Wilderness Expedition: Luangwa Valley (short)

Your Safari begins in Mfuwe (NOTE: this safari can also start from Lusaka, Lilongwe or Chipata. Please enquire for rates).

Mfuwe is the closest village from where to access South Luangwa National Park. Even though it is very close to such an internationally acclaimed attraction, it still maintains the spirit and looks of a traditional Zambian village.

You will be picked up and transferred to the Nsefu Sector of South Luangwa National Park, where you will spend 2 nights WILD CAMPING in an unfenced wilderness area – the remote wilderness site has no electricity, has bush toilets and bucket showers.

Here, you will spend the next two nights with all meals prepared by the accompanying cook and all game viewing activities done by our resident guides on board of our vehicles. Dinner prepared by your accompanying chef.

Night Camping.

South Luangwa National Park is the most famous of National Parks is Zambia due to the abundance of wildlife and the great opportunities to spot large predators. In addition to a large population of felines (mostly leopards and lions), it is home to a large number of elephants, hippos, buffaloes and numerous endemic species such as Thorncrofft giraffe, Cookson’s wildebeests, Crashway’s zebras. The Luangwa River has the highest concentration of hippos per km2 in the whole Africa and offers great reproduction and hunting ground for many animals, such as fish eagles, jackals, hyenas, crocodiles, and countless birds. Sunsets on the Luangwa River are unforgettable experiences and the visit to this National Park is consider one of the highlights for any true Africa lover. 

Early wake and sunrise breakfast with hot beverages and toasts/biscuits before starting off on your first Game drive of the day. Return to camp around 10,00 and time to relax. Brunch, followed by an afternoon Night Drive that will continue after sunset to maximise your chances to spot nocturnal predators. Dinner at camp, prepared by the accompanying cook and night camping.

Early breakfast and departure for Luambe National Park, crossing the Nsefu sector of the South Luangwa National Park en-route.

At just 254 km², Luambe is one of Zambia’s smallest national parks. Situated on the eastern bank of the Luangwa it lies in the heart of the Luangwa valley between Lukusuzi, North and South Luangwa national parks. The park was declared in 1938 and is therefore one of the oldest conservation areas in Zambia.

The wildlife found in Luambe is similar to that of its larger neighbouring parks and includes all the typical large herbivores, carnivores as well as some less well-known species. However, the animals of Luambe are generally present at lower densities than in the bigger parks with the advantage that Luambe is less crowded than its more famous neighbours.

Habitat diversity in Luambe National Park is enormous and within a few kilometres the vegetation ranges from riverine forest, cathedral mopane woodland, floodplain acacia thickets to the sausage tree-dotted open grasslands of the Chipuka plains.

There are over 200 species of bird in Luambe and elephant populations as well as those of lion and leopard are said to be on the increase – so it’s well worth visiting now before everyone else catches on.

You will set camp at Luambe Community Campsite and enjoy an afternoon Game Drive in the park.

Night Camping

Early wake and sunrise breakfast with hot beverages and toasts/biscuits before starting off for a Game drive in Luambe National Park. Return to camp around 10,00 and brunch, followed by a transfer to North Luangwa National Park.

This remote tract of land, covering 4636 square kilometres, offers one of the finest wilderness experiences in Zambia, if not Africa itself. It is not open to the public and there are no permanent lodges there. Access is with one of the few safari operators granted permission to conduct walking safaris.

The beauty of visiting this Park is the truly remarkable opportunities to experience Africa as it was. It is wild and untouched and you are simply an unobtrusive witness to its natural beauty and drama.  Although declared a wilderness area, the North Park, was not open to anyone other than Game Department rangers for more than thirty years. In 1984, Major John Harvey and his wife Lorna sought permission to conduct walking safaris in the area and for many years were the only operators in this remote wilderness.

Then in 1989, two scientists, Mark and Delia Owens, famous for their book ‘Cry of the Kalahari’, were granted permission to set up a research station in the Park. Through their influence and as a means of helping to curb poaching in the area, the authorities allowed entry to a few more safari operators who bring limited numbers into the Park for guided walking safaris and game drives. Their efforts in the North Luangwa are documented in their book ‘Survivors Song / The Eye of the Elephant’.

There are very few roads and you are unlikely to see anyone else for the duration of your trip. Like the South Park, it lies on the western bank of the Luangwa River bordered on the other side by the dramatic Muchinga Escarpment which rises over 1000 meters from the valley floor. Its hazy outline can clearly be seen from the Luangwa River.

There are a number of tributary rivers running through the Park and into the Luangwa  which play an important ecological role in the area. The crystal-clear Mwaleshi River trickles down the escarpment in a series of small waterfalls. It recedes in the dry season, leaving many pools along the way, drawing the animals from the bush to its banks in search of water. No game drives are permitted in the Mwaleshi area, and access is by organized walking safaris only.

The vegetation ranges from mopane woodland to riverine forest, open grasslands and acacia thicket. Trees include the beautiful sausage tree, vegetable ivory palms, red mahogany and leadwood.

You will reach Ituba Campsite before sunset and set camp for the night in a fantastic spot overlooking the Luangwa River, equipped with toilets and showers. Dinner around the fire prepared by your accompanying chef and night camping.

Sunrise breakfast followed by a Walking safari in the park. Return to camp mid-morning and lunch. Afternoon Game Walk in the park. Night will be camping around the fire with all meals prepared by the accompanying cook.

Sunrise breakfast and breaking of the camp. Whole day return transfer to South Luangwa National Park, with en-route pic-nic lunch in a wilderness area. You shall reach a wilderness area located in the Nsefu Sector of the Park in the afternoon and spend your last night camping in the wilderness. Dinner prepared by the accompanying cook and evening around the fire.

Dinner by the fire.

Night Camping

Breakfast and, depending on your travel arrangement, your guides will assist you in your departure preparation.

(NOTE: this safari can also end in Lusaka, Lilongwe or Chipata. Please enquire for rates).

End of arrangements.