So why South Luangwa and why was it so great?
We have been to the South Luangwa three times because of the exceptional, jaw dropping, game viewing without the crowds. This is a remote wilderness.
Having done a few African safaris we are now addicted and have become BIG cat junkies. We chose the South Luangwa National Park primarily for its concentration of leopards and night drives to improve our chances of seeing the elusive beauties. This park has a huge variety of game and birdlife.
The park is a wildlife photographer’s dream come true with a variety of ways to get very up close and personal with animals. We gave ourselves every opportunity to see game from the vehicle, overnight tree sleepout, on foot, in the hides, on the plains, in the forests, along the river and at the lagoons. Sadly, poaching and hunting still happens but wildlife protection and anti-poaching initiatives have enabled the populations of big game to improve.
You will not see Rhino or Cheetah in the South Luangwa but the plenty of game including African Wild dog and some very beautiful birds and owls.
The guides (mostly Zambian) have uncanny eyesight and impressive knowledge. Each outing unfolds with information about the resident game, birds and flora. Our guide on each occasion did so much to ensure we got great sightings and incredible photos. It was exciting to look and listen for signs to track predators, inch closer to beautiful birds and sit just meters away from wild animals.
The park is so renowned for it concentration of game that multiple film crews have visited the park for documentaries on the yellow baboons, crocodiles and lions. The Hollywood Pride and its three males Metro, Goldwyn and Mayer were named from such visits.
Highlights of our South Luangwa trips include:
The many leopard sightings and during the day! Elliott a magnificent one-eyed male was a favourite.
Mega prides of lions – 25 members
Fantastic predator action
Tracking animals based on alarm calls, vultures and other signs.
Watching animals and birds from hides enable close and safe encounters
Small five; elephant shrew, rhino beetle, lion ant, leopard tortoise and buffalo weaver
The Luangwa River provided a constant supply of animals and birds, watching the elephant family cross the river each day was a definite highlight
Walking safari to get up close and personal with small things like shells, feathers, animal foot prints.
Night drives – this is the only place we have a seen nocturnal animals like Elephant Shrew and watch dramatic lion kills – like three zebras taken down at once by a pride
The beautiful areas like the ebony and baobab forest
The list goes on…
Where to stay and when to go?
There is something for all budgets in the area.
The camps deep into the park are special and inaccessible in the emerald season but teaming with game in the winter (June-October). Other camps closer to Mfuwe and just outside the park still have plenty of game but there are more vehicles around.
We stayed about 2-3 hour drive into the park from Mfuwe airstrip. It stakes this long because all the game we wanted to photograph along the way. Don’t be fooled by ‘bush’ camp being a better ‘bush’ experience than others – it’s just more remote and within a wildlife corridor.
Some camps will claim a 95% chance of seeing leopard – we proved this to be true!
This is luxury safari folks (no pitching of tents, cold showers or flapping of plates) and a small price to pay for the 5 star chalets, location, exceptional guides, service and seclusion. The tariff is all inclusive with a portion given to
Project Luangwa to manage community aid.
How to get there?
You need to get to the Zambian capital Lusaka and then take a regional carrier to Mfuwe.
I wrote this after our 2011 safari
Excited to arrive, and sad to leave
Our latest Zambian safari is hard to believe!
Spotting Elliott, the one-eyed leopard, in the sun, started 12 days of amazing game viewing to stun
Lions and hyenas we could not ignore, passing through the camp, heard over the snore
10 leopards in all, some up the tree, made baboons bark and flee, one took flight to the ground – an unforgettable sight and sound.
The daily Ele parade on display crossing the river around midday
A limping lion with a sore paw, a new born Puku and a bleeding Chameleon we saw!
Watched the Mwamba pride of twenty, the BIG cats were a-plenty
There was more to see, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Wild Dog and Serval, others heard with envy!
A rewarding day with the kids we had, singing and dancing – they must have thought we were mad!
Smiling faces looked after us well, too much good food, the mirror did tell!
Spots, stripes and memories galore, more – we could not ask for!