Zambia | Kafue National Park | lechwe
With a surface area of 22,400 km2, Kafue National Park in the west of Zambia is one of the largest game reserves in the world. It is twice as big as Yellowstone Park in America, yet with few lodges it attracts few visitors. This park also has a large variety of game and is among the parks with the most antelope species in the world. This combination of factors makes Kafue National Park an extremely exclusive destination and gives rise to it being viewed as the park of the future.
Located in the north-west of Kafue National Park, Busanga Plains has a unique ecosystem. In the summer, the marshlands are populated by thousands of water birds, but when the delta dries up in the autumn, hippos frequently become stranded in the shallow pools. The region also attracts many species of antelope and, as a result, animals of prey. Lions are in particular abundance here and bird lovers can expect to feast their eyes on no less than 400 difference species.
Like many places in Zambia, the roads in Kafue National Park are barely passable in the rainy season - even in a 4x4. Therefore, the period between June and October is the best time to visit Kafue National Park. The vast surface area and small number of lodges guarantee a very exclusive safari.
Rolling grasslands and forests lie behind Kafue River in the north-east. The majority of Kafue National Park consists of forest; however the park is also dotted with patches of 'dambos': open spaces on which antelope come and graze. The grasslands are also scattered with termite hills and fig and date trees and home to animals such as leopards and lions.
