Zambia | South Luangwa National Park | wandelsafari
Located in Luangwa Valley and at the southern tail end of the Great Rift Valley, South Luangwa National Park is Zambia's most famous game reserve. Authorities in the field rate it as one of the best game reserves in the world; and with good reason: the concentrations of game along the Luangwa River are the most intense in Africa. Luangwa River and the many lagoons that connect to the river run through the park and offer a habitat to more than a hundred mammals and 420 species of bird. There are also between 35 and 42 hippos per kilometre!
It was with good reason that game keeper Norman Carr developed the 'walking safari' in South Luangwa. The great advantage of walking safaris is that these carry on throughout the rainy season, whereas the inaccessibility of many roads makes jeep safaris impossible at this time of the year. Another advantage for many safari goers is that walking safaris enable you to connect better with the animals around you, despite the fact that safari jeeps sometimes allow you to get quite close.
Most of the lodges in this national park are located along Luangwa River. It's fairly busy to the south of the entrance, whereas the north is somewhat quieter. This is where you will find the traditional village of Kawaza, which will give you an idea of traditional Zambian village life. It will also enable you to see how tourism can help the local population. Depending on the lodge you choose in South Luangwa, you will be able to select from traditional safaris in open Land Rovers and one or multi-day walking safaris. During walking safaris, you will walk from your lodge to the 'satellite camp'.
Luangwa River swells and widens greatly in the summer, turning it into a muddy primeval soup full of crocodiles and hippos. This is the perfect time to undertake a one or multi-day river safari. The river transforms into a sort of wide sandpit in the winter, through which even the smallest of streams seldom flow.
If you're looking for an alternative, exhilarating way to view South Luangwa National Park, a micro-light flight ('ultra-light flying') is ideal. You can skim low and see the crocodiles swimming in the Luangwa River, then ascend some 30 - 50 metres and gain a bird's eye view of how the river twists and turns on its journey. You might also spot an eagle spotting you on your adventures. Whatever you choose to do, a visit to South Luangwa National Park is a truly unforgettable experience.
