Zambia’s huge,
wild and remote South Luangwa National Park is one of Africa’s
best kept secrets. The concentration of game around the Luangwa
River and its lagoons is among the most intense in Africa. There’s
such an abundance of animals in this 9 050 sq km park that it could
almost be called crowded! The changing seasons add to the park’s
richness, as it changes from dry, bare bushveld in the winter to a lush
green wonderland in the summer months.
There are 60 different animal species and over 400 different bird
species. The only notable exclusion is the rhino, sadly poached
to extinction. Game includes antelope, wildebeest and zebra that
congregate on the open savannah grasslands and are stalked by lion and
African hunting dog. The muddy Luangwa River is home to hundreds
of crocs and often over 100 hippos in a single pod. Enormous
elephants can frequently be seen crossing the river’s sand
banks.
You’re quite likely to spot more unusual animals, such as the honey
badger or civet, and the park is also said to have the highest concentration
of leopard in Africa. The deep Luangwa forests provide the perfect
habitat for leopard, and they’re best spotted on a spot-lit night
drive.
The now famous 'walking safari' originated in this park. It is still
one of the finest ways to experience this pristine wilderness first-hand. South Luangwa is inaccessible during the rainy season from
December until the last rains in about April, and most of the camps
close. The tracks turn to slurries of mud and even the access road
to the park is impassable. May to August is drier but cool, and
it gets very hot in September and October, when the bushes
wilt and the earth is bone dry. The animals congregate along the
drying up river and remaining waterholes, so these hot dry months
are the best for game viewing.
There are luxury lodges within the park and some budget accommodation
options near the entrance overlooking the Luangwa River. These are great spots
for a sundowner and to watch the animals come down to the water
to drink.
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