South Luangwa National Park

By far the most famous National Park in Zambia and famous around the world for some of the best game viewing in Africa and also for exhilarating nighttime game drives which are incredibly successful for leopard sightings. Walking safaris in South Luangwa give you a completely different wildlife safari experience with the resident wildlife of the National Park and many of the South Luangwa National Park lodges offer this as an alternative experience to vehicle safaris and are lucky enough to have some of the best wildlife guides in Africa; several of which have won global and national awards. Another big positive for many clients is the ease of getting to South Luangwa. There are regular flights from the capital Lusaka to Mfuwe and from there it is a relatively short drive to your South Luangwa safari camp.

A walking safari in South Luangwa is one of the most exhilarating and intimate Zambia wildlife safaris you can do and it has rightly gained a reputation as the best palace in Africa to take a walking safari. One of the cool things about these safaris is that the best South Luangwa safari camps are set up to allow walking safaris between them, so you stay at one camp for a few nights and then you walk to the next one; which might be next to a river for watching hippos and elephants or with a different type of habitat. South Luangwa National Park lodges are often family-owned and they have in effect made a fantastic ‘wildlife circuit’ between their lodges and camps, so you can experience game drives, nighttime safaris and walking safaris all on the same South Luangwa safari.

Best time to visit South Luangwa National Park

Again, there will be a push from many tour operators towards the high season from July to October and it is true to say that many South Luangwa safari camps close during the green season from December to March. However, there are some real specialist operators like Robin Pope safaris who actively promote the stunning ‘Emerald Season’ in the South Luangwa valley. Instead of safari vehicles, you will switch to boat safaris and with fewer visitors and lots of newborn animals around – as well as migrant birds – you are going to see a completely different side of the park on this green season South Luangwa safari.

You can also consider travelling to South Luangwa in April and May when the heaviest rains have stopped, but the landscapes are still green and lush and the wildlife will be looking its best after a season of plenty. You should still be able to get some good discounts at your favourite South Luangwa National Park lodges in what is in effect, the shoulder season.

Wildlife of South Luangwa

What wildlife can you expect to see during your South Luangwa National Park safari? Most National Parks in Africa do not allow nighttime safaris inside the park or the use of spotlighting to identify and watch nocturnal wildlife. Because this has always been a way of seeing big cats like leopards, lions and hyenas in South Luangwa, this activity is permitted and provides the visitor with a chance to witness how the park comes alive at night; especially for these apex predators. Expect to see large lion prides, hunting leopards, scavenging packs of hyena and maybe with some luck, African hunting dogs and 

Interestingly there are three endemic herbivores found in South Luangwa National Park. The beautifully marked Thornicroft’s Giraffe, Cookson’s Wildebeest and Crawshay’s Zebra. A lot of the antelope species during the dry season will be found close to the South Luangwa river and this, in turn, will attract the most common predators.

South Luangwa safari camps and park lodges – where is the best place to stay?

There are many world-class safari lodges and camps in South Luangwa National Park. Many of which have been owned by the same family for generations. There are also new upcoming camps and lodges to suit all budgets, although many of the best camps come with a relatively high price tag. People do expect an intimate safari experience at South Luangwa and therefore it is a good decision to choose a lodge or camp further away from the main Mfuwe gate. Simply because there is a cluster of properties here and therefore by definition, you will have more vehicles on safari in that area.

A personal favourite of Wildlife Trails clients is Zikomo Lodge located in the Nsefu sector of South Luangwa National Park. Its location on the South Luangwa river but in an area away from other lodges allows its guests to take wildlife safaris in one of the best locations in Africa for predators. Great opportunities to see and photograph leopards and lions.