_South Luangwa National Park

The concentration of wildlife along the Luangwa River is extraordinary, and has earned South Luangwa National Park the reputation of being one of the world's greatest wildlife sanctuaries.

The vegetation of the Luangwa valley changes dramatically between the wet and dry seasons, and this change makes the park a wonderful place to visit at anytime of year, although access to some areas becomes limited during the peak of the wet.

As one the founding locations for guided walking safaris, South Luangwa is still one of the best parks in Africa to experience exploring the bush on foot.

Highlights of South Luangwa include:

South Luangwa accommodation

Photo: Wilderness Safaris

Photo: Dana Allen

Walking Safaris

As one of the pioneers of guided walking safaris, South Luangwa has become synonymous with these thrilling African excursions.

With excellent guides, and fantastic sightings, a walking safari here will be the highlight of any trip, and provides the perfect opportunity to observe the smaller details of the bush, while learning to track animals and identify the various plant species.

Encountering big game on foot offers a thrilling contrast to viewing wildlife from the comfort of a vehicle.

Photo: Wilderness Safaris

Wildlife Concentration

The concentration of animals along the Luangwa River is reputed to be one of the densest in Africa, and this means you are virtually guaranteed great sightings.   The dry season of June to October is the best to experience this, although there is a year round population of resident game.

Luangwa is famous for leopard sightings, as well as offering another 59 mammal species and 400 bird species.  Large elephant herds are usually seen, and buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles as well as 14 antelope species will keep you entertained for days.

Photo: Dana Allen

Night Game Drives

Along with exploring the wilderness during the day, a wonderfully thrilling activity is heading out into the African night with a spotlight.  Surrounded by the darkness, nerves tingle as you feel the tension of the night, and spot the wary eyes of both predators and prey as the battle for survival enters its most dangerous phase.

Leopards in particular are often found hunting at night, and there is a great chance of seeing nocturnal animals scurrying through the moonlight.