwa, they are seen quite regularly on game drives and sometimes even on walking safaris.
The park landscape is very varied and so are the habitats which range from riverine woodlands, mopane woodlands to open grasslands and it is these broad habitats that mean a variety of animals thrive here. During a safari to the South Luangwa, guests can enjoy morning, afternoon and night game drives as well as walking safaris inside the park. Morning and afternoon game drives allow guests the chance the explore larger areas of the park and see the variety of animals, while night drives give guests a glimpse into the nocturnal creatures’ habits. Nighttime is also when the predators do most of their hunting, as leopard and lion become more active during the cooler nights.
Zambia and in particular the South Luangwa is renowned as the home of the walking safari, so there are few better places in Africa to enjoy our favorite African experience. Most safari camps within the South Luangwa will offer walking safaris as part of their activities. This usually means either walking directly from camp or driving out to an area and then exploring that area on foot. These walking safaris usually last 3 hours and are not very strenuous as guides focus on the smaller aspects of the African bush. Whether looking at tracks in the sand and interpreting what they mean or tasting and trying some of the edible and medicinal plants in the bush, walking safaris are fascinating experiences. For the more adventurous, some of the bush camps within the park offer guests the opportunity to walk between camps. Instead of taking a road transfer, guests set off with their guide and walk from one camp to the next, stopping for coffee breaks and sometimes even a bush breakfast along the way. The time it takes to get between camps varies depending on what camps you are staying at and also what you see along the way.
For the even more adventurous (our type of guests 😊), there are options to do multiday walking safaris staying in rustic (yet comfortable) mobile camps that move from one area to the next. Located in remote areas of the park with very few road networks, this is the best way to explore the area. Guests et off in the morning and walk to where the next camp will be setup. As guests are walking a team will pack up camp and move it to its new location, so by the time you get to camp it is all setup and ready for you. This is an incredible experience and is one of our all-time favorite things you can do in Africa.
As with most other parks in Zambia, most of the safari camps in the South Luangwa close during the rainy season and only open in April, May or June. This is because some of the smaller roads that link the rustic bush camps become flooded and impassable. Only a handful of luxury lodges remain open during this “emerald season”. This makes the best time to visit the South Luangwa National Park between June and the end of October which are the dry months. October is the very end of the dry season and the start of very hot summer months.
The South Luangwa National Park is Zambia’s top safari destination and rightly so. With some of the best privately owned and often owner run bush camps in Africa, matched by some of the best safari guides in Zambia, a safari to the South Luangwa will not disappoint. Game viewing in the South Luangwa is also some of the best in Africa with elephant, buffalo, lion, giraffe, zebra, impala, puku, wild dog and so much more. The South Luangwa is also known as the “Valley of leopards” due to its high density of leopards. Leopards are regarded as one of the most elusive animals to see on an African safari, yet in the South Luangwa, they are seen quite regularly on game drives and sometimes even on walking safaris.
The park landscape is very varied and so are the habitats which range from riverine woodlands, mopane woodlands to open grasslands and it is these broad habitats that mean a variety of animals thrive here. During a safari to the South Luangwa, guests can enjoy morning, afternoon and night game drives as well as walking safaris inside the park. Morning and afternoon game drives allow guests the chance the explore larger areas of the park and see the variety of animals, while night drives give guests a glimpse into the nocturnal creatures’ habits. Nighttime is also when the predators do most of their hunting, as leopard and lion become more active during the cooler nights.
Zambia and in particular the South Luangwa is renowned as the home of the walking safari, so there are few better places in Africa to enjoy our favorite African experience. Most safari camps within the South Luangwa will offer walking safaris as part of their activities. This usually means either walking directly from camp or driving out to an area and then exploring that area on foot. These walking safaris usually last 3 hours and are not very strenuous as guides focus on the smaller aspects of the African bush. Whether looking at tracks in the sand and interpreting what they mean or tasting and trying some of the edible and medicinal plants in the bush, walking safaris are fascinating experiences. For the more adventurous, some of the bush camps within the park offer guests the opportunity to walk between camps. Instead of taking a road transfer, guests set off with their guide and walk from one camp to the next, stopping for coffee breaks and sometimes even a bush breakfast along the way. The time it takes to get between camps varies depending on what camps you are staying at and also what you see along the way.
For the even more adventurous (our type of guests 😊), there are options to do multiday walking safaris staying in rustic (yet comfortable) mobile camps that move from one area to the next. Located in remote areas of the park with very few road networks, this is the best way to explore the area. Guests et off in the morning and walk to where the next camp will be setup. As guests are walking a team will pack up camp and move it to its new location, so by the time you get to camp it is all setup and ready for you. This is an incredible experience and is one of our all-time favorite things you can do in Africa.
As with most other parks in Zambia, most of the safari camps in the South Luangwa close during the rainy season and only open in April, May or June. This is because some of the smaller roads that link the rustic bush camps become flooded and impassable. Only a handful of luxury lodges remain open during this “emerald season”. This makes the best time to visit the South Luangwa National Park between June and the end of October which are the dry months. October is the very end of the dry season and the start of very hot summer months.
