Kasanka National Park
Chauffeur-driven travel to Kasanka in Zambia
You can of course fly directly to the small yet beautiful Kasanka National Park in Zambia, but travelling to it overland from the capital Lusaka is also an experience in itself - one that will take you 6 hours. The road leads you past small villages where the local people come out and wave your passing. What distinguish Kasanka National Park are its vast biodiversity and the highest concentration of situtanga antelope in Zambia.
Habitats in Kasanka
Kasanka National Park is not big (390 km2), but thanks to its large diversity of habitats, various different game are attracted to this area. The grasslands around the drainage channels attract waterbuck and reedbuck, but the most common animal is the puku antelope. In the many shadows of the forest, you can go in search of blue monkeys and here, like in many other national parks in southern Africa, the number of elephants in Kasanka National Park is rising.
Canoeing over Luombwa River
Hippos, crocodiles, otters and monitor lizards live in the rivers and lakes, making a canoe trip over the Luombwa River an absolute must. The papyrus swamps are regarded as the crown jewels of Kasanka National Park and a magical place to watch the sun come up. This is also home to the situtanga antelope, which occur in higher concentrations than anywhere else in Zambia. There are also vast numbers of different species of bird, including the Wattled Crane and Ross' Lourie. The millions of straw coloured fruit bats in the park are also as unique as they are impressive.
Sustainable tourism in Kasanka
Kasanka National Park has an interesting history: in 1985, the park was only visited by poachers. This changed however after the Brit David Lloyd, who was living in Zambia at the time, visited the park and discovered its beauty. He and a local farmer decided to take care of the park: they hired a local guide and built roads, bridges and temporary camps. The Zambian government was pleased with their initiative, since they themselves were unable to look after the park. To collect money and in order to be able to act as a legal entity, these initiators formed the Kasanka Trust. From the outset, one of the central starting points was that the local inhabitants would be involved in the national park. Management of the park was handed over to the Kasanka Trust in 1990. A good infrastructure and the development of tourism must enable the park to become self-sufficient and provide income for the local people.
The long-term objective of the trust is to guarantee the future of the biodiversity in Kasanka National Park. The trust is also involved in the management of Bangweulu Swamps and Lavushi Manda National Park.
